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Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
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735 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091
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Community Resources

Community education tools aim to bridge information gaps and meet needs identified by our community partners. These tools assist the public in making sense of complex public policies and connecting with available resources.

 

2024 Election Issue Guides: Poverty on the Ballot

Poverty should be part of every candidate’s platform this election year. The 2024 election is an important opportunity to consider how our society addresses poverty and related issues, from the national to the local level. As a public institution and nonprofit, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan is a non-partisan entity. Our goal is to provide Michigan voters with reliable information on poverty issues, so they can better engage with policymakers, candidates, and each other to advance the prevention and alleviation of poverty.

View issue guides on poverty, homelessness, affordable housing & child care

New website answers child care providers' questions about Michigan Child Development and Care Subsidy

The Updated Michigan Child Development and Care Subsidy website – developed by Poverty Solutions in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services – supports child care providers in completing the necessary steps to accept the subsidy. Michigan made a number of changes to its child care subsidy program during the pandemic, and the website provides information on how to accept the subsidy, the licensing process, payment rates, and more.

Updated Michigan Child Development and Care Subsidy: What Child Care Providers Need to Know

Detroit Home Repair Resource Guide

The Detroit Home Repair Resource Guide aims to better inform Detroiters of available home repair programs so they can leverage the resources they need to keep up their homes. Originally published in 2019, the guide is updated biannually.

Each program description in the guide includes the name of the program and administering agency, eligibility requirements, income guidelines, area of availability, type of repairs, how to apply, and contact information.

View the Detroit Home Repair Resource Guide

SummerWorks Mentoring Guide

SummerWorks is a community focused, public-private-university partnership serving youth in Washtenaw County, Michigan, through a 10-week summer youth employment program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SummerWorks launched a virtual mentoring program, and in doing so, staff discovered a need for comprehensive resources for effective mentoring. The mentoring guide outlines suggestions for mentor training and support, best practices for mentorship, and tips for structuring mentoring relationships in the form of potential meeting agendas, activities, and discussion questions.

View the SummerWorks Mentoring Guide

U-M Basic Needs Portal

The basic needs portal document is a first step in accessing support for students at U-M experiencing food, housing, or financial insecurity. It lists resources, contact information, and how to access the resource for those who could use assistance in these or other areas.

This information was collected by Poverty Solutions Research Assistants Brook Sinclair, Payton Watt, and Marissa Natzke. The project was overseen by Trevor Bechtel at Poverty Solutions, building on work begun by the Food Insecurity Working Group that includes Alex Bryan, of U-M Sustainable Food Program, and Sarah Daniels, associate dean of students.

View the U-M Basic Needs Portal

Resources for Detroit educators & families experiencing homelessness

Anywhere between 7,000 and 14,000 Detroit students are facing housing insecurity, according to research from U-M Poverty Solutions. That count is vastly higher than what Detroit schools have previously estimated, an issue exacerbated by the pandemic. Poverty Solutions partnered with Chalkbeat Detroit to host a virtual panel discussion in October 2021 to take a closer look at this issue, and the event included a resource guide for Detroit-Area families experiencing homelessness and the educators and service providers who serve them.

View the resource guide