Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan
Joan and Sanford Weill hallCommunity 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.
A website launched by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan in April 2021 offers step-by-step guidance for parents to ensure they receive the expanded Child Tax Credit, which is worth up to $3,600 per child, per year.
The Coronavirus Stimulus Payment website — developed by Poverty Solutions in partnership with Detroit-based nonprofit design firm Civilla in April 2020 — walks people through a step-by-step process to ensure they’ve provided the IRS with the information necessary to receive their stimulus checks.
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 families experiencing homelessness and the educators and service providers who serve them.
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.
The Detroit Home Repair Resource Guide published by Poverty Solutions in 2019 aims to better inform Detroiters of available home repair programs so they can leverage the resources they need to keep up their homes.
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.
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.