Past events

No Strings is an art exhibit that illustrates quotes from guaranteed income recipients about what an extra $528 per month in no-strings-attached cash meant to them, as part of the Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor (GIG A2) pilot program. The art was created by U-M students under the guidance of artist Katie Hammond. The exhibit was curated by Poverty Solutions at U-M, which designed the pilot and is evaluating the impact of GIG A2. At the reception, you can view and respond to the art as well as hear more about how the project came together.

Join us for a webinar that examines the evidence behind Rx Kids, offering insights into how community-wide, prenatal and infant cash prescriptions affect maternal and infant health, family stability, and community outcomes. Please register ahead of time for this event: https://msu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rz7BcAkwSaGGfR9q4cMWKg#/registration Explore Rx Kids research: https://rxkids.org/impact/

As part of Grand Rounds, Dr. Sumit Agarwal will interview Dr. Mona Hanna about public health advocacy and the launch and expansion of Rx Kids, the nation’s first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program. Rx Kids is led by Dr. Hanna and Michigan State University and administered by GiveDirectly; the program was co-founded by Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. Mona Hanna, MD, MPH Associate Dean for Public Health C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Sumit Agarwal, MD, MPH, PhD Assistant Professor, Division of General Medicine University of Michigan Medical School and School of Public Health Poverty Solutions Faculty Affiliate

Relax and enjoy Weill Hall with family, friends, faculty, and staff. Great backdrops for photos, and, of course, snacks (We ARE the Food School!)  

Departments across campus are coming together to put on an interdisciplinary service design weekend. Public Service Design organizes how people, processes, and tools come together to provide government services.

Departments across campus are coming together to put on an interdisciplinary service design weekend. Public Service Design organizes how people, processes, and tools come together to provide government services.

Direct cash transfer assistance programs exist across the United States and around the world. How effective are they?

Zoom registration required https://myumi.ch/Qw4E8 The Residents & Researchers 'Tuesday Talks' are webinars, which focus on environment, health and community. This discussion features Julius Buzzard (Growing Hope) and Dr. Francesca Williamson (University of Michigan Medical School) with Natalie Sampson (University of Michigan Dearborn) moderating.

Although data reveals significant disparities in quality-of-life indicators between Black and white Americans, research also shows that a person’s neighborhood can profoundly influence their life outcomes. Michael C. Lens, a professor of urban planning and public policy at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, will discuss Where the Hood At? Fifty Years of Change in Black Neighborhoods, a comprehensive look at the evolution of Black neighborhoods over the past five decades that helps us better understand why some predominantly Black neighborhoods have flourished while others have not. Presented by the U-M Taubman College Urban and Regional Planning Program and co-sponsored by U-M Ford School of Public Policy and U-M Poverty Solutions.

A core argument in Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is that the U.S. Housing crisis is driven by policy choices that prioritize wealth preservation over access. Cities used to be engines of upward mobility, but are now exclusionary because of costs. The panel will look at zoning, environmental, and construction regulation, systemic factors, and NIMBY-ism, among other factors. Darienne Driver Hudson, President and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, give insight based on its annual ALICE report. Speaker Bios: Roshana Mehdipanah is Associate Professor, Health Behavior & Health Equity in the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on urban health including urban renewal, gentrification and their impacts on health inequities. She is particularly interested in examining the health impacts of housing policies. She specializes in innovative research methods including realist evaluations and concept mapping to develop conceptual frameworks linking complex interventions to health. Mehdipanah is the co-lead for the Public Health IDEAS for Creating Healthy and Equitable Cities and the Director of the Housing Solutions For Health Equity initiative. Noah Kazis is an assistant professor of law at Michigan Law. His research focuses on land use, housing, and local government law. He studies legal and policy mechanisms to make cities and suburbs more affordable, equitable, and integrated, as well as the internal institutional structures of local governments. Darienne Driver Hudson is a nonprofit executive and life-long educator serving as President and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, located in Detroit and serving Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. Before joining United Way in July 2018, she spent four years as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in Detroit Public Schools, a point of personal pride. Hudson co-chairs the Mayor’s Workforce Development Board, and she serves on the boards of the Detroit Children’s Fund, the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, Connect313, United Way Worldwide, and recently completed her term on the Board of Overseers for Harvard University.

The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers Josh Cowen, Professor of Education Policy, Michigan State University College of Education Friday, November 14, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

Join the Ford School’s Kohn Collaborative—our Kohn Professors and Kohn Scholars—for a roundtable conversation on shaping social policy for a thriving society. Explore bold ideas and insights from leading voices as they discuss what it takes to build communities where everyone can truly thrive.

Employing Gen Z: Summer Youth Employment as a Path to Economic Mobility and More Inclusive Workplaces Panel with Kathleen Clancey, SummerWorks Program Manager Friday, November 7, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 SummerWorks is a summer youth employment program designed to strengthen the community and develop talent by leveraging local resources and networks to provide career opportunities and mentorship to young adults. The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

Lessons from the Water Warrior on Community Coalition Building for Water Justice Monica Lewis-Patrick, Founder and CEO of We The People of Detroit Friday, October 31, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 As a community-based grassroots organization, WPD aims to inform, educate, and empower Detroit residents on imperative issues surrounding civil rights, land, water, education, and the democratic process. In collaboration with community activists, academics, researchers, and designers, the WPD Community Research Collective (CRC) utilizes research in order to serve the sustainability of the Detroit community. The WPD CRC uses data to visually show the socio-economic consequences of austerity policies in Detroit, which have worked toward the dismantling of Black and Brown Detroit neighborhoods. By presenting a critical counter narrative, WPD CRC uses knowledge as a tool to empower Detroit citizens as they fight for an equitable and beloved community. WPD CRC's most recent project addresses the public health crisis in Detroit as a result of unsafe and inaccessible water services. The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together.

The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together.

The High Cost of Mass Deportation William D. Lopez, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan School of Public Health Friday, October 17, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 In this talk, William D. Lopez will discuss his latest book, "Raiding the Heartland: An American Story of Deportation and Resistance," and the research behind it. The book chronicles the devastating impacts of immigration raids—and the enduring resistance of immigrant communities in the aftermath. Across the United States, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upends small towns and rural communities by staging dramatic raids and rounding up hundreds of people in a single day. These worksite raids fracture families, devastate local economies, and spread fear and trauma that lingers for years. Yet in the wake of these devastating raids, immigrant communities exhibit resistance, resilience, creativity, and an extraordinary determination to rebuild. In this powerful follow-up to his best-seller "Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid," Lopez brings us into the heart of communities targeted by large-scale ICE enforcement under the Trump administration. These are places where immigrant workers, many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, are suddenly torn from their families and livelihoods. Based on extensive fieldwork, this book highlights the voices of those who have endured these raids: the teachers left to comfort traumatized children, the faith leaders who opened their doors to families in crisis, the organizers who mobilized relief efforts overnight, and the workers and their families who fought for their right to remain. As raids continue to increase across the country, this book is an urgent and deeply human portrait of what these raids leave behind—and the fierce, often unexpected ways communities come together across class, race, and immigration status in their aftermath. The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together.

Detroit’s Rapid Rehousing Program Designed by Youth, For Youth: A Panel on Meaningful Youth Engagement Courtney Smith, Founder and CEO of Detroit Phoenix Center Caylene Rudd & Bobbi Simmons, Detroit Phoenix Center Youth Action Board members Friday, October 10, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 The Detroit Phoenix Center provides critical resources, wraparound support, and a safe, nurturing environment to youth. They partner with young people to break the generational cycle of homelessness and poverty. The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

From Intersections to Action: Creating Equitable Climate Solutions Together Wawa Gatheru | Founder and Executive Director of Black Girl Environmentalist Monday, September 29, 10:30 a.m. at the Michigan Union in the Pendleton Room (2nd Floor) Please RSVP for this talk: https://forms.gle/59U25HpR7GT2P5k66 Wawa Gatheru delves into the interconnectedness of climate and social justice, unpacking how systemic failures across education, housing, and labor perpetuate poverty and environmental risk. Drawing upon the energy and vision of youth activism, she urges the climate leaders of tomorrow to pursue intersectional, systems-level approaches. Her message, rooted in the values of justice and solidarity, reflects U-M Climate Week’s momentum-building message: “Together for Tomorrow.” This event is a part of U-M Climate Week 2025: Together for Tomorrow, cosponsored by the School for Environment and Sustainability and the Office of Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action. #UMCW25 The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together.

The Effect of a Monthly Unconditional Cash Transfer on Families and Children’s Development through Age 4: Findings from the Baby’s First Years Study Katherine Magnuson, Director, Institute for Research on Poverty; Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Social Work Friday, September 26, noon ET SSW ECC 1840 The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together. This series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SWK 503, Course #25751). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions or watch the livestream on YouTube.

The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series introduces key issues regarding the causes and consequences of poverty through an in-person and virtual lecture series featuring experts in policy and practice from across the nation. Our goal is to help build a broad community of learners to engage in these issues together.

More people are turning to gig work, side hustles, and entrepreneurship to try to make ends meet when traditional employment isn’t cutting it, especially in Ann Arbor where the cost of living is so high. Join a community conversation about what the Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor (GIG A2) pilot program is revealing about the potential of guaranteed income to sustain self-employed workers in Ann Arbor. The event, which is hosted by Groundcover News and the University of Michigan, will include a panel discussion with audience Q&A and the chance to purchase a special GIG A2 issue of Groundcover.

Join Poverty Solutions and Detroit Phoenix Center at the University of Michigan Detroit Center for a special mini-documentary screening and panel discussion on the importance of meaningful youth engagement in shaping wraparound services for young adults without stable housing. The 12-minute video highlights the challenges faced by young people in finding stable housing, the impact of a new rapid rehousing program designed by youth for youth in Detroit, and what meaningful youth engagement looks like. After the screening, panelists involved in the mini-documentary will discuss the issues raised in the film and share insights on how we can work together to address youth homelessness. Lunch will be provided, and there will be an opportunity to network with stakeholders in Detroit's homelessness services sector. Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn from those directly impacted by housing instability and be part of the solution!

When Professor Bernadette Atuahene, of USC Gould School of Law, moved to Detroit, she planned to study the city’s squatting phenomenon. What she accidentally found was too urgent to ignore. Her neighbors, many of whom had owned their homes for decades, were losing them to property tax foreclosure, leaving once bustling Black neighborhoods blighted with vacant homes. Through years of dogged investigation and research, Atuahene uncovered a system of predatory governance, where public officials raise public dollars through laws and processes that produce or sustain racial inequity — a nationwide practice in no way limited to Detroit. In this powerful work of scholarship and storytelling, Atuahene shows how predatory governance invites complicity from well-meaning people, eviscerates communities, and widens the racial wealth gap. By following the lives of two Detroit grandfathers, one Black and the other white, and their grandchildren, Atuahene tells a riveting tale about racist policies, how they take root, why they flourish, and who profits. Plundered's release date is Jan. 28, 2025. Local book talks include: ANN ARBOR on Friday, April 4 6:30-8 p.m. at Literati Bookstore, 124 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor With special guest Patrick Cooney, vice president at Michigan Future Inc. RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/literati-presents-bernadette-atuahene-tickets-1105727283069?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl DETROIT on Friday, Jan. 31 5-6:30 p.m. at Detroit Mercy Law School, 651 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit With special guest Orlando Bailey, Emmy award-winning journalist and executive director of Outlier Media RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-bernadette-atuahene-tickets-1101099792119?aff=oddtdtcreator

Apply your problem solving skills to reimagine eviction court forms from policy to implementation. All U-M undergraduate and graduate students are welcome. LUNCH IS PROVIDED

Explore actionable solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our time—homelessness—at a moment when our local community is reporting the fastest and highest rates of homelessness in its history.  This event features a powerful new documentary, Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, which examines the root causes of homelessness and explores comprehensive solutions, followed by a panel discussion. 

This free event features a powerful new documentary that examines the root causes of homelessness and explores comprehensive solutions. The screening will be followed by an engaging panel co-moderated by School of Social Work Dean Beth Angell and City of Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, featuring the following panelists: - Don Sawyer (film director) - Roshanak Mehdipanah (U-M School of Public Health) - Jennifer Hall (Ann Arbor Housing Commission) - Molly Smith (Avalon Housing). Prior to the event, University of Michigan faculty research on poverty and homelessness will be featured in the lobby. Tickets are free and must be reserved in advance. The event is co-sponsored by U-M's School of Social Work Engage, City of Ann Arbor, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at U-M, Washtenaw County, Poverty Solutions at U-M, Washtenaw Housing Alliance, U-M's SSW, Ann Arbor Housing Development Corp., U-M's School of Public Health, and Avalon Housing.

When Professor Bernadette Atuahene, of USC Gould School of Law, moved to Detroit, she planned to study the city’s squatting phenomenon. What she accidentally found was too urgent to ignore. Her neighbors, many of whom had owned their homes for decades, were losing them to property tax foreclosure, leaving once bustling Black neighborhoods blighted with vacant homes. Through years of dogged investigation and research, Atuahene uncovered a system of predatory governance, where public officials raise public dollars through laws and processes that produce or sustain racial inequity — a nationwide practice in no way limited to Detroit. In this powerful work of scholarship and storytelling, Atuahene shows how predatory governance invites complicity from well-meaning people, eviscerates communities, and widens the racial wealth gap. By following the lives of two Detroit grandfathers, one Black and the other white, and their grandchildren, Atuahene tells a riveting tale about racist policies, how they take root, why they flourish, and who profits. Plundered's release date is Jan. 28, 2025. Local book talks include: ANN ARBOR on Friday, April 4 6:30-8 p.m. at Literati Bookstore, 124 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor With special guest Luke Shaefer, founding faculty director of Poverty Solutions at U-M and the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/literati-presents-bernadette-atuahene-tickets-1105727283069?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl DETROIT on Friday, Jan. 31 5-6:30 p.m. at Detroit Mercy Law School, 651 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit With special guest Orlando Bailey, Emmy award-winning journalist and executive director of Outlier Media RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-bernadette-atuahene-tickets-1101099792119?aff=oddtdtcreator

SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan are excited to launch updated Data Profiles on Child and Youth Homelessness, which now include four years of federal homelessness data. Users can examine data at the state, county, local educational agency, U.S. Congressional district, and state legislative district levels. We’ve also added new features that allow users to explore which school districts are likely to be under-identifying students experiencing homelessness; which districts are likely severely under-funded to serve students experiencing homelessness; and chronic absence rates and high school graduation rates for homeless students compared to state averages. This webinar will demonstrate how the data profiles can be used to educate the public and policymakers, and to improve practices. Presenters: Barbara Duffield – Executive Director, SchoolHouse Connection Jennifer Erb-Downward – Director of Housing Stability Programs and Policy Initiatives, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan