New impact report: Poverty Solutions leverages action-based research to respond to social safety net changes

By Lauren Slagter Poverty Solutions

ANN ARBOR – Amid rapid changes to the federal policies that shape the social safety net, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan is leveraging the university’s expertise and resources to help people make sense of what’s next in poverty alleviation efforts.

“Poverty Solutions remains committed to working with community organizations and policymakers to find evidence-based ways to prevent and alleviate poverty through action-based research. Lessons learned along the way – as outlined in our 2025 impact report – can inform how we work together to reimagine systems to better meet the needs of people with low incomes,” said Kristin Seefeldt, faculty director of Poverty Solutions and an associate professor of social work and public policy.

Poverty Solutions released its annual impact report today, highlighting the following areas of impact:

Safeguarding support for K-12 students by pointing to evidence to make the case for protecting federal funding for students experiencing homelessness and disseminating federal education data to inform conversations about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
Scaling evidence-based approaches to cash assistance as Rx Kids expands to serve families in communities across Michigan and researchers evaluate how Ann Arbor residents used guaranteed income payments.
Making a difference in Detroit through the Partnership on Economic Mobility, community tech consultants program, Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, and responding to housing needs.

The university-wide presidential initiative also supported faculty and students in 2025 and elevated the university’s profile as a leading poverty research institution, via the following milestones:

Sustained 18 active research projects;
Contributed to numerous research publications, including academic journal articles, action-oriented policy briefs, and working papers;
Published six interactive data tools; and
Employed 42 student research assistants.

2026 marks a new chapter for Poverty Solutions with Seefeldt as faculty director. She joined Poverty Solutions as associate director in 2019 and stepped in as acting director when Luke Shaefer was on sabbatical in the 2024-25 academic year. Shaefer founded Poverty Solutions in 2016, and he recently accepted a new role as the City of Detroit’s first Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty Solutions. Natasha Pilkauskas joined Poverty Solutions as associate faculty director in the fall of 2025.

“This is a pivotal moment for the University of Michigan to demonstrate the power of higher education to serve humanity,” Seefeldt said. “Poverty Solutions exemplifies the meaningful positive impact that’s possible when scholars take an interdisciplinary approach to tackling society’s most pressing issues and leverage university resources to work alongside community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders to address pressing problems.”