"New Evidence and Implications for Community Initiatives" by Claudia J. Coulton, Brett Theodos, Margery Austin Turner
Publication Date: November 02, 2009
The text below is an excerpt from the complete document at the Urban Institute. Read the full report in PDF format.
Abstract
Americans change residences frequently. Residential mobility can reflect positive changes in a family's circumstances or be a symptom of instability and insecurity. Mobility may also change neighborhoods as a whole. To shed light on these challenges, this report uses a unique survey conducted for the Making Connections initiative. The first component measures how mobility contributed to changes in neighborhoods' composition and characteristics. The second component identifies groups of households that reflect different reasons for moving or staying in place. The final component introduces five stylized models of neighborhood performance: each has implications for low-income families' well-being and for community-change efforts.
This research is part of the work that the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development participates in for the Annie Casey Foundation's Making Connections Initiative.
The Cleveland Foundation and the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development recently began working together to show how the economic crisis is affecting Cuyahoga County. The result is an online display of data called “The Pulse.”
"The Pulse" succinctly uses four indicators to give its viewers a picture of the needs of Cuyahoga County residents:
• the number of people with food stamps benefits,
• the number of children with Medicaid benefits,
• mortgage foreclosures, (all from the Center's NEO CANDO system),
• and unemployment data from the Ohio Labor Market Information System.
These figures are updated on a monthly basis.
“The Pulse” was created in conjunction with the Cleveland Foundation's new Basic Needs Fund, which will help sustain local nonprofits that provide essentials like food, clothing, and shelter.
You can find “The Pulse” online at http://clevelandfoundation.org/grantmaking/pulse.html.
The full NEO CANDO, Northeast Ohio Community and Neighborhood Data for Organizing resources can be found here.
You can find The Cleveland Foundation Pulse press release here.
Prof. Mark Chupp and Doctoral candidate Diwakar Vadapalli, will present "Limitations and Lessons in Place-Based Community Development: The CDC Movement in the US" in Monterrey, Mexico at the 16th, International Consortium for Social Development Symposium.
Abstract:
Community Development Corporations (CDCs) in the US are a vital organizational mechanism for revitalization of disadvantaged communities. throughout their evolution in history, CDCs followed the dominant framrwork of "place-based community development'.
This study examines the diverse roles of CDC's in community revitalization in the Cleveland metropolitan area, their limitations in addressing challenges that result in part from larger state and federal policies in spite of their adoption of sophisticated and modern organizational mechanisms and techniques.
Recommendations include: 1) adopting a broader social development framework for building community capitals and 2) adopting a flexible unit of analysis that can be applied beyond the confines of a "place-based community'. Community-based organization in other countries, as they design their strategies for revitalization or development, can draw lessons from the experience of CDC's from a major American city.
Michigan Radio, July 20, 2009
The City of Cleveland has a goal of rehabbing 150 vacant homes, demolishing 300, and preventing another 300 homes from going into foreclosure. It's all part of a program called Opportunity Homes. The program relies on data from Mike Schramm and the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University.
Read or listen to the WUOM 91.7, Ann Arbor, Michingan NPR affiliate interview here.
Cleveland Plain Dealer July 19, 2009
You can see a troubling new trend in the foreclosure crisis in a Cleveland Plain Dealer article by Sandra Livingston titled, "Bank 'walkaways' from foreclosed homes are a growing, troubling trend" here.
"Bank walkaways" are another troubling development in the foreclosure crisis, particularly in cities like Cleveland with weaker housing markets, say housing advocates and government officials. Where banks and Mortgage comanies choose to leave the house in legal limbo, rather than complete the foreclosure. Researchers at the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University are studying the issue.
Researcher Michael Schramm comments.
Diwakar K. Vadapalli, Doctoral Research Fellow at the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, presented a paper in Carmona, Spain, April 22-24, at a research meeting titled, "Social Welfare and Cash Transfer Meeting," which was organized by both UNICEF and University College London, to discuss the role of social welfare services in improving cash transfer programs.
A communiqué released from the meeting is available here.
Mr. Vadapalli's paper is titled, "Barriers and challenges in accessing social transfers and role of social welfare services in improving targeting efficiency: a study of conditional cash transfers," and it was featured in the July edition of NASW News in the article, "Services Enhance Cash Programs: Information flow among the parties is vital to the success of cash transfer policies," by Paul R. Pace, that reports about this research meeting.
Mr. Vadapalli's paper will also be presented at the 2009 Symposium of the International Consortium for Social Development in Monerrey, Mexico on July 28th, 2009. It will appear in a special issue of the international journal Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies titled, "UNICEF Special Issue: Barriers and challenges in accessing social transfers and role of social welfare services in improving targeting efficiency: a study of conditional cash transfers by: D. Vadapalli."
Family Homelessness in Cuyahoga County
A new Briefly Stated number 09-03, titled "Family Homelessness in Cuyahoga County" has been released. It summarizes research in a white paper by the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development regarding an analysis of the number of homeless families and "doubled up" families in Cuyahoga County.
The Briefly stated can be read or downloaded here.
The White paper, also titled "Family Homelessness in Cuyahoga County," can be read or downloaded here.
A brief radio article, on NPR affiliate WCPN, referencing this paper can be read or heard here.
The ranks of the unemployed have swelled in the current economic downturn, and people from all walks of life have found themselves coping with the reality of job loss. For some workers, though, being without a job is nothing new.
“Our goal was to identify the barriers that keep individuals from being referred for employment services and subsequent employment,” says David Biegel, Ph.D., of Case Western Reserve’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
Lord knows...But what do we know about the effectiveness of faith-based programming?
Beginning with the Clinton Administration and greatly extended under George W. Bush, the federal government has expanded the role of faith-based providers in the delivery of a range of human services.
Since 2001, the Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) has aimed to give these organizations equal opportunity with secular and larger organizations to secure federal funding for the delivery of social services.
Quality Matters - Assessing the quality of early care settings in Cuyahoga County
This document summarizes recent research which investigates the effects of County programs which promote increased capactiy and quality in the region's childcare.
Using data from 177 pre-school classrooms, this study was undertaken to assess the level of quality in regulated early care and education settings in and around Cleveland, Ohio.
The quality of care in settings serving young children is a crucial concern in policy and practice circles as we seek ways to promote child development. This study examined the structural and contextual factors associated with high quality care and was designed to inform a community-wide initiative focused on child well-being and school readiness.
A significant cutback in funding for tobacco-cessation programs in the State of Ohio has negatively affected efforts to reduce illnesses and healthcare costs associated with the use of harmful tobacco products. Yet, the Ohio Tobacco & Recovery (TR) Project, developed for people with severe mental illness, continues to make progress toward a service model that will stand the test of time and create positive results for Ohio residents. The Ohio TR Project is a program of the Center for EBPs at Case--a partnership of the Mandel School and Department of Psychiatry, Case School of Medicine . . . (Featuring Mandel School graduate Deb Hrouda, MSSA ('94), LISW.)
| learn more |
Psychiatrist and researcher Robert E. Drake, MD, PhD, knows a few things about the evidence-based Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) model—why it’s necessary, how it works, and which treatment components produce the most positive outcomes. He is one of the original creators of IDDT. His research continues to inform the dissemination of IDDT and the evidence-based Supported Employment (SE) model. . . . Dr. Drake has been a long-time supporter, collaborator, and colleague of the Center for EBPs at Case/Mandel School. Join us for our conversation with him.
Ask Psychologist Carlo DiClemente, PhD, co-creator of the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), how you might achieve and maintain a meaningful personal change in your life—diet, exercise, sobriety, mental health recovery—and he’ll tell you what he’s found from almost 30 years of research on the subject. Dr. DiClemente sat down with us to provide a tutorial on the origins and ongoing evolution of TTM. . . . Dr. DiClemente is a supporter, collaborator, and colleague of the Center for EBPs at Case/Mandel School.
![]()
New Poverty Center report examines what happens to properties after sheriff's sale and REO ownership
Many properties that go into foreclosure eventually end up at a sheriff's auction, where they are usually purchased by the banks, mortgage companies, mortgage services, and government-sponsored enterprises involved in financing the foreclosed mortgage loan. These properties are referred to as "REO" (real-estate owned) properties. Between 2005 and 2008, there has been a drastic increase in REO properties being sold at extremely low prices—$10,000 and often less.
The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development has produced a report,
Beyond REO: Property Transfers at Extremely Distressed Prices in Cuyahoga County, 2005-2008, that takes a look at the trend of REO properties sold at $10,000 or less; the most frequent sellers and buyers of these properties in 2007 and 2008; time between property transactions; the price of properties in subsequent transactions; and limited information about the practices of some buyers and sellers of REO properties.
The IDDT Affiliation Code Initiative gives agency providers, county boards, and State of Ohio stakeholders the capacity to collect data and to examine indicators and outcomes systematically. . . . (Featuring Mandel School graduate Deb Hrouda, MSSA ('94), LISW, and community partner David C. Ross, MA, LPCC, of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County.)
New Poverty Center report examines circumstances most likely to lead a property to foreclosure
Foreclosure rates in Northeast Ohio have grown exponentially in recent years and present unprecedented challenges for communities, governments and households. Subprime lending has also increased markedly as a proportion of all mortgage loans originated in the region during this period and is widely believed to have played an important role in the current foreclosure crisis.
![]()
Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Research Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Center for Urban Poverty & Community Development Rob Fischer, has been selected to write a commissioned paper for the upcoming White House Conference on Research Related to the Faith-Based and Community Initiative to be held in June 2008.
A new report from the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University addressing the foreclosure issue calls for refinancing loans or providing assistance to homeowners as an effort to maintain property values and prevent vandalism and deterioration to vacant structures.
When a regional nonprofit organization wanted to invest in distressed neighborhoods and to improve services to minority populations, it turned to Case’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences to help with research methods, data collection, and analysis.
According to Mark I. Singer, Ph.D., professor of social work at Case’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, police officers who get tough with neighborhood youth who are not committing any crimes are increasing, not decreasing, the potential for conflict.
Mental health and chemical dependency providers, administrators, policy makers, and advocates have become increasingly aware of the complex challenges related to the psychological, medical, social, and employment needs of people with severe mental illness, including those with a co-occurring substance use disorder. Accordingly, the Ohio Department of Mental Health approved the utilization of federal funding to establish a center focused on these issues.
Most children who are in foster care because of abuse or neglect come from poor families headed by single mothers who have historically relied upon welfare. While the child welfare system in the United States is dedicated to protecting children from maltreatment and returning foster children to their parents as soon as possible, public policies sometimes make this difficult.
Today, nearly ten times more children are being diagnosed with autism compared to 20 years ago. Associated with this trend has been a proliferation of intervention programs. Recently, a research team at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences led by Gerald Mahoney, Ph.D., the Verna Houck Motto Professor for Families and Communities, examined the impact of a newly developed intervention—Responsive Teaching (RT)—on 20 autistic, two and a half year old children.
Lillian F. Harris Professor Claudia Coulton has been examining outcomes following welfare reform since soon after the reform legislation was signed into law.

January 1, 2000 through September 1, 2007
It is now 6 months later and the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, using its NEO CANDO database, has updated the results of the Behind the Numbers Brief Number 6, Houses in transition: a report on properties owned by financial institutions and real estate organizations in Cuyahoga County, 2007.
Behind the Numbers, BRIEF NO. 6, Titled "Houses in transition: A report on properties owned by financial institutions and real estate organizations in Cuyahoga County, 2007," discusses the rapid rise in foreclosure rates and housing abandonment in Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs.
This topic is garnering national attention and threatening to overwhelm the government agencies and community organizations that address the problem.
The Poverty Center has released its May 2007 Briefly Stated, "Space to learn and grow: Early care and education capacity in Cuyahoga County." This document summarizes recent research which investigates the effects of County programs which promote increased capactiy and quality in the region's childcare.
The Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development creates maps for numerous research projects that may be of interest to a wider audience. With this map of community gardens, prepared by the Center's Kristen Mikelbank, in collaboration with Matthew E. Russell of the Center for Health Promotion Research for his paper Steps to a Healthier Cleveland: 2006 Community Garden Report, the Center debuts its mapping series. View the map of Cleveland's Community Garden Sites by Neighborhood here.
Efforts to Stop Smoking Target Mental Health Agencies
Behavioral health staffs that need to take a smoke break might have some relief from their tobacco habits as they start tobacco cessation programs along with their mental health and substance abuse clients.
The Center for Evidence Based Practices, a joint program of Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of Applied Social Science and the psychiatry department at the School of Medicine, have received a grant to design and implement tobacco cessation programs that target clients and staffs at behavioral health agencies.
Team Decisionmaking (TDM) is one of the four core strategies of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s foster care reform initiative called Family to Family. The foundation selected David Crampton, assistant professor of social work at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences to join a national research team that is evaluating the implementation of Family to Family.
Claudia Coulton, Co-Director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, is presenting the Catalog of Administrative Data Sources for Neighborhood Indicators at the IASSIST (International Association for Social Science Information Services & Technology) 2007 Conference in Montreal. This monograph discusses using neighborhood indicators to identify problems, plan programs, stimulate community activism, target investments, evaluate initiatives and otherwise inform the community about itself.
Dean Grover Gilmore's research on visual perception and Alzheimer's disease literally brought new focus to the issue: His research found that it is age-related impaired visual perception that greatly affects the ability of older adults to perform well on intelligence tests. Read more about this ground-breaking research in an article from the 2007 issue of Case Western Reserve University's publication The Value of Research.
WCPN's Mhari Saito interviewed Mike Schramm, a programmer analyst at the Center on Urban Poverty, regarding an analysis that he did regarding the number of unrecorded sheriff's deeds in Cuyahoga County.
Presents "Building upon the work of others: The Cleveland Community Building Initiative Experience" to the Central Neighborhood Committee, at The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland October 17, 2006

NEO CANDO expanded in depth and breadth, now including 17 northeast Ohio counties and data down to the parcel level.
Cuyahoga County Early Childhood Initiative Evaluation: Phase II Final Report
Introduction:
Since mid-1999, a bold initiative has been underway in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to improve the well-being of the youngest members of the greater Cleveland community. A community-wide initiative targeting children from birth through age five and their families was launched in July 1999, and in the following 5 years demonstrated substantial success in developing a universal and comprehensive approach for supporting families with young children.
Cuyahoga County Early Childhood Initiative Evaluation: Phase I Final Report
Synopsis:
In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, a community-wide, multifaceted initiative directed at children from birth through age 5 has been forged to meet the need for a universal and comprehensive approach for supporting all families with young children.
In its first three years (July 1999 - June 2002), the Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) was launched by a broad-based coalition of public and private partners brought together by County government. The programs of the ECI have been woven into the fabric of local services and have met their target goals of numbers of clients served.
Cuyahoga County Early Childhood Initiative Evaluation and Research Project Interim Report
November 2001
Synopsis:
Investing in the well-being of its youngest children has become a top priority in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. As a result of a community-wide, multifaceted three-year initiative directed at children from birth to age 5 and the individuals who care for these children, an understanding about the critical importance of the early childhood years has been created at the highest levels of public and civic leadership in Cuyahoga County. The political will has been forged to meet the need for a universal and comprehensive approach for supporting families and young children.