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Discussion Paper
HOUSEHOLD RENTAL DEBT DURING COVID-19
COVID-19 and associated economic shutdowns have led to unprecedented job losses, with up to 20 million households and 24 million individuals experiencing an unemployment spell between March 2020 and August 2020.1 The scale of these losses, their disproportionate impact on lower-income workers, and the uncertain timeline of economic recovery have raised concerns about the ability of households to maintain rent payments while out of work.
Discussion Paper
Alternative financial service providers and the spatial void hypothesis
This paper examines the use of alternative financial service providers (AFSPs) such as check-cashing outlets and pawnshops in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Allegheny counties. Also explores whether these providers are disproportionately serving minority and low-income areas.
Discussion Paper
How Does Buy Now, Pay Later Affect Customers’ Credit?
In this paper, we explore the relationship between consumers’ use of buy now, pay later (BNPL) and their credit reports. BNPL is a deferred payment tool that allows consumers to split transactions into four payments over six weeks. Unlike many other financial products, it is offered primarily by fintech companies and advertised to consumers as free from fees and credit checks. These providers typically do not report a consumer’s use of BNPL and subsequent repayment behavior to credit bureaus, which makes studies of BNPL users’ credit more challenging. In this analysis, however, we ...
Discussion Paper
Home ownership education and counseling: issues in research and definition
Many public- and private-sector initiatives support the expansion of home-ownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income households. This discussion paper assesses existing research on the effectiveness of home-ownership education and counseling and opportunities for future research. A limited number of printed copies are available.
Discussion Paper
Preserving multifamily rental housing: improving financing options in New Jersey
This paper summarizes the obstacles to financing small multifamily rental properties in New Jersey and makes recommendations for policies to address this credit need.
Discussion Paper
Economic and social impact of introducing casino gambling: a review and assessment of the literature
Reviews and assesses the existing literature on the potential economic impact of introducing casino gambling into a community or region, first by discussing the casinos? effect on economic activity and growth within a community or region, and then by exploring their effect on government revenues. Also discusses the literature related to the economic impact of social costs widely associated with gambling, such as increases in crime, bankruptcy, and problem gambling.
Discussion Paper
Student Debt Loan in Philadelphia
As of December 1, 2018, approximately 310,320 Philadelphians collectively owed $11.6 billion in student loan debt. The share of adults with student loan debt is greater in Philadelphia (25.3 percent) than in Pennsylvania (21.2 percent) and in the United States as a whole (17.3 percent). This report provides an in-depth analysis of the geographic distribution of this debt in Philadelphia. It reveals that individuals in different zip codes have drastically different experiences in how much they owe, the degree to which they struggle with repayment, and the extent to which they become ...
Discussion Paper
FHA lending activity in the past decade: a national overview
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which provides insurance for residential mortgage loans, was established by the National Housing Act of 1934 to stimulate housing demand and, in turn, demand for those who build housing. In the housing boom after World War II, FHA loans helped make mortgage credit more widely available to returning veterans. In recent decades, the FHA, which is now part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has disproportionately served first-time homebuyers as well as low- and moderate-income (LMI) and minority households. The FHA allows low down ...
Discussion Paper
Preserving multifamily rental housing: noteworthy multifamily assistance programs
This paper describes noteworthy multifamily-assistance programs around the country, including mortgage-insurance, secondary-market, technical-assistance, and tax-abatement programs.
Discussion Paper
EXPLORING A SKILLS-BASED APPROACH TO OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY
Our work is motivated by two concepts: first, that economic mobility could be improved by greater opportunities for occupational mobility, particularly out of lower-wage employment, and second, that a skills-based approach to occupational mobility could uncover potential transitions that may not be obvious when only considering more traditional qualifications such as years of directly relevant experience or higher levels of formal education.