Signe-Mary McKernan’s Tweets

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jul 27

“Through site visits, we heard that the application process can sometimes create barriers for young people. […] Though some partnerships said they encouraged young people to locate housing in low-poverty neighborhoods, site visits suggested this can be challenging …”

Quote Tweet

OPRE

@OPRE_ACF

· Jul 26

How many young people are served with Family Unification Program for Youth housing vouchers and what is the award process? #fostercare Learn more in new report from @urbaninstitute. https://buff.ly/3IWbsrF

1

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Jul 25

.

@madeline_ebrown

,

@SMMcKernan

, &

@TrinaShanks1

: To truly meet "the goals of such programs to catch families as they fall into poverty, stabilize them, & help them achieve economic independence, the safety net should include both income & wealth supports." https://urbn.is/3b5Sm5U

read image description

ALT

5

7

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Jul 19

.

@SMMcKernan

: "If you have a subprime credit score, you’re going to pay $3,000 more in interest, for example, when buying a $10,000 used car. & $87,000 more in interest when buying a $250,000 house. So it really affects day-to-day lives." (via

@Celia_LJ

)

kcur.org

Kansas and Missouri health care is saddling people of color with debt

Communities of color here face a burden of medical debt that dwarfs what white people experience, and what people of color experience in many other states

2

2

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Madeline Brown

@madeline_ebrown

·

Jul 21

At

@urbaninstitute

we often get asked what baby bonds are, how they might close the racial wealth gap, and how they can fit in a budget with other wealth building policies and income supports. We are going to answer these questions and more, register here:

urban.org

Baby Bonds in Context: A Systems Approach to Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

2

11

23

Show this thread

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

ideas42

@ideas42

·

Jul 18

New speakers added to our panel discussion on removing resources limits from public assistance programs--join our Policy Lab July 26th and hear from

@SMMcKernan

of

@urbaninstitute

, our own

@Kelli_Gar

, and

@TylerWedrosky

from Alexandria's Dept. of Community & Human Services at 1ET

Quote Tweet

ideas42

@ideas42

· Jul 12

Many public assistance programs limit how many resources people can have in order to participate. Join the ideas42 Policy Lab for a discussion about how eliminating these limits is a behaviorally sound way to help families. : 7/26 : 1 p.m. ET : https://bit.ly/3PoCOsa

1

3

3

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jun 29

A few terrific open positions in our center - please circulate!

Quote Tweet

Heather Sandstrom

@HM_Sandstrom

· Jun 28

Come join our team @urbaninstitute! Early career positions. https://urban.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Urban-Careers Policy Assistant, Wealth and Financial Well-Being Research Assistant, Wealth and Financial Well-Being Research Assistant, Child Welfare/Foster Care Research Analyst, Child Policy

Topics to follow

Sign up to get Tweets about the Topics you follow in your Home timeline.

Carousel

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jun 24

Updated

@urbaninstitute

tool: Explore the geography of debt in America at the national, state, and county levels. How does your community compare?

apps.urban.org

Debt in America: An Interactive Map

This map shows the geography of debt in America at the national, state, and county levels. How does your community compare?

2

7

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Jun 23

Just updated: Explore the geography of debt in America & the debt differences that can reinforce the wealth gap between white communities & communities of color. What's happening in your county? https://urbn.is/3sA85NY

read image description

ALT

9

15

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jun 22

We need more than homeownership alone to close wealth gaps. Thoughtful blog by

@samanthacfu

: https://urban.org/urban-wire/three-reasons-why-expanding-access-homeownership-alone-wont-close-racial-wealth-gap…

@urbaninstitute

#wealthinequality

urban.org

Three Reasons Why Expanding Access to Homeownership Alone Won’t Close the Racial Wealth Gap

Beyond ensuring that households of color have equal access to homeownership and its benefits, policymakers can consider additional strategies to help people of color build and sustain wealth.

4

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jun 16

' “Our long-run view of the racial wealth gap underscores the importance of slavery and post-slavery institutions for the persistence of the wealth gap.” ' https://squaredawayblog.bc.edu/squared-away/economists-show-inequities-roots-in-slavery/…

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Jun 11

This

@csdwustl

study finds that parents consider automatic deposits for all, beginning at birth and continuing throughout childhood and adolescence, with larger deposits for lower income children important for postsecondary educational attainment. #wealth #assets #CDA #CSA

Quote Tweet

CSD

@csdwustl

· Jun 10

Parents of kids with #ChildDevelopmentAccounts say the automatic features are important for educational attainment. Read about this & other insights from a survey of #SEEDOK parents: https://bit.ly/3ria8rN #Up4theChallenge #ChildSavingsAccount @MottFoundation @BrownSchool

1

3

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

CSD

@csdwustl

·

Jun 6

#EconomicSecurity remains elusive for many American families.

@SenBobCasey

recently joined researchers, nonprofit leaders, & policy experts to discuss strategies for broadening access to it: https://bit.ly/3mgV0aX #EconinED #FinancialInclusion #MacroSW #FinancialCapability

Kauffman Foundation and 9 others

2

6

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Jun 6

On Thursday,

@SMMcKernan

joins

@AspenFSP

,

@NewYorkFed

,

@StLouisFed

, &

@AspenInstitute

for a discussion on the role of household debt in building wealth. Learn more & register to attend: https://urbn.is/3titM7v

0:28

236 views

1

3

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 27

From

@_EMJohnston

: "evidence shows continuing an unwanted pregnancy will lead to more pregnancy-related deaths, adverse mental and physical health outcomes for women, and adverse social and economic outcomes for women and their families."

urban.org

Research Shows Access to Legal Abortion Improves Women’s Lives

Though abortion has been debated in US politics for decades, the evidence is clear: access to legal abortion improves women’s lives.

2

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 24

Join us June 9th to talk about debt and household wealth at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or virtual). Register below. https://mailchi.mp/aspeninst/aspen-fsp-april-events-news-1051121…

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 17

#LiveAtUrban on Thursday: Join

@neelkashkari

,

@WMRodgersIII

,

@BetseyStevenson

,

@swartell

, &

@Markzandi

for a discussion on inflation & its consequences for families with low & moderate incomes.

urban.org

Inflation and Its Consequences for Families with Low and Moderate Incomes

Amidst debates about inflation and whether a soft landing is possible, the Urban Institute is convening a virtual conversation focused on the impact of the hard choices facing policymakers for...

4

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 16

Join us this Wednesday, May 18th to learn about how income and assets combined make a powerful combination for economic security. https://ssw.umich.edu/events/list/2022/05/18/63789-what-does-economic-security-look-like-and-how-to-get-there…

@SenBobCasey

@TrinaShanks1

@castro_phd

@tmshapiro

@GlicksteinDebra

@Jorge_CastroDC

ssw.umich.edu

What Does Economic Security Look Like and How to Get There

The School of Social Work leads the profession in teaching, research, innovation, collaboration and service.

5

10

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 13

New analysis from Michael Karpman,

@kmart_02

, &

@brenogbraga

: Medical debt fell during the pandemic. How can the decline be sustained?

urban.org

Medical Debt Fell during the Pandemic. How Can the Decline Be Sustained?

In this brief, we examine the prevalence of medical debt and provide the first national estimates of changes in the share of adults with medical debt following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2

1

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

May 8

“With 25 years of experience analyzing healthcare, Kenney is an in-demand expert on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, having published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles.”

Quote Tweet

Sarah Rosen Wartell

@swartell

· May 6

Proud to call Jenny Kenney an @urbaninstitute colleague -- elevating and shaping the debate in healthcare policy twitter.com/washingtonian/…

2

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Apr 29

Our analysis shows that although downtown DC has higher-quality infrastructure and better access to transit, jobs, health care, and other resources, it also has high heat, noise and air pollution, and more dangerous walking conditions.”

Quote Tweet

Yonah Freemark

@yfreemark

· Apr 28

Check out our new interactive feature, Redefining Walkability, @urbaninstitute. We develop a set of 5 metrics to evaluate pedestrian conditions in Washington DC & map them citywide: Not just access, but also environment, infrastructure, policing & safety. https://urban.org/features/redefining-walkability…

Show this thread

1

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Apr 25

I’m proud Urban Institute experts are working in partnership with

@USDOL

+

@families

and workers on a new #JobQuality Measurement Initiative, which was part of the inspiration for this piece today by

@PeterCoy

in

@NYTimes

. Check it out here:

nytimes.com

Opinion | What Makes a Good Job Good?

An initiative to define what makes jobs bad or good is long overdue.

4

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Apr 23

We’re looking for a strategic communications expert to work with our research teams to determine target audiences, build strategic communications plans, and engage communications staff for impact (e.g., searchable content, social media, stakeholder outreach, events, and media).

Quote Tweet

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

· Apr 22

Job alert: We're looking for a strategic communications manager to support bodies of work like apprenticeships, wealth building, & children, families, & youth. Get the details, spread the word, & apply: https://urbn.is/3LeR0Ti

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Apr 19

HBCU scholars: Receive up to $20,000 in funding & join a learning community on the racial wealth gap & its impact on Black women & families. Learn more & apply by Friday, 4/29:

urban.org

One Million Black Women: Closing the Wealth Gap

1

4

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Apr 4

.

@SMMcKernan

in

@MancWorldUK

: "While the United Kingdom overall experienced improvement in financial vulnerability, gaps remained in several regions, and high financial vulnerability persisted." https://urbn.is/3u7p1i9 Learn more:

apps.urban.org

Tracking Financial Vulnerability in the UK

A Data Tool for Policymakers

1

2

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Apr 1

Child care systems don’t align with what parents working nontraditional hours recommend, write Gina Adams,

@diane_schilder

, & Laura Wagner.

urban.org

Child Care Systems Don’t Align with What Parents Working Nontraditional Hours Recommend

Policymakers weighing how to best meet the child care needs of parents who work nontraditional hours should listen to what parents want and need. 

2

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 31

“When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was enacted, critics claimed that reducing the tax subsidy for mortgage interest would hurt home values. But new TPC research shows that the reduced deduction had very little effect on the size of new mortgages”

Quote Tweet

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

· Mar 30

From @TaxPolicyCenter: A look at how the TCJA affected the housing market https://urbn.is/3wXnJb4

read image description

ALT

1

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Mandi Spishak-Thomas

@m_spishakthomas

·

Mar 29

This morning I'll be presenting preliminary dissertation work on Medicaid estate recovery and homeownership with potential implications for closing the Black-White wealth gap alongside a panel of incredible scholars

@nzewde

@zarekcb

@SMMcKernan

& Jermaine Toney #2021APPAM

1

1

22

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 29

Excellent presentation today by ⁦⁦

@urbaninstitute

⁩ colleague⁩ ⁦

@kmart_02

⁩ on food access. #2021 APPAM

1

6

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 28

In beautiful Austin, TX chairing and presenting at #2021APPAM wealth, financial well-being, and racial equity sessions with ⁦

@carly_urban

⁩ ⁦

@LaurenlambieH

⁩ ⁦

@nzewde

⁩ and others not on Twitter.

11

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 26

‘ Calarco said Dow's work shows "why and how Ketanji Brown Jackson has persisted despite the challenges of being a Black mother working in a field built for wealthy white men, and also shows us why her family has rallied behind her and cheered her on every step of the way." ‘

Quote Tweet

Dr. Dawn M Dow

@Dawn_M_Dow

· Mar 25

Mothering While Black and my work more broadly was mentioned in this article about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing. https://usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2022/03/22/ketanji-brown-jackson-motherhood-comments-husbands-tears-importance/7131789001/…

Show this thread

1

1

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 25

Just updated: How has financial vulnerability in the UK changed since 2017 and where could resources be better targeted to improve financial resilience? (via

@urbaninstitute

)

apps.urban.org

Tracking Financial Vulnerability in the UK

A Data Tool for Policymakers

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 24

Urban Institute is hiring a paid summer research intern to work on policy projects focused on debt, wealth, and financial well-being. Please share this opportunity and ask interested rising juniors, seniors, or graduate students to apply. https://urban.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Urban-Careers/job/The-Urban-Institute-DC/Research-Intern--Center-on-Labor--Human-Services--and-Population-_R-801148-1…

11

19

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Mar 21

From

@SMMcKernan

& team: In Aug. 2021, ~64 million people with a credit record had debt in collections on their credit report, down from 68 million in 2019. But with protections expiring & changes in how medical debt is reported, what's next?

urban.org

The Number of Americans with Debt in Collections Fell during the Pandemic to 64 Million

The share of people with debt in collections improved for all groups during the pandemic, but racial gaps persist. Whether the gains will be sustained is uncertain as pandemic relief measures phase...

1

2

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Annie E. Casey Foundation

@AECFNews

·

Mar 18

Explore

@urbaninstitute

's data dashboard on how the pandemic and the economic response has influenced credit health in your area.

apps.urban.org

Credit Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

How is your community faring on credit health measures?

4

6

Signe-Mary McKernan

@SMMcKernan

·

Mar 12

Such a powerful video. Love that it presents strategies to solve the challenges too.

Quote Tweet

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

· Mar 10

What challenges do young people face in accessing safety net programs? https://urbn.is/34shZuk

5:25

576 views

4

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Mar 8

Update: How is your community faring on credit health measures? https://urbn.is/2ZP0tKH

read image description

ALT

4

5

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Feb 9

A typical household in the richest parts of Cook County has more than 200 times the wealth than a typical household in the poorest parts of the area, reports

@maerunes

: https://urbn.is/3uC9fMF Learn more:

urban.org

In Chicago, Neighborhoods Have Stark Differences in Economic Opportunity

New Urban research shows that, at the local level, neighborhoods in northeast Chicago hold more wealth than neighborhoods in the south and west, which hold little or negative wealth.

9

3

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Feb 2

.

@SMMcKernan

: "In 2019, the median US Black family had 13 cents of wealth for every dollar held by white families." More from

@assetfunders

: https://urbn.is/344SHSV

2

1

Signe-Mary McKernan Retweeted

Urban Institute

@urbaninstitute

·

Jan 28

.

@SMMcKernan

: "In Arkansas, 23% of people living in communities of color have medical debt in collections...compared with 19% of people living in majority white communities." (via

@DBreenOfficial

)

ualrpublicradio.org

Arkansas groups erase millions in medical debt

A coalition of advocacy groups has erased over $35 million dollars in medical debt, affecting roughly 24,000 Arkansans.

3

2