WW-07565     2000  

Just in Time Research: Resilient Communities

Copyright ©  2012  Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Preface
Introduction

Immigrants and Minority Populations

Improving Health Care Access for Minnesota's Growing Latino Community
by Michael J. Davidoff, Ellie Ulrich, Paul Carrizales, and Lynn A. Blewett

How will MinnesotaCare meet the health care needs of Minnesota's Latino population, which is expected to grow by 250 percent between 1995 and 2025? A review of community-based research reveals some specific policy recommendations.

Policy Recommendations for Communities with New Immigrants
by Katherine Fennelly, Mypakou Ly, Karin Bolwahnn, Michelle Chiezah, Rebecca Dennison, Jennifer Dillard, Debra Ehret, Stephanie Haddad, Nicola Johnson, Patricia Kelly Hall, Rachel Leatham, Kara Meade, Margo O'Dell, Jenny Schlukebier, Anna Schmalzbauer, Eva Spranger, Heather Tracey, and Daniel Williams

Demographic changes brought on by Minnesota's emerging immigrant and refugee populations has focused attention on policies that affect new immigrants. What public policies does Minnesota require to ensure the availability of housing, public assistance, and language interpretation for new Minnesotans?

Children and Youth

Developing a Minnesota Reading Initiative to Promote Early Literacy
by Marika Ginsburg-Block and Ann M. Casey

Learning to read is perhaps the most important skill for success that a child can gain from public education, yet many Minnesota students have difficulty passing the eighth grade basic skills test in reading. Information from a University of Minnesota Literacy Summit and the results of a survey of Minnesota teachers and principals shed light on policy implications and the role the Minnesota legislature can play in addressing this problem.

Children Who Overcome Adversity to Succeed in Life
by Ann S. Masten

Why do some children grow up to be competent adults in spite of risk factors such as poverty, violence, broken families, and discrimination, while others do not? This paper presents some key factors for the successful development of children and reviews policies for prevention and intervention of at-risk youth.

St. Paul Youths' Transition from School to Work
by Jeylan Mortimer

Current research suggests that today's youth have difficulty in making occupational choices. This paper examines the Youth Development Study, a 12-year longitudinal study of approximately 1,100 St. Paul youth, who were tracked from high school through the transition to the work force. The study provides new information for educators, policymakers, and parents to guide them in successfully helping youth develop career paths.

Youth Run Enterprises: Successes, Barriers, and Policy Implications
by James R. Stone III, Christine D. Bremer, and Brenda J. Kowske

This study of 22 Minnesota youth run enterprises reveals how students benefit academically and socially while contributing to local economic development by participating in youth run enterprises and presents recommendations to ensure the expansion and continued success of these enterprises.

Housing

The Effects of Subsidized Housing on Communities
by Edward G. Goetz

Current housing policy initiatives are aimed at deconcentrating poverty in urban areas by dispersing subsidized housing to outlying communities. But do dispersal programs work? Do they effectively deconcentrate poverty and improve the lives of the poor? How do these programs affect the communities into which subsidized housing is placed? This paper examines 25 years of research on this important topic.

Small Town Housing Policies in Minnesota
by Ann C. Ziebarth and Eunju Hwang

Successful economic development in many Minnesota small towns is creating new employment opportunities and attracting new residents. The need to build affordable housing to accommodate these new residents, however, is often viewed as a threat to small town character. This paper looks at the need for additional affordable housing in small towns and the degree to which local policies regulate land use, facilitate housing development, and provide ongoing housing assistance for residents.

Supporting Community and Economic Development

Enhancing Capital Access for Rural Businesses
by Kenneth A. Kriz, David S. Wilsey, and Debra Elias Morse

Rural areas have lagged behind urban areas in terms of economic growth, and the gap is becoming even wider. Why does this happen and what can be done to create new businesses and jobs in rural areas? This examination of the differences in the availability of debt and equity financing provides some answers.

The Promise and Challenges of the Regional Agricultural and Natural Resources Sustainable Development Partnerships
by Scott J. Peters, Karen P. Lehman, Julie Ristau, Okechukwu Ukaga, and Don Wyse

Created in 1997, the Regional Agricultural and Natural Resources Sustainable Development Partnerships initiative is working to advance sustainable development and community resiliency by providing financial support to development-focused projects in greater Minnesota. This paper explores the accomplishments and challenges this initiative has already faced in the early stages of its existence and the promise it holds for future development.

Acknowledgements

Barbara A. Warren
Collegiate Liaison and Project Director
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
230 Humphrey Center, 301 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-4364
email: warre003@umn.edu

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