In the past forty years, the landscape of concentrated poverty in the United States has changed. The Evolution and Landscape of Under-Resourced Communities in U.S. Metropolitan Areas, published in the journal Economic Development Quarterly, traces the evolution of under-resourced communities in U.S. metropolitan areas from 1980 to 2019. The article describes in depth the changes seen in under-resourced communities, including:

• The share of metropolitan residents who live in under-resourced communities has grown.
• Under-resourced communities have become more racially diverse, with expanding shares of white and Hispanic/Latino residents. Though the share of Black URC residents has fallen, Black residents continue to make up a substantive share of the under-resourced community population.
• Under-resourced communities have become more suburban, although most of their residents still live in central cities.

In light of these findings, changemakers are encouraged to act immediately, following the principles outlined in the 2020 ICIC policy brief. Additionally, consideration should be given to building a coalition of advocates and the unique needs of suburban and urban residents of under-resourced communities. Read More