Bold ideas for racial & economic justice

Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality expands economic security and opportunity and advances racial and gender equity for everyone in the U.S. through research, analysis, and ambitious policy ideas.

Our Policy Issues

Jobs & Education

Building an inclusive economy that works for everyone requires increasing worker agency and power.

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Health & Human Services

Accessible and inclusive health care and child and family services are essential to strengthening communities and the country. 

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Tax & Income Supports

Income supports—including cash assistance and tax credits—help families meet their basic needs and promote economic mobility.

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Census & Data Justice

In a healthy democracy, every community is fairly counted, represented, and resourced. 

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Latest from GCPI

Blog, | Jan 21, 2025
States with Abortion Bans Have the Stingiest TANF Cash Benefits

overturned nearly three years ago, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion. The consequences of lost access to this essential care have been devastating. States with abortion restrictions tend to have the stingiest public benefits supports for growing families. This map shows that 10 of the 12 states with the stingiest TANF cash benefits also have the harshest abortion restrictions.

Brief, | Dec 18, 2024
Four Ways To Prevent Unrepayable Debt & Increase Opportunity for Parent PLUS Borrowers

Postsecondary education is more than just a pathway to a degree—for many parents, it is a dream for their children’s future. Yet the soaring costs of higher education have made this dream increasingly unattainable, forcing families to rely on risky borrowing options like the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (Parent PLUS). Parent PLUS disproportionately saddles low-income parents and parents of color with immense, often unrepayable debt. Parents can face wage garnishment or risk losing a significant source of income—part of their Social Security benefits. This system can warp the promise of postsecondary education into an intergenerational burden. This brief proposes four recommendations to improve the Parent PLUS program and help ensure students and their parents are not driven into debt-burdened poverty to access higher education.

Blog, | Dec 18, 2024
Parent PLUS: Where Higher Ed Financing Is Falling Short

Parent PLUS, the only federal financial aid option designed for parents in the United States, can open doors to higher education. But for parents with low incomes and parents of color, Parent PLUS imposes serious risks—including crushing, unrepayable debt that can put rent, groceries, and retirement in jeopardy. This blog post outlines four policy recommendations to protect Parent PLUS borrowers, prioritize racial equity, and mitigate harm. Policymakers must act to make sure college is a pathway to opportunity—not an intergenerational financial nightmare.

Lelaine Bigelow headshot
Blog, Statement, | Dec 17, 2024
House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group’s Proposal an Important Step for Advancing Paid Leave

Led by Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (R-OK), the House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group’s I-PLAN proposal is a promising step. The proposal recognizes the importance of investing in state paid leave programs. Strengthening these programs is a crucial step toward building systems that provide meaningful support for working people and their families.

Brief, | Oct 24, 2024
Nowhere to Turn: State Abortion Bans and the Failure to Support Women with Public Benefits

Since the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in 2022, many low-income women have nowhere to turn: they face the economic repercussions of being denied abortion care and lack access to the support they need to care for a growing family. This brief looks at how abortion bans and insufficient public benefits at the state level affect women and families. It finds that states with abortion bans often do not provide enough supportive resources for growing families, like health care, food assistance, and cash support. The brief also offers federal policy recommendations to help families meet their everyday needs—no matter what state they live in.