Restoring Markets. Reimagining Possibilities.

Reinvestment Fund applauds news this week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that it will invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains in the food system. Part of the Biden Administration’s  Build Back Better initiative, the new effort will strengthen the food system, create new market opportunities, tackle the climate crisis, help communities that have been left behind, and support good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain.

“COVID-19 shined a light on the need for stronger local food supply infrastructure, as grocery stores and food producers became essential businesses and lifelines for families,” said Don Hinkle-Brown, President and CEO of Reinvestment Fund. “We commend the Administration and the USDA for this transformational investment that recognizes the food system as essential infrastructure for local and regional economies.”

A research brief by Reinvestment Fund and the Housing Initiative at Penn (HIP) that examines the experiences and perspectives of residential rental property owners and managers in Philadelphia. The brief examines challenges that landlords faced—including how they dealt with evictions—prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; new or increased difficulties stemming from the pandemic; and landlords’ engagement with and attitudes towards programs aimed at stabilizing tenants in rental housing. The brief also presents considerations for policymakers as they contemplate both short-term and long-term strategies to reduce housing instability.