Data and Indicators
-
SF Fed’s Williams: Rate hike to be ‘data-driven, not date-driven’
The Fed is widely expected to raise the Federal Funds Rate from an unprecedented near zero level sometime this year. But in recent interviews, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John C. Williams stresses that the decision will be “data-driven, not date-driven.”
-
San Francisco’s low-income residents are moving out
A growing number of fast-expanding technology companies, from Twitter to Salesforce, and their well-paid engineers and executives now call San Francisco home. But that’s increasingly difficult to do for individuals who make less than $35,000 a year, according to a recent report by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.
-
Using data to improve lives in low-income communities
In the business trend called big data, technology is used to mine massive amounts of information to boost sales and profit. Businesses now use sophisticated software to comb through emails, Twitter and Facebook posts, and even smartphone signals to target customers or roll out new products. But while it’s revolutionizing the business world, could big data also be used for taking on poverty and other social challenges?
-
More single-family homes for rent: A trend in focus
More single-family homes were being built compared to the previous year as 2014 drew to a close, underscoring a strengthening real estate market. But another trend is drawing attention for its potential impact on the housing market and struggling families: a growing number of single-family homes are now for rent.
-
The San Francisco Fed at 100
The San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank celebrated its 100th anniversary last May. It’s an ideal time to reflect on the role the SF Fed has played in the major changes in the American economy over the past century. As SF Fed President John Williams said in a 2013 essay, the bank’s first hundred years was […]
-
Data Use is Key to Improving Communities: New Book Challenges Policymakers, Funders, and Those Seeking to Broaden Opportunity to Work More Strategically
With 90 percent of the world’s data generated in just the past two years, a new book released today challenges policymakers, funders, and practitioners across sectors to seize this new opportunity to revolutionize our approaches to improve lives in low-income communities. What Counts: Harnessing Data for America’s Communities from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Urban Institute provides a roadmap for the strategic use of data to reduce poverty, improve health, expand access to quality education, increase employment, and build stronger and more resilient communities.
-
Despite Apple Pay buzz, cash is still popular
The coming after-Thanksgiving shopping season will no doubt highlight the growth of mobile payments, a trend that just received a big boost with the rollout of Apple Pay. But despite the buzz around the iPhone-maker’s mobile wallet, a recent study points to a conclusion many may find surprising: cash is still popular.
-
The Rise of Single-Family Rentals in Arizona, California and Nevada
The geographies that were hard-hit by the foreclosure crisis are now struggling with the rise of investor-owned single-family homes. This tenure shift from ownership to rental was most pronounced in those areas that experienced severe price depreciation and offered an abundant supply of distressed property. This trend of growing absentee ownership raises important community development questions around the issues of neighborhood stabilization, rental costs, property maintenance, and lost asset building opportunities for potential first-time homebuyers.
-
Using Pay-For-Success To Increase Investment In The Nonmedical Determinants Of Health
Pay for Success is a new financial and contracting tool that pays investor-funded nonprofits for delivering measurable social outcomes. This approach, while still new, increases investment in evidence-based programs and creates investable opportunities for impact investors and potentially CRA-motivated banks as well. One particularly ripe opportunity for Pay for Success is in health improvement. “Using Pay-For-Success To Increase Investment In The Nonmedical Determinants Of Health,” written by Federal Reserve researcher Ian Galloway for the health policy journal Health Affairs, explores how Pay for Success could be used to increase investment in illness prevention, save health care costs, improve patient outcomes, and create a market that values health, not just health care.
-
How Are Low-Income Households Faring Five Years after the Great Recession?
According to a new report by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, 60 percent of Americans describe themselves as “Doing okay” or “Living comfortably,” but a closer look at low-income households reveals a different picture.