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A woman and her four young children unload grocery bags around a kitchen island.
Greg Acs, vice president for the Tax and Income Supports Division at the Urban Institute, spoke with Virginia Public Media about the risks of addressing affordability in a zero-sum context that focuses on who bears the short-term costs of a policy instead of its potential for growth.

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  • A woman with short brown hair and a sage-colored cable sweater sits at a countertop, holding a bill with one hand while supporting her chin with the other and looking at her laptop with a furrowed brow.
    Samantha Batko on how the growing rental affordability crisis is affecting middle-income households
    Summary
    In an interview with NPR's All Things Considered, Urban Institute housing expert Samantha Batko explained how this trend is especially affecting middle-income renters.
  •  An woman in a long-sleeve navy jumpsuit and light blue latex gloves holds an oily automobile part in her left hand while gesturing to a part in the wheel well of a suspended white automobile as two students in jumpsuits and gloves look on attentively.
    Deborah Kobes on how Workforce Pell could expand apprenticeships
    Summary
    Deborah Kobes, a senior fellow and higher education expert at the Urban Institute, spoke with Inside Higher Ed about how including registered apprenticeships in Workforce Pell could encourage more colleges to offer apprenticeship programs while benefiting local economies, including small and midsize employers.
  •  A close-up shot of a woman in a camel-colored coat and navy blue scarf holding a very long receipt, with the top half folded behind the bottom, to inspect the total amount due.
    Mingli Zhong on increasing affordability pressures
    Summary
    Mingli Zhong, a financial well-being expert at the Urban Institute, spoke with The New York Times about how in 2025, rising costs for essentials, such as groceries, utilities, and gas, made it difficult for families to save money.
  • A blonde woman in a camel-colored sweater puts bell peppers in a plastic produce bag at WinCo Foods, a low-cost and employee-owned supermarket.
    Elaine Waxman reflects on SNAP’s successful history
    Summary
    Before SNAP was established 62 years ago, those unable to afford food had to turn to “whatever might be available in terms of charity in their local communities,” Elaine Waxman told Marketplace.
  • A Black mother stands with her three children, her arm around the child on her left, and all four are standing alongside a city street while smiling at something off-camera.
    Signe-Mary McKernan on affordability in Texas
    Summary
    According to the Urban Institute’s American Affordability Tracker, monthly health insurance premiums in Texas are $40 higher than the national average.
  • A man in a long-sleeve orange t-shirt and blue jeans man sits on a brown leather bench  while looking intently at his cell phone.
    Judah Axelrod discusses the rise in online sports betting
    Summary
    Judah Axelrod, a data scientist at the Urban Institute, spoke with G&M News about how online sports betting has grown rapidly since Murphy v. NCAA case legalized it.