Our Mission
The Center for Social Policy provides expertise on policies and practices that reduce social and economic inequities in Massachusetts and the nation.
CSP accomplishes its mission through active engagement with policymakers, service providers, and those communities most directly affected by local, state, and federal social welfare policies. The Center for Social Policy conducts applied research designed to inform public debates. Our studies contain practical and sound information on urgent policy issues. The Center for Social Policy also conducts evaluation projects and collaborates extensively with agency and program staff throughout the design and implementation of an assessment.
In our research, we employ a multi-method approach, gathering both hard numbers and in-depth experiential data from the front lines. We work closely with people who are directly affected by public policies in framing questions, gathering and analyzing data and making sense of findings.
The Center for Social Policy strives to:
- Focus on policies that most affect low-income people
- Turn data into meaningful knowledge
- Improve processes, enhance outcomes
- Form active partnerships
- Empower service consumers and providers
- Disseminate meaningful information widely
- Help build wise policies that engender fruitful lives
Noteworthy News
4/08
The Retail Workforce in a Changing Competitive Landscape: The University of Massachusetts Retail Study.
Continuity and Change in Low-wage Work in U.S. Retail Trade (PDF 141k)
11/1/07
When Wages Don't Pay the Bills.
Boston Globe Editorial
11/07
The First Two Years of Housing First in Quincy, Massachusetts
FBP Housing First Final Report (PDF 4.6MB)
10/07
Bridging the Gaps: A Picture of How Supports Work in Ten States.
UMASS Bridging the Gaps Site
6/07
Preventing Homelessness and Promoting Housing Stability: A Comparative Analysis (2007)
Click here to read the full analysis.