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The State of Opportunity in America

A report on the nation's progress toward protecting and expanding opportunity for all. Read More>>



	Why Hospitals Matter For many of us, hospitals represent an important community resource – a place to go when illness reaches a dangerous stage, or an emergency requires immediate and expert care. But hospitals play a complex and integral role in our overall health care system. Aside from the life-saving emergency and acute care they are equipped to provide, they also serve as a glue that binds health care services to an area. When facilities are forced to shut down or merge, often that glue dissolves, leaving patients without the care they need. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Geographic Barriers to Hospital-Based Health Care in New York City This fact sheet describes the risks associated with the lack of hospital-based services, and how we can improve the health of all families by increasing access to such care. With accompanying maps, the fact sheet highlights the inequitable distribution of maternity beds in New York City and outlines what must be done to fix it. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Eliminating Geographic Disparities in Primary-Care Services This fact sheet describes the risks associated with the lack of primary care, and how we can improve the health of all families by increasing access to such care. With the accompanying maps, we demonstrate that the inequitable distribution of primary-care services is affecting all of New York City and that much can be done to fix it. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Eliminating Geographic Barriers to Good Health for Women and Children This fact sheet describes the risks associated with late or no prenatal care, and how we can improve the health of all families by increasing access to such care. With the aid of the accompanying maps, we demonstrate that the inequitable distribution of prenatal-care services is affecting all of New York City and that much can be done to fix it. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Immigration Reform: Promoting Opportunity for All Last spring hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets to challenge inequality and injustice in this country. Demonstrators from all walks of life joined a national conversation about immigration in the “Land of Opportunity.” The results were a call for immigration reform that includes civil-rights enforcement and an investment in the health and education of all communities, regardless of citizenship status. According to the United States Census Bureau, an estimated 35 million people—our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers—are foreign born. The contributions of immigrants in America are immeasurable, and their experiences have strengthened communities far and wide. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Rebuilding the Gulf Coast Region: Expanding Opportunity for All Today the nation’s leaders have a responsibility to address the inequality that Hurricane Katrina exposed and to take steps to expand opportunity for all. Many of the challenges facing New Orleans and Gulf Coast residents prior to the storm are also barriers to opportunity for millions across the nation. Equal access to fair wages, affordable and safe places to live, and comprehensive health care are out of reach for millions in America. These issues are central to the promise of opportunity, and resonate with communities everywhere. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Voice: Voting and Political Expression in the Gulf Coast Region Many displaced residents of the Gulf Coast region are finding it difficult in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to express their viewpoints and participate in the political process. Early evidence finds that many groups—including racial and ethnic minorities and low-income families—have struggled to vote in post-hurricane elections and to have a say in the region’s reconstruction plans. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Investing in FEMA: A Role for Government in Protecting Opportunity The FEMA that responded to Hurricane Katrina and Rita was weakened by systematic disinvestment over time, which diminished the agency's ability to address national disasters. Unfortunately, FEMA's diminished role is part of a larger pattern of disinvestment in federal agencies responsible for security and opportunity in America. FEMA is only one of many federal programs that now lack adequate resources and authority. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Housing: Welcoming Katrina's Victims Back Home Since Hurricane Katrina overtook New Orleans and caused hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents to relocate, many families have struggled to obtain the kind of housing necessary to help them rebuild their lives and their communities. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Health and Health Care: Opportunity for Health Security Among Katrina's Victims This fact sheet examines the state of health care in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region prior to and after Hurricane Katrina. It also summarizes some of the environmental health risks in the region, which are some of the most significant in the nation. Finally, we provide recommendations for ways in which the country can ensure that all who live in America enjoy a level of health security necessary to have a chance to succeed. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Jobs and Business: The State of Opportunity for Workers Restoring the Gulf Americans believe strongly in mobility through hard work, that employment opportunities should be open to all, and that jobs should provide a living wage in a safe, decent environment. Unfortunately, research and reporting show that the Gulf Coast rebuilding process is failing to live up to those values, in ways that are perpetuating the unequal opportunity that existed before the storm. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Abusive Subprime Lending Practices: A Threat to Opportunity A significant barrier to homeownership for many in low-income communities and communities of color can be found in the type and quality of loans available to consumers. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	African Americans and Opportunity Despite considerable progress over the last several decades, African Americans continue to face many barriers to opportunity Find out how African Americans are faring along our 6 dimensions of opportunity. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Opportunity Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders face many barriers to opportunity, but a full assessment of opportunity among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is lacking because federal data are often missing or inadequately capture the diversity within these population groups. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Criminal Justice and Opportunity Today, many criminal justice policies and practices have closed the door to opportunity. Whole communities suffer opportunity losses when large segments of residents are involved in the criminal justice system. Get the facts on how the criminal justice system is creating barriers to opportunity for millions of Americans. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	The Gulf Coast and Opportunity Our government’s flawed response to Hurricane Katrina reflected a profound abandonment of the American values of opportunity—equal treatment, economic security and mobility, a voice in decisions that affect us, shared responsibility for each other, and a chance to start over after misfortune or missteps. The recovery process has similarly failed to uphold those values, in ways that reflect larger problems of unequal opportunity in our country. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Healthcare and Opportunity Tens of millions of Americans experience barriers to accessing appropriate health care, and many more face inequitable, lower-quality care that carries a heavy human and economic toll. Inequality in health care affects all Americans, both directly and indirectly, as inadequate health care limits opportunity for those who face health challenges and weakens their ability to participate in the economic and social life of the nation. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Housing, Neighborhoods and Opportunity Opportunities for homeownership—which have historically been limited for some racial and ethnic minority groups and low-income families—are strongly linked to wealth creation and financial security. Similarly, the quality of neighborhoods can have a profound impact on opportunity. Get the facts on the state of housing in America. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Immigrants and Opportunity America’s fabric is woven with the stories, experiences, and cultures of generations of immigrants. As always, the “Land of Opportunity” continues to draw people from all walks of life in search of a better future.Find out how immigrants are faring along our 6 dimensions of opportunity. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Latinos and Opportunity Over the last three decades Latinos have faced and continue to face multiple barriers to opportunity. Although the successes in fully accessing opportunity are many, obstacles such as language barriers and ethnic discrimination have yet to be eradicated in order for Latinos to achieve their full potential in America. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Low-Income Families and Opportunity Despite considerable progress over last several decades, low-income families continue to face many barriers to opportunity. In 2004 the number and rate of people in poverty increased for the fourth consecutive year. This is just one sign that opportunity for low-income and working poor families is in crisis. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Unintended Pregnancy Rates and Opportunity A recent study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) highlights an alarming increase in unintended pregnancies that threaten women’s health and life opportunities. Read More \| Download (pdf)



	Women and Opportunity Women have made considerable progress over the last several decades in dismantling barriers to opportunity in education, employment, representation in government, and other domains. But opportunity remains severely constrained for many women, particularly low-income women, women of color, and immigrant women. Read More \| Download (pdf)