The Role of the Safety Net in Addressing Poverty

This session at the National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics National Conference focused on presentations on how the social safety net can address poverty in the United States. Researchers from the Urban Institute presented on the effects of States’ safety nets on poverty. Liz Schott from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities spoke on how TANF funds can be used to address family homelessness. Samantha O’Neill-Dunbar, Colorado Works, Colorado Department of Human Services, spoke on how the TANF Emergency Fund is supporting interagency collaboration in Colorado. Swati Desai at Columbia University spoke on the role of non-custodial fathers and TANF.