Of Note

Here's to 25 Years! On November 16, more than 500 sponsors, donors, and friends joined with us to celebrate 25 years of working for a Better Texas.
> more Better Texas Film The Better Texas film. Together we can make our state a better place for all of us. A place of opportunity and prosperity. Because we all do better when we all do better.
> more How Is Your County Affected by the Budget? CPPP has county-by-county consequences of the 2012-13 state budget for major essential services, such as health and human services, public education, and higher education.
> more OpportunityTexas The Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) and RAISE have launched a joint initiative, OpportunityTexas^TM, an effort to help individuals and families save for the future and increase college access and success.
> more Former Lt. Governor Hobby and CPPP's McCown's Letter to Business Leaders Former Lt. Governor William P. Hobby and CPPP Executive Director F. Scott McCown urge business leaders to help address a challenge facing Texas that imperils our economic recovery and future prosperity—how to cope with a devastating state revenue shortfall.
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FAMILY BUDGET ESTIMATOR PROJECT

It's been well documented that the federal poverty level doesn't accurately measure today's cost of living. But what does it really take to get by in Texas?

The Center for Public Policy Priorities' Family Budget Estimator Project provides a realistic picture of what it costs families to live in each of Texas' major metropolitan areas by estimating housing, food, child care, health care, transportation, and other basic expenses without relying on public assistance.

Family Budget Estimator (FBE) Project links:

For national research on family economic security, see

NCCP’s Making "Work Supports" Work Project (An effort to promote policy improvements for low-wage workers and their families by using NCCP's Family Resource Simulator to examine current work support policies and to model alternative proposals.)
CEPR’s Bridging the Gaps Project (An examination of how low-wage working families meet their basic needs, particularly when they are eligible for, but do not receive, public benefits.)