HELD is testing a nationally watched idea in Greensboro: direct, no-strings-attached cash paired with personalized housing support. IRI serves as the program's evaluation partner. Here's how the model works and what we're measuring.
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The Grocery Gap: What the State of Food Access Study Tells Us About Guilford County
IRI's State of Food Access in Guilford County study, now published by the County, finds persistent food insecurity, rising costs, and access barriers alongside strong community support for local solutions. Here are the key findings.
Briefing: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — A Four-Page Field Guide
A four-page visual briefing on Public Law 119-101, prepared for the Forsyth County Humane Housing Network's August 2026 Quarterly Convening: what the law does, what it omits, and where it lands in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.
When a Raise Makes You Poorer: Coaching Families Through Benefit Cliffs
Benefit cliffs punish families for earning more. Drawing on IRI's research with The Prosperity Agenda, this post explains why cliffs happen, why they feel invisible until they strike, and how Benefit Cliffs Coaching helps families navigate them.
What the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Means for Forsyth County
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents the most significant federal housing-policy package in years. Yet it should not be mistaken for a large new housing appropriation. The law creates tools, modernizes programs, reduces selected barriers, and changes what local governments and housing organizations are allowed to do. Whether it produces meaningful results in … Continue reading What the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Means for Forsyth County
Forsyth County Humane Housing Network: Understanding the Current Landscape Part 2
Forsyth County’s housing system is not merely a stock of units; it is an institutional architecture that organizes mobility, opportunity, and risk. Part 2 of the Humane Housing Network’s “Current Landscape” advances a pragmatic frame of Prevention, Preservation, and Production mapped onto a pathway from Urgency to Stability, Permanence, and Thriving, with the aim of … Continue reading Forsyth County Humane Housing Network: Understanding the Current Landscape Part 2
Forsyth County Humane Housing Network: Understanding the Current Landscape
Part 1 of the Humane Housing Network’s Current State Assessment, a data-rich look at Forsyth County’s housing ecosystem and what it takes to move residents from urgency to thriving housing conditions. Drawing on a 260-page draft, years of studies, and new mixed-methods research (35+ interviews, focus groups, workshops), the presentation maps the continuum: emergency shelter, … Continue reading Forsyth County Humane Housing Network: Understanding the Current Landscape
Shift_Ed Aligning Resources for Collective Impact Convening
Innovative Research Insights delivered a capacity building workshop at the Shift_Ed Aligning Resources for Collective Impact Convening (Fall 2025) focused on moving organizations from vision to action by cultivating a learning culture and strengthening evaluation practices. The session emphasized how evaluation can serve as a driver of organizational learning, not just a compliance exercise. The … Continue reading Shift_Ed Aligning Resources for Collective Impact Convening
Shifting Narratives: Igniting High Point to End Homelessness!
"Shifting Narratives: Igniting High Point to End Homelessness!" was a community event hosted by Partners Ending Homelessness (PEH) and The Foundation for a Healthy High Point on September 25, 2025, in High Point, NC. The event aimed to shift public perception of homelessness, discuss the root causes, and promote innovative solutions by bringing together residents, healthcare professionals, service providers, … Continue reading Shifting Narratives: Igniting High Point to End Homelessness!
Re-Engage with Robotics: What Guilford County’s Grant Teaches Us about Equity, Belonging, and STEM Readiness
What does it take to move after-school robotics from a well-intentioned grant to a durable engine of learning and belonging? This evaluation of the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Educational and Competitive After-School Robotics Grant in Guilford County Schools offers a candid answer. Drawing on mixed methods, coach and mentor interviews, parent surveys, and student … Continue reading Re-Engage with Robotics: What Guilford County’s Grant Teaches Us about Equity, Belonging, and STEM Readiness
Innovative Research Insights 