Loyola University Chicago
Here you will find all of CURL's research projects and publications.
(2006)
This international project was an effort to document existing successful alternatives to the reinvestment and displacement cycle in communities. We developed a curriculum that can be used either by faculty and students in the university classroom or by community leaders and residents in city and suburban neighborhoods.
View Webpage Equitable Sustainable Community Development
(2005)
This report focuses on the role that community-level organizations have had, currently have, and could have in setting regional agendas. Data for the report come from a representative sample of 49 community-based organizations in the City of Chicago, the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Will, and Lake, as well as the Indiana counties of Lake and Porter. We also completed eight case studies of regional initiatives to examine the different ways in which community-based organizations connect with regional and statewide issues. Research was guided by a working group comprised of university-based researchers, community-based organization leaders, and regional group representatives.
Download Final Report Who Is Listening to Local Communities? Connections between Chicago Region Community-Based Organizations and Regional, State, and National Policy Initiatives
(2005)
CURL worked with the Southwest Organizing Project (and their membership organizations), Neighborhood Housing Services (Chicago Lawn/Gage Park) and the Greater Southwest Development Corporation and examined the causes, effects, and potential solutions of home mortgage foreclosures in the Chicago Lawn and Gage Park neighborhoods. This project sought to identify where in these community areas foreclosures are most prevalent, and to determine what characteristics of these parts of the neighborhood (usually census tracts) make them more likely to experience high foreclosures.
Download Final Report The Southwest Foreclosure Project
Download Profile Book Gage Park Chicago Lawn Community Census Tract Profiles
(2005)
In partnership with Native Americans In Philanthropy this report gives basic demographic information on 60 grant making entities grouped into three categories: 1) Native foundations that are independently incorporated; 2) 501c3 Native organizations; and 3) tribal funds. These categories capture the variety of Native controlled approaches currently at work in the field.
Download Final Report A Demographic Profile of Independently Incorporated Native American Foundations and Selected Funds in the United States
(2005)
The Sara Lee Foundation funded a collaborative project between Apna Ghar Inc. and CURL to investigate effective models of service and outreach that are used to address the needs of domestic violence survivors within the context of South Asian immigrant culture and circumstance; the current status of policies and laws impacting immigrant women who access social services; and the incidence and the trends of domestic violence in Metropolitan Chicago, particularly with respect to the South Asian population.
Download Final Report Hardly a Leg to Stand On: The Civil and Social Rights of Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence
(2005)
In an effort to bridge the digital divide, 76 organizations throughout the state of Illinois received Illinois Community Technology Fund (ICTF) grants between the years of 2000 and 2001 to provide technology services to Illinois residents representing a broad spectrum of ages and populations. After the disbursement of the grants, CURL was invited to collaborate with ICTF to evaluate the effectiveness of the grants.
Download Report Success and Challenges Among Community Technology Programs in Illinois
Download Policy Brief Beyond Bridging the Divide: The Case for Integrating Technology in Our Communities
(2004)
This study sought to provide the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) a greater understanding of the issues and trends in housing, economic and demographic changes in the community. The report outlined key changes in the demographic and economic characteristics of the population over the past decade; assessed the current conditions and trends in Brighton Park’s housing stock, rents, sales prices, mortgage loans; and identified the key threats and opportunities in Brighton Park in regard to housing affordability, education, and service needs.
Download Report Brighton Park Community Study 2004
(2004)
Anawim Center (currently known as the Kateri Center), a Native American spiritual and cultural center under the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Archdiocese of Chicago formed a research collaboration with the Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) at Loyola University Chicago and the Office of Research and Planning of the Archdiocese of Chicago for a needs assessment study to determine the whereabouts, needs, and interests of the Native American community in Metropolitan Chicago.
Download Report Anawim Community Dispersion and Needs Assessment Study Anawim Community Dispersion and Needs Assessment Study
(2004)
American Indian Health Services (AIHS) is a health care organization that provides direct services to American Indians and Alaska Natives in Metropolitan Chicago. The organization sought to undertake a review of the health status of American Indian/ Alaska Native people in its service areas so as to ascertain health needs. The team produced a comprehensive needs assessment report including not only the health assessment data but also identified the need for further education and outreach to the American Indians and Alaska Natives in the Chicago Region.
Download Report American Indian Health Services Needs Assessment Study - Chicago Metropolitan Region
(2003)
On June 20-21, 2003, the Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF) brought together a group of Native people from across the country to participate in a consultative session designed to help the Foundation develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen and support indigenous families and communities. With the help of CURL, a report was written up documenting the meeting.
Download Final Report Native Gathering: A Meeting with Native American Elders, Activists, Select Funders and Scholars