The Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Human Needs was chartered in 2007 to provide the public and policymakers with information about the prevalence of societal distress in the U.S. and its impact on health and well-being. The center examines societal distress in five domains — food security, housing, health, education and income. Its mission is to document how many Americans confront hunger, precarious housing or homelessness, inadequate health and health care, inferior education, and inadequate income/poverty. The center makes data available online and in publications and provides policy service to decision-makers and researchers. The center is not an advocacy organization; its work is nonpartisan and is focused on rigorous research.
