Governors are responding to the foreclosure crisis by taking action in three main areas: foreclosure mitigation, to reduce the number of families losing their homes; neighborhood stabilization, to prevent areas with multiple foreclosed homes from falling into disarray; and foreclosure prevention, to protect against future housing crises.

2008-09 NGA Chair Gov. Ed Rendell's Initiative

*This is an archived past project.

*This is an archived past project.

State Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs provide low-income families with temporary cash assistance while supporting their efforts to become employed.  In February 2006, Congress reauthorized the TANF program which provided new challenges to states to engage even more TANF recipients in work activities.

 The United States is aging rapidly. By 2030, an estimated one out of every five adults will be age 65 or older. Although the dramatic increase in the number of older adults could pose potential difficulties, it also affords states unprecedented opportunities to tap into a highly skilled group of individuals to work, assist communities, and learn new skills.

The National Association of State Liaisons for Workforce Development Partnerships, run by the NGA Center, is the national collaborative among officials of state government with lead responsibility for administering state and federal workforce programs.

The NGA Center operates the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs as a membership organization that provides the chairs and staff of gubernatorial-appointed state workforce boards, which are responsible for overseeing state workforce development systems, opportunities.

The current structure of state elementary and secondary education systems is fundamentally mismatched with the demands of the 21st Century. The traditional six-hour school day and 180-day school year is ill-equipped to prepare the vast majority of U.S. students for success in college, work, and life.

States across the country are reexamining the role of transportation and land use planning to help address problems like traffic congestion, growth in vehicle miles traveled, high infrastructure costs and loss of green space. Through more comprehensive and integrated planning efforts, states can help improve the mobility, accessibility, cost effectiveness and performance of America’s vast network of roads, rails, bridges and ports.

Governors and states have long recognized the importance of investing in surface transportation. When operated efficiently, the surface transportation system can enhance the economic competitiveness of states and the nation, as well as increase safety and the quality of life for users. However, the nation’s transportation system faces many pressures, including a growing imbalance between system use and capacity, the erosion of traditional funding sources, increasing costs for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure and shrinking sources of credit during difficult economic times. States are exploring a variety of new and innovative funding and financing methods, while at the same time looking to maximize the effectiveness of traditional sources.

*This is an archived past project.

One of the most pressing challenges states face is figuring out what to do with chronically low-performing schools. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) raises the stakes for states considerably and requires states and districts to quickly scale-up their accountability systems so they can bring all students to proficiency.

State child welfare agencies and the courts are responsible for the safety and well-being of just under a half million children in foster care. The children who are over the age of 14 and still seeking a permanent placement such as reunification, adoption or guardianship, are considered "youth in transition."