American Communities Project

The president still has some areas of support in the ACP’s 15 community types, but not many, according to data from G. Elliott Morris’s Strength In Numbers and analyzed by the ACP. Perhaps more telling, support looks weak for Trump in places that are likely to matter a lot in November — his metro-area strongholds that tend to hold a lot of votes, the Middle Suburbs and Exurbs.

New Analysis Shows Trump’s Approval Sliding in His Stronghold Communities – American Communities Project Politics New Analysis Shows Trump’s Approval Sliding in His Stronghold Communities by Dante Chinni May 26, 2026 President Trump has a tough 2026. The war the United States started in Iran drags on, and inflation is increasing. Consumer confidence is low. Most polls show Trump’s job approval numb...

As rent increases and housing availability remains stagnant, even Michigan State University students that populate the college town are feeling the strain. A recent survey found that 8.5% of MSU students faced homelessness in the past year, and in 2025, the university reported a 117% increase from the previous year in orders placed through its student food bank.

This tension boiled over at the city council meeting on March 17, which ran past midnight and featured hours of emotional public comment from students and the unhoused alike.

In a Michigan College Town, Housing Worries Boil Over – American Communities Project Economics In a Michigan College Town, Housing Worries Boil Over by Theo Scheer April 13, 2026  On a recent Tuesday night, a man in a rumpled suit paced in the back of a small, carpeted room, nervously smoothing back his hair as he watched the scene in front of him. He was one of several unhoused ...