Review of Out of Reach by Bruce A. Weber for the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management: “An important book that will shape both the policy discussion of America’s social safety net and the research on antipoverty policy. . . a path-breaking book that should change the way policymakers and scholars think about and design the nation’s social safety net. It belongs on the required reading list of all who wish to understand both the fundamental changes in the safety net during the past 2 decades and the important obstacles to making the safety net more stable and accessible.”

Review of Out of Reach by Ram A. Cnaan for Social Service Review: “The theme of this book could not be more timely. . . This innovative book will serve as a foundation for numerous studies to follow and will be a required text in many social welfare forums.”

Review of Out of Reach by Laura R. Peck for the American Journal of Sociology: “Allard is critical and complete in his consideration of the implications of fragmentation and the decentralization of welfare state programs and supports. The American Dream rests on the premise that of equality of opportunity, but current conditions demonstrate the opposite: that race, ethnicity, poverty status, and location of residence prevent needy populations from having equitable access to community services that could help. The fact that we have ignored the spatial dimension of social services provision in assessing the successes and remaining challenges of our social safety net is now remedied by the contributions of this book.”

Review of Out of Reach by Andrea Hetling for the Perspectives on Politics: “Most popular conceptions of the U.S. safety net focus on public cash assistance or welfare. In his book, Scott Allard forces his readers to think more broadly and offers a compelling case for considering the growing importance of social services, provided by public and private entities, as the most critical element of the contemporary safety net. . . Out of Reach is thought-provoking, and the message is compelling. Allard’s findings have already been recognized as major contributions to the field of policy analysis. . . The book ought to be read by anyone interested in poverty policy. For political scientists, practitioners, policymakers, and frontline service providers, there is much to gain from its analysis and from its prescriptions.”

Review of Out of Reach by Kelly LeRoux for Public Management Review: “In his book Out of Reach, Scott Allard gives new meaning to this phrase by revealing new evidence that those who live in the poorest communities also have less access to the very resources they need most. Using an impressive set of data and a rigorous method of study, Allard compellingly demonstrates that the contemporary American safety net, largely comprised of local public and nonprofit service organization is spatially mismatched from areas where need is the greatest.”