Introduction to Poverty Homelessness.

Homelessness Definition:"lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence.“ (pbs.org/now) 2.3-3.5 million experience homelessness (National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty) 58% in shelters & 42% unsheltered States w/highest rates of homelessness 23% of homeless are chronically in that state 1 in 50 children are homeless Males more likely to be homeless than females

Homelessness Continued Why are single people homeless? Substance abuse Lack of affordable housing Mental illness Why are families homeless? Poverty Unemployment

Homeless Demographics Veterans Race: 39% are non-Hispanic whites 42% are African-Americans 13% are Hispanic 4% are Native-American 2% were Asian Location 71% central cities 21% suburbs 9% rural areas

Poverty

Housing Prices Median Prices in GR by Year: 1991--$72,500 (8th) 2013--$117, 900

Trends in Median Income in From 2005-2013, US & MI Real median income in MI peaked in 2005. It’s low was in 2012 and has grown by 1.54% to its current level in 2013.

Family Income in MI and US 2013

Hours of Work and Apartment Affordability http://www.upworthy.com/how-many-minimum-wage-work-hours-does-it-take-to-afford-a-2-bdrm-apartment-in-yo Hillary Clinton talking about women and economic (or lack of ) progress. http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2014/09/10/96851/why-womens-economic-security-matters-for-all-2/?elq=~~eloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid~~&elqCampaignId=~~eloqua..type--campaign..c

U.S. Poverty Rate 2013 U.S. poverty rate: 13.5 percent (2015) Numbers of people: 45.3 million Working-age people (18- to 64): 13.6% Under 18 years of age:19.9 % Elderly (65+): 9.5 % Females:15.8 % Males: 13.1% Native Born: 13.9% Not a Citizen: 22.8% Region: Midwest (12.9%), Northeast (12.7%); South (16.1%), West (14.7%) Work Experience: full-time (2.7%); less than full-time (17.5%) Race/ethnicity Whites: 9.6% Blacks: 27.2% Asians: 10.5 Hispanics: 23.5%

U.S. Poverty Rates, 2013 http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/13poverty.cfm Following the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps). Income Used to Compute Poverty Status (Money Income): Includes earnings, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, public assistance, veterans' payments, survivor benefits, pension or retirement income, interest, dividends, rents, royalties, income from estates, trusts, educational assistance, alimony, child support, assistance from outside the household, and other miscellaneous sources. SOURCE:  Federal Register, Vol. 78, No. 16, January 24, 2013, pp. 5182-5183

Programs Using Poverty Guidelines Department of Health and Human Services: Community Services Block Grant Head Start Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) PARTS of Medicaid (31 percent of eligibles in Fiscal Year 2004) Hill-Burton Uncompensated Services Program AIDS Drug Assistance Program Children’s Health Insurance Program Medicare – Prescription Drug Coverage (subsidized portion only) Community Health Centers Migrant Health Centers Family Planning Services Health Professions Student Loans — Loans for Disadvantaged Students Health Careers Opportunity Program Scholarships for Health Professions Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals Assets for Independence Demonstration Program Department of Agriculture: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamp Program) Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) National School Lunch Program (for free and reduced-price meals only) School Breakfast Program (for free and reduced-price meals only) Child and Adult Care Food Program (for free and reduced-price meals only) Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program

Department of Energy: Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons Department of Labor: Job Corps National Farmworker Jobs Program Senior Community Service Employment Program Workforce Investment Act Youth Activities Department of the Treasury: Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics Corporation for National and Community Service: Foster Grandparent Program Senior Companion Program Legal Services Corporation: Legal Services for the Poor

EXAMPLE of FAMILY INCOME & POVERTY DETERMINATION

Related children under 18 years Poverty Thresholds for 2013 by Size of Family and Number of Related Children Under 18 Years   Size of family unit Weighted average thresholds Related children under 18 years None One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight or more One person (unrelated individual)....... 11,888 Under 65 years.............................. 12,119 65 years and over........................... 11,173 Two people...................................... 15,142 Householder under 65 years........... 15,679 15,600 16,057 Householder 65 years and over........ 14,095 14,081 15,996 Three people.................................... 18,552 18,222 18,751 18,769 Four people..................................... 23,834 24,028 24,421 23,624 23,707 Five people...................................... 28,265 28,977 29,398 28,498 27,801 27,376 Six people........................................ 31,925 33,329 33,461 32,771 32,110 31,128 30,545 Seven people................................... 36,384 38,349 38,588 37,763 37,187 36,115 34,865 33,493 Eight people.................................... 40,484 42,890 43,269 42,490 41,807 40,839 39,610 38,331 38,006 Nine people or more.......................... 48,065 51,594 51,844 51,154 50,575 49,625 48,317 47,134 46,842 45,037 Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Education & Poverty

What is the Source of Poverty?

Why Members of Government Say Poverty is High “This idea that has been born, maybe out of the economy over the last couple years, that you know, I really don’t have to work. I don’t really want to do this. I think I’d rather just sit around. This is a very sick idea for our country,” he said. “If you wanted something you worked for it,” Boehner said, adding, “Trust me, I did it all.” American Enterprise Institute

Representative Paul Ryan (R- WI) “We have got this tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with.”

Poverty in America: Rhetoric vs Reality ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCoTo7umZZo&NR=1

Alternative Explanations

Feminization of Poverty Conceptualized by Diana Pearce (1978): Refers to increase in numbers of poor who are female To growing number of poor people living in female-headed families

Why do women have higher rates of poverty than other household types? 1) Fewer economic resources than men. 2) More likely to be heads of single parent families.  3) Minority women over-represented among the poor. their minority status higher rates of single parenthood 4) Elderly women more likely to be poor than men. fewer economic resources (less Social Security) longer life expectancies

Theories of Gender Inequities Women’s lower economic status reflects the unequal distribution of power in society between men and women. Labor market discrimination— Occurs when men are paid more than women (for the same work). Discrimination contributes to occupational gender segregation Inequality in the labor market Bias/discrimination prior to entering labor market EX: different jobs

Missing Poor Katherine Newman http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11022007/watch3.html

Business of Poverty http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08082008/watch2.html