Alan Berube and Bruce Katz of The Brookings Institution have authored a report on concentrated poverty in the United States.
Hurricane Katrina’s assault on New Orleans’ most vulnerable residents and neighborhoods has reinvigorated a dialogue on race and class in America. This paper argues that the conversation should focus special attention on alleviating concentrated urban poverty—the segregation of poor families into extremely distressed neighborhoods.
The authors note that New Orleans was ranked second—behind Fresno, Calif.—in terms of concentrated poverty in large cities. What are the human costs?
The authors offer a seven-point plan for correcting this problem. The complete paper is available in PDF form here.
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November 13 through 19 marks National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, co-sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness.
Each year … [d]uring this week, a number of schools, communities and cities take part in a nationwide effort to bring greater awareness to the problems of hunger and homelessness … Participating in National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week not only brings greater awareness to your community, but also helps to promote the national endeavor to end hunger and homelessness. The plight of those without a home can be both lonely and difficult. Addressing their struggles by organizing and participating in this week may bring greater solidarity and understanding, as well as promote future involvement. Events, such as “One Night Without a Home,” help people realize the difficulties that homeless persons daily face.
2005 Awareness Week manuals—containing a variety of suggestions and information—are available on the NCH’s Web site here.
Additional resources of interest:
“How a Regular Guy Gets Homeless,” Les Gapay’s personal account of homelessness.
The Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, developed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“Out of Reach 2004,” a nationwide comparison of wages and rents, sponsored by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The study includes rankings for the least affordable states, metro areas, and counties.
The forthcoming Encyclopedia of Poverty, to be published by Sage in 2006.
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In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 17th as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The declaration was inspired by French citizens and human rights advocates who have, since 1987, gathered on October 17th to “express their refusal of extreme poverty.”
The Day seeks to promote increased awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and serves to remind all people that sustained and concerted effort is vital to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015.
According to the UN,
Most anti-poverty programs lift out of poverty only those that are just below the poverty line, leaving the poorest of the poor even further behind;
Building a partnership with the most disadvantaged which takes into account their efforts and aspirations is the only possible way to eradicate poverty;
Because extreme poverty separates parents and children from each other, the efforts of families to reunite and stay together must be at the centre of political action against poverty.
Join others worldwide in raising awareness of poverty and the UN’s goals: a variety of printable posters, brochures, and other materials can be downloaded here.
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The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law has prepared a list of resources “to help legal aid lawyers, victims, and others recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”
The list contains 19 categories with links to attorneys and legal services, assistance programs, post-disaster reports, relevant legislation, news, and other information.
The Shriver Center site also features articles from the May-June and July-August 2002 issues of Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and Policy, which address race, poverty, and social justice.
Given the recent disaster in the Gulf, which has disproportionately affected poor people and people of color, and the imminent reconstruction effort, the Shriver Center is now making these articles available free of charge with the hope that the ideas expressed herein may assist advocates serving evacuees and clients in the affected areas.
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The National Center for Children in Poverty has just published a new report in its Child Poverty in 21st Century America Series.
“Who Are America’s Poor Children?” notes the following:
Twelve million children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level—which is about $16,000 for a family of three and $19,000 for a family of four. Perhaps more stunning is that 5 million children live in families with incomes of less than half the poverty level—and the numbers are rising. Yet research clearly shows that, on average, it takes an income of at least twice poverty to cover a family’s most basic expenses.
According to the NCCP, poverty is more prevalent among black and Latino children: 33% and 28% respectively versus 10% of white children.
Poverty is associated with negative outcomes for children. It can impede children’s cognitive development and their ability to learn. It can contribute to behavioral, social, and emotional problems. And poverty can lead to poor health among children as well.
Some 19% of U.S. children lack health insurance, including 29% of children in the state of Texas.
A printable PDF version is available here.
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