The US Census Bureau reports that over 12 percent of the U. S.
population now lives in poverty. That’s more than one in
every nine people and one in six children.
Millions of people whose income is above the official poverty
line also cannot afford basic necessities. They do not have things
that many American families take for granted and regularly have
to choose between paying the rent and putting food on the table.
Families with children are the fastest growing segment of the
homeless population—40 percent of the urban homeless population
and 50 percent in rural areas.
There are many reasons why so many of our neighbors live
in poverty:
- lack of affordable housing
- jobs that pay low wages and offer minimal benefits
- the high cost of childcare and health care
- inaccessible public transportation
is to provide homeless families with the comprehensive
support they need—housing and job placement services, mentoring,
links to community resources—and to foster community-based
responses to poverty.
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