The SPM was developed by the Census Bureau to try to correct some of the shortcomings of the official poverty rate that was developed in the 1960s. The SPM includes the cost of non-food necessities such as housing and childcare, includes a broader range of income sources, and, very importantly, adjusts for local costs of living.

For example, using the official poverty measure, poverty in California is a bit more than the average among states, but using the SPM, which takes into account the high cost of living in California, the state actually has the highest rate of poverty of all states. This is better aligned with the high rate of homelessness here.

Hardest hit by the rise in poverty were children, whose poverty rate more than doubled, with an increase of almost 140%, going from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022. Women and Native Americans also saw very large increases in their rates of poverty, rising 93% and 87%, respectively.

Despite the low and falling unemployment rate in 2022, poverty rose with the end of pandemic-era federal government aid, especially the end of the expanded child tax credit for low-income parents. These cuts are continuing this year, as people will be losing their Medicaid health insurance and the student loan payments and interest resume. Poverty and hardship are likely to keep rising.

#Poverty #Unemployment #StudentLoans #Census

It is clear that the U.S. government might learn a lesson from its neighbor to the south, rather than interfering with the Cubans’ right to determine their own history. Since the U.S. in particular has a Gross Domestic Product of $15 trillion annually and a population of 311 million people, it is worth noting that, as of 2010, nearly one third of the population live in homes that experience hunger. Not only this, but 22% of the children in the U.S. live in poverty. Overall, 14% of the population lives in poverty. This has been on a steady increase since the year 2000.

The state of Florida, being only 90 miles from the city of Havana, Cuba, is noted for having a higher than average rate of food insecure homes in the country, at 16%.

Marisol Marquez, who worked as a teaching assistant in a Tampa elementary school, recalled the experience of teaching one student who was experiencing hunger: “One of my students was born in Mexico and her parents were undocumented. They had left Alabama after the state legislature passed a racist law targeting undocumented people. Despite how hard they worked, they also had problems feeding their children, one of whom was nine-year old Heidi. She always appeared to be starving in class before lunchtime, and so I would help provide her with snacks despite my own hourly wage of $8.25.”

Students like the one above are able to receive a free lunch at the school Ms. Marquez taught at, but only if they filled out several forms. One way the Cuban government has combatted child hunger in their country is through providing free meals (breakfast and lunch) at their schools, for both students and the workers at these institutions. Not only this, but the government also has implemented a program which provides food to homes for those at risk of hunger. Baskets filled with staple foods are delivered weekly to ensure that no child on the island goes without a meal.

#Cuba #poverty #malnutrition #UnitedStates #Americas

Minneapolis, MN – The Welfare Rights Committee (WRC) held an event called “Celebrate the Fight for Justice!” here, June 30.

WRC is an organization of low-income families who fight attacks on poor and working Minnesotans.

Speakers at the celebration recounted the battles at the 2012 legislative session, where the Republican majorities in the House and Senate attempted to pass laws that would make life harder for people and families living below the poverty level. Speakers at the celebration emphasized that the struggle waged by WRC does makes a difference.

This year, they were successful in stopping most of the attacks proposed by the legislature. They stopped a move to reduce the time limit on public assistance to three years; stopped drug testing and criminal background checks of all aid recipients, and other attacks.

#MinneapolisMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #WelfareRightsCommitteeWRC #poverty #workersStruggle