One in Three Living in Poverty in Illinois

[Jenksismyhero]

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/20601722...ty-level-report

 

CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -

A staggering one out of three Illinoisans today lives in or near poverty — the peak of a continued climb over three decades, a new study finds.

 

It means one in five Illinois children are living in poverty, according to the study released Wednesday by the Social IMPACT Research Center of Chicago's Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights.

 

The forces behind this rising poverty in a post-recession economy go beyond unemployment, according to the study, which traces it also to an inadequate living wage and lack of access to education, housing, health care and assets.

 

"Illinois' 33%: Report on Illinois Poverty," is based on 2011 U.S. Census Bureau data. It declares a crisis sparing no community in Illinois, and only worsening under budget cuts to government programs and policies that alleviate poverty.

 

Rodney Dawkins, 46, of Lake View, is among the 33 percent.

 

With a high school diploma — which the study says holds little value today in wage-earning potential — Dawkins worked minimum-wage jobs all of his life, before a job loss at age 40 left him homeless.

 

"I lived at SROs, stayed with friends, slept in the bus or the park," he said. "I couldn't find work or afford a place."

 

He finally connected with an employment training program, got a restaurant job, and last year, moved into subsidized housing. But he still lives below poverty.

 

"I work maybe 25 hours a week, and manage my money the best way I can," he said. "Rent comes first, then lights and cellphone. But now that my CTA bus card just went up, I'm really going to have to budget my money to make it through."

 

The 33 percent figure is up from 25 percent of Illinoisans who lived in or near poverty in 2000. In 1990, it was 27 percent; in 1980, 26 percent.

 

"We wanted to get a handle on how people are recovering post-recession and to understand how things like our state's budget crisis are filtering down into communities," said report author Amy Rynell, director of the research center.

 

"What we learned was extraordinarily disturbing," Rynell said.

 

The study found that almost half of Chicago's population is living in or near poverty.

 

In suburban Cook and Kane counties, it's nearly a third; in DuPage, McHenry and Will counties, one out of five people, and in Lake County, one out of four.

 

Statewide, 31 percent of the African-American population lives in poverty, along with 22.6 percent of Latinos; 12 percent of Asians, and 11 percent of whites.

 

Of the state's households headed by single women, 34.3 percent live in poverty; as do 8.2 percent of senior citizens, and 20.7 percent of disabled people.

 

The pervasiveness makes poverty one of the most pressing social issues facing Illinois and the nation, according to the study. It offers recommendations from increasing minimum wage and the affordable housing stock to addressing issues of education, health and nutrition and financial traps intrinsic to poverty.

 

[Jenksismyhero]

And let's keep in mind what political affiliation has been in control in this state, and particularly the biggest county/city in the state.

[EvilMonkey]

What is the poverty line at? I had heard that they made the amount you need to make to be over the line higher, but I can't find verification of that. Like it went from $10k to $12k or something like that.

[Balta1701]

What is the poverty line at? I had heard that they made the amount you need to make to be over the line higher, but I can't find verification of that. Like it went from $10k to $12k or something like that.

one person is $11,300, family of four is $22,133.

[EvilMonkey]

one person is $11,300, family of four is $22,133.

But what I am asking is was that number raised, resulting in the increase, or is it the same (plus inflation, or whatever).

[StrangeSox]

It's updated annually for inflation I think.

[BigSqwert]

So many lazy people in Illinois. All they have to do is stop being poor like Duke did.

 

 

[Jenksismyhero]

Indeed. Also, we should become more liberal with our social policies. Clearly they are working.

[Jake]

Who cares? When you're poor the government takes care of you...so they're probably better off than me anyway.

[StrangeSox]

lucky duckies!

[Jenksismyhero]

The point being that for the "investment" we as taxpayers make to this s***hole of a state, we surely don't see much return. And yet no one questions it - on the state or local level.

[BigSqwert]

The point being that for the "investment" we as taxpayers make to this s***hole of a state, we surely don't see much return. And yet no one questions it - on the state or local level.

Define no one.

[StrangeSox]

Why don't you "vote with your feet" and move to one of those glorious, poverty-free, self-sufficient conservative-run states?

 

Also plenty of people question poverty, the efficacy of existing programs and the possible need for new or different ones all the time. What a lot of people don't do is say "welp, we tried! oh well, let's cut taxes and give up."

[Jake]

Why don't you "vote with your feet" and move to one of those glorious, poverty-free, self-sufficient conservative-run states?

 

Also plenty of people question poverty, the efficacy of existing programs and the possible need for new or different ones all the time. What a lot of people don't do is say "welp, we tried! oh well, let's cut taxes and give up."

 

The only correct answer to introspection is cutting taxes.

[Jenksismyhero]

Define no one.

 

I mean no one - not anyone on this board, not anyone in the media, not anyone in government, etc. When it's conservative policy that is failing (tea party government cutbacks) everyone jumps up and down and says "see how dumb this is? It doesn't work!" When it's liberal policy, no one says a damn thing but "well we actually need to do MORE." Education, jobs, poverty, etc. etc. It's never the liberal belief of "don't worry, we'll just spend our way out of this and give people s***" that's the problem. It's that the government just doesn't have the funds to be able to provide enough!

 

A third of people in this state are poor. A third! How is that acceptable? Why do the same crooked and corrupt democrats get elected to office on the same platforms? Guess whose income tax is going to go up another 2-4% in the coming years? Guess how they're going to pay for the massive pension problem.

 

And yes, SS, I would gladly move to a different state. The wife and I have already talked about moving even if the commute does suck.

[Jenksismyhero]

The only correct answer to introspection is cutting taxes.

 

It doesn't have to be all about cutting taxes.

 

 

[StrangeSox]

I say we need a stronger social safety net and better education because I believe those are the correct policies. I'm not surprised that our current systems are inadequate.

 

It is a shame that crooked and corrupt democrats keep getting reelected, but that doesn't mean I want republicans running things.

Edited January 16, 2013 by StrangeSox

[EvilMonkey]

Why don't you "vote with your feet" and move to one of those glorious, poverty-free, self-sufficient conservative-run states?

 

Also plenty of people question poverty, the efficacy of existing programs and the possible need for new or different ones all the time. What a lot of people don't do is say "welp, we tried! oh well, let's cut taxes and give up."

I would be in Texas right now if my wife would let us go. But she doesn't want to be that far from the rest of her family. Happy wife, happy life.

[EvilMonkey]

I say we need a stronger social safety net and better education because I believe those are the correct policies. I'm not surprised that our current systems are inadequate.

A safety net would be fine. What you have is social dependency.

[BigSqwert]

Poverty rates in Texas vs the U.S.

 

 

via

[StrangeSox]

What we have is a weak safety net that's barely sufficient and underfunded social services to help people get out of poverty. What we don't need is to gut what little we have.

[StrangeSox]

Poverty rates in Texas vs the U.S.

 

 

via

 

Texas provides very few services for those in poverty as well.

[Jenksismyhero]

Texas provides very few services for those in poverty as well.

 

Far fewer services for a whopping 4% difference in rates. Again, clearly just spending more/providing more is the problem.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Jenksismybitch

[Jenksismyhero]

A safety net would be fine. What you have is social dependency.

 

It's generational and never ending.

[EvilMonkey]

Texas provides very few services for those in poverty as well.

They also ran a budget surplus in 2012, unlike Illinois, and most other states.