This blog is a place for journalists to discuss their experiences covering poverty. It works in tandem with onpoverty.org, a site run by Washington and Lee University's American Poverty Journalism Center.
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Long-term unemployment benefits reach 25-year high
Although the number of new claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 4,000 last week, the total number of people receiving benefits hit a 25-year high of 3.84 million, an increase of 122,000. The increase suggests that the unemployed are taking longer to find new jobs. Benefits typically last 26 weeks, but in June Congress approved a 13-week extension. About 773,000 people claimed benefits under the extension for the week ending Oct. 18.
Original story
Labels: long-term unemployment, unemployment benefits
Texas aid programs seeing new faces
The economic downturn in Texas is bringing strangers into the food stamp program as well as homeless shelters. The Lone Star program, which provides food stamps, adjusts aid each year based upon inflation, and is seeing 250,000 new clients this year. Homeless shelter directors report seeing more new faces, with a 50 percent increase in new visitors this year. More people are visiting food pantries to supplement the aid they receive.
Original story
Labels: food pantries, food stamps, homeless shelters, Lone Star program
Alabama schools see decline in state funding
School districts in Alabama are suffering severe budget cuts of 25 percent due to declining tax revenue. Because Alabama relies heavily on sales and income tax revenue to fund schools, its schools may be hit harder than those of other states. The lack of funding is causing swelling class sizes, program cuts, and deferral of textbook purchases. Some districts are digging into their reserve funds while others are cutting payroll and supplies.
Original story
Labels: Alabama school districts, school budget cuts
Reaching out to homeless veterans
With an estimated 1,600 Utah military veterans homeless, the Department of Veteran Affairs has scheduled a daylong outreach at a Salt Lake City VA hospital. Vets will receive health care, counseling, benefits and support from other vets who face similar struggles, such as unemployment. The event is intended to help people at the VA and in the community figure out specifically what kind of help veterans need.
Original story
Labels: homeless veterans, veterans
Food stamp requests up, but some “newly poor” don’t qualify
Ventura County, California, one of the country’s richest counties, is seeing a rise in “new poor” applying for food stamps. Applications have grown by two-thirds since 2001, and rose 14 percent during the three months ending in September. Food stamps now serve 26 million in the U.S., including 38,000 in Ventura. Many newly poor are discovering they do not qualify because unemployment benefits, which can reach $450 a week, put them beyond the income cutoff of 130 percent of the federal poverty level, or $27,000 for a family of four.
Original story
Labels: food stamps, new poor, unemployment benefits, Ventura County
Homeless program to open without new churches
Middletown’s church-based network of homeless shelters, SHALOM, will open later this year with no new churches joining the network. Out of 87 churches, only the same seven joined this year, forcing the program to run only from Dec. 28 to March 22. Although other churches are not taking part, some have donated money to SHALOM.
Original story
Labels: homeless shelters, SHALOM
Homeless families on the rise in Massachussetts
The number of homeless families in Massachusetts is at a record high of 2,500, up from 1,500 two years ago. The state’s Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness has $10 million to give homeless families to keep them out of shelters. But to cope with current housing emergencies, Massachusetts must now focus on shelter placement. In the future the state plans to spend money to help people develop skills to support themselves in permanent housing.
Original story
Labels: homeless families, housing emergencies
Homeless rates swell with no increase in aid
This Washington county is seeing significantly higher homeless numbers this year. The new homeless are all families with children, the elderly, or the disabled and have lived in the community in the past. They likely had minimum wage jobs, but were unable to keep up with living costs. Although their numbers increasing, funding has not kept pace.
Original story
Labels: homeless, homeless aid
Motor home inhabitants remain optimistic
Several homeless families in this Colorado community are turning to motor homes for living space. One couple resorted to living in their recreational vehicle after losing their only source of income due to medical difficulties. Another man using his motor home for daily living is trying to save up for an apartment until he lands a job .Living in an RV saves money on utilities, and residents often park their homes near service stations to make use of the restrooms.
Original story
Labels: motor homes, poverty, recreational vehicles
Factories provide jobs while going green
After their Maytag factory closed last year, workers in an Iowa community found themselves jobless. However, a new plant that manufactures blades for turbines that convert wind into electricity is providing more jobs for former Maytag employees. This plant will work with a factory that produces concrete towers to support the turbines. Together, they will provide 700 jobs by next year.
Original story
Labels: factory jobs, wind energy
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