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The vicious cycle.
Posted by Kat Greene. Updated
05.02.08 at 10:00 a.m.
Why we think the world needs this site.
Posted by Kat Greene. Updated
3.29.08 at 10:00 a.m.
Providing resources for a noble pursuit
Edward Wasserman
Welcome to OnPoverty.org, the
online meeting place for journalists who cover issues of poverty and
class in the United States.
As you can see, it's a news-driven Web site, which finds and links to print, broadcast and online coverage that journalists in the field need to know about.
But it's meant to be more than that.
We want to create a place where professionals can talk with one another about covering poverty -- the obstacles and opportunities.
All the stories that appear on our site are moved here after they leave the front page. If you've seen something on our site before, you're bound to find it here. Also be sure to check out our blog, which automatically stores our archives in chronological order.
Veterans returning from Iraq, Afghanistan Struggle to Readjust
11/10/2009 GEORGE W. GRAHAM THE REPUBLICAN SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
Returning veterans are finding new programs to help ease them back into civilian life, but the transition isn’t easy. The vets face an unemployment rate of 11.3 percent, significantly higher than the national rate of 9.7 percent. Homelessness is a problem. Suicide rates among veterans surpass those of the civilian population; to combat this, medical centers are focusing on understanding and treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Talk about it!
Recession pushes students to attend community colleges
10/27/2009 ABBY GOODNOUGH THE NEW YORK TIMES
Community colleges across the nation are scheduling more early morning and late night classes to accommodate students who are jobless or have been motivated to return to school by the recession. Recent high school graduates are also turning to community colleges due to the high costs of four-year institutions. Nearly every state is dealing with large influxes of students in community colleges, partly because of financial cuts to higher-education budgets. Talk about it!
Foreclosures force homeowners into shelters
10/18/2009 PETER S. GOODMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
Homelessness normally claims low-income renters who are evicted when they lose their jobs. Increasingly, though, the homeless are people who until recently owned their homes and lost them to foreclosure. Some 10 percent of homeless people who are approaching social service agencies for help were homeowners, and now resort to shelters, sleeping in their cars or in motel rooms, or seeking refuge with friends and family. A DREAM FORECLOSED: Audio Slide ShowTalk about it!
Senate Agrees to Take Up Bill Extending Unemployment Aid
10/28/2009 JIM ABRAMS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON
The Senate has agreed to take up legislation that aims to provide those running out of unemployment benefits with up to 20 weeks of additional aid. After weeks of partisan bickering, Senate Democrats urged quick action, in light of the 7,000 people who are exhausting their benefits daily. The House passed a similar extension bill last month, but Republicans blocked Senate consideration of the legislation in an attempt to add amendments. Talk about it!
Warehouse clubs accept food stamps
10/28/2009 SARAH SKIDMORE AND DAN SEWELL THE SEATTLE TIMES SEATTLE, WASH.
Costco Wholesale Corp. is now accepting food stamps at warehouses nationwide after testing them at stores in New York. This is a big change for the corporation that caters mainly to affluent bargain-hunters. Costco is not the first warehouse to accept food stamps. BJ’s Wholesale Corp. and Sam’s Club were accepting food stamps months before Costco made the change. The stores struggled with whether food stamp holders would be able to pay the $50 membership fee. Now, stores are battling for every dollar and see a potential in the increasing number of food stamp recipients. Talk about it!
Grants to U.S. Electrical Grid Expected to Create Jobs
10/28/2009 MICHAEL FLETCHER THE WASHINGTON POST
President Obama has announced that $3.4 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package will be used in grants to improve the nation’s electrical grid. In addition to paying for updated technology to make the transmission of power cleaner and more consistent, the grants are “expected to create tens of thousands of new jobs all across America” at a time when, despite the recovering economy, the national unemployment rate continues to rise. WATCH VIDEO Talk about it!
Retirees receive more benefits from Obama administration
10/27/2009 DAVID LEONHARDT THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Obama administration is spending $14 billion on senior citizens, a group that has survived the recession better than any other group. The president plans to send a $250 check to every Social Security recipient as part of his efforts to stimulate the economy. Obama has also proposed a no cost-of-living increase in their benefits next year. However, Obama’s economic advisers have questioned these plans, citing “entitlement reform,” the reduction of benefits that current law has promised to retirees, as the issue.
MULTIMEDIA: RECESSION SURVIVORS Talk about it!
Oklahoma homeless men document their lives
10/19/2009 MIKE AVERILL TULSA WORLD TULSA, OKLA.
Four homeless men produced a film entitled “How Sally Changed My Life,” a documentary about people living in the Salvation Army's Project Able, a two-year transitional housing program, who work or go to school while saving money. Their 15-minute documentary was shot with a camera that was bought at a pawn shop. Those interviewed told their stories of homelessness and how the Salvation Army was helping them to get back on their feet. Talk about it!
10/11/2009 REX NUTTING TIMES ARGUS BARRE, VT.
The Labor Department reports that claims filed for state unemployment benefits have dropped 33,000 to a seasonally adjusted 521,000 in the week ended Oct. 3. Economists say that the fall in jobless claims may mean that employers are more willing to hire, or it could mean that more people were exhausting their benefits and moving into the extended federal benefits program. Talk about it!
Economists agree recession has ended
10/12/2009 MAE ANDERSON WESH.COM ORLANDO, FL.
Over 80 percent of economists say that the recession is over and expansion has begun. The National Association for Business Economics released a survey that predicted that recovery will be slow since unemployment and federal deficit are still major problems in the U.S. economy, which experts say will persist through next year. Forecasters expect unemployment rates to continue to rise despite the end of the recession, until 2010. Talk about it!
Economists Caution Long, Slow Road to Recovery
10/12/2009 MAE ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK
Some 80 percent of economists agree that the latest recession, America’s worst since the 1930s, is over. However, because of tremendous federal debt and fear of unemployment, recovery is expected to be slow; the jobless rate, currently 9.8 percent, is forecast to rise to over 10 percent before falling, and cautious industries are continuing to cut jobs nationwide.Talk about it!
The chill of the recession is affecting college students
10/19/2009 KRISHNAN VASUDEVAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
College students are feeling reverberations from the recession. Students who receive no assistance from parents are burdened by student loans, and some are even struggling to feed themselves. Students can choose to get further into debt or seek help from the government. Some are applying and waiting in long lines for food stamps, and scouring campuses for free meals. NEW YORK ON LESS: MAKING CHOICES Talk about it!
New York storeowners get creative amid recession
10/12/2009 DIANE CARDWELL NEW YORK TIMES
New York commercial landlords who have been dealing with empty storefronts due to the recession are trying to use these vacant spaces in creative ways by leasing them, usually for a few weeks or months at a time, to artists. The artist uses the empty space as a canvas, while the landlord gets a colorful attraction that may lure potential tenants and deter crime. Talk about it!
In Cash-Strapped Detroit, Salvation Army Lowers Expectations
10/12/2009 CATHERINE JUN THE DETROIT NEWS DETRIOT, MICH.
This holiday season, Salvation Army workers in Detroit are scaling back their goal for their familiar Red Kettle Campaign. Instead of last year’s missed $8.5 million target, Detroit’s bell ringers will try to collect a more realistic $7.8 million through their largest annual fundraiser. This reduction comes at a time when demands for their services are on the rise; the Salvation Army reports a 60 percent increase in need since January. Talk about it!
Maryland church ministers to homeless in woods, libraries, shelters
09/24/2009 erin julius the hearld-mail hagerstown, md.
Members of Lifehouse West church are reaching out to homeless people in unconventional locations. The members of the church often ask what the homeless need and then provide it. The mission is called Soul Food Ministries also offers prayer. Interaction with the homeless in unusual places allows Soul Food Ministries members to begin conversations with those they are serving. Some of the recipients of bagged lunches provided by the church have also attended Sunday services. HOMELESS IN HAGERSTOWN SERIES Talk about it!
Dallas SoupMobile provides more than a hot meal
10/07/2009 KIM HORNER DALLASNEWS.COM DALLAS, TX
David Timothy, who runs the SoupMobile, , a nonprofit organization that hands out food on the streets, wanted to do more for the homeless than merely providing a hot meal. Timothy had a vision for a supportive housing program called SoupMobile Village. Now with the help of donors, Timothy bought a townhome in northwest Dallas where some SoupMobile clients can live.Talk about it!
Nashville Police Ask to Close Tent City
10/07/2009 NICOLE YOUNG THE TENNESSEAN NASHVILLE, TENN.
Nashville police are instructing the city’s Homeless Commission to limit the number of homeless people at Tent City and work on shutting down the site. The crime rate of the surrounding area has increased significantly, leading police to believe that the homeless population, which swelled from four to over 80 in the past year, is to blame. Homeless advocates, however, argue that pushing the homeless back onto the streets will keep them from necessary services.Talk about it!
Under-employed in Washington State collect unemployment benefits
09/30/2009 MATT MARKOVICH KOMONEWS.COM SEATTLE, WASH.
Washington State’s Shared Work program allows employers to cut by up to half the hours worked by full-time employees while letting hourly workers make up the difference by collecting unemployment benefits. The program has grown to 42,000 workers this year, more than six times more than the previous year. Many companies that are not thriving in the economy choose Shared Work instead of losing skilled employees completely.Talk about it!
Syracuse, N.Y., shelter provides services to runaway, homeless teens
10/07/2009 JAMES T. MULDER SYRACUSE.COM SYRACUSE, N.Y.
The Booth House is an emergency shelter for runaway and homeless teens. Operated by the Salvation Army, the house puts as many as five adolescents in each bedroom, with no more than two teens to a bathroom. It provides services for 12-to 17-year-olds with immediate housing 24 hours a day. It also provides services such as family counseling, mediation, case management, homebound schooling, living skills training and recreation services. Talk about it!
Denver Mayor Seeks $2.3 Million to Aid Homeless
10/05/2009 JANE SLATER 7NEWS DENVER, COLO.
Despite the city’s financial woes, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper wants the city council to approve $2.3 million in aid for the homeless. Advocates hold that the plan to create 500 new apartments and increased welfare programs will pay back later, but critics contend that it is providing the homeless with housing isn’t a city responsibility. The city has been forced to lay off 176 employees and delay pay raises. WATCH RELATED VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Local program in Oregon places homeless in apartment complex
10/05/2009 DAMIAN MANN MAIL TRIBUNE MEDFORD, ORE.
Rogue Retreat is running a program in this southern Oregon city that provides housing for the homeless. Many residents of its apartment complex are victims of unemployment, illness, or domestic violence. The organization conducts inspections to ensure that apartments are well-maintained, with no alcohol or drug abuse occurring inside the residences. Residents must pay 30 percent of their income, which includes money received from government programs.Talk about it!
Nursing homes reeling from budget cuts
10/04/2009 DAVE COLLINS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HARTFORD, CONN.
As the baby boomers edge closer to needing long-term care, government spending cuts are threatening to damage the country’s nursing home industry. Combined with the recession, these cuts are forcing homes to lay off workers, reduce services, and close their doors. Nearly 1,800 homes closed from 1999 to 2005. With President Obama proposing to trim $313 billion from Medicaid and Medicare, experts fear these closures are just the beginning of more to come. Talk about it!
Analysts fear effects of recession on children
9/28/2009 SHAWN VESTAL THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW SPOKANE, WASH.
As economists gingerly declare the recession over, some officials caution that its true impact has not yet hit. Some 800,000 U.S. children entered poverty in 2007 and 2008 alone. Studies show that growing up poor has lifelong consequences, making kids more likely to struggle in school and end up in trouble with the law. Childhood obesity is also a risk as families rely on cheaper foods. Programs to confront the effects of poverty are straining and unable to cater to the full range of need. Talk about it!
Under-employed in Washington State collect unemployment benefits
09/30/2009 MATT MARKOVICH KOMONEWS.COM SEATTLE, WASH.
Washington State’s Shared Work program allows employers to cut by up to half the hours worked by full-time employees while letting hourly workers make up the difference by collecting unemployment benefits. The program has grown to 42,000 workers this year, more than six times more than the previous year. Many companies that are not thriving in the economy choose Shared Work instead of losing skilled employees completely.Talk about it!
Texas State Senator Looks to Enforce State Charity Care Rules
9/27/2009 DARREN BARBEE THE STAR-TELEGRAM FORT WORTH, TEXAS
A state senator, Democrat Rodney Ellis of Houston, suspects that Texas’ nonprofit hospitals are not meeting their charity-care quotas under state law. The law, which Ellis wrote in 1993, offers nonprofit hospitals three ways to provide a stipulated volume of charity care. Ellis fears that the law’s lack of uniformity permits a lack of transparency and enforcement in charity care. Talk about it!
Florida bank offers hope with new program
10/01/2009 NICOLE MARISTANY CBS4 MIAMI, FLA.
In today’s uncertain economic times, homelessness increasingly takes the average person by surprise. Florida-based BankAtlantic is doing something to help: it has unveiled its “Homeless to Homeowner Program” designed to help people who have lost their homes secure enough money for a fresh start. Each dollar the enrollee saves is matched by two dollars from Bank Atlantic. Advocates of the program say the self-esteem it engenders is just as important as its financial benefits. Talk about it!
Sex offenders in Georgia forced out of woods
09/28/2009 GREG BLUESTEIN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A group of homeless sex offenders have been ordered to leave their makeshift camp in a densely wooded area behind a suburban office park in Marietta. The perpetrators made the camp their home as a last resort after being barred from living in many areas by one of the nation’s toughest sex offender policies. The men are prohibited from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of schools, churches, parks and other places where children gather. Officials are uncertain where they will go next. Talk about it!
Hawaii’s School Furlough Days Mean Missed Meals
9/28/2009 ROB SHIKINA THE STAR BULLETIN HONOLULU, HAWAII
With the state instituting 17 school furlough days this year to meet a budget shortfall, many needy Hawaiian families are losing crucial breakfasts and lunches typically provided by the Department of Education. Although officials have promised to explore different options to help families, the director of School Food Services says that on furlough days there is “no obligation for the department to feed children.” Talk about it!
Homeless schools for homeless Oregon children
09/24/2009 JENNIFER ANDERSON PORTLAND TRIBUNE PORTLAND, ORE.
Amid the ongoing recession, enrollment in private nonprofit schools for the homeless has skyrocketed in Portland area, where the number of homeless students has risen 122 percent. Outreach workers, who try to provide stability and support for homeless students and their families, try to furnish the students with clothing, food and school supplies.RELATED STORY: IN OREGON, NUMBER OF HOMELESS STUDENTS SURGES 4 PERCENT Talk about it!
New York Public Housing Authority Enacts Dog Ban
09/22/2009 MANNY FERNANDEZ THE NEW YORK TIMES
Public housing projects in New York City are trying to reduce dog attacks by prohibiting residents from keeping dogs that weigh more than 25 pounds. The ban also applies to all pure-bred or mixed-breed pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. It has forced the owners of at least 113 dogs to give up them up to shelters, where they are adopted or euthanized. Some residents have refused to comply with the policy, and face eviction. Talk about it!
Homeless in Western Maryland seek daytime shelter in public libraries
09/22/2009 ERIN JULIUS THE HERALD-MAIL HAGERSTOWN, MD.
As unemployment rates and the number of homeless rise, some of the homeless have sought daytime refuge in public libraries, since shelters are generally open only at night. That has led to complaints from female staff and library patrons, who feel harassed by the mostly male homeless population, some of whom h ave have mental illnesses. Talk about it!
Insurers Told to Stop ‘Misleading’ Elderly about Health Reforms
09/22/2009 DAVID S. HILZENRATH THE WASHINGTON POST
The government has ordered health insurers to stop sending Medicare beneficiaries “misleading and confusing” messages detailing how proposed health reform legislation could strip seniors of their benefits through drastic cuts in funding. Insurers have been encouraging enrollees to protest the legislation, and see the government’s “gag order” as attacking free speech. Members of Congress contend that the bill only strengthens the Medicare program.Talk about it!
Wisconsin jobless insurance fund runs dry
09/24/2009 WISN.COM MILWAUKEE, WIS.
Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance fund has run out of money. Though the state does not have funds, unemployment checks are still being delivered because Wisconsin is borrowing the money from the federal government. The state’s debt has risen to $569 million and is expected to reach $2 billion by the end of 2010. Talk about it!
Ohio counties see less unemployment, but officials not encouraged
09/23/2009 JESSICA HEFFNER MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL MIDDLETOWN, OHIO
Unemployment rates have dropped for the first time in the last 10 months in some Ohio counties, but officials say that this does not mean people are finding jobs. Experts attribute the decrease to more people giving up on finding work and going back to school. This has caused more families to rely on food pantries and government assistance. Ohio had an unemployment rate of 10.8 percent last month. Talk about it!
Galveston still recovering from effects of 2008’s Hurricane Ike
09/20/2009 JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR.THE NEW YORK TIMES
One year after Hurricane Ike hit Galveston, Texas, many of the poor, elderly and uninsured have yet to recover. Nearly one-quarter of families who returned home after the storm can no longer live in their damaged housing. Aid is available, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed assistance to 21,800 households. FEMA limits the amount given any single household to $28,800, which some residents find insufficient to cover damages. WATCH SLIDESHOW HERE Talk about it!
Program fights poverty in New York with cash inducements
09/20/2009 JULIE BOSMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
An antipoverty program in New York is paying families up to $5,000 a year for attending school, undergoing regular checkups, and staying employed. The program, which is experimental, is continuing for a third year, and seems to be making student attendance more consistent and improving grades. Over $11 million has been distributed to 2,400 families. Talk about it!
One North Carolina county’s foreclosures defy national trends
09/18/2009 GRAHAM CAWTHON THE STAR CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C.
Though the recession has sent national foreclosure rates soaring, Cleveland County, N.C.’s foreclose rates have actually fallen even though unemployment continues to rise. One bankruptcy attorney says the numbers may be misleading because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are observing a foreclosures freeze. Protection laws have also been enacted to protect homeowners from foreclosure and from intimidating debt collection practices. Talk about it!
Federally subsidized nutrition program moves in healthier direction
09/21/2009 PETER HIRSCHFIELD VERMONT PRESS BUREAU
The government has enacted sweeping reforms to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known as WIC, which offers dietary staples to disadvantaged families. Calorie-rich foods originally distributed to fight child malnourishment are being replaced by fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the hope of combating. Incentives are also being offered to mothers who breastfeed as a healthier alternative to infant formula. Talk about it!
House moves to extend unemployment benefits
09/21/2009 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON
Amid tentative predictions of an end to the national recession, the House is examining emergency legislation to aid millions of Americans who see no end to their economic hardships. A bill by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., would extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks for people who live in states with jobless rates of at least 8.5 percent. The bill is expected to pass easily, despite fire from critics arguing that it could be a disincentive to looking for work. Talk about it!
Colorado jobless rate less dire, but outlook grim
09/20/2009 ALLISON SHERRY THE DENVER POST
One year after the nation’s economy plunged into recession, job prospects continue to look bleak. This is true in Colorado, where the unemployment rate of 7.3 percent is better than the national rate of 9.7 percent, but where food pantries reported 25 percent more traffic this summer than last. With the House’s proposed bill to extend unemployment benefits only available to states holding an unemployment rate of at least 8.5%, Colorado expects no relief in the near future. Talk about it!
Galveston still recovering from effects of 2008’s Hurricane Ike
09/20/2009 JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR.THE NEW YORK TIMES
One year after Hurricane Ike hit Galveston, Texas, many of the poor, elderly and uninsured have yet to recover. Nearly one-quarter of families who returned home after the storm can no longer live in their damaged housing. Aid is available, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed assistance to 21,800 households. FEMA limits the amount given any single household to $28,800, which some residents find insufficient to cover damages. WATCH SLIDESHOW HERE Talk about it!
Kitchen program in Pittsburgh employs and feeds the homeless and addicts
05/03/2009 DIANA NELSON JONES PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Springboard Kitchens employs those who are homeless or struggling with addictions and other disorders to prepare meals that are served to others in similar situations. Social service agencies refer trainees and provide services to prepare them. If trainees are voted in, they then work weekdays while receiving behavioral training to enable them to get and keep jobs. Springboard launched in mid-February and revenue has already jumped from $5,000 to $12,000, with 320 meals delivered a day. Talk about it!
No rise in Social Security benefits in 2010
04/02/2009 ROBERT PEAR THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON
Social Security recipients will not get any increase in their benefits next year for the first time in more than three decades because federal forecasts do not anticipate the cost of living will rise enough to warrant a bump in benefits. If there is no cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security, about one-quarter of beneficiaries could face substantial increases in their premiums for doctors’ services and drug coverage under Medicare.
Talk about it!
Indiana homeless shelter charges residents
05/05/2009 SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE SOUTH BEND, IND.
The South Bend Center for the Homeless has served over 44,000 men, women and children for free since it opened in 1988. Recently, the center has asked residents to contribute a few dollars for room and board. The center began charging $5 for food each day beginning April 1, and a $1 “program fee” starting May 1. The “program fee” includes housing for guests staying for more than 45 days. Those who stay more than 180 days pay $3.33 each day. Residents who receive governmental assistance can also pay for meals with food stamps. The center allows the needy who cannot afford the fees to do chores in the center in exchange for their stay. Talk about it
Soccer league provides new outlet for the homeless
04/02/2009 JULIE BOSMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
Street Soccer USA is a 16-city network of homeless players that operates under Help USA, a national homeless services provider. The program has been credited with helping players pull themselves out of homelessness. It has strict guidelines, such as forbidding players to show up drunk and requiring them to discuss job searches with coaches. The newly formed New York team scored its first win of the season against a team composed mostly of bankers.
WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
While vacancy rates soar, lack of affordable housing spurs upsurge in squatting
03/25/2009 EDUARDO M. PENALVER SLATE.COM
Rising unemployment is forcing people out of their houses and into illegal squats. Squatting—or unlawfully occupying property that belongs to someone else—is a reflection of both a market failure and the absence of an effective government response to enable poor people to find housing. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of families showing up at homeless shelters in New York City increased by 40 percent, while housing vacancy rates are at all-time highs. According to the Census Bureau, 19 million homes were vacant in the last quarter of 2008.Talk about it!
Cost concerns prompt states to cut back on prison terms
03/24/2009 JENNIFER STEINHAUER NEW YORK TIMES
For almost 30 years, states have dealt with lawbreakers by locking more of them up for longer periods and building more prisons to hold them. Now, however, many are re-evaluating their prison policies due to limited financial resources and mounting incarceration costs. Some states are replacing jail time with community service; others are simply freeing prisoners early. Tough sentencing has long been a path to re-election for lawmakers. But the recession is forcing them to take a more cost-conscious approach toward imprisonment. Talk about it!
Maine eyes measures to reduce welfare outlays
04/1/2009 REBEKAH METZLER SUNJOURNAL.COM AUGUSTA, MAINE
Two proposed bills would seek to reduce welfare spending by imposing a 90-day residency requirement, providing a tax credit for employers who hire welfare recipients, and imposing a 60-month lifetime limit on food stamps for adults. Supporters argue that people come to Maine and receive benefits too easily. Opponents note that residency requirements for welfare benefits have been ruled unconstitutional in other states.
Talk about it!
Unemployment affects growing number of free lunch applications
03/25/2009 WALB.COM ALBANY, GA.
In light of the increasing number of unemployed, more South Georgia students are relying on free lunch programs, which are run by the Department of Agriculture. This year, 65 percent of students are taking advantage of the program, with Tift County serving over six-thousand a day, and over one million meals a year. If unemployment rates continue to rise, the number of applicants for the free lunch program is also expected to increase as well. The school is also makes sure that families who are eligible apply for the program and receive its benefits. Talk about it!
Idaho extends benefits to jobless
03/25/2009 BILL ROBERTS IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM BOISE, IDAHO
Idaho Governor Butch Otter agreed to stimulus money that could bring in $33 million to reduce tax increases on Idahoan businesses next year to maintain the $95 million trust fund with the Legislature approval. It may also reduce the amount the state would have to borrow from the federal government. State businesses and labor groups support a bill that increase cash flow and provide new benefits by extending coverage for unemployed Idahoans in state-approved training programs and helping the jobless seek employment. Talk about it!
Medicaid drug-price cuts blocked in Washington
04/1/2009 JOHN TUCK SPOKESMAN.COM SPOKANE, WASH.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed budget would pay less for brand-name pharmaceuticals in an effort to steer pharmacies toward cheaper generic drugs, which could help the state save $109 million. Pharmacies argue the state is ignoring the harm such cuts would cause if started today, and a federal judge has temporarily blocked the plan. Walgreen Co., the state’s largest medication retailer, says 44 of its pharmacies would withdraw from the program and quit filling Medicaid prescriptions if the price cuts took hold.Talk about it!
L.A. homeless assaults classified as hate crimes
03/25/2009 MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE LOS ANGELES TIMES LOS ANGELES, CALIF
As the number of homeless people increases, they seem to have become easier targets for assaults and other crimes. Advocates in Los Angeles say the attacks have become more violent, but until recently no one tracked the crimes countywide. County supervisors unanimously recommended that authorities start tracking and reporting assaults on the homeless as hate crimes. The information will be used to determine whether attacks are increasing, where they occur, and whether they can be prevented. Talk about it!
In Utah, 1 in 30 students are homeless
03/22/2009 LORETTA PARK STANDARD-EXAMINER OGDEN, UTAH
State education authorities say 10,388 of the 551,013 students enrolled in schools in Utah are considered homeless, as compared with one in 50 nationally. The typical Utah homeless family consists of a single mother with two children, who struggles to pay for housing due to low income. For almost every adult who is homeless, there is a child. But the child is more likely to experience hunger, suffer chronic health problems, repeat a grade in school or drop out of school altogether, the state says. Talk about it!
Health care proposal limits options
03/24/2009 REED ABELSON NEW YORK TIMES
President Barack Obama is proposing a new health care program that is federal and the insurance is similar to Medicare, and available to anyone at any age. Obama believes that the program will give the people more choices and keeps the integrity of the private sector in check because of the competition. Opponents believe that the government is intervening and is pushing private insurers out by demanding lower prices from doctors and hospitals than private sectors, eventually leaving the government as the only option. The main debate over the health care proposal is how to provide coverage to nearly 50 million uninsured Americans while taking into account the high cost of health care.
Talk about it!
Homeless using cell phones
03/23/3009 PETULA DVORAK WASHINGTON POST
Nearly 1,600 Oklahoma City students have been served through the district’s homeless student program, The Link, this year. The Link program provides eligible homeless students free lunch and breakfast, transportation to school and help in purchasing uniforms, among other services. The program’s main goal is to keep students in one school for the entire school year. Oklahoma is ranked 47th for risk of child homelessness with only Texas, Louisiana and Georgia having higher risk.Talk about it!
D.C. voucher program rejected
03/23/2009 JAY MATHEWS WASHINGTON POST
The Washington D.C. school voucher program, formally known as the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program , used tax dollars in order to transfer impoverished students to private schools with higher standards than the public schools of D.C. The program provides up to $7,500 a year for private-school tuition poor children, and costs $12 annually. However, the program opposes the public view of education and has been rejected by voters every time the program appeared on state ballots because of a disagreement over funds though there would still be limited space if unlimited funds were available. Talk about it!
Omaha students sample life in a homeless shelter
03/19/2009 CINDY GONZALEZ OMAHA WORLD-HERALD OMAHA, NEB.
Creighton University students gave up their spring breaks to stay at the Siena-Francis House homeless shelter, part of an effort involving nearly 250 undergraduates in 30 cities across the country. These volunteer service and justice trips are meant to teach students a way to learn Jesuit ideals. The students interacted with the mentally ill, domestically abused, and substance addicts. Without their cell phones, the students were able to experience the sounds, sights and smells of a homeless shelter. Still other students remained in Omaha with African refugees or Spanish-speaking immigrants.Talk about it!
Program helps homeless students in Oklahoma City
03/16/2009 DAWN MARKS NEWSOK.COM OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.
Nearly 1,600 Oklahoma City students have been served through the district’s homeless student program, The Link, this year. The Link program provides eligible homeless students free lunch and breakfast, transportation to school and help in purchasing uniforms, among other services. The program’s main goal is to keep students in one school for the entire school year. Oklahoma is ranked 47th for risk of child homelessness with only Texas, Louisiana and Georgia having higher risk.Talk about it!
With jobs scarce, further education beckons
3/18/2009 LARRY MEYER ARGUS OBSERVER ONTARIO, ORE.
With the economy worsening, more people are choosing to continue their education. Many students see schooling as a wiser option than looking for work. Students in Oregon are choosing classes to prepare them for occupations on the top 20 list. The list, compiled by the state Department of Employment, is dominated by the medical and technical industries. Included are physicians, medical and clinical laboratory technologists, physical therapists, pharmacists and medical and health service managers, as well as registered nurses, welders and cutters. Talk about it!
Poll shows Americans worried about the economy
03/16/2009 PAUL STEINHAUSER CNNPOLITICS.COM WASHINGTON, D.C.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. found that 36 percent of people polled believe that unemployment is the most important economic issue today, which is triple the number of people who felt that way last April. Other issues that concerned respondents include inflation, the mortgage crisis, the stock market, and taxes, in order of anxiety. With the unemployment the highest in 25 years, with 4.4 million jobs lost since the beginning of the recession in December 2007, the poll shows the economy the most important issue facing the nation today. Talk about it!
Needy Northern Indiana families receive handouts
03/11/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA BOSTONHERALD.COM BOSTON, MASS.
Approximately 1,600 families sought handouts for food and other items donated by a charity in Elkhart, Ind. The city has an unemployment rate of 18.3 percent, partly because of layoffs in the recreational vehicle industry. Thirteen semitrailers carried $2.1 million worth of food, which is expected to sustain 5,200 families for one week. In addition, Feed the Children arranged for supplies to be shipped to 3,600 Northern Indiana families. Hundreds of cars waited in a line in a shopping mall parking lot and adjacent streets to receive packages from 3,000 volunteers. Talk about it!
Unemployment hits metro areas nationwide
03/19/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Labor Department reports that 99.7 percent of the cities it tracks have higher unemployment than a year ago, with some areas in California among the hardest hit. Most economists expect job losses to rise this year despite the Obama administration’s $787 million stimulus package and other governmental efforts. The nationwide unemployment rate, at 8.1 percent in February, could reach 10 percent by the end of this year. Talk about it!
Omaha students sample life in a homeless shelter
03/19/2009 CINDY GONZALEZ OMAHA WORLD-HERALD OMAHA, NEB.
Creighton University students gave up their spring breaks to stay at the Siena-Francis House homeless shelter, part of an effort involving nearly 250 undergraduates in 30 cities across the country. These volunteer service and justice trips are meant to teach students a way to learn Jesuit ideals. The students interacted with the mentally ill, domestically abused, and substance addicts. Without their cell phones, the students were able to experience the sounds, sights and smells of a homeless shelter. Still other students remained in Omaha with African refugees or Spanish-speaking immigrants.Talk about it!
Tennessee governor considers unemployment fund plan
03/16/2009 CHAS SISK THE TENNESSEAN NASHVILLE, TENN.
Tennessee state officials are considering a plan that stave off bankruptcy for the state’s unemployment fund, but would raise taxes on businesses. Governor Phil Bredesen is asking legislators to approve a proposal that would raise the taxable wage base and increase tax rates for unemployment insurance. Without these changes, the unemployment fund would be drained of money by early next year. The plan would force businesses to pay an additional $110 a year on average per employee for unemployment premiums. MULTIMEDIA: WHO HAS HAD LAYOFFS RECENTLY? Talk about it!
North Carolina unemployment highest in 25 years
03/11/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS SHELBYSTAR.COM SHELBY, N.C.
North Carolina’s unemployment rate is the highest in over 25 years due to job losses in January in manufacturing and construction. The state lost 38,000 non-farm jobs in January, including such booming industries as education and health care, which lost 5,800 jobs. Among jobs lost in manufacturing were layoffs in the Dell Corp. computer assembly plant. The company has been shifting work from its own factories to contract manufacturers and cut its work force. Talk about it!
Underemployment on the rise too
03/12/2009 KFDA-TV NEWSCHANNEL10.COM AMARILLO, TEXAS
Nationally, the underemployment rate is nearly double the unemployment rate, with latest figures reaching 15 percent. People are considered underemployed if they previously had high-paying jobs and are now working jobs for which they are overqualified, or if they once had full-time jobs and are now working part-time. The recent surge of over-qualified, over-educated applicants are taking jobs from less qualified applicants who would have been top candidates for the jobs just a few months ago. WATCH VIDEOS HERE Talk about it!
Texas leads the country in number of homeless children
03/11/2009 NEWSCHANNEL10.COM AMARILLO, TEXAS
Texas has the most homeless children of any state, more than 300,000. In Amarillo, the number of people receiving meals from the High Plains Food Bank has increased 55 percent just since last month. The city is receiving more than $700,000 from the federal stimulus package to help with homeless prevention and to try to keep homeless teens from dropping out of high school. Teens without diplomas cost the state an estimated $3 billion in lifelong productivity.WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Unemployment reaches double digits in four states
03/11/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA CBS4.COM WASHINGTON
California, South Carolina, Michigan and Rhode Island all registered unemployment rates above 10 percent in January, while the national rate—at 8.1 percent in February—is the highest it has been in 25 years. Some economists predict the national unemployment rate will peak at 11 percent or higher by mid-2010. Forty-nine states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment increases. Only in Louisiana did the rate drop.
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Turning to motels to house the homeless
03/10/2009 ERIK ECKHOLM THE NEW YORK TIMES
More people are finding themselves facing homelessness after having lost their jobs and homes. While some end up in shelters or on the street, others are doubling up in apartments or living in garages or motels. These hidden homeless are not counted in federal data and often get little public aid. Orange County, Calif., has a large population of motel families because rents are high and public housing is scarce, while there are many older motels that once housed Disneyland visitors. Residents come from a wider demographic range than in the past. MULTIMEDIA SLIDESHOW Talk about it!
Housing for Tennessee homeless project on hold
03/11/2009 J.J. STAMBAUGH KNOXNEWS.COM KNOXVILLE, TENN.
A task force that was to create guidelines for housing Knoxville area homeless is on hold for fear its work could violate a federal law that prohibits discriminating against disabled people, a definition that includes the chronically homeless. The task force was to recommend guidelines on where to put 400 units of permanent, supportive housing for the chronically homeless, most of whom suffer severe psychological problems. Talk about it!
Homeless man in Houston takes to the Web
03/10/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS COURIERPOSTONLINE.COM SOUTH JERSEY, N.J.
Until recently, Tim Edwards was like any other homeless man begging for money in Houston. Now, he has become the online face of homelessness thanks to his website, Pimp This Bum. The interactive site, www.pimpthisbum.com, is the work of an Internet marketing company that wanted to show what it could do and do some good at the same time. Visitors can ask Edwards questions about his life and his journey from a managerial job and homeownership, and allows them to donate money to help him.
Talk about it!
Washington, D.C., renters feel repercussions of recession
03/10/2009 MIRANDA S. SPIVAK WASHINGTON POST
The working poor in the Washington region are seeking more aid to meet basic needs, resulting in increased requests for help with rent and utility bills. Although home prices have fallen, renters still face a high-priced market in the area, where vacancies are limited. Arlington County, Va., has seen a 38 percent increase in applications for its rental supplements, which are cash grants to help tenants pay bills. The county boosted the amount available from $4.3 million to $4.6 million to prevent homelessness from increasing. Talk about it!
One in 50 children experience homelessness in America
03/10/2009 DAVID CRARY ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA BOSTON.COM NEW YORK
The National Center on Family Homelessness reports that one in 50 U.S. children experience homelessness and most states have inadequate plans to address the worsening and overlooked problem. The report analyzes data from 2005-06 and estimates that 1.5 million children were homeless at least once that year. The problem is surely worse now due to foreclosures and job losses during this recession. The center’s ranking of state responses placed Connecticut at the top and Texas at the bottom.Talk about it!
Recession causes Hawaiian unemployment claims to rise
03/06/2009 LELAND KIM KHNL.COM HONOLULU, HAWAII
While Hawaii’s unemployment rate of 5.1 percent is below the national average, the number of residents losing their jobs is continuing to increase, and new unemployment claims are rising—up 75 percent in January from the same month a year before. Benefits to Hawaiians totaled $40 million last month. Talk about it!
N.Y. jobless rate to reach double digits
03/10/2009 JAY GALLAGHER STARGAZETTE.COM ALBANY, N.Y.
New York’s unemployment rate is expected to rise from 7 percent last month to 10 percent by the end of the year. By then, the state will owe the federal government $1.4 billion in unemployment benefit payments. The newly passed federal stimulus package will repay $500 million of that, but the rest will have to be made up by employers. New York has lost 113,000 jobs since August, and a half-million New Yorkers are collecting benefits, the highest number in at least 20 years. Talk about it!
Recession may be longest since
World War II
03/09/2009 DEB RIECHMANN ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA KANSASCITY.COM
The 1981-82 recession was America’s worst since the Great Depression, but the current recession could slice even deeper into the U.S. economy. If it lasts into April, as expected, it will be the longest recession in the postwar era. While unemployment has not reached 1982 levels and the gross domestic product is still higher than in 1982, the hurt from this recession is spread more widely. Furthermore, uncertainty about the country’s economic health is worse today than it was in 1982.WATCH VIDEO HEREVIEW GRAPH HERE Talk about it!
Stimulus funds used for Harrisburg needy
03/04/2009 BEN RUSSELL WHPTV.COM HARRISBURG, P.A.
Harrisburg is using its $1.4 million in funds for its Community Development Block Grant Program and for homelessness prevention. How the money will be spent for homelessness prevention is unclear, but the block grant money may be used to renovate vacant homes to be sold to low-income and moderate income buyers. Some of it may also be used to complete repairs in the homes of senior citizens or low-income families, as well as for job training.Talk about it!
Hawaiian Hope provides computer access to homeless
03/04/2009 NINA WU STARBULLETIN.COM HONOLULU, HAWAII
Hawaiian Hope, a nonprofit whose goal is to give the homeless computer access, plans to expand its offerings. The group already provides IT services in 10 homeless shelters in Hawaii using donated computers and strives to make technology available to everyone by refurbishing donated PCs, hardware and monitors. Hawaiian Hope is remodeling an empty space near Honolulu Community College, and hopes that the computer lab will put classrooms in homeless shelters. The group will also give computers to families that move out of the shelters. Talk about it!
Need welfare? Must pass drug test first
03/04/2009 JANESE HEAVIN COLUMBIATRIBUNE.COM COLUMBIA, MO.
Sen. Bill Stouffer’s proposed bill would require welfare recipients to submit to drug testing in order to protect taxpayers and provide an incentive to stay clean. Conducting drug tests would cost Missouri $16.7 million next year. Those who test positive would be ineligible for three years to receive temporary assistance benefits. Children of drug users would not lose benefits. No criminal consequences are inflicted on those who test positive, but some may avoid applying for help for fear of test results. Talk about it!
Texas recovers more than $1.4 million from unemployment fraud
03/01/2009 KILGORENEWSHERALD.COM AUSTIN
The Texas Workforce Commission recovered more than $1.4 million in 2008 from prosecutions for unemployment insurance fraud, which includes providing false information or failing to report self-employment or other earnings. Some of the cases were sizable. In East Texas, the commission recovered nearly $27,000 on five bogus claims. In addition to restitution, those convicted paid up to $1,000 in fines and served community service hours; some went to jail. Talk about it!
Increasing benefits will increase debt
03/04/2009 DAILYCARDINAL.COM UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MADISON
If Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle chooses to expand unemployment eligibility and adopts two of the four federally recommended changes, the state would receive $89 million in funding from the federal stimulus bill. Wisconsin already took out a $400 million loan from the federal government to keep its unemployment fund afloat and with unemployment on the rise, Wisconsin federal debt is spinning out of control. Doyle has also increased business taxes as an attempt to level the budget, but increased business taxes force employers to lay off workers, who then turn to unemployment. Talk about it!
NY landlords trade paying tenants for homeless families
03/03/2009 JULIE BOSMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
The Bloomberg administration program has turned some apartment buildings in New York into de facto homeless shelters. It works with nonprofits to place homeless families in apartments, a practice known as cluster-site housing. With growing numbers of homeless families, cluster-site has nearly replaced a similar, more expensive program that the administration wanted to eliminate in 2002. Tenants in the buildings complain landlords are pushing them out to make room for homeless residents because the cluster-site program pays much more.
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Federal bailout my be necessary for Texas jobless fund
03/01/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA STATESMAN.COM TEXAS
Texas unemployment officials fear a “real deficit” in the compensation trust fund by September or October, and may need to borrow money from the federal government to keep the state fund afloat. Initial claims for benefits are more than double what they were a year ago, so the state may be forced to obtain the interest-free loan.Talk about it!
Employers attempting to block unemployment benefits
03/02/2009 PAUL NELSON KSL.COM SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
Employers are trying to block jobless benefits to more than a quarter of the people who apply for them nationwide, including in Utah. Even if employees quit their jobs, they may be eligible for benefits if they prove that remaining on the job would have an adverse effect or that they continue to be in the labor market. Meanwhile, unemployment in Utah is at 4.3 percent, and initial unemployment benefits claims in January were up 10,000 from a year ago, to 24,000. Talk about it!
Travel sites’ bad reviews rouse Honolulu concerns about homeless
03/01/2009 BRIANNE RANDLE KHON2.COM HONOLULU, HAWAII
With homelessness on the rise in Honolulu, the city is receiving negative feedback from travel sites such as Expedia and TripAdvisor. One state lawmaker says the bad reviews are undermining Hawaii’s reputation as a sunny paradise, and insists the city has the resources to restore the homeless-filled public parks. With 150 to 300 homeless people living in Kapiolani park alone, officials are working on a law that would make sleeping in the park at any time illegal. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Texas recovers more than $1.4 million from unemployment fraud
03/01/2009 KILGORENEWSHERALD.COM AUSTIN
The Texas Workforce Commission recovered more than $1.4 million in 2008 from prosecutions for unemployment insurance fraud, which includes providing false information or failing to report self-employment or other earnings. Some of the cases were sizable. In East Texas, the commission recovered nearly $27,000 on five bogus claims. In addition to restitution, those convicted paid up to $1,000 in fines and served community service hours; some went to jail. Talk about it!
Oregon unemployment rate reaches 9.9 percent
02/26/2009 PORTLAND TRIBUNE PORTLAND, ORE.
Unemployment in the state of Oregon reached 9.9 percent in January, with 14,600 jobs lost that month. Joblessness has not been this high since the mid-1980’s, when the state was recovering from a recession that ruined the housing and wood products industry. One labor market economist says Oregon was hit harder than the nation as a whole over the last year.Talk about it!
White House regards health care reform as top fiscal priority
02/24/2009 LORI MONTGOMERY & AMY GOLDSTEIN WASHINGTON POST
President Obama’s top priority is to reform the U.S. health care system, since he believes controlling the costs of the two governmental health systems -- Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor -- is critical to saving the nation from bankruptcy. At the economic summit where Obama made these statements, top administration officials said they were committed to stabilizing the Social Security system and ensuring taxes bring in enough money to fund the government.
WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Obama to give $15 billion to states for Medicaid
02/23/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA GREENVILLEONLINE.COM WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama will begin distributing $15 billion to states struggling with Medicaid costs. The money will come from the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus measure. Some GOP governors may reject the proposed expansion of state unemployment benefits as part of the stimulus package because it will require a tax increase on employers once the stimulus money runs out.Talk about it!
Economy expected to worsen in 2009
02/23/2009 JEANNINE AVERSA KANSASCITY.COM
The latest survey by the National Association for Business Economics predicts the economy will shrink by 1.9 percent this year, a much deeper contraction than the 0.2 percent predicted in the fall. NABE forecasters predict the economy to slide backward at a pace of 5 percent in the January-March quarter. The economy should expand in the second half of this year, but some analysts think the jobless rate will peak at 9 percent and not return to the 5 percent range until 2013 at the earliest. Talk about it!
Nevada tries to deal with increased demand for welfare
02/24/2009 DAVID McGRATH SCHWARTZ LASVEGASSUN.COM CARSON CITY, NEV.
Nevadans are waiting in lines from two to four hours to apply for welfare benefits. One office in Las Vegas handled 19,000 applications last month and cases are expected to rise from 23,000 to 30,000 per month by the end of the two-year period. To help shorten wait times, the state welfare agency plans to create an electronic application so potential recipients have the necessary documents when they arrive at the office. The department will also need 200 to 300 more workers. Talk about it!
Budget cuts in Utah hit mentally ill hardest
02/24/2009 JAMES THALMAN DESERTNEWS.COM UTAH
Diminishing funds for Medicaid services will harm the quality of life of mentally ill Utah residents more drastically than any other disabled group. The state has a $1.5 billion revenue shortfall and has proposed cuts to mental-health services totaling nearly $3.5 million. However, with another $10.5 million loss in federal funds, the total cuts to mental-health services come to nearly $14 million. Talk about it!
Unemployment fund shortfalls in Vermont may lead to higher employer taxes
02/25/2009 LOUIS PORTER TIMESARGUS.COM BARRE, VT.
Decreases in Vermont’s unemployment fund may prompt large tax increases on employers and a squeeze on benefits for those who lose their jobs. A proposal now before the state legislature would require employers to pay another $40 million in taxes a year for the next two years, while cutting the benefit paid to jobless workers. The state’s unemployment insurance fund may be failing by the end of the year and may have to borrow $35 million in 2010 to remain solvent. Talk about it!
Being poor is not enough to qualify for Medicaid
02/05/2009 RONI CARYN RABIN THE NEW YORK TIMES
Although most people think of Medicaid as the federal health plan for low-income Americans, in reality, being poor generally is not enough to be eligible. In most states, people qualify for Medicaid only if they have children. The proposed $825 billion economic stimulus package would create a new category of people who would be eligible, people who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn. Talk about it!
Low-income patients turn to their children as care-givers
02/22/2009 PAM BELLUCK THE NEW YORK TIMES LANTANA, FLA.
Children across the country are providing care for sick parents or grandparents, including lifting them off beds or toilets, managing their medication, and washing, feeding and dressing them. A 2005 study suggested that about 3 percent of households with children 8 to 18 included child care-givers. Many are single-parent, low-income families, and experts expect their numbers to grow as the recession compels patients to forgo paid help.
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Federal funding cuts force D.C. area jobless to wait for benefits
02/05/2009 CHRIS L. JENKINS WASHINGTON POST
Thousands of people in the Washington, D.C., area and across the country are waiting longer for unemployment benefits because of staff reductions brought about by reduced federal funding. As a result D.C., Maryland and Virginia are failing to meet federal guidelines that require timely processing of unemployment claims, appeals and benefit payments. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released figures showing that the situation will only get worse with rising unemployment. Talk about it!
Texas program credited with helping homeless men recover from alcoholism
02/09/2009 ANDREA BALL AMERICAN-STATESMAN AUSTIN, TEXAS
Project Recovery, a voluntary six-month program for alcohol-dependent men, is helping homeless men in the Austin area sober up, find housing, and be more productive. The $650,000-a-year program is funded by the City of Austin and Travis County and since 2006 has helped 92 men, some of them with mental or physical disabilities. The program is focused on males because the facility is not large enough to house both men and women, and because more men are arrested for public intoxication. Talk about it!
Though effective, N.Y. in-home health care faces cuts
02/09/2009 VALERIE BAUMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA STARGAZETTE.COM ALBANY
Despite the potential to save millions in Medicaid dollars, the transfer of patients from hospitals and nursing homes into less expensive, more effective home care faces possible budget cuts in New York. The number of people in home care remains steady, but costs are increasing as patients get more hours of treatment. Proponents of home care worry that Gov. David Paterson’s proposed cuts may cause some programs to be shut.
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Welfare outlays decline in Rhode Island although economy worsens
02/09/2009 CYNTHIA NEEDHAM PRojo.com PROVIDENCE, R.I.
Rhode Island’s economy continues to decline and unemployment is at its highest level in three years, yet welfare rolls have plunged by double digits. Since late 2007, the number of people receiving cash assistance has dropped by more than 16 percent. Factors causing the decline include tighter eligibility, a delay before people impacted by the faltering economy seek benefits, and ignorance among newcomers about where to find help. Still, many worry that Rhode Island families are not receiving the assistance they need.Talk about it!
Greater number of homeless students pose challenge to schools
02/08/2009 MARIA GLOD WASHINGTON POST
As the economy struggles, an increasing number of students are sleeping in spare bedrooms, motels, homeless shelters and cars. In response, some schools are offering extra tutoring for students, and others are giving out backpacks and clothes and helping to network families with community services. One school system even pays cab fares to enable some students to commute to school. The federal government is said to spend $64 million a year aiding homeless students. Some members of Congress want an additional $70 million appropriated. Talk about it!
With unemployment soaring, the state’s unemployment office is hiring
02/04/2009 NEIL DOWNING THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL CRANSTON, R.I.
In response to the onslaught of claims for benefits, the Rhode Island unemployment insurance call center will soon hire 40 people to help process new claims. The new positions, which will be paid for with federal funds, will double the call center’s staff and, officials hope, will reduce the backlog of claims.Talk about it!
Job-seekers dumb down resumes to find jobs
02/04/2009 CBS4.COM MIAMI, FLA.
With unemployment on the rise and fewer jobs available, some job-seekers are eager to take jobs for which they are overqualified. As a result they are understating their accomplishments and educational background to match those of competitors who are merely qualified for the opening. While a willingness to take any job may be good for entry-level positions, it is not ideal for career building, says one job counselor. Talk about it!
Unemployed face delays in getting benefits
02/02/2009 DEBORAH FELDMAN KING5.COM SEATTLE.
The number of Americans claiming unemployment benefits has reached an all-time record of nearly 4.8 million, yet many are unable to get access to the help they need. Washington State reached a record in December for the most claims filed in a month, 90,000. The state, which has 150 workers at its employment security department and a backlog of 40,000 claims, hopes to develop new strategies to speed up the response process.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
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Indiana halts rollout of newly privatized welfare system
02/04/2009 KEN KUSMER ASSOCIATED PRESS via PAL-ITEM.COM RICHMOND, IND.
Indiana officials have halted further implementation of the state’s privatized welfare intake system, which for the past 15 months has been handled by a team of companies led by IBM under a 10-year, nearly $1.2 billion contract. Complaints of lost documents, improper denial of benefits and lengthy delays led lawmakers to file a bill to stop the rollout until it’s determined the system can handle the additional caseload. Nearly two-thirds of Indiana’s 1.2 million welfare recipients are still being served under the old system. Talk about it!
Homeless at celebrated Hawaii park prompt calls for restrictions
02/01/2009 KITV.COM HONOLULU, H.I.
Nearby residents and visitors to Waikiki are growing frustrated with the homeless camping out in the famous beachfront area’s Kapiolani Park. While the city has laws prohibiting people from setting up camp in the park overnight, the homeless have found a loophole, and now the city council is looking for a ban on using the park as a “sleeping place.” Residents of the area consider the presence of homeless people in the park to be a health hazard as well as a source of danger.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
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Layoffs spare few major cities nationwide
02/04/2009 AP VIA CBS4.COM WASHINGTON
Unemployment rates rose in 363 of the largest 369 U.S. metropolitan areas in December from a year earlier. Manufacturing layoffs are creating the largest increases in unemployment in Indiana’s Elkhart-Goshen region and in Dalton, Ga. Elkhart-Goshen’s unemployment rate increased 10.6 percentage points from December 2007 to 15.3 percent this December. Nationally, the jobless rate is a seasonally adjusted 7.2 percent.
TIMEMLINE: U.S. CREDIT CRUNCH & FINANCIAL FAILURES
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Downturn creates strains on Colorado’s health care system
02/01/2009 MICHAEL BOOTH DENVERPOST.COM
The recession is causing problems for Colorado’s health care system. More people are registered for Medicaid than at any time in the past 40 years, and Denver Health, the prime urban outlet for uninsured residents, is handling 250 more patients than last year. Metro community health centers report receiving around 100 calls daily from potential uninsured patients, many times more than they are able to treat. In addition, for people with insurance, deductibles and co-pays have increased.
MULTIMEDIA: GROWTH IN UNCOMPENSATED CARE Talk about it!
Higher jobless payments proposed in Washington State
02/01/2009 ADAM WILSON THE OLYMPIAN OLYMPIA, WASH.
Washington State leaders are considering a controversial plan to give unemployed residents an extra $45 a week in jobless benefits. Currently, unemployment insurance offers people between $129 and $541 a week, but Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed using some of the state’s $4 billion unemployment insurance fund to lower the insurance taxes on businesses and boost weekly benefits for every recipient. Talk about it!
Welfare fraud in Minneapolis-area county reported rising
01/31/2009 MIKE KASZUBA STAR TRIBUNE MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
Anoka County, Minn., investigators are finding an increasing number of cases of welfare fraud in which citizens receiving benefits are found to have falsely reported their assets, and city officials and Republican legislators are asking the federal Department of Human Services to crack down. While federal officials are aware of the fraud, they consider it to be an insignificant problem that is, moreover, difficult to police because unreported income is often hard to detect. Talk about it!
Welfare outlays decline nationally even while unemployment soars
02/01/2009 JASON DEPARLE THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON
Despite soaring unemployment, 18 states cut their welfare rolls last year. Of the 12 states where job loss was at its worst, eight reduced or kept constant the number of people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the main welfare program. Critics of the program worry that its structure – with federal funding fixed, even if caseloads rise – may deter states from being more generous because they would bear all of the increased costs.
MULTIMEDIA: STATE-BY-STATE WELFARE ASSISTANCE
MULTIMEDIA: SHIFT IN ASSISTANCE
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Coloradans waiting for more food stamps
01/26/2009 ALLISON SHERRY THE DENVER POST
Colorado’s food stamp caseload grew by 8,000 from October to December to a total of 126,000, which is 19 percent higher than a year earlier. In October and November, about 14,600 people lost their jobs; December job losses are predicted to be another 14,000. Applications for food stamps should be processed within 30 days, but the increase in applicants has created a backlog. The most desperate applicants are put through an expedited process. Such applicants were up 40 percent in December, to 934. Talk about it!
Job cuts widen to hit more sectors of economy
01/27/2009 CATHERINE RAMPELL THE NEW YORK TIMES
Home building and mortgage lenders began cutting jobs early in this recession, and now, a year into this recession, companies across the board in manufacturing, retailing and information technology are resorting to mass layoffs. Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel and at least eight other companies say they are cutting more than 75,000 jobs in the United States and abroad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the U.S. economy has lost 2.55 million jobs since the recession began.MULTIMEDIA: IMAGES AND GRAPH Talk about it!
Homeless population in Aspen strains shelter capacity
01/25/2009 THEDENVERCHANNEL.COM DENVER, COLO.
Like many other cities, the economic downturn has left Aspen with a growing homeless population. Many of the homeless turned up in Aspen after losing their jobs elsewhere, while some are locals who failed to keep up with the city’s economic dynamics. Local churches offer night shelters, granting access only to those who pass Breathalyzer test, while The Right Door, a substance abuse counseling program, offers a day shelter, as well as counseling and help with food stamp and job applications.Talk about it!
G.M. and Chrysler eliminate jobs banks for loans
01/28/2009 NICK BUNKLEY THE NEW YORK TIMES
General Motors and Chrysler are closing their jobs banks, a program where laid-off factory workers are able to collect nearly their full salaries. To win support for bridge loans, leaders of the United Automobile Workers union is allowing the factories to eliminate their job banks as one of several terminated programs. About 16,000 of workers currently employed by G.M. will be laid off, and will be collecting 72 percent of their full-time pay through state unemployment benefits and additional benefits provided by G.M.
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Idaho mental health facility closes when funding cut off
01/26/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA 2NEWS.TV BOISE, IDAHO
The Franklin House mental health facility in Boise, which logged 600 admissions annually, has closed after the state health department decided to stop paying Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center $325,000 a year to run it. Seventeen full- and part-time Saint Alphonsus employees lost their jobs. Former patients will likely end up in hospital emergency rooms or be treated at home. One in 10 of the facility’s ex-patients was homeless. Talk about it!
Mexico City soup kitchens to feed thousands
01/27/2009 DEBORAH BONELLO LOS ANGELES TIMES MEXICO CITY
With the number of people getting jobless benefits in Mexico City expected to double this year, the city’s first of 300 planned soup kitchens opened this month and was quickly packed. With food prices rising, the city plans to eventually spend about $14 million to give out 65,000 free or inexpensive meals a day. Most of the beneficiaries were elderly people or single mothers with children. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
NYC could receive $3.4 billion in stimulus package
01/25/2009 TRYMAINE LEE THE NEW YORK TIMES
New York City could get $3.4 billion as part of a stimulus bill being considered by Congress and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The aid would come from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, which could include $1.8 billion in Medicaid savings and $1.6 billion in education aid. The stimulus package will help city and state officials avoid some difficult budget decisions. Talk about it!
Jobless benefits applicants in Indiana continue to wait
01/26/2009 JOY LEIKER PAL-ITEM.COM RICHMOND, IND.
Indiana state offices are processing more unemployment benefit applications than ever, resulting in delays and inconsistencies in handling the workload. Governor Mitch Daniels plans to hire 100 new workers to investigate the problems. Extending hours at the busiest offices in the state has not been enough to avert extensive waits for some applicants. Some blame the problem on the switchover from vouchers to debit cards. Talk about it!
New York borrows from federal government to pay jobless benefits
01/21/2009 patrick mcgeehan THE NEW YORK TIMES
Since the first day of the business year, New York State’s unemployment insurance system has been out of money, and has been borrowing $90 million a week from the federal unemployment trust fund. State officials say that the borrowing will not affect benefits payments. However, the loans could end up costing the state nearly $100 million in interest and may lead to tough new taxes on employers.
MULTIMEDIA: STRETCHING EXERCISE Talk about it!
Mixed perceptions on employment prospects under the Obama administration
01/19/2009 PETER S. GOODMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
In light of the recession, many Americans are hopeful the Obama presidency will create more jobs and reduce unemployment. However, some are skeptical of what the new president can do for the country’s jobless rates, and many are coming to accept that recovering from the current economy will mean they must cope with less than they had before the downturn. New college graduates are working as waiters and shelf-stockers, while management jobs are filled increasingly by people with graduate degrees. Talk about it!
Obama intends to expand health insurance for children
01/19/2009 ROBERT PEAR THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON
President Obama plans to rescind a Bush administration policy that has hindered state efforts to provide health insurance to children from low- and middle-income families. Under the Bush policy, the federal government would not allow states to cover children from families with incomes above 250 percent of the poverty level, or $53,000 for a family of four, unless they met preconditions. However, Obama and Congress hope to expand federal programs to cover the uninsured, including middle-income families that have lost health benefits along with their jobs. Talk about it!
Increased cigarette tax may help save Virginia hospital and healthcare jobs
01/21/2009 SARAH BRUYN JONES ROANOKE.COM ROANOKE, VA.
Deep cuts to the state’s Medicaid system of healthcare for the poor could lead to layoffs at nursing home and hospital facilities throughout Virginia. Gov. Tim Kaine proposed doubling the cigarette tax to 60 cents per pack, which would raise another $148 million for Medicaid. The hospital association predicts that without the additional money, 11,314 jobs may be lost. Even with the tax increase, job cuts could still occur given the low rate of Medicaid reimbursement.Talk about it!
More Central New Yorkers applying for government aid
01/21/2009 JOHN DOHERTY SYRACUSE.COM SYRACUSE, N.Y.
With the economy faltering and unemployment rising, more Central New Yorkers are seeking government aid. Welfare officials predict an increase in the demand for food stamps, as well as Medicaid and HEAP, which provides assistance with home heating bills. While not every applicant will receive help, the state has made it easier to apply for these programs by accepting applications via the Internet and by telephone. Recent changes have been aimed at helping those who receive aid find jobs. Talk about it!
Idaho hopeful for $40 million in Medicaid stimulus
01/20/2009 JOHN MILLER ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA THE OLYMPIAN.COM BOISE, IDAHO
The proposed federal economic stimulus package may save Idaho from cutting about $40 million in Medicaid insurance benefits. Congress is developing an $825 billion economic stimulus plan to boost funds for unemployment benefits, food stamps and Medicaid. The stimulus package would help cover the $77 million in cuts to services contained in Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s proposed budget. Talk about it!
Cities’ unemployment forecast grim for 2009
01/19/2009 CBS BROADCASTING INC. CBS4.COM MIAMI
Urban joblessness is expected to soar, with as many as 70 cities likely to have unemployment rates top 10 percent by the end of the year, according to a report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Greater Miami will lose 85,000 jobs and have an unemployment rate of more than 8 percent, while Chicago is expected to lose 80,000 jobs as well. New York will take the biggest hit as Wall Street firms continue to cut payrolls. More than 181,000 New Yorkers could be out work within the year.
2009 METRO UNEMPLOYMENT FORECAST Talk about it!
Longer waiting times for welfare benefits
01/18/2009 KHURRAM SAEED LOHUD.COM ROCKLAND, N.Y.
In Rockland County, near New York City, applicants for state aid are facing longer waits. A growing number of people are applying for cash grants, food stamps and Medicaid. But because of rising demand and staff cuts, applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, commonly known as welfare, wait an average four weeks to be interviewed for admission to the program. Demand for cash assistance, food stamps, and Medicaid is up, with 200 applicants waiting for face-to-face interviews, while 24 employees have been lost to early retirement. Talk about it!
New Hampshire raises spending despite strapped budgets
01/18/2009 HATTIE BERNSTEIN NASHUATELEGRAPH.COM NASHUA, N.H.
Because New Hampshire state law requires local communities to aid residents who cannot provide shelter and food for themselves, welfare officers across the state are seeing more new faces, even in affluent communities, and are spending thousands of dollars over their budgets. Many of those who apply are trying to cope with layoffs, divorces, or medical expenses. Talk about it!
Rhode Island Medicaid agreement criticized as meager
01/13/2009 RAY HENRY ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA BOSTON.COM PROVIDENCE, R.I.
Rhode Island’s congressional delegation says a plan to cap Medicaid spending at $12 billion over five years would leave an $842 million shortfall in the health care program for the elderly, poor and disabled. The cap is part of a deal reached last month between Gov. Don Carcieri and the Bush administration, which would have freed the state to use Medicaid funding in new ways. Talk about it!
More families in Washington State seek government aid
01/19/2009 ADAM WILSON THEOLYMPIAN.COM OLYMPIA, WASH.
Applications for food stamps rose 42 percent in November in the state of Washington, where demand for government assistance has been steadily increasing. More people are eligible for food stamps since the maximum income a family of three can earn and still qualify was raised to twice the federal poverty level of $17,600. Still, an increasing number of people seeking help do not qualify for government assistance because they are too young, own a home, or were recently employed. Talk about it!
Failing economy influences medical debt
01/13/2009 SANDRA G. BOODMAN WASHINGTON POST
Higher medical debt is affecting not just the poor or uninsured. Millions of other Americans are spending more money for fewer benefits and higher co-pays, and face huge out-of-pocket costs for injuries and serious illnesses. Some consumers are so embarrassed by unpaid medical bills that they put off seeking care until their illnesses become truly serious and, ironically, more expensive to treat. Talk about it!
Rural states have country’s lowest unemployment rates
01/09/2009 DIRK LAMMERS CASPERSTARTRIBUNE.NET CASPER, WYO.
Five contiguous rural states -- Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Utah and Nebraska – have the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
These states escaped some of the effects of the economic downturn by
avoiding the housing boom and bust and evaded job losses in the
financial sector because their lenders were cautious, some economists
say. The states also continue to produce commodities that are in high
demand, including crops, coal and natural gas.Talk about it!
Job losses greater for men than women during recessions
01/15/2009 CASEY B. MULLIGAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
Until this recession, women remained less than 49 percent of the work force, but that percentage may increase. The decline in the number of women working so far has been proportionately smaller than the decline for men. Because of the larger male job losses, women’s share of the work force has increased 0.5 percent in each of the three most recent recessions. If this recession lasts as long and is as severe as expected, women may surpass the 50 percent mark of the work force. Talk about it!
Increase in Washington-area families seeking government health insurance
01/14/2009 CHRIS L. JENKINS WASHINGTON POST
Growing unemployment and a faltering economy are pushing more families
in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to apply for state health insurance for their children. Applications in September and October were up 40 percent from the previous year. Officials say that many of the people who are applying would not need the help in a stronger economy.Talk about it!
Michigan shelter occupancies rise as temperatures fall
01/14/2009 SUSAN VELA LSJ.COM LANSING, MICH.
As mid-Michigan is hit with subzero temperatures, homeless shelters are reaching fire code capacity. Lansing officials continue to monitor the situation to determine whether an emergency shelter will be needed. Extreme weather conditions pose numerous problems beyond shelter, including medical treatment for frostbite or hypothermia, and unpaid bills prompt utilities to cut off services. Talk about it!
Relief agencies better in face of storm
01/08/2009 PETER KORN THE PORTLANDtribune PORTLAND, ORE.
Portland relief agencies and citizens responded heroically to emergency conditions spawned by the recent storm by keeping shelters open longer and donating blankets and jackets to help the homeless. The demand was unprecedented, and despite the lack of a plan when the storm first hit, the city found beds for all who wanted them and saved dozens of lives. Still, some critics claim there was more chaos than coordination and complain that food supplies were inadequate. Talk about it!
New unemployment in Colorado hits record high
01/11/2009 ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA THEDENVERCHANNEL.COM DENVER, COLO.
The 25,000 new unemployment claims in Colorado for December topped the previous record of 21,000 set in October 2001. The state’s unemployment rate was up to 5.8 percent in November, 4 percent higher than a year earlier. Economists predict the rate will be 6.4 percent in 2009. Only half of the estimated 5,000 people seeking unemployment claims each day are able to get help. Talk about it!
Hospitals in a bind waiting for Medicaid payments
11/19/2008 DEBRA PRESSEY THE NEWS-GAZETTE.COM URBANA, ILL.
Illinois hospitals have not been paid since August for the care they provided for patients on Medicaid. Unpaid medical claims to hospitals and other medical providers totaled $1.6 billion as of last week. According to Illinois Hospital Association, hospitals may not be paid for up to a year. With supply costs rising, borrowing options narrowing, and patients unable to pay bills, hospitals are having to cut expenses and, in some cases, employees. Talk about it!
Changes in Indiana welfare system aim to cut workload
11/30/2008 JOURNALGAZETTE.NET FORT WAYNE, IND.
Under a modernization program, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration introduced a call center system and Web-based applications in 2007. But welfare recipients complain of missed interviews, lost paperwork and dropped benefits. Last week, the agency announced changes to ease the burden on the system by scaling back interview requirements and application questions. Some worry the system is still overloaded and understaffed. Talk about it!
Economic survey shows recession in the Midwest and Plains
12/01/2008 ASSOCIATED PRESS BEATRICEDAILYSUN.COM BEATRICE, NEB.
The primary index from the Mid-America Economic Survey for November shows a score of 37.7, while any score below 50 on the 100-point index indicates economic contraction for the next three to six months. Economists say the recession in the Midwest and Plains States is comparable to that of 1981-82. The survey also found the business confidence index, the prices-paid index (a gauge of wholesale inflation) and the unemployment index had all worsened. Talk about it!
Jobless benefits soon to expire
01/11/2009 PATRICK MCGEEHAN AND MATHEW R. WARREN THE NEW YORK TIMES
The unemployment insurance system in New York and several other states will stop providing benefits this week for thousands of jobless people. According to the State Labor Department, about 50,000 New Yorkers who had been collecting checks for 11 months will stop receiving weekly payments. Congress is considering legislation that would extend the benefits program until the end of the year. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Health care jobs unaffected by rising unemployment
12/04/2008 PETER KORN THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE PORTLAND, ORE.
Although joblessness is up in the Portland region, health care employment remains unaffected. The area reports a loss of 11,500 jobs between October 2007 and October 2008 while healthcare companies added 3,500 jobs. That pattern is expected to continue. With jobless rates up, fewer people have insurance, but this does not translate into hospital staff cuts, in part because of support from Medicare and Medicaid.
Talk about it!
Homeless ordered out of makeshift huts
12/01/2008 KCCI.COM DES MOINES, IOWA
Homeless residents of a wooden hut community were ordered by the city of Des Moines to vacate their makeshift homes after one of them burned down, injuring a man sleeping inside. City officials say the huts are fire hazards and plan to tear them down after their residents leave. One homeless advocate said the makeshift homes are no less safe than cardboard boxes. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Economic downturn saving marriages and money
11/23/2008 ALEX JOHNSON MSNBC.COM
The troubled economy is prompting unhappy couples to stay together instead of turning to divorce. In a time of stagnant salaries, plummeting home values and rising jobless numbers, many couples cannot afford the costs associated with divorce. While expenses might otherwise be covered by selling a home, the weakened real-estate market leaves couples with liabilities instead of assets. Typically, divorce rates rise in times of economic struggle, but the severity of the 2008 economic crisis is reversing that pattern.WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Unemployed check out of paper and into plastic
12/01/2008 GUS G. SENTEMENTES BALTIMORESUN.COM BALTIMORE, MD.
Unemployed people in Maryland will receive their benefit checks in the form of debit cards. The cards not only will save taxpayers $400,000 but will enable beneficiaries to avoid time delays, check-cashing fees, and potential thefts associated with paper checks. Managed by Citigroup, the cards have a two-year expiration and can be used anywhere that Visa cards are accepted, without additional fees.Talk about it!
Ohio welfare programs expect big cuts
11/30/2008 CATHERINE CANDISKY THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ohio expects cuts of more than $300 million next year as the state runs out of extra federal welfare money. The number of Ohioans needing job training, cash assistance, food stamps, and subsidized health care is on the rise, but shrinking state revenues are forcing budget cuts. County agencies are laying off workers and reducing discretionary services such as job-training and work-support programs. Ohio spends 132 percent more on child care than it did a decade ago, squeezing money from other efforts.
Graphic: Getting cash assistance Talk about it!
Forced holiday savings
11/28/2008 JAN HOFFMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
The economic downturn is causing families to cut back on presents and festivity expenses for this holiday season. Some families that previously gave generously to charities are finding themselves recipients of donations. While limiting holiday expenditures can be humiliating, some families revert to the principle that simpler is better, and are forgoing holiday niceties to buy gifts for their children.Talk about it!
Donations from Wal-Mart feed food banks’ needs
11/18/2008 STEPHANIE STROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. plans to donate more than 90 million pounds of fresh food annually to Feeding America, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization addressing hunger. The gift will continue beyond the immediate crisis and the company will not seek a tax deduction. Wal-Mart also provided money to buy freezer trucks and prepare food banks for the increased volume of food. Wal-Mart employees were sent to build shelving and install lighting.Talk about it!
Boys & Girls Club provide refuge for needy children
11/19/2008 PATTI ZARLING GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE GREEN BAY, WIS.
The greater Green Bay, Wis., area is seeing an increase in homeless and hungry children. Social workers of the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay's University Avenue location have noticed more children whose families struggle to pay rent and put food on the table. The Boys & Girls Club focuses on character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, sports and recreation and art. Talk about it!
For homeless Hawaiians, life is no day at the beach
11/19/2008 ZAHID ARAB KHNL8.COM HAWAII
There are nearly 15,000 homeless people in Hawaii, and up to 42 percent are employed full-time, yet still unable to keep up the high cost of living. As many as 130 people sleep in the Haleiwa Boat Harbor parking lot each night and travel to the beach during the day. Leading factors causing homelessness include injuries and medical problems, which lead to unemployment. The homeless Hawaiians feel trapped and ignored with nowhere to go.
WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
New military veterans hit hard by economy’s woes
11/17/2008 LIZETTE ALVAREZ THE NEW YORK TIMES
The recent economic downturn is hitting new veterans, especially the wounded, particularly hard. While Congress is taking steps to help, the veterans still face special problems finding work. Of those who can work, statistics show that one-quarter of veterans who find employment make less than $21,840 a year, while the injured rely on disability checks and government payouts. Few employers are willing to make accommodations for physical and mental problems. Talk about it!
Waiting for refuge after the storm
11/18/2008 JAMES C. MCKINLEY JR. THE NEW YORK TIMES
Hurricane Ike left several thousand Texans homeless. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has installed 1,000 mobile homes in some of the hardest-hit areas, such as East Texas and Galveston Island, but over 1,500 families are still waiting for their units to arrive. While some are forced to live in trailers with unhealthy amounts of formaldehyde while waiting for their homes to be rebuilt, still others resort to tents because they do not qualify for the mobile homes. MULTIMEDIA SLIDESHOW
Talk about it!
Freddie Mac preschools threatened by economic downturn
11/17/2008 BRIGID SCHULTE WASHINGTON POST
The Child and Family Network Center provides free preschools for needy children at six locations in Alexandria and Arlington County. The schools remain open with money from the Freddie Mac Foundation, and are now threatened with closure because of funding cuts. Since the government took over financial giants Freddie Mac and Frannie Mae — the source of its $250,000 grant — the preschools seems to have few options. Talk about it!
Deficits force states to make cuts
11/16/2008 JENNIFER STEINHAUER THE NEW YORK TIMES LOS ANGELES
After struggling to close a $15 billion hole in the state budget two months ago, California now faces an additional $11 million deficit. California is not alone, though, as other states struggle to address increasing deficits due to the national credit crunch, decreased consumer spending, the crisis in the financial markets, and the mortgage crisis. Fewer than a dozen states have remained in the black this fiscal year. States vary on how to address deficits, but plans include budget cuts, tax increases, and other forms of cutting back. Talk about it!
INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA: 10 WEEKS OF FINANCIAL TURMOIL
INTERACTIVE MAP: A STRAIN ON STATE BUDGETS
Food stamps left on the table
11/16/2008 JANET ELLIOTT HOUSTON CHRONICLE via CHRON.COM AUSTIN, TEX.
Half of eligible Houston residents are not receiving food stamps, at a cost to the local economy of $164 million, according to an anti-hunger group. Even though the number of Harris County beneficiaries increased by 62 percent between May 2003 and May 2008, Houston still has only a 51 percent access rate, among the lowest of the 24 urban areas surveyed by the Food Research and Action Center. Talk about it!
Oregon eyes public works projects to address job losses
11/17/2008 KGW.COM PORTLAND, ORE.
The unemployment rate in Oregon has increased to 7.3 percent, up almost a full percentage point from September. Gov. Kulongoski called for more state-funded projects in transportation and computer and electronic manufacturing, and plans to include more than $1 billion in capital construction and public works in his next budget. Construction unemployment is down 13.1 percent since July 2007. Talk about it!
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Church files lawsuit for housing homeless
11/17/2008 MICHAEL A. FUOCO PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE PITTSBURGH, PA.
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing a local Pittsburgh-area government for refusing to allow the First Apostles Doctrine Church to house homeless as part of their Just for Jesus Challenge outreach ministry. Brookville Borough allegedly claimed that providing shelter to the homeless violated the municipality's zoning code, and cited the church’s minister for housing three homeless men.Talk about it!
Unreliability of elevators now something to rely on
11/16/2008 MANNY FERNANDEZ THE NEW YORK TIMES
The elevators in the Wagner Houses in East Harlem are the worst in the city’s public housing system, with 2,132 breakdowns in the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years. The 5,000 residents of the 22-building housing complex have experienced inconvenience, injuries and even deaths due to elevator malfunctions. Talk about it!
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Homes for vets come equipped with support services
11/10/2008 ROBERT L. JAMIESON JR. SEATTLEPI.COM
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing offers Section 8 housing vouchers to homeless vets and their families. The program has been around nationally since the early 1990s, but it has remained dormant until recently. King County and Seattle housing authorities, in partnership with the regional Veterans Affairs office, awarded 100 new vouchers under the program. The program combines housing with tailored support services that aid health issues, disabilities, addictions, and financial hardships.Talk about it
More needy, more help
11/11/2008 PAMELA H. METAXAS THE REPUBLICAN NEWSROOM
Food banks in western Massachusetts are seeing an increasing number of new faces this holiday season. Several food pantries throughout the area report more people serving more meals to the needy, as well as an increase in the numbers of people receiving Thanksgiving turkey dinner bags. While there is a greater need for donations, food drives and other measures are being taken in order to feed the hungry. Talk about it!
Low-income housing in Pittsburgh gets second chance
11/11/2008 MARK BELKO PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
Local officials have devised a rescue plan to prevent foreclosure on Wood Street Commons in Pittsburgh. The housing complex was expected to default on a $200,000 mortgage payment next month, which would have put 260 low-income people in danger of losing their homes. The rescue plan includes provisions to use $2.6 million to pay off the mortgage and $1.6 million to cover operating deficits for two years.Talk about it!
Albany Rescue Mission feeds more needy
11/08/2008 DELIVRINE REGISTRE WALB.COM ALBANY, GA.
The Albany Rescue Mission is feeding over 7,500 people, with numbers still rising due to the failing economy. While many of the diners have jobs, they are still short of money for food. The mission is serving three meals a day, 365 days a year to the public and is working to provide other services to help those in need and help them get back on their feet. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Health care and education cuts meet opposition
11/10/2008 JEREMY W. PETERS THE NEW YORK TIMES
New York Gov. David Paterson expects to request deep cuts in money for schools and Medicaid, and might even try to renegotiate labor contracts, but those affected plan to put up a fight. The United Federation of Teachers warned against cutting financing midyear, and hospitals likewise plan to resist further cuts. Plugging the expected $1.5 billion deficit will be nearly impossible without support from teachers unions and hospital groups. Talk about it!
Scarce employment affects many
11/08/2008 ERIK ECKHOLM THE NEW YORK TIMES
The economic crisis is hitting the working poor and younger job seekers hardest. With fewer jobs available, the working poor are being squeezed out of their jobs by mid-range income employees whose jobs have been taken by overqualified college graduates. Teens 16-19 are seeing fewer jobs available. Jobs in cyclical industries such as construction, manufacturing of durable goods, retail trade, and hotels have also been reduced.
MULTIMEDIA: HARD TIMES IN PHILADELPHIA Talk about it!
General Motors retirees to lose health care coverage
11/09/2008 NICK BUNKLEY THE NEW YORK TIMES DETROIT, MICH.
General Motors, warning that it might run short of cash by mid-2009, will eliminate lifetime health care coverage for its retirees at the end of this year. GM estimates that getting rid of white-collar retiree medical benefits and cutting staff will save the company about $1.5 billion annually. GM spent $4.6 billion in 2007 on health care for its 1 million employees, retirees and dependents.Talk about it!
Cuts in N.Y. Medicaid and education face opposition
11/09/2008 DANNY HAKIM THE NEW YORK TIMES
New York Gov. David A. Paterson plans to cut Medicaid by billions of dollars due to the declining fiscal condition of the state. Paterson says that he will have to make cuts to programs that he supported as a legislator, among them aid to schools. However, the Medicaid and school aid cuts will be opposed by unions representing teachers and hospital workers, which wield substantial power in Albany. Leaders of the Republican Senate majority also promised to block education cuts. Talk about it!
Texas aid programs seeing new faces
11/03/2008 LAURA TILLMAN BROWNSVILLE HERALD BROWNSVILLE, TEX.
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. Talk about it!
Drilling and energy employees lose jobs in Texas
11/07/2008 VICTOR LOPEZ NEWSWEST 9 PERMIAN BASIN
Unemployment is on the rise in the oil-rich Permian Basin of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, especially among drilling and energy companies, as oil prices continue to decline from their midyear peak. The Texas Workforce Commission reports that Midland and Odessa have seen an increase in the number of unemployment claims in the last few weeks. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Phone service helps homeless find jobs
11/09/2008 BRENDA BLEVINS MCCORKLE TDN.COM LONGVIEW, WASH..
Community Voice Mail is now available to clients of social service agencies in two Washington counties. The free system will help needy and homeless people find jobs, contact social services and make medical appointments. Hosted by the Lower Columbia Community Action Program, the voice mail callers to leave messages that can be retrieved by recipients using pay phones. The system can also notify clients in the event of emergencies. Talk about it!
Harboring a sense of hope
11/09/2008 RUDABEH SHAHBAZI KEPRTV.COM PASCO, WASH.
Vista Youth Center is a homeless shelter for teens residing in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. While homeless numbers continue to rise, founder Mark Lee sees a growing need for teens to have a place to call home. Lee wants to provide shelter and food for 10 teens, and is working with local churches and gathering community donations to make this a reality. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Reaching out to homeless veterans
11/03/2008 JED BOAL KSL.COM SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
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. WATCH VIDEO HERE Talk about it!
Alabama schools see decline in state funding
11/04/2008 ADAM NOSSITER THE NEW YORK TIMES
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. Talk about it!
Homeless families on the rise in Massachussetts
11/03/2008 THE BOSTON GLOBE BOSTON.COM
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. Talk about it!
Long-term unemployment benefits reach 25-year high
11/06/2008 CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA HOUSTON CHRONICLE WASHINGTON, D.C.
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. Talk about it!
Food stamp requests up, but some “newly poor” don’t qualify
11/04/2008 KATHLEEN WILSON VENTURACOUNTYSTAR.COM CAMARILLO, CALIF.
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. Download Podcast Here Talk about it!
Factories provide jobs while going green
11/1/2008 PETER S. GOODMAN THE NEW YORK TIMES
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. Talk about it!
Motor home inhabitants remain optimistic
11/02/2008 LE ROY STANDISH GJSENTINEL.COM GRAND JUNCTION, COLO.
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. Talk about it!
Homeless rates swell with no increase in aid
10/28/2008 K.C. MEHAFFEY WENATCHEEWORLD.COM OKANOGAN, WASH.
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.
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Homeless program to open without new churches
11/02/2008 ERIC ROBINETTE MIDDLETOWN JOURNAL MIDDLETOWN, OHIO
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. Talk about it!
City’s soliciting ordinance aims to regulate panhandling
10/27/2008 FRED CONTRADA THE REPUBLICAN NEWSROOM NORTHAMPTON, MASS.
This central Massachusetts city is considering a “soliciting ordinance” that would prohibit panhandling within 15 feet of any bank, ATM, pay phone, parking pay box, public toilet or bus stop. Violent or threatening language or behavior and unwanted touching or blocking public passage would also be prohibited. Downtown merchants say panhandlers have discouraged shoppers and made the city appear unsafe and unattractive. The ordinance does not distinguish between panhandlers and representatives of charities asking for money. Talk about it!
Hyannis homeless and residents debate local issues
10/29/2008 MATTHEW M BURKE CAPECODTIIMES.COM HYANNIS, M.A.
The homeless residents in this Massachusetts community gathered for a debate with Main Street’s business owners and residents over the problems of homelessness. Residents of Hyannis are concerned about the large numbers of homeless people who congregate in their community due to the region’s concentration of homeless services. Hyannis business owners and residents, worried about public safety, want to rid the city of the homeless. The homeless argued for fair and humane treatment. Talk about it!
Homeless shelters overflowing in western Idaho
10/30/2008 CHAD DRYDEN IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM TREASURE VALLEY, IDAHO
Homeless shelters in the Treasure Valley region of western Idaho have been near-capacity all year, and visitors include an alarming number of women and children. Boise Rescue Mission anticipates serving 280,000 meals this year, up from 178,000 in 2007. Some shelters, such as City Light Home for Women and Children in Boise, are experiencing an overflow with 58 nightly guests and only 38 beds. Higher unemployment has created more demand for shelter, but has decreased donations and funds. Talk about it!
Montana health care initiative for children headed for approval
10/29/2008 MIKE DENNISON BILLINGS GAZETTE BILLINGS, MONT.
Initiative 155, which extends Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to children of low-income and moderate-income families, is expected to be approved by Montana voters. The initiative will target an additional 30,000 uninsured children in Montana over the next three years. Under I-155, kids who are on CHIP would be under the care of Medicaid while the money that is spent on CHIP will go toward families earning under $32,560. Talk about it!
Unemployment fraud criminals busted in N.Y
10/28/2008 STEVEN GREENHOUSE THE NEW YORK TIMES
Law enforcement officials have arrested 126 New York City residents who received $930,000 in fraudulent unemployment claims. Agencies have increased coordination, stepped up enforcement efforts, and are using data-matching to identify New Yorkers who collect benefits while still employed. New York pays more than $2 billion a year in jobless benefits. Investigators uncover some 600 cases of unemployment insurance fraud per year. Talk about it!
Program provides housing to the chronically homeless
10/28/2008 FRANK GREVE AND SANDRA FORESTER IDAHOSTATESMAN.COM WASHINGTON, D.C.
The chronically homeless — people with disabilities who have been continually homeless for over a year or four times within three years — can receive rent-free housing upfront under a Bush administration program. The effort has been more successful than predicted and has kept 80 percent of chronically homeless Americans off the street for two or more years. A Boise, Idaho, “housing first” program, Charitable Assistance to Community's Homeless (CATCH), reports similar gains by focusing on long-term goals instead of quick fixes. Talk about it!
Overpriced greens costing more green
10/26/2008 CHRISTOPHER LEONARD WASHINGTON POST
While the price of oil is declining, the costs of groceries continue to remain inflated. Economists say the price of consumer goods such as groceries tends to lag behind the cost of key inputs like oil and wheat. However, the opposite can be true as well: companies fearful of losing customers to competitors fail to raise prices and suffer losses. Talk about it!
Rhode Island jobs seem unlikely to recover before 2013
10/27/2008 RAY HENRY ASSOCIATED PRESS VIA BOSTON.COM PROVIDENCE, R.I.
Rhode Island leads the nation in unemployment, with an 8.8 percent jobless rate as of September, and economists do not expect a full recovery until 2013. The state began the fiscal year in July with a $37 million deficit, and tax collections since then have fallen millions of dollars short of expectations. Rhode Island’s housing market continues to drag down the state economy with a foreclosure rate of 15 percent, the fourth-highest in the country. Talk about it!
Georgia sex offender law ruled unfair to homeless
10/27/2008 BILL RANKIN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION ATLANTA, GA.
Georgia’s Supreme Court has ruled that that a sex offender registration law was unfair to the homeless. The law declared homeless sex offenders guilty if they were unable to register a specific address at the sheriff’s office. The law gave no instruction as to what sex offenders without addresses should do, making registration requirements ambiguous. Talk about it!
Economic crisis jeopardizes health care
10/25/2008 BOB HERBERT THE NEW YORK TIMES
The economic downturn is impacting Americans on many fronts, as job losses cost workers both their incomes and their health insurance. Hospitals, which already face funding shortfalls, are forced to look for additional sources of support as the burden of treating the uninsured grows heavier. Talk about it!
Asian food delivery workers pay for those bargain meals
10/25/2008 STEVEN A. SHAW THE NEW YORK TIMES
Many workers in Asian-style restaurants, especially delivery staff, work under brutal conditions. With below minimum-wage salaries and no benefits, employees are finally fighting for their rights through organizations such as the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. However, consumers have a say in how these workers are treated as well. Talk about it!
Mobile dental clinic to help underserved in Maryland
10/26/2008 MEGAN GREENWELL WASHINGTON POST
More than 14 percent of students in rural Charles County students have urgent dental problems, and Health Partners, a nonprofit organization that provides pediatric dental assistance for needy children, is raising money for a mobile dental clinic. The unit will cost about $40,000. The Knights of Malta, a Roman Catholic order, has donated $25,000, and organizers hope to raise the remaining $15,000 during three dinner theater performances catered by a prominent local restaurant. Talk about it!
Educated immigrants lack resources to find adequate jobs
10/22/2008 N.C. AIZENMAN WASHINGTON POST
Nearly 20 percent of college-educated immigrants are working in unskilled jobs. This “immigrant brain waste” is particularly prevalent among Latin American and African immigrants, compared with Europeans and Asians with the same education level. The lack of networking skills and cultural barriers lead these immigrants to settle for unskilled employment. Talk about it!
Americans postponing medical treatment during financial crisis
10/16/2008 CECI CONNOLLY AND KENDRA MARR WASHINGTON POST
The economic crunch is leading many Americans to cut back on medical care and opt for home remedies. A survey by the Rockefeller Foundation and Time magazine found that the number of people who went without prescriptions, used retirement savings to pay for health care, or skipped doctor visits for themselves or children has risen since last year. Layoffs, shrinking bank accounts, rising medical prices and widespread economic anxiety have prompted people to split pills, skip screening tests, and delay elective procedures. Even people with insurance are skipping medical exams fearing doctors will discover a condition they cannot afford to treat. Talk about it!
Improved Social Security payouts fall short of retirees’ needs
10/16/2008 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE NEW YORK TIMES
Social Security benefits are increasing by 5.8 percent, which means an extra $63 monthly for the average retiree. The raise is supposed to enable recipients to keep abreast of inflation. But sharp increases in food and fuel costs, coupled with declines in the returns on retirement investments due to the financial sector crisis, are still likely to mean that many retirees are worse off.Talk about it!
County moves to take over welfare fraud and public-housing fraud cases
10/21/2008 SCOTT WILLIAMS JOURNAL SENTINEL ONLINE WAUKESHA, WIS.
A Wisconsin county is moving to make welfare fraud and public-housing fraud violations of county ordinances. Due to caseload pressures and staffing shortages, the district attorney’s office typically does not prosecute such cases unless they involve a significant amount of money. If approved, the Waukesha County ordinance would downgrade fraud offenses to the level of a traffic ticket, giving police officers a new option for penalizing offenses that often go unpunished. Talk about it!
Rise in Medicaid applications concerns care providers
10/22/2008 JAY GALLAGHER JOURNAL ALBANY BUREAU ALBANY, N.Y.
The increase in the number of Medicaid applications worries health care providers because of the growing likelihood that the program will have less money to dispense. Applications for Medicaid have spiked, with agencies running out of application forms and fielding more phone calls inquiring about the program. Officials expect the number of applicants to continue to grow as joblessness rises. Talk about it!
Sweet treats get homeless off the streets
10/22/2008 THERESA GUTIERREZ WLS-TV CHICAGO, ILL.
A nonprofit Chicago bakery is employing homeless adults as bakery staff to give them the experience and paychecks to help them get back on their feet. Half the profits from the bakery will go to aiding the disabled and homeless. Some homeless are already seeing improvements in their quality of life. Talk about it!
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Retailer targeting needy students
10/16/2008 BARBARA BLAKE CITIZEN-TIMES.COM ASHEVILLE, N.C.
A Target store recently donated a truckload of school supplies to homeless and impoverished children in this western North Carolina city, whose numbers have increased from previous years. The school system says it makes these supplies readily available to the students in need, but many teachers continue to use their own money to buy supplies for their students. Talk about it!
Bailouts for financial giants, but no money for the hungry and homeless
09/28/2008 JOEL BERG WASHINGTON POST
The federal government is pledging trillions of dollars to bail out financial giants, yet is unable to find money to help homeless, impoverished Americans. The U.S. Conference of Mayors reported that between November 2006 and November 2007, 80 percent of 23 major U.S. cities had more people using soup kitchens and 43 percent had an increase in the number of homeless children. However, federal funding for emergency feeding programs and homelessness prevention did not expand by a penny. Talk about it!
Number of homeless and needy students on the rise
10/19/2008 WENDY K. KLEINMAN NEWSOK.COM
The number of homeless students is rising in several Oklahoma school districts. The increase is attributed to declines in the economy and to efforts by school officials to identify the homeless more accurately. Although not all schools are seeing more homelessness, many that aren’t nevertheless have more students requesting reduced-price meals.Talk about it!
Homeless outreach offers free services
10/16/2008 MIKE ARCHBOLD THE NEWS TRIBUNE TACOMA, WA.
Washington State’s second annual Project Homeless Connect provided services to over 900 Tacoma and Pierce County homeless people, almost double the number who received help last year . Over 600 volunteers provided them with eye checks and glasses, dental care, HIV testing, flu shots, transportation, counseling, job advice and a buffet lunch. Talk about it!
Igniting cars fires up police concern
10/13/2008 DAN MORSE AND MATT ZAPOTOSKY WASHINGTON POST
Car owners who fall behind in their payments have devised a plan to get out from under their debt: They set their vehicles on fire, claim the cars were stolen and collect from their insurers. An insurance investigator says Washington-area cases are at their highest level in two decades and are likely to rise. Talk about it!
Investing in education for young women in developing countries
10/11/2008 PHILIP RUCKER WASHINGTON POST
The World Bank, Nike Foundation and several European governments have launched the Adolescent Girls Initiative to teach job skills to young women in developing countries to improve their access to credit and stable employment. Development experts believe giving young women the same educational opportunities as men will provide them and their families with a path out of poverty. Talk about it!
Homeless tent cities permitted, but with rules
10/13/2008 OTHELLO RICHARDS KREM.COM SPOKANE, WASH.
Homeless tent cities appeared in Spokane last year, causing homeowners to complain of their proximity to schools. Rather than banning the tent cities, the city is considering an ordinance to regulate them. The ordinance would include guidelines requiring permits, a 750-foot distance from schools, washing stations, a ban on sex offenders, and a 90-day maximum on residing in them.
WATCH VIDEO HERE
Talk about it!
Bill would allow hospitals to refuse “morning-after” pills to rape victims
10/15/2008 ROBERT SWIFT STANDARDSPEAKER.COM HARRISBURG, PA.
Hospital employees would be immune from discipline if they refuse contraceptives to victims of sexual assault because of moral objections under a bill being considered by Pennsylvania state legislators. Some healthcare providers criticize the measure as potentially harmful to patientsTalk about it!
School district seeks to widen meaning of “homeless”
10/15/2008 JEANNE MILLSAP MORRIS DAILY HERALD MORRIS, ILL.
This Illinois school district is reevaluating which of its students can be considered “homeless” for the purpose of qualifying for help under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Officials believe homelessness includes living in hotels and campgrounds and with grandparents. Accordingly, the number of students eligible for waivers on fees, free meals and tutoring, may rise from two to over 50.Talk about it!
Supportive housing proposed for homeless and mentally ill
10/12/2008 GEORGIA PABST JOURNAL SENTINEL ONLINE MILWAUKEE, WIS.
Cardinal Capital, a special needs housing firm, hopes to build two 30-unit complexes for the homeless and mentally ill on the south and west sides of Milwaukee, costing $5 million each. Advocates have stressed a critical need for supportive housing for nearly three years, which led to a decision to incorporate services for the mentally ill at both locations. A 2006 Journal Sentinel series depicted the deplorable living conditions of impoverished mentally ill people in the city.
LINK TO 2006 JOURNAL SENTINEL SERIES "ABANDONING OUR MENTALLY ILL"
Talk about it!
Homeless group presents requests to city officials
10/14/2008 NICHOLAS BEADLE JACKSON SUN JACKSON, TENN.
A group of this Tennessee city’s homeless have compiled a list of needs they say local government and nonprofits must meet to address the increased number of people living on the streets. Their requests include having a paid representative for the homeless, more new housing and free bus travel once a month.Talk about it!
Unemployment claims and benefits reach new heights
10/02/2008 AP VIA HOUSTON CHRONICLE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The weakening economy and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav brought applications for unemployment benefits to a seven-year high at the end of September, according to the Labor Department. Weekly jobless claims have now topped 400,000 for 11 straight weeks, which economists consider a sign of recession. The number of people receiving jobless benefits is at a five-year high. Talk about it!
Should benefits recipients undergo drug testing?
10/06/2008 JASON SPENCER GrOUPSTATE.COM SPARTANBURG, S.C.
A candidate for the South Carolina state legislature is promoting a proposal to require anyone receiving government assistance to submit to drug testing. The disabled would be excluded. Similar legislation in Michigan was found unconstitutional in 1999 as a violation of the Fourth Amendment bar against unreasonable search and seizure.Talk about it!
Boston schools see increase in homeless students
10/06/2008 CONNIE PAIGE THE BOSTON GLOBE BOSTON, MASS.
The number of homeless students in Boston schools has reached 350, which is 100 more than in October 2007. School officials are struggling to accommodate the increase and are worried about the effect of homelessness on children’s academic performance and well-being. Over the past three years, the number of homeless students in the state of Massachusetts has increased from 7,000 to almost 12,000. Schooling them costs additional money for food, tutoring, counseling and transportation. Talk about it!
Tube-tying proposition would target women on welfare
09/23/2008 MARK WALLER NOLA.COM NEW ORLEANS, LA.
A Louisiana congressman says he’s studying a sterilization measure that would pay poor women to undergo tubal ligation, a procedure that leaves women incapable of conceiving. Rep. John LaBruzzo (R-La.) says he has gathered research that Americans who are on welfare reproduce at a much higher rate than those who are wealthier and better educated. His plan would also offer tax incentives to induce college-educated people to have more children. Talk about it!
Growing medical bills cause growing financial problems
09/24/2008 REED ABELSON NEW YORK
TIMES
Recent studies show that increasing healthcare costs are proving to be a burden for a growing number of Americans. With medical expenses up 5% from last year, more and more Americans are finding healthcare less affordable. However, both insured and uninsured families are borrowing money and filing bankruptcy due to high medical bills. Some patients are skipping out on treatment due to the high costs, leading to more serious health issues and complications.
Talk about it!
Doctors seeking visas meet towns seeking doctors
09/30/2008 ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS NEW YORK TIMES
A job fair in New York attracted foreign doctors who seek not only a job, but a green card that will allow them to stay in the United States. The doctors’ visas require them to return home for two years, but working in “medically undeserved areas” may qualify them for visa waivers. Many doctors are able to take such jobs because they do not have student loans to repay, unlike newly trained U.S. doctors. Talk about it!
Retirees weighed down by heavy economic change
09/22/2008 JOHN LELAND AND LOUIS UCHITELLE THE NEW YORK TIMES
Retirees, already buffeted by soaring food, health care and fuel costs, now are suffering from the decline in financial markets. Often their incomes depend on money from interest-bearing accounts and corporate dividends, both of which have fallen, and with share prices down they are reluctant to sell stocks. As a result, many reach to stretch every dollar and live in financial fear. Talk about it!
Vermont’s new food stamp program may reach 30,000 households
09/10/2008 Rachel Morrow WCAX News Burlington, Vt.
In response to the rise in food and fuel prices, Vermont plans to expand its food stamp program beginning in January. The current household income limit of 130 percent of the poverty level will be raised to 185 percent, helping the program to potentially reach 30,000 households. While it will cost the state extra funds to administer the program, officials say it could bring an additional $12 million in food benefits into Vermont. Talk about it!
Welfare cuts deepen divide between wealthy and non-wealthy states
09/16/2008 CHRISTINE VESTAL STATELINE WASHINGTON,D C
The Rockefeller Institute of Government released a new report that says states are expected to make further cutbacks in social welfare spending despite the rise in poverty. The study shows a decline in state spending on welfare programs, with the poorest states experiencing the steepest reductions. These reductions are creating a growing division between wealthy and non-wealthy states. Talk about it!
Georgia’s unemployment rate higher than national average
09/10/2008 Alena Parker Coastal Courier Hinesville, Ga.
The number of Georgians who are jobless continues to exceed the national average, which is currently at a five-year high. Local officials attribute the rising rate to inflation, housing market woes, and an overall slowing in the economy. What’s more, in some towns, like Hinesville on the Georgia coast, having more education does not make it easier to find a job; rather, it is often harder for better educated residents to find work. Talk about it!
Farm cutbacks cost college students needed jobs
09/09/2008 Audrey Asistio Kimatv.com Toppenish, Wash.
Ever since a series of crop failures in April, farmers have cut employment by one third, decreasing the number of jobs in rural Yakima County by nearly 1,000. Not only have jobs become scarce for migrant workers, but for college students in Eastern Washington State as well, many of whom rely on them to pay for books and tuition. Talk about it!
Louisiana emergency food stamp recipients mistakenly receive double benefits
09/16/2008 WAFB.COM BATON ROUGE, LA.
The Louisiana Department of Social Services says an estimated 22,000 emergency food stamp recipients mistakenly received duplicate benefits after Hurricane Gustav because of a “computer program error.” DSS is attempting to recover the extra money and says those who already spent the duplicate benefits will have to repay the money. DSS did not know the total amount of the overpayments. Talk about it! Video SEPTEMBER 2008/WAFB.COM
Los Angeles car wash campaign gets council support
07.31.08 James Park, CIONowBlogNews Los Angeles, Calif.
A campaign by car wash employees for fair wages and decent working conditions recently gained support from the Los Angeles City Council. The council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing efforts by the workers, most of them immigrants, to secure better wages and conditions and to organize a union. Talk about it!
Programs move poor into the suburbs, problems continue
08.08.08 Solomon Moore, The New York Times Antioch, Calif.
Under Section 8 of the federal housing voucher program, thousands of poor, urban and often African-American residents have vacated the tough streets of their old neighborhoods for the comfort of the suburbs. But law enforcement and housing experts argue that rising crime rates follow the Section 8 recipients to their new homes. Others discount a direct link, but social and racial tensions between the newcomers and their neighbors have increased. Talk about it!
Homeless “human pawns” in LA hospital scheme
08.07.08 Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, The Washington Post Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif., hospitals submitted phony Medicare and Medical bills for hundreds of recruited homeless patients, state and federal authorities allege. For the homeless, posing as hospital patients meant a clean bed and cash. For the hospitals that processed them, it meant a full patient-load and a government paycheck. But after federal raids on three medical centers, the scheme is up.Talk about it!
Florida college students turn to food stamps
08.13.08 NBC North Miami, Fla.
Rising food prices are hitting college students hard, and some have turned to the government for help. The number of students receiving food stamps has increased 44 percent in one year, said the Florida Department of Children and Families. But many are not sure if they qualify, and don’t know how to apply. People who use food stamps can buy only fruits, vegetables, meats and other staples.
Talk about it!
Buses provide homeless students with transportation
08.13.08 Mary Adamski, Star Bulletin Honolulu, Hawaii.
Hawaii homeless students are guaranteed a way to get to school, under a settlement intended to give homeless families full access to the public school system. The state will provide school buses and city bus passes to those who need help with transportation. The federal judge said that last year the state education department could only account for 300 of 2,000 students estimated to be homeless. Talk about it!
Living in limbo: Low-wage workers struggle amid economic uncertainties
Low-wage workers are tiptoeing an economic tightrope made even riskier by recent price rises and job losses. Their struggles to pay for basic needs have increased with the overall rise in financial insecurity. And most do not have a financial cushion to fall back on. This week, we feature a Washington Post article on the perils that low-wage workers face, and the hopes that keep them moving forward.
Talk about it!
Hovering above poverty, grasping for middle class
Video Poll
August 2008/the washington post
Out of money, out of time: Is retirement becoming a negotiation?
Nearly three out of five middle-class retirees will run out of money if they maintain their pre-retirement lifestyles, a new study from Ernst & Young has concluded. The study concludes that middle-income Americans nearing retirement will have to reduce their standard of living by an average of 24 percent to keep from outliving their financial assets. This week, we feature a Washington Post article on the rising difficulty of preparing for retirement as costs and life-expectancies increase.
Talk about it!
Many retirees face prospect of outliving savings, study says
July 2008/the washington post
Retirement myths and realities
July 2008/MSNBC.COM
New York mayor unveils new poverty gauge
07.14.08 Keith B. Richburg, The Washington Post Washington D.C.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that he and his aides have found a newer, more accurate method of measuring poverty. Calling the current federal poverty measure outdated, Bloomberg hopes his gauge will become the new national standard. The current federal measure shows New York City with a poverty rate of 18.9 percent. But Bloomberg’s method shows a rate of 23 percent. Talk about it
Pittsburg waives vendor fees for homeless paper
07.10.08 Adam Fleming, Pittsburgh City Paper Pittsburgh, Penn.
Pittsburgh homeless who write and distribute a local paper for donations will not have to pay normal vendor fees. Word on the Street will be sold by homeless residents for a suggested donation of $1 as a more productive alternative to panhandling. And now, the paper’s vendors will not have to pay the $307per person fee normally required for anyone to sell wares in public.Talk about it!
Young adults suffer job shortage
07.25.08 Kari Lydersen, The Washington Post Washington D.C.
Youths looking for work are hard hit this summer. The national youth jobless rate for June was its highest in six decades as young adults seeking low-skill service jobs contend with older, laid-off workers, illegal immigrants, and college graduates who can’t find work in their fields. Cuts in federal summer job programs also contribute to the problem.Talk about it!
The road from jail to job
07.11.08 Erin Grace, The World Herald Omaha, Neb.
Good jobs often help to keep lawbreakers from returning to jail. But too often, experts say, ex-offenders can’t find employment, which can create a revolving jailhouse door and higher taxpayer costs. Now, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce is trying to better understand this dynamic, and to figure out ways to change it. Talk about it!
New visions for public school system
07.15.08 Sam Dillon, The New York Times New York City, NY
The new president of the American Federation of Teachers wants to redefine the role of public schools. Instead of focusing on standardized testing, New Yorker Randi Weingarten would like to see public schools act as community centers that help poor students succeed by offering everything from educational to medical services.Talk about it!
Rising costs, rising problems:
Fuel price runup curtails aid for elderly
Jeanne Fair, 62, started relying on a meal delivery service last month. But the Michigan woman, left homebound by a stroke 10 years ago, received only two meals before the deliveries stopped. Gas prices had made the service too expensive. Fair is just one of the elderly people across the country who are not getting help they need because of soaring gas prices. This week we feature a New York Times article on the burden those price increases have put on agencies that help the homebound.
Talk about it!
As gas prices soar, seniors face cuts in help
July 2008/nytimes.com
Washington foster care system agrees to reform
07.08.08 The Olympia Olympia, Wash.
Jessica Braam, now 12 years old, spent the first few years of her life in 34 foster homes. A lawsuit was filed on her behalf, claiming that she is just one victim of a state bureaucracy run amok. Now, after six years of litigation and a judge’s ruling against the state, Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services has agreed to make drastic improvements to the way the state handles foster children.Talk about it!
New York City welfare caseload continues to drop
07.09.08 Sally Goldenburg, The New York Post New York, NY.
Fewer New Yorkers are on welfare today than at any time over the past 45 years, The New York Post reports. The city’s welfare caseload has fallen over 5 percent from last year and over 25 percent since Mayor Bloomberg took office. Bloomberg attributes the low welfare tally to reforms introduced under his and predecessor Rudy Giuliani’s administrations. Talk about it!
Drug treatment included in Medicaid coverage
07.09.08 Karle B. Hill, The Baltimore Examiner Baltimore, Md.
Doctors in Maryland can now be reimbursed through Medicaid for treating drug and substance abusers, federal officials say. Doctors are calling this move a shift toward treating drug abuse as a medical issue. Screening and early intervention for drug abuse will now be covered by insurers in Maryland and eight other states.. Talk about it!
Lack of sprinklers may close shelter
07.09.08 Robbin Woodson, KIMATV.com Wapato, wash.
A Washington homeless shelter that helps more than 40 people a day may be shuttered if it does not install fire sprinklers. Called Noah’s Ark, the shelter is housed in a 63-year-old building and is one of Wapato’s few havens for the homeless. But the city may soon be without Noah’s Ark if the nonprofit cannot raise the $50,000 it needs for the sprinklers. Talk about it!
Fort Worth advocates promote unlikely home for homeless
07.08.08 Jeff Brady, WFAA TV Fort Worth, Tex.
A Texas nonprofit group wants to turn boxes into shelters. Hoping to end Fort Worth’s distinction as the country’s largest city without a 10-year homeless plan, the group -- called A Place to Sleep -- has dreamed up a new type of transitional housing: steel boxes, eight feet wide by 44 feet long, that could serve as temporary shelters. Talk about it!
From the inside out: the Mount Pleasant Story
Cleveland, the one-time boomtown, has recently been called the country’s poorest big city, and Mount Pleasant -- known for its crime, poverty and substandard living -- is one of the neighborhoods that help the city earn its label. This week, we feature an award-winning multimedia series from The Cleveland Plain Dealer that looks at what Mount Pleasant, and by extension the city itself, was and what it has become.
Can we save our neighborhoods?
July 2008/cleveland.com
Rhode Island lawmakers may eliminate energy assistance program
6.18.08/The Associated Press via Turnto10.com
In Rhode Island, those living in poverty may not get the help they were expecting. State legislators are debating a spending plan that would eliminate programs intended to reduce high energy costs. The program was intended to help pay for renovations that would make the homes of the needy more energy-efficient. But due to the over $400 million spending shortfall, the state’s poor may never get to benefit from the program,
Oregon homeless students graduate from high school
6.18.08/Anita Kissee Katu.com
Thanks to a Portland organization dedicated to helping the city’s homeless youth, 37 homeless students graduated from high school this year. New Avenues for Youth provides homeless teens with opportunities to get education, job training and counseling. The program also helps them find housing. Seven hundred Portland youth benefit from New Avenues each year.
Pennsylvania wants nursing homes to do more for the elderly
6.18.08/The Associated Press via Pennlive.com
Patients to introduce more programs for the elderly who wish to maintain an independent lifestyle. To do so, the department needs federal approval for an incentive package that reduces the number of beds in each nursing home. That will enable them to use the extra money to add independent living units, outpatient rehabilitation facilities and other services for senior citizens on Medicaid
Family struggles as Richmond trailer park closes
6.16.08/Wesley P. Hester, Richmond Times Dispatch inRich.com
The Abt-Barnett family bought two mobile homes in Americana Trailer Park outside Richmond, Virginia, in an attempt to start anew. Days later, the money-strapped family learned the park would be closing at the end of the summer to make way for a new development. Now they, along with over 200 other low-income families, are facing displacement. Trailer parks, historically a staple part of Richmond’s affordable-housing market, are now a dying breed
It just doesn’t pay to be jobless in Florida
6.16.08/Marcia Heroux Pounds, South Florida Sun-Sentinel.Com
The top unemployment benefit in Florida works out to just under $7 an hour, less than what most fast-food workers in the state make. And that’s for anyone who loses a job, whether they had been bringing home six figures or a middle-class paycheck. The state’s weekly maximum benefit of $275 hasn’t budged in 10 years and is making the current economic downtown all the more painful. Talk about it!
Out of sight, out of mind?Living at the margins
of Texas society
Texas ranks first in the number of people without medical insurance, is home to the country’s three poorest counties, and has the second-largest income gap between rich and poor. This week, we feature an award-winning photo spread from the Dallas Morning News that personalizes the statistics and puts a face on poverty in Texas.
Talk about it!
The Bottom Line
July 2008/DALLASNEWS.COM
Number of underinsured on the rise
06.11.08/NYTIMES.COM NEW YORK
Having health coverage does not guarantee the ability to afford adequate medical care. A new study by the Commonwealth Fund found that 1 in 5 adults under the age of 65 did not have sufficient coverage. As the cost of care continues to climb, more and more people must choose between financial hardship and proper care. Talk about it!
Georgia Medicaid denies transplant for mother of 8
06.11.08/AJC.COM ATLANTA
Sabrina Holloway cannot eat or drink, and must lie in bed for 16 hours each day while a pump delivers nutrients into her veins. Holloway, mother of 8, needs an intestinal transplant that Georgia Medicaid won’t approve. Talk about it!
City imposes 30-day limit on homeless shelter in Texas
06.10.08/KOLOTV.COM RENO
Homeless people in Reno, Texas, have often turned to a makeshift overflow shelter known as “Tent City” for refuge. But now a new city regulation allows people to stay at the shelter for only 30 days at a time. Since the regulation was passed, the number of people living in Tent City has been cut by half. Talk about it!
Higher gas and food prices deliver one-two punch to Meals on Wheels
06.11.08/BILL DIVEN KRQE.COM ALBERQUERQUE
Rising gas and food prices have crippled both legs of the popular Meals on Wheels food delivery program. The program, which brings low-cost hot meals to low-income or disabled seniors, is losing both money and volunteers as costs continue climbing. Nationally, Meals on Wheels has cut back on deliveries from every day to a few times a week. Talk about it
Post-Katrina education experiment may revamp New Orleans’ schools
06.09.08/JAY MATTHEWS WASHINGTONPOST.COM
New Orleans has become the first major city where half of all public school students attend charter schools. Since Hurricane Katrina, the city’s failing school system has been limping along, providing the 83 percent of its families that have low incomes with their only education option. But now charter schools, with taxpayer funding and independent management, are offering a new alternative. Talk about it!
Life on Skid Row: Two stories about life on the edge
Skid Row in Los Angeles is one of America’s most dangerous neighborhoods. This week, we're featuring two series on life there: one, a first-person account by a young girl who has been living on the streets since she was 12; the other, a classic series by a veteran journalist who spent a year building a friendship with a mentally disturbed musician. Talk about it!
Young girl tells story of life on Skid Row
February 2006/L.A. Youth
Gifted violinist, suffering from schizophrenia, spent years on the streets
2005/L.A. Times
Congress moving money from subsidizing farmers to feeding the needy
04.30.08/AP via Wichita Falls (Texas) Times-Record
As Washington works to put together a farm bill, the focus has shifted from crop supports to food programs. Over two-thirds of the proposed $300 billion, five-year plan is dedicated to nutrition programs such as food stamps. Talk about it!
Portland homeless sleep outside City Hall as protest
05.01.08/KGW TV
Homeless people in Portland, Ore., are protesting strict city rules that forbid them to sleep on the streets. Their protest? They’re sleeping in front of City Hall, which they are allowed to do as a form of political expression. Meanwhile the city is trying to get shelters open and is investigating the denial of Section 8 housing vouchers by landlords Talk about it!
N.J. state Medicaid office may have leaked personal information
05.01.08/AP via phillyburbs.com
An audit of the state’s Medicaid Web site found personal information on 1 million poor people, such as Social Security numbers, names and addresses, were not properly protected from Internet predators. Talk about it!
Study finds Florida leads nation
in attacks on homeless
04.30.08/ABC Action News
The National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty has released a study of attacks on the homeless. Florida led the nation, with 31 last year. The study is available here. Talk about it!
City's mayor seeks home he can afford
04.30.08/Ashland (Ore.) Daily Tidings
Ashland Mayor John Morrison won his office while renting a house. Now, he's moved out and is living with friends while he searches for housing that, as a 63-year-old with a fixed-income, he can afford. As mayor, he’s required to live in Ashland, but says prices may be too high. Talk about it!
Prices rising where it hurts the worst
Food stamp use is hitting an all-time high in several states as inflation forces food prices to rise. Milk now costs around $4 a gallon, while bread has risen to $2-$3 a loaf, but the amount received by families does not increase once they begin receiving aid. The increased use of food stamps is a bad sign, economists say, because it’s considered a leading economic indicator.Talk about it!
Food stamp use nears record
03.30.08/The New York Times
Food stamp outreach up in the Texas panhandle
03.28.08/Newschannel 10 Amarillo, Texas
Hospitals advocate housing the homeless to save money
03.28.08/Portland Tribune
Portland hospitals are looking to move the homeless into permanent apartments in the wake of rising unpaid medical bills. Officials say this approach will save taxpayers in the long run after counting the cost of all the medical, police and social services that the homeless utilize while living on the street. Talk about it!
Senate agrees to move forward on stalled housing bill
04.01.08/CNN
Democrat Harry Reid says the Senate is ready to stop "bickering" and start negotiations on a housing bill that would provide relief to those in subprime loans. The bill would also provide money for communities to buy and refurbished foreclosed properties. Disagreement over a bankruptcy forgiveness clause has stalled voting. Talk about it!
Bernanke testifies to Congress, talks housing, recession
04.02.08/Associated Press
After the Federal Reserve's historic reaction to Bear Stearns' liquidity crisis, Fed Chair Bernanke testifies before Congress that a recession is impending. Bernanke said the move to increase liquidity has never been done. Talk about it!
Protestors of homeless conditions interrupt L.A. mayor's speech
04.01.08/The Los Angeles Times
Los Angles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was cut short during a speech Tuesday after workers at a nearby soup kitchen protested the city's treatment of the homeless. Protestors claimed that the city's police have been harassing those on Skid Row.Talk about it!
Increase in child welfare workers could decrease heavy caseloads
03.31.08/WSBT 2 Indianapolis
Indiana has hired more than 800 child welfare workers since 2005 to lessen the caseloads of employees. The state says it will meet national standards by this summer. Reported child deaths due to abuse were down from the previous year. Talk about it!
Four young girls memorialized as city looks into welfare deadlines
03.25.08/The Norfolk Examiner
Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty promised to fix the city’s child welfare system after the decomposing bodies of four girls were discovered in Southeast DC. Complaints had been filed that the girls’ mother, but welfare officials failed to act. The city has said it would resolve all complaints within 30 days, but hasn’t met that deadline yet. Talk about it!
Workers in W. Va. plant laid off without notice now seeking answers
03.26.08/The Herald-Mail
Workers at a West Virginia mail-sorting plant were laid off two weeks ago with no warning and no paychecks. Now, the state’s labor department is working to find company officials and provide the plant’s employees with unemployment checks and job training. Officials are telling former employees “not to be too shy or too proud” to ask for help. Talk about it!
Food prices hit pocketbooks, food stamp recipients
03.17.08/CBS News 2 Boise, Idaho
Inflation in food and gasoline prices affects everyone, but people on food stamps may have it tougher than ever. Prices have risen 4 percent, but food stamp allocations do not increase to match inflation. Talk about it!
'Snap shot' study tries to find homeless not receiving aid
03.26.08/Fosters.com
New Hampshire launched a "snap shot" survey to find homeless people. Included in the study are not only people in shelters, but also those sleeping on friends' couches, or places "not meant for human habitation." Talk about it!
03.26.08/Louisville Courier-Journal
Kentucky is creating an office to deal with the disproportionate number of blacks in the state’s child welfare system. Blacks make up only 7 percent of Kentucky's population, but 19 percent of children in the system. Talk about it!
Free lunches may embarrass students into hunger
03.01.08/The New York Times
Students in
cafeterias across the nation are choosing to forego lunch rather than
face the stigma of eating government-subsidized food. In most schools,
students with free lunches have to eat different food than students who
pay. Talk about it!
New Orleans homeless moving into tent-like barrack
02.27.08/Associated Press
Since Hurricane
Katrina hit the city more than two years ago, New Orleans has grappled
with an epidemic of homelessness. Mayor Ray Nagin is moving the homeless
from crack-infested outdoor shelters into an air-conditioned tent with
bunk beds. Talk about it!
Workers in FL closing abuse cases early
2.23.08/Miami Herald
Child abuse caseworkers say they were
browbeaten by management at the Miami Department of Children and
Families into closing cases early, without ever ensuring the children's
safety or protection. Talk about it!
Mother accused of trespassing at shelter
02.27.08/Seacoastonline.com
Tammy Wylie, 26, told a judge in
Portsmouth, NH, she was just looking for a warm place to sleep when she
entered a homeless shelter. She had previously been barred from the
shelter for intoxication. Talk about it!
New pads make life difficult for patients
02.25.08/WOWK-TV
Charleston, W.Va.
A policy on tamper-proof prescription pads
aimed at preventing fraud could make life more difficult
for Medicaid recipients in West Virginia. The program starts in April. Talk about it!
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