Poverty in America A Social Problem 3/22/2013 Rebecca McNamara Abstract Poverty has been around as long as there has been an America. Programs have been set in place to help offset the issue, such as Food Stamps and housing. The government’s implementation of some of these programs is to ensure that the poor have a place to sleep and adequate meals to eat. There are issues with these programs that contribute to the furthering of poverty, but for the most part are more helpful than harmful. While there is a chance that there will always be a poverty line that Americans will be under, there are solutions that can be implemented towards getting many of these people above it. Some options might include keeping jobs within the …show more content…
While numbers and statistics may change, poverty itself does not. It has been around for as long as one can remember and will be here for many more to come. Programs The government has implemented programs to offset and help those below the poverty line. For the elderly, Medicare and Social Security are in place. This ensures that when the older adults cannot work anymore, they can receive health care and income they will need. Thus they will not be forced into homelessness and can still receive adequate medical care. Food Stamps are provided for many families in the hope that these families will not starve and can put filling, nutritious food on the table. According to the Food Stamp Act of 1977, this program was enacted to ““to alleviate hunger and malnutrition … by increasing food purchasing power for all eligible households who apply for participation.” (usda.gov, 2013) Recipients can use these just like regular cash at any local grocery store. They also may receive Medicaid. This program provides for many the medical treatment they would not be able to afford otherwise. This is especially true for children and pregnant women below the poverty line. Public housing is another program that helps to provide a roof over a family’s heads for reduced costs. Rent in some places can be quite high and a family of four may find it hard even to afford a small 3 bedroom house without breaking their pockets. Aid to Families with Dependent
There is a large population of low-income individuals who are aged, handicapped, or otherwise in the low-income group of individuals who need assistance in obtaining appropriate housing and who, without the benefits of Section 8 subsidized housing would be homeless or living in inhumane conditions and many of these children and the elderly. Section 8 subsidized housing is a HUD program that assists
Those people who live in poverty are eligible for public services that are provided to them to help them survive. It is often a misconception these people take advantage of the public system to receive benefits and welfare that they do not need. While it is true that there many be some people who do not need these benefits and still take advantage of them, there are also many families, who do in fact need the help of public assistance, and do not use it. Many families, who qualify for public assistance such as food stamps, do not receive them. A startling two-thirds of people who qualify for public assistance, such as food stamps, do not use these benefits . One reason for this may be that these families do not truly feel they are as impoverished as they really are. Another reason could be the possibility that these families do not know they will qualify for these programs .
Continually ever changing and pushing forward to help millions of people who cannot afford basic essential needs without it. For example, Welfare provides food stamps to people who are struggling with ways to supply and place food on the table every day for themselves along with their families. During hard times, food stamps, become a very much needed basic staple that allows access to nutritious food and everyday living must haves. With food stamps, one can provide food for their family while using other income to help pay for things such as rent, other common living expenses, and bills. Welfare allows a section of society the opportunity to provide for their families and maintain a basic lifestyle and a decent opportunity to succeed in the standardized sub culture today. Another branch or aid that Welfare has in place is Section 8 or subsidized housing. Section 8 is an affordable housing act that has helped house roughly 4.8 million people individuals who have a low income and may struggle financially. Section 8 provides families with the most basic fundament living aspects, this being a safe and affordable housing structure to protect and provide shelter for the family unit. Those who are on Welfare are required to apply for jobs and show proof of doing so if they are currently unemployed. Programs are set in place to assist an individual in their
An issue that impacts the world globally is poverty. Poverty is a problem that is not to be taken likely. Poverty affects almost the majority of the world's population, and it can turn into hate, lust and other things that can affect family, friends, cities, government, and even nations. Take Germany for example. During the era of WWII, the Germans started to go down an economic slump and recession because of the harsh Treaty of Versailles that France and Britain dictated on. Corrupt leaders in Germany influenced the poor that Jews were the reason for the loss of the first World War. Because the people were tired of living in poverty, they decided to believe these so-called "leaders" and scapegoat the Jews, and they did not take the acceptance
Food stamps, created in 1977, benefits low-income citizens by allowing citizens to acquire food through vouchers given by the
Medicaid, WIC Programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as “food stamps”, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and HUD which deals with housing are only a few of the programs that are available for the poor and underemployed today. These government programs cost the taxpayers billions of dollars. State and federal government try every year to reduce programs. In Mississippi, Medicaid has been reduced although children and the disabled are still covered. SNAP commonly known as food stamps have also been reduce and restricted to balance both the state and federal government. At the height of the recession, the last few years, has increased the number of single bread winner families seeking help by applying for government welfare programs. We often hear of people selling their food stamps for things that are not approved. These stories are used by the people who do not think that tax money should be used to support people who do not work. Changing the name of “welfare” to TANF has not slowed the
There are many myths behind the word and status called “Poverty”, this is a highly controversial issue that has affected millions of people worldwide. In society, there is a hierarchy in society and people’s perception of poverty ranges in thought processes such as in our social imagination. There are various reasons people are living in poverty and how it should be addressed. There is a large divide in between socioeconomic classes and this class system has changed people in many different aspects of their life. Some American people living in poverty lack of opportunities and resources to excel in society. People living in poverty can cause no sense of aspiration and not feeling included in society so usually do not become greater than their present circumstances. In this western society we live in, there is a consistent divide in a western society, the upper class will always regulate
Poverty has always been with us from beggars outside the gates of Jerusalem to the mentally ill homeless woman in the park. America is known for our huge difference in culture and class. This is due partly to the dynamics behind the political decisions of this country. The president himself admits that America is more unequal than it’s been since the great depression and many of his own supporters say he has failed. America now has, by many standards, the lowest social mobility of all of the high-end countries, meaning that a child born into poverty is likely to grow up as a poor adult. This is surprising for a country that not only prides itself as being a middle class society, but as the society where anyone can make it and where
Poverty in America dates back to the first settlers that landed with the Mayflower on the beaches of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The settlers that came from Europe, did not come because they were wealthy and looking for a new adventure. Rather they were looking to escape the hard life that they had been forced to live in their respective countries and towns. Some were escaping religious persecution, others were running from debt, others still were looking for a new start after hardships in their life had overtaken them. These people largely had their work ethic and maybe some capital, but poverty has existed since Europeans arrived, and though there are no records of it, I can be reasonably sure that there was some form of poverty
Poverty is a common social issue that has troubled nations for thousands of years. While nations like the United States of America have worked diligently to eradicate it domestically, it still widely exists.“According to the U.S. Citizen burow 47.6 million citizens living in poverty.With 20% of those households living in extreme poverty.”(PBS.org)
family that has to live in these types of situations they have to build support. This means applying for more government benefits like Food stamps (SNAP Programs), WIC programs, and Cash assistance programing. Programs like these are much suited for the people in many different categories. Each of these takes a toll on the government, developing and building a stronger loop hole of poor communities. The homeless community is formed by many contributing factors in the
Homelessness is an aspect of society, which most people chose not to acknowledge. With the increasing amount of issues the United States faces, homelessness tends to be forgotten when the time comes for the government to establish what issues they should assist. Due to the substantial amount of issues the government concerns itself with, homelessness does not receive the necessary attention required and is improperly handled. In today’s society poverty-stricken individuals or families is too much of a common occurrence to be treated as lightly as it is. Additional government intervention is necessary in order to supply the needed resources, which can prevent the further spread of homelessness. The United States government is obligated to protect its citizens and should care about the constant growth of homelessness. Through economic policies and community advertisements, the government can control the issue of individuals who are facing poverty.
The current poverty rate in America is 13.5 percent (US Census Bureau). That measures out to roughly 43.1 million Americans. What exactly is poverty? Poverty means not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is so much more than just not having enough money. Poverty is not having access to a doctor or medications you may need, poverty is not having access to a good education. Poverty can be the people who are barely able to pay for food and shelter and simply can’t afford other expenses such as car repairs, field trips with their children and any other extracurricular activity.
Poverty has been an ongoing issue since the birth of this Nation. When one thinks of poverty the last people we think of are the ones closest to home. As children some are told “finish your dinner, there are starving kids in Africa”, but what about the starving children whom are in neighborhoods close to us? Poverty is everywhere, even the places that are thought of as wealthy. Poverty in America; a continuing issue.There are many different definitions of poverty. The United States Census Bureau states that
Speaking of poverty, it is a big issue that needs to get solved. Did you know that 14.5% of all Americans lived below the poverty line in 2016? That’s more than 45 million people. Another fact about poverty would be that “Nonmetro blacks and African Americans had the highest incidence of poverty in 2016 (33.0 percent)”.