The US Census Bureau tells us that thirty-seven million people in the US live in “poverty”. The census bureau is wrong. I have seen true poverty, and poverty in the US can not be compared to poverty in other parts of the world. Poverty in South America means children digging through mounds of rotting food and garbage to find food scraps to feed their family. Poverty in Africa means begging door-to-door for the equivalent of a copper penny. Poverty means living life with the spectre of death as a constant companion.
To most who are considered “poor” In the United States, poverty means having to suffer the degradation of living with a prepay cell phone and only basic channels on their cable TV.
Those whom the census bureau claims are living in poverty in the United States are eligible to have a government financed roof over their head, government subsidized food, completely free education for children (and in most cases adults), government paid medical care, and in many cases, basic utilities paid by the government as well. Where government does not provide, public and private charities assist by providing free/low-cost clothing, household goods and other various sundries to permit the poverty-stricken of America to maintain a relatively comfortable lifestyle.
There are 37 million people in the United States that live below the arbitrary line that our government dictates to be the poverty-level. Citizens who live below this arbitrary line are eligible for goverment assistance from state and federal levels as well as benefits from various government-funded charities. These government financed programs are effective in preventing poverty for everyone in the US including those who are in our country illegally.
If you are one of these 37 million people (as I myself was for the last five years), count yourself lucky to be living in the United States. Because you live in the United States, the government will provide all the basic needs for you and your family. The most difficult part of surviving poverty in the US is wading through the red-tape and paperwork that the government requires to “prove” that you really are not an independent millionaire trying to bilk them out of an extra thirty cents each month.
HOUSING:
All citizens and residents (both legal and illegal) who live below the poverty line are eligible for subsidized (section 8) housing. The only exception are those persons who have been convicted of any drug crime. The subsidized housing program can provide living quarters of nearly any size based upon the number of people in the family. Those who are in the country illegally can obtain housing as long as at least one family member is a legal resident or citizen.
FOOD:
If you qualify for subsidized housing, you probably qualify for food stamps and WIC as well. Food stamps is a program that provides money to a person/family for the purchase of unprepared food. When using food stamps, the food purchased is exempt from sales tax, reducing even further the cost of feeding a family. WIC is a program that provides money for the provision of food and care items for women who are pregnant and for children under the age of five.
UTILITIES:
Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is another program which those near or below the poverty line are eligible to receive. Based upon how much total income is actually received, payments are made by the government directly to the local gas and/or electric company of the LIEAP recipient. This can be as low as month of a utility bill, or as much as two months. Regardless, with the price of energy rising quickly, this can represent a significant savings for those short of cash.
TAXES:
For the working poor with a family, one of the largest benefits each year is tax season. Each person that files as head-of-household or married that has children aged 17 and under is generally eligible for the Earned Income Credit (EIC). The more money you earn, the more EIC you are eligible to receive, to a certain point. If you have two or three children and no tax liability, this may represent a payment from the US Government Treasury each year in the form of a $3000-6000 tax refund. The word “refund” is a misnomer in this case; generally speaking, those who receive EIC pay no federal income tax, thus they have no payments to be refunded.
PRIVATE CHARITIES AND CHURCHES:
No matter the city, you will generally be able to find charity organizations such as the Salvation Army or Good Will that will assist those down on their luck with free or low cost clothes and household items. Additionally, many of these organizations will provide families or individuals with a limited amount of groceries each month to supplement food purchased with food stamps/WIC.
Many charities and churches also operate kitchens that provide free lunches or dinners to anyone who requests. Normally, you simply get in line, eat your food, treat everyone with respect, and you have a free lunch. These do not operate every day, however, most of the ones with which I am familiar operate five or six days each week. In some cases, if you plan it correctly, you can eat lunch at one place, dinner at another, and thereby save the cost of actually purchasing any food.
There are many more programs available to people who live below the American poverty-line, and generally speaking, the poverty experienced by those in the United States, though not being luxurious, is still a life with all basic survival conditions met. If you need information for other available programs, check with your local state-sponsored social assistance agency.