ILLINOIS POVERTY

The effects of the economic crisis on working people in Illinois have been devastating. Those who are particularly vulnerable-the unemployed, the under-employed, the elderly and the disabled-are in desperate need. As unemployment rises and the state of Illinois experiences yet another budget crisis, a growing number of working people are falling into poverty.

Estimated 405,000 Illinois residents have become poor, and two million more risk falling into poverty. Additionally, 160,000 have become extremely poor. In 2009, the federal government's definition of poor for a family of four is an income of less than $22,050. A family of four that is extremely poor has an income less than $11,025.The problem that Illinois has is a income. Low incomes in families can’t provide them with necessary stuff in life. People are ending up on streets do to the low income.

• February 2009 , unemployment rate in Illinois is the highest level since December 1991
• 8.6 % unemployment rate
  
• 1,496,248 (11.9 %) of the state population living in poverty
• 2,029,262 (16.2 %) of Illinoisans at risk of falling into poverty
• One job opening for every 5 Midwesterners seeking a job in February 2009

Source :

• 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty
• Illinois quick facts from the US Census
• www.statemaster.com
  

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As a member of Group 2 we are suppose to present Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's first Congressional District is the second hungriest in the nation. One in four people are at risk of hunger in Philadelphia. Reason for homelessness in Philadelphia is same as in any other place, and that is substance abuse, mental illness, lack of education, lack of afordable housing, and etc. Unemployment rate in Philadelphia is 7.2 % , which is 1.5% higher than national average. My part of this presentation was to show distibution on racial and age homeless people in shelters. HOmelessness disproportionately affects people of color, with over 80 % African American, and about 15 % white. Children in families constitute approximately a third of the shelter population. Homeless people under age of 18 are the most common shelter users. Large percent of families entering shelteer were also single parent househols, 86% of these were female headed and 14 % were male headed.

AGE DISTRIBUTION:

18 - 25 9%

26 - 45 49%

46 - 65 40%

65 + 3%

RACIAL DISTRIBUTION :

African-American 80%

Latino/a 6 %

White 13%

Asian 1%

Other 3%

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

One of the issues raised by the speakers that we had in class was cutting education for homeless people. It is already hard for them to live their life on the street, and now they want to cut their education, their knowledge. By having education it would help them get a job, and maybe even get out of status of being homeless.With education it would be easier for them to communicate and fight for their rights. I understand its not easy living on the streets and going to school, but at least they got things to do and stay in the warm place half of the day. I think that education should not be cute for these people. What are they good for without knowledge.

Definition of poverty

Many people hear the words poverty and have many different meanings, so how do we know which definition is the correct one? To me it means poor, unable to buy the necessities to survive in today's world, lost job, a sudden illness, a death in the family or the endless cycle of being born into poverty and not being able to overcome it.


Legal definition should be : A person who does not have any money to do the things they want to do, however most people can afford to live only on the things they truly need.

Poverty on the rise in Chicago

Growing number of working people are falling into poverty.In 2009, Chicago's unemployment rate reached 9.7 percent, with unemployment claims in Chicago increasing nearly 30 percent from 2008. It is estimated that 253,000 more Chicago residents have become poor since 2007. Heartland Alliance report estimates that 87,000 children in Chicago have become poor since 2007.

AAANACA NEIU

On Thursday, January 28th the fourteenth Annual African, African American, Native American, Caribbean and the Americas Heritage Conference Series also known as AAANACA was held at NEIU. The speaker Stan West presented the book "Suburban Promised Land" that he co-authored, and talked about black community in Oak Park.He talked about how there had been a lot of studies and research done. In this care they needed people to tell their stories in order to get a complete account done.The speaker was not only talking and addressing to African Americans, but people from different race as well . West discussed mostly on his book. He talked about certain black members of the community, and also talked about some well-educated people who had visited Oak Park.

Drug Addicts "Poverty in Chicago" PBS Documentary WTTW