Economy

Transportation: Missing Connections

Posted on by John Van Alst

Cars on HwyThe Obama Administration’s Middle Class Task Force released its first annual report last week.  Unfortunately, it missed an opportunity to address the issue of car ownership for middle class families – and for low-income families aspiring to become middle class.

 

 

The report contains a set of hypothetical budgets for two-parent families in the 25th, 50th and 75th  percentiles in income.  For a look at these hypothetical budgets, click here and see Figure 6.  All of these budgets show a higher percentage of the family budget devoted to cars than to medical expenses or saving for college. 

In fact, for two-parent families at the 25th and 50th percentiles, car expenses appear to be higher than any category except housing and an “other expenses” category that includes the cost of necessities such as food, clothing and utilities.  The percentage for car ownership for households at the 25th percentile was especially high.

Similar hypothetical budgets for low-income, single-parent families (mostly headed by women) by the U.S. Department of Commerce (click here to see these budgets) show the same results.  The costs of car ownership for these families outpace every other category except housing and other necessities.

Unfortunately, the Middle Class Task Force’s report did not offer any solutions to this transportation challenge.  Yet we know that for low-income (and minority) households, car ownership is positively correlated with improved access to jobs, higher household income and more weeks worked per year.  For example,  nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of participants in Vehicles for Change, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation, obtained a better job within six to 12 months of owning their car, and participants enjoyed an average increase in salary of more than $4,500.

While health care, college savings and other pressing expenses receive – and deserve – attention from media and policy makers, these figures show a real need to address the needs of working families for cars.

Let’s hope we can get the task force to look more closely at these issues in the future. If you want to encourage them to do so, you can leave a comment on their website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/strongmiddleclass/.

John Van Alst is an attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, Inc., in Boston

Unemployment Rate for Single Moms Reaches 25 Year High

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

IWPR Unmarried Women Employment Graf

Now that we know the facts, what are we going to do?

From all reports, our current recession was supposed to be friendlier to women than men – who can forget “the man-cession”? Many of the job losses have been in fields (such as manufacturing and construction) that disproportionately employ men, while other woman-dominated occupations (such as education and healthcare) have continued to add jobs.

The latest news from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, is not so great for women. Single women with children saw their unemployment rate rise to 13 percent in December 2009 – the highest it has been in more than 25 years, according the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation (click here for more details).  In fact, this rate has increased pretty steadily – up from 11.4 percent a month earlier and 9.5 percent a year ago. Number-wise, this translates into 310,000 more families in need.

What should we do with this information? Can we please start paying attention to the implications of these data in our public benefits, workforce development and work support policies? Please?

Graph credit: Institute for Women’s Policy Research

Hunger Is on the Rise While Food and Nutrition Programs Are Not Fully Utilized

Posted on by Katie Vinopal

One in eight households in the District of Columbia struggled with hunger during the 2006-2008 period according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture[1].  Nationally, more than 49.1 million people lived in households that were food insecure– the federal government’s term for being hungry or at risk of hunger[2] in 2008 – up from 36.2 million in 2007.

Although hunger touches all types of people and households, the USDA report shows that food insecurity is especially prevalent among households with children headed by a single mother.  Nationally, single mothers experience hunger at substantially higher rates than the national average (37.2% versus 14.6%).  Further, the prevalence of very low food security is also much higher for these households than the national average (13.3% versus 5.7%).  

Research[3] has shown that even a temporary increase in food insecurity can have a long-lasting and serious impact on the well-being and health of families and communities.   Hungry children are more likely to miss school and struggle academically and are at greater risk of developmental deficiencies.  Adults who struggle with hunger cannot concentrate, are less productive, and are at greater risk of illness and chronic disease.

Fortunately, federal nutrition programs such as the Food Stamp Program, free school breakfast and lunch, and WIC (women, infants, and children) are proven, readily-available solutions to combat hunger for these single-mother families and all hungry people in the District.  These programs not only reduce food insecurity and hunger, but also improve nutrition, health, economic security, early childhood development, school achievement, and overall well-being. 

Furthermore, the federal nutrition programs are, by and large, 100 percent federally-funded and, as entitlements (except WIC), are not subject to spending caps or limits on the number of participants.  They are limited only by shortfalls by public agencies, schools, and nonprofits in using them.  Federal nutrition program participation can grow to meet growing need when the economy gets worse.  Indeed, as District unemployment rose from seven percent in July 2008 to 10.6 percent in July 2009, food stamp participation rose by nearly 18 percent (from 90,840 participants to 107,176 participants).  The Food Stamp Program brought with it approximately $14 million in 100 percent federally-funded benefits just in the month of July 2009.

To increase support for hungry women and children, and to support all D.C. families, the District should do a better job in fully utilizing these federal nutrition programs. While the city should be commended for recent improvements, such as passing the Food Stamp Expansion Act of 2009 which boosts benefits and expands eligibility for the program, there is still much work to be done.  For example, for every 100 children that eat free or reduced-price school lunch, only 50 also participate in the School Breakfast Program. D.C. could help more low-income children start the day with a healthy morning meal by getting more schools to offer breakfast in the classroom, a strategy that’s proven to boost participation.  Additionally, continuing to increase participation in the Food Stamp Program by fully implementing policies that passed with the Food Stamp Expansion Act, such as categorical eligibility[4] and Heat and Eat[5], will also help get much-needed resources in the hands of families struggling with hunger.

D.C. Hunger Solutions’ “Get the Food Guide” is available to help women learn about nutrition resources. Contact Katie Vinopal (kvinopal@dchunger.org) if you would like a copy.

 [1] http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err83/

[2] http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/measurement.htm or http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger_index.html

[3] http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/health.html

[4] http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/DC-cat-elfinal3.pdf

[5] http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/heat_and_eat_feb2009.pdf

Dark Place, Dark Time: How the Recession is Making Kids More Susceptible to Human Trafficking, the Impact on the DC Area, & What You Can Do

Posted on by Mariah Craven
Monica Almeida/The New York Times
Monica Almeida/The New York Times

“With the young girls, you promise them heaven, they’ll follow you to hell.” – Harvey Washington, Convicted Pimp

Those chilling words were spoken to a New York Times reporter by a man serving a four-year sentence in Arizona for pandering (a polite way to say “pimping”).

According to a New York Times series that’s running this week, the number of underage teenagers having sex for money or basic necessities is on the rise.  The series traces the increase back to a growing number of runaways who are forced to leave home as the recession puts more pressure on American households.

“Over the past two years, government officials and experts have seen an increasing number of children leave home for life on the streets, including many under 13.  Foreclosures, layoffs, rising food and fuel prices and inadequate supplies of low-cost housing have stretched families to the extreme, and those pressures have trickled down to teenagers and preteens.”  —New York Times

Survival in the Shadows
The National Runaway Switchboard told the New York Times an increasing number are surviving by selling drugs, panhandling, or engaging in prostitution.  And once they take a step into an underworld of crime, it’s extremely difficult to get them off the streets.

“’These kids enter prostitution and they literally disappear,’ said Bradley Myles, deputy director of the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington [DC] that directly serves children involved in prostitution and other trafficking victims.”  — New York Times

Close to Home
Solid statistics on just how many young runaways end up involved in prostitution or trafficking don’t exist yet, but according to the FBI, DC is one of the top 14 sites in the country for the sex trafficking of U.S. children.  To help combat the problem, DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson introduced anti-trafficking legislation nearly a year ago, but the bill hasn’t been passed yet.

Take Action
That’s why the DC Women’s Agenda and Sasha Bruce Youthwork are giving you an opportunity to learn more about the “Prohibition Against Trafficking Act of 2009.”

“Trafficking is an often overlooked problem in DC, but it’s one that affects countless women and girls,” says Debbie Billet- Roumell, coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda.  “This bill is a step towards changing their situations and ending this tragedy of human trafficking in DC.”

This “lunch and learn” event will be Friday, October 30, 2009 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, located at 741 8th St. SE, Washington, DC.  Karen Stauss, Managing Policy and Legal Counsel from the Polaris Project, will speak about the problem of trafficking in the District, the proposed legislation, and what concerned citizens can do to advocate for strong provisions in the proposed bill.

If you’d like more information about the event or the DC Women’s Agenda, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell at DBRoumell@wowonline.org.

D.C. Government Slashes Funding for Some of the City's Most Vulnerable Women

Posted on by Kris Thompson

Days after the District made the shocking announcement that $20 million had been cut from the homeless services budget for the 2010 fiscal year, advocates and organizations that provide shelter for the homeless are still reeling. One of The Women’s Foundation grantee partners is reaching out for help – as winter approaches and the organizations that assist the homeless face a crisis.

Calvary Women’s Services was notified Monday, September 28, by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP) that contract funding for Calvary would be cut by nearly $75,000 beginning October 1st.  These funds support safe housing and other services for 150 homeless women each year.  TCP is an independent, non-profit corporation that coordinates DC’s Continuum of Care homeless services.

Calvary is one of many social service providers notified of cuts to their existing contracts. Emergency, transitional and supported permanent housing programs were all targeted as the city attempted to close an ever-widening budget gap.  The impact of these cuts on the overall homeless services system is going to be severe, with some housing programs reducing their services and others likely closing programs. 

Although these cuts may provide some immediate relief to the city’s budget problems, the real impact of the cuts will be felt by those in need of safe housing and support services.  Women who have already lost their jobs in this economic crisis will have fewer services and housing options available to them. These cuts will make women who are already at-risk much more likely to end up living on the streets or in unsafe situations.

The women who come to programs like Calvary are survivors of violence, women struggling with mental illness, and women working to overcome addictions.  At Calvary we make sure they have access to all of the services they need to address these challenges – in addition to providing a safe place to live.

We know that programs like ours work.  Every five days a woman moves out of Calvary and into her own home.

We have always relied on the support of both public funding and private donations to make our programs possible.  In the past, supporters have helped us close gaps like this one, and I am hopeful that the community will step up once again.  But I am also concerned that this gap may be too wide for our generous donors to close.

The coming months will be challenging ones for organizations like Calvary, as we try to find ways to continue to provide women in this community with critical, life changing services.  More so, they will be challenging months for women who need services like ours, as they face closed doors and reduced services at programs across the city.

 You can make a difference.  Support Calvary – or another agency facing these cuts – today. 

 Volunteer, donate or learn more at www.calvaryservices.org.

Kris Thompson is the Executive Director of Calvary Women’s Services, recognized as a 2009 Leadership Awardee by The Women’s Foundation.  Learn more about them on their Web site or on Facebook.

Stepping Stones Research Update – September 2009

Posted on by Mariah Craven

We’ve partnered with The Urban Institute to provide continuing information and resources related to the goals of Stepping Stones. Below you’ll find a summary of the latest research on issues of economic security and financial independence for women and their families. This research is summarized and compiled for The Women’s Foundation by Liza Getsinger of The Urban Institute, NeighborhoodInfo DC.

The following are excerpts of the research update.  For the full update, including summarized key findings, click here.

Financial Education and Wealth Creation News
The median household income in the District of Columbia rose from $56,400 in 2007 to $57,900 in 2008, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey; however, DC residents with the lowest levels of education saw their incomes fall significantly from 2007 to 2008. (Full text)

Jobs and Business Ownership News
One fifth of all families with children are headed by working single mothers. The families of single mothers have a high poverty rate – 28.3 percent. The persistent gender wage gap continues: in 2007, women who worked full-time, year-round earned only 78 cents for every dollar earned by full-time, year-round male workers. These findings suggest that a number of changes in policy and practice are needed to improve women’s earnings. You can read the details about these findings by clicking here.

Child Care and Early Education News
A new Child Trends research brief explores the issues that judges consider when making decisions about termination of parental rights (TPR) and adoption of foster children. Several judges reported that the absence of TPR limits the adoption recruitment efforts of the child welfare agency. Some judges report a need for more discussions with older children to explore and address their concerns about adoption. (Full text)

Health and Safety News
Today, there are about 1.1 million people with HIV/AIDS living in the U.S., including nearly 280,000 women. Women of color, particularly black women, are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The impact of HIV on younger women is particularly notable – more than 6 in 10 new HIV infections among women were among those ages 13-39 in 2006. 76% of women with HIV/AIDS who were receiving medical care had children under 18 in their homes, which may complicate their ability to manage their illness. (Full text)

Other News and Research
The Urban Institute surveyed District permanent supportive housing (PSH) agencies and specific PSH projects. The research includes a look at how the District might move forward toward fulfilling its commitment to create 2,500 new units of PSH and eliminate chronic homelessness. (Full text)

Weekly Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty (Week ending September 25, 2009)

Posted on by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.

Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

For daily updates and links to past articles, check out “Women and Poverty.” It’s a new section of our site with a comprehensive collection of recent news and analysis on women and poverty.

Along with these daily updates, continue to visit TheWomensFoundation.org for our weekly rundown of the top news stories on women and poverty every Friday.

Here’s this week’s news:

• Andrea Castaneda is one of several mothers participating in a Head Start program that seeks to help impoverished families replace unnecessary trips to the emergency room with home care, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

• Deborah Stiell, a 55-year-old low-income grandmother, has cared for her three grandchildren their entire lives. She tells the Detroit News that, like many grandparents in her situation, she struggles to pay the bills.

• The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that thanks to increased state funding, a clinic run by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine’s obstetrics-gynecology department has been able to reach out to more low-income patients, resulting in a 20 to 35 percent increase in patient visits.

• The Boston Globe celebrates the achievements of Elisabetta Mitrano, who lifted her family from poverty by opening a salon that would allow her children a better upbringing than she had.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org  

To sign up for our weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here. 

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

Making the case for opportunity and assets for D.C.'s most economically vulnerable.

Posted on by Colleen Dailey

A report released by CFED (Corporation for Enterprise Development) today provides more evidence that the economic security and mobility of a growing number of District residents is suffering in the absence of policies that help them to build and protect assets.

Having a college degree, a home, and savings for retirement and other long-term goals are the building blocks of financial security for all Americans.

That’s why CAAB is joining CFED and 14 states in a policy initiative aimed at expanding wealth-building opportunities for those at the lower end of the income scale.

The Assets & Opportunity Campaign has two goals:

1) Making the case for policies that encourage our most financially vulnerable residents to prioritize saving and investment in assets.

2) Building a strong and diverse network of allies that view these policy proposals as essential to strengthening our local economy and
communities.

This press release provides more information on the state of asset ownership in the District of Columbia and opportunities to expand
savings and ownership and close the racial wealth gap that divides our prosperous city.

For more information on the Assets and Opportunities Scorecard or Campaign, visit scorecard.cfed.org.

Colleen Dailey is Executive Director of Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB), a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

How about Cars for People Who Need Them But Can't Afford Them Day?

Posted on by Gwen Rubinstein

Today is Car Free Day, an international event celebrated every September 22nd that encourages people to leave their car at home.  Our region signed on last year and is participating again this year.

Car Free Day is intended to highlight transit, bicycling, walking and all alternative modes of transportation and take cars off the road so people can think about what their region, city or neighborhood might be like with fewer cars.

I want to propose a different type of car day: Cars for People Who Need Them but Can’t Afford to Buy, Insure or Maintain Them Day.

I know, I know – it’s not as catchy.

It’s not that I’m opposed to Car Free Day. 

I celebrate it nearly every day because I don’t own a car.  I am a big fan of public transportation (I commute by bus) and walking.  But I live and work in parts of town with rich public transportation options.

The frustrating truth is that many low-income residents in our region – especially low-income, women-headed families East of the River and in Prince George’s County – actually need more access to private transportation to be able to work and take care of their families.

According to Census data, nearly half (48%) of all non-elderly poor in the District lived in households without a car.  They participate in Car Free Day every day but not all willingly.

Car ownership programs for low-income families and individuals have demonstrated their effectiveness by producing significant income and asset gains for participants. Programs in our region, like Vehicles for Change, and national programs like Ways to Work and its local partners Northern Virginia Family Service (a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation) and Family Matters of Greater Washington need and deserve support.

I hope we can all agree that our region’s transportation challenges call for multifaceted solutions beyond just “more people should take public transportation.”

Gwen Rubinstein is a Program Officer at The Women’s Foundation.

DCWA: FY2010 D.C. budget does not meet women's needs.

Posted on by Debbie Billet-Roumell

The DC Women’s Agenda has completed an analysis of the funding levels of particular programs in the FY 2010 DC budget and their impact on women in D.C.

The report concludes, "Women in DC are in trouble. They disproportionately live in poverty and struggle to live within their incomes without adequate public supports. This analysis demonstrates that important social programs and offices – the Local Rent Supplement Program, Childcare and Education programs, TANF, Domestic Violence programs, and the OWPI – do not receive sufficient funds to support women in DC."

View the full report.

Debbie Billet-Roumell is the coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation that is a coalition of advocacy organizations, service providers, and individuals working to promote the advancement of equality, safety and well-being for women and girls in the District.  It is chaired by the DC Employment Justice Center and Wider Opportunities for Women.  For more information, please contact Debbie Billet-Roumell, Coordinator, DC Women’s Agenda at DBRoumell@wowonline.org or 202-464-1596.