POVERTY

Being researched

POVERTY. Creating awareness of a life in poverty was the goal in 2002 of OPERATION NEW VIEW and the Iowa State Extension. A 3-hour learning experience called "Exploring the State of Poverty Welfare Simulation" was conducted on November 7, 2002 at WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. (1)

In 2010 the number of children living below the poverty line--an income level based on the number of people in the household--had increased by 42% over the past decade. The Census Bureau in 2015 considered that a family of four to be in poverty if its annual income was at or below $22,314. (2) This definition had changed from 2005 when the federal government defined the poverty level at $15,577 for a family of three. (3) One-third of Dubuque's public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals with the number varying by school. In Fulton, Prescott, and Audubon elementary schools over 80% of the students were eligible. At DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL one-third of the students are eligible. (4)

Individual efforts to confront poverty included those of Jim Ott, a school psychologist in Jackson County, who returned from a poverty training workshop and implemented change through the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency. The "Bridges Out of Poverty" project begun in 2007 was aimed at professionals serving clients living in poverty understand the hidden rules of social class. The "Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' By World" program was planned to help people living in poverty by establishing communication between those living in poverty and middle-class people. (5) "Bridges" defined "poverty" as being without resources more than money. Resources included: (6)

         Financial--having the money t9 buy goods and services
         Emotional--being able to choose and control emotional
              responses to negative situations
         Mental--having the abilities and acquired skills to
              deal with daily life
         Spiritual--believing in divine purpose and guidance
         Physical--health and mobility
         Support systems--resources available in times of need,
               such as friends and family
         Relationships/role models--access to adults who are
               nurturing and do not engage in self-destructive
               behavior
         Knowledge of hidden rules--knowing the unspoken cues
               and habits of a socioeconomic group
          

In 2010 the Circles Initiative was the final stage of the Bridges Initiative. A "circle" involved a family working to get out of poverty and two to four community "allies" who were Getting Ahead graduates who were willing to befriend the family and support their way out of poverty. Circles was sponsored by the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Rather than mentoring, Circles was designed as an informal two-way relationship where everyone involved learned from each other. Getting Ahead graduates were the "poverty experts" whose experiences could inform others of circumstances that kept them in poverty. (7)

Between 2007 and 2011 an estimated 2,500 people attended the Bridges Out of Poverty classes in Dubuque. This included people from Sioux City because the Dubuque program was the first of its kind in Iowa. The Getting Ahead program had graduated 144 Dubuque residents. The Circles project was overseen by Move the Mountain which monitored and provided assistance to local initiatives. "Allies" tended to be retired whites and it was hiped that younger people and minorities would make up a larger proportion. Getting Ahead graduates were AFRICAN AMERICANS. (8)

In 2015 data from the U. S. Census Bureau showed that the percentage of tri-state area residents living in poverty continued to rise even as the country emerged from recession. Since the pre-recession year of 2007 the number of Dubuque County residents living in poverty had increased 2.7% to a figure of 11.5%. From 2012-2015 Dubuque--with 3% of the state's population--saw more than 8% of all new jobs added across the state. Average wages over the period exceeded the rate of inflation by more than 15%. Higher wages, an attempt to life low-wage workers out of poverty, actually left them in worse condition. Higher wages resulted in the employees losing federal benefits like food stamps and Mediaid or housing subsidies. The highest pay in high-tech manufacturing, engineering, or computer technology was out of reach of low-skilled workers. (9)

There had developed a disconnect between the unemployment rate and the number of people living in poverty. In 2015 Dubuque experienced an average annual job growth of about 1.6% and 3% unemployment. This, however, did not account for those unable to find full-time employment and those who had given up. Those working in fast-food and service industries earned wages leaving their unable to support their families. Following the recession more businesses became automated with a resulting cut in employment. (10)

In July, 2019 members of the city council approved soliciting proposals for the creation of an Equitable Poverty Prevention Plan for a maximum budgeted amount of $75,000. (11)

Research indicated that 16% of the 54,940 residents in the city lived in poverty. Minority residents were significantly more likely to live in poverty than the national averages. The rate of white residents living in poverty was slightly above the national average. Among AFRICAN AMERICANS in Dubuque 60% lived in poverty while the national average was 25.2%. Among HISPANICS in Dubuque, 26% lived in poverty compared to the national average of 22%. Among residents of two or more races in Dubuque, 47.6% lived in poverty which was far higher than the national average of 18.4%. (12)

The planning process would examine existing programs to determine their success. Trends and best practices would be studied and performance goals established to gauge the success of the new plan. The firm selected wold study self-sufficiency, economic and employment programs, internet and computer-training programs, access to affordable housing, nutrition and CHILDREN'S MEAL PROGRAMS. (13)

The new plan followed the city's participation in Dubuque Circles Initiatives with partner organizations. That program evolved into Gaining Opportunities in 2018. The new plan would operation with Gaining Opportunities until the new plan concluded at which time Gaining Opportunities would change reflecting the new plan's findings and goals. (14)

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Source:

1. "Living in Poverty," (advertisement), Telegraph Herald, October 27, 2002, p. 103

2. Hogstrom, Erik, "'It Doesn't Surprise Me At All," Telegraph Herald, September 24, 2011, p. 1A

3. "Poverty Follows Families to Suburbs," Telegraph Herald, December 7, 2006, p. 81

4. Ullrich, Kurt, ""More Iowa Children in Poverty," Telegraph Herald, December 21, 2010, p. 1A

5. Kittle, Emily, "Ott Man Out," Telegraph Herald, December 28, 2008, p. 51

6. "A Bridges Definition of Poverty," Telegraph Herald, July 24, 2011, p. 1A

7. Piper, Andy, "'Circles' Aims to Bridge Class Lines," Telegraph Herald, September 20, 2010, p. 1A

8. Piper, Andy, "'Allies' Offer Guidance Hope at Weekly Meetings," Telegraph Herald, July 24, 2011, p. 1A

9. Barton, Thonas J. and Craig Reber, "Poverty Rates Remain Stubborn," Telegraph Herald, December 16, 2015, p. 1A

10. Ibid.

11. Fisher, Benjamin, "Dubuque Seeks Consultant for Anti-Poverty Plan," Telegraph Herald, July 22, 2019, p. 3A

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14. Ibid.