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The Working Poor
Income, Poverty & Welfare Reform
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles is the nation's poverty capital with the largest number of poor of any metropolitan area: the poverty level is $17,450 for a family of 4. A minimum wage worker, working full time, full year, earns only $11,690 (at $5.75 per hour.) A single parent with an infant and preschooler would need to earn $16.24/hour to cover basic costs of housing, food, child care, transportation and medical needs, nearly three times the minimum wage. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Households with incomes over $150,000 are: 4% for the US, 5% for California, and 6% for Los Angeles. Median income in L.A. is $43,908, 14% higher then the US median income. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
In L.A. County nearly 2 million people live below the poverty line, another 1.5 million just above the line. Lawrence D. Bobo, et. al. Publ. 2000 from: Prismatic Metropolis, Russell Sage Fund
33% of working adults, living in poverty, struggle with temporary unemployment, low wages and/or part-time work. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Continuing growth in the low wage sector is likely to trap a large number of workers in long-term poverty with few options. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Over the last two years, America's Second Harvest, the principal source for food banks across the nation, has doubled the amount of food it distributes. Nonetheless, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reported last month that at least 12 million Americans are not receiving food stamps despite being financially eligible. The same is true for health care coverage: L.A. County's Dept. of Health Services reports that only 57% of children in families living below the poverty line are enrolled in Medi-Cal, despite being eligible for the service.
In the Know Newsletter, April 2001 from: Human Services Alliance
Food stamp rolls have dropped down 36% in Los Angeles County over the last 5 years, according to the California Food Policy Advocates, a non-profit group, because government agencies are not doing enough to inform eligible recipients. Carla Rivera, staff writer from: Los Angeles Times 6/23/2001
A recent survey estimates that more than a quarter of middle and low-income residents in L.A. County don't have enough food to meet basic nutrition needs and 10% report experiencing hunger. L.A. County Dept. of Health Services from: Los Angeles Times 6/23/2001
The Department of Public Social Services has a $280 million unspent welfare fund surplus for 1998-99. Los Angeles Times 1/30/1999 from: The Human Services Network
Despite having a $400 million dollar welfare surplus, L.A. County is using the money mostly to fill holes in its non-welfare budget. Very little of the welfare surplus is being spent on creating living wage jobs. In the Know Newsletter, April 2001 from: Human Services Alliance
This month marks the third anniversary of welfare reform implementation in Los Angeles County. Since April 1998, the rolls have plummeted by 28% and the County welfare budget has hundreds of millions of dollars in surplus. In the Know Newsletter, April 2001 from: Human Services Alliance
According to the Economic Roundtable report The Cage of Poverty, only 16% of the County's welfare parents earn wages above the poverty line. Despite so many welfare-to-work participants remaining on aid, few of them receive the critical support services necessary to gain self-sufficiency. According to January 2001 County data, merely 3.4% of the adult welfare caseload receive services for domestic violence, mental health and substance abuse combined, and only 10% were involved in vocational training that could increase their ability to get higher-paying jobs. In the Know Newsletter, April 2001 from: Human Services Alliance
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Over the last two years, America's Second Harvest, the principal source for food banks across the nation, has doubled the amount of food it distributes. Nonetheless, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reported last month that at least 12 million Americans are not receiving food stamps despite being financially eligible. The same is true for health care coverage: L.A. County's Dept. of Health Services reports that only 57% of children in families living below the poverty line are enrolled in Medi-Cal, despite being eligible for the service. In the Know Newsletter, April 2001 from: Human Services Alliance
Food stamp rolls have dropped down 36% in Los Angeles County over the last 5 years, according to the California Food Policy Advocates, a non-profit group, because government agencies are not doing enough to inform eligible recipients. Carla Rivera, staff writer from: Los Angeles Times 6/23/2001
A recent survey estimates that more than a quarter of middle and low-income residents in L.A. County don't have enough food to meet basic nutrition needs, and 10% report experiencing hunger. L.A. County Dept. of Health Services from: Los Angeles Times 6/23/2001
In June of 2000, not one L.A. County welfare recipient out of 103,320 eligible adults received training in job skills or education directly related to employment, with fewer than 10% gaining a vocational education, and fewer than 7% were in higher education. Sam Mistrano & Kathy Cooper-Ledesma from: Daily News 10/27/2000
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Education
Los Angeles County
One in three adults in L.A. have not completed high school: 61% of Latinos, 28% of American Indians, 26% of African Americans, 20% of Asians and 14% of Whites. The percentage of adults with less than 5th grade education rose 70% between 1980 and 1990. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
27% of Los Angeles adults lack adequate literacy skills. 1.8 million are fully illiterate, with an additional 1.8 million at the second lowest level of literacy. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
California in 1996-97 spent only 83% of the US average in education per student. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Poverty is the key reason for low achievement test results due to: crowded homes, lack of role models, few books in the home, inadequate nutrition or health care, and/or parents who cannot offer adequate help with school work. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
59% of students are enrolled in the free or reduced price school lunch program, up from 46% in 1989. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
In 1998 L.A. County students scored in the lowest one-third of scores in the nation, and also on SAT tests, partly due to the high proportion of non-native English speakers. Only 62% of students graduated with their class in 1997. This presents a serious problem for a work force qualified for 21st Century demands. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Family and community issues: poverty, violence and ethnic inequalities must also be addressed in addition to education, to improve the lives of children. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
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Over 120 languages are spoken in Los Angeles County, one of the largest and most diverse counties in the country. This diversity is reflected in the CalWORKs program, where 41 percent of the caseload in L.A. County does not speak English as a primary language. The complexity of the CalWORKs program with its myriad of new rules and paperwork requirements makes navigating the system even more daunting for a person with language and cultural barriers. Compounding the problem, limited-English speakers do not always receive equal access to case management services, information, or supportive services, such as childcare and vocational training. Additionally, the new welfare reform system is based on a "work first" model, which means that recipients are discouraged from attending education and training programs, including ESL classes. Not being able to communicate in English can pose a serious barrier to finding living wage employment. In the Know Newsletter, October 2000 from: Human Services Alliance
Housing & Homelessness
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is one of the nation's most expensive housing markets, creating an especially difficult situation for the area's large poor and low-income population. 41% of renters and 26% of homeowners pay more than one third of their monthly income for housing. The area's tight housing market is likely to keep rental costs disastrously high for the working poor. And Los Angeles ranks highest in crowded housing among major metropolitan areas. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Through the 1990s, builders constructed an average of 110,000 units a year. To meet demand, they would have to build 220,000 units a year for the next ten years. Daryl Strickland, staff writer from: Los Angeles Times, 6/18/2000
Since 1990 the number of children in working-poor families has increased by nearly one-third. Daryl Strickland, staff writer from: Los Angeles Times, 6/18/2000
Mental illness, extended unemployment, substance abuse and domestic violence have led to an estimated 236,000 homeless people in the county, including 175,000 single men and women, 49,000 parents and children, and 12,000 homeless or runaway teens. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
Home ownership has traditionally been a source of wealth creation by which immigrant and ethnic groups have moved into the middle class. State of the Region: Measuring Progress into the 21st Century
High rental costs combined with low wages put at risk not only working-class families, but also particularly those moving off welfare rolls. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
With federal subsidies for low income apartments set to expire between now and 2006, California will face a crisis with its 148,540 eligible units, and Los Angeles will be hardest hit on its one out of three affordable housing units which are federally subsidized. Some California non-profits are trying to step in by buying the units, but the financial needs are enormous. Jennifer Oldham, staff writer from: Los Angeles Times, 6/23/2001
Los Angeles County is the nation's welfare poverty capitol, with the largest poverty population of any metropolitan area in the nation. State of the County Report 1999 from: United Way of Greater Los Angeles
In Los Angeles County 375,000 adults have experienced homelessness in the past five years. Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty from: Weingart Center, 2000
In 1994 there were up to 84,000 homeless individuals each night in Los Angeles County and up to 236,000 each year. Shelter Partnership, Inc.
1,037 people are homeless each night in Santa Monica, a city with a population of 90,000. Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty from: Weingart Center, 2000)
There are 13,632 shelter beds available in Los Angeles County. 8,602 of these beds are in the City of Los Angeles. Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty from: Weingart Center, 2000
Section 8 (subsidized housing) only meets 5% of the need. The waiting list to be placed on Section 8 can be 2 years or longer. Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness
There are only 34 detoxification beds subsidized by LA County. While there is no waiting list for private drug treatment programs, the wait if you are homeless or low income can be up to 2 months. Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness
There are at least one million people in LA who work full time who do not have health insurance. Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness
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