IE A new report reveals that despite low unemployment and robust growth in the Inland Empire and across the country, many working families are still struggling. The report issued by Riverside Congressman Mark Takano found: · More than 392,000 people in Riverside County live in poverty, including 142,844 children. · In Riverside County, Section 8 housing assistance only has funding for 8,500 families, while 20,000 families are on the waiting list. · A single parent of two is likely to find themselves $589 short of their expenses every month. In response, the report includes several policy proposals that will ensure no one working full time is living in poverty. These include: · Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour. · Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit to allow low-income families to keep more of what they earn. · Fully funding the Section 8 housing program, which gives children the stability they need to get a good education. Takano commented “Deep and persistent poverty in the Inland Empire and across the country is a crisis that directly challenges our economic system and our morality. This report is yet another reminder that we need to revise the rules of the economy.”
SBCLN