Poverty

Executive Summary: Tribal Sovereignty and Food Insecurity For millennia, Native food systems nourished communities and cultures. From farming to fishing to harvesting wild rice, these food traditions are diverse and rich, molded and shaped by the geographies on which Tribal people live. Federal policies promoted settler-colonialism,[2] land theft, and forced removal of Native nations, which disrupted these food systems and lifeways, contributing to present-day food insecurity and poor health outcomes. Forced onto reservations — often on lands unfamiliar to them — Native communities had to

This week at CBPP, we focused on the federal budget, housing, food assistance, and the economy. On the federal budget, Javier Balmaceda explained the health care and fiscal crisis that Puerto Rico will face in December without a fix to Medicaid. On housing, Alicia Mazzara and Erik Gartland described how the new Department of Housing and Urban Development “Fair Market Rent” policy can help local agencies reduce homelessness and expand housing choice. On food assistance, we translated our backgrounder on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into Spanish. On the economy, we

Even before Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico, the territory was facing a looming Medicaid funding crisis slated to hit when the latest appropriations legislation expires in December. Without congressional action, the more than 1 million residents in Puerto Rico who currently receive their health care through Medicaid could see deep cuts to eligibility and benefits and already low provider payments. Congressional action is even more important now as the territory attempts to recover from the devastation wrought by the hurricane and other recent natural disasters; the dislocation resulting

Earlier this month, HUD announced an Important policy change to adjust Housing Choice Voucher subsidy caps that better reflect recent increases in market rents.

Read in English Nota: El Congreso cambió temporalmente algunos aspectos del SNAP durante la pandemia del COVID-19. Este documento describe algunas de las características del SNAP sin incluir tales cambios, los cuales se mencionarán cuando sea relevante hacerlo. ¿Qué es el SNAP? El SNAP proporciona apoyo nutricional de importancia a las familias trabajadoras que devengan ingresos insuficientes, a los adultos mayores (mayores de 60 años) y a las personas con discapacidades de bajos ingresos que viven con ingresos limitados, además de otros individuos y hogares de bajos ingresos. Casi dos tercios

This week at CBPP, we focused on federal taxes, the federal budget, Social Security, food assistance, and the economy. On federal taxes, Chuck Marr, Danilo Trisi, Arloc Sherman, and Kris Cox described how policymakers should expand the Child Tax Credit in year-end legislation to fight child poverty. On the federal budget, David Reich pointed out that Congress should include a supplemental appropriation for low-income home energy assistance in the stopgap government funding bill. On Social Security, Kathleen Romig explained how repealing Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision and

There is pressure on Congress from business interests to delay a corporate tax increase; Congress should not consider any business tax breaks without also expanding the Child Tax Credit.

President Biden has proposed including a $500 million emergency supplemental appropriation for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the coming stopgap funding bill (continuing resolution) for 2023, to help households cope with high prices for home heating fuels as winter approaches. With prices high and more than 20 million U.S. families behind on their utility bills, Congress should appropriate at least that amount, and more if possible. LIHEAP provides funds by formula to states, tribes, and territories to help low-income households meet household energy bills. Within

Congress faces mounting pressure from some current and retired public employees to repeal Social Security’s Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), provisions designed to treat workers with work not covered by Social Security comparably to workers whose whole careers are covered. The bill to repeal WEP and GPO, H.R. 82, includes no offsetting tax increases or spending cuts, and so would worsen Social Security financing, moving the trust fund’s reserve depletion date forward by a year and adding nearly $150 billion to the program’s costs over the next ten years

This week at CBPP, we focused on new Census data on poverty, income, and health coverage in 2021, health, food assistance, Social Security, state budgets and taxes, and the economy. On the new Census data, CBPP President Sharon Parrott released a statement on how government policies helped drive the child poverty rate to a record low and cut the uninsured rate. Gideon Lukens highlighted how the 8.6 percent uninsured rate matches a record low in 2021. On health, Allison Orris explained how a newly proposed rule would help kids, seniors, and others get and stay enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP

The experience of other states, including its neighbor Montana, shows that if Wyoming expands Medicaid, it will dramatically increase coverage while providing the state with fiscal savings for many years to come.

The uninsured rate fell to 8.6 percent in 2021, according to data released today in the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). That’s down from 9.2 percent in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and matches 2016’s record low. Driving much of the coverage gains were relief provisions enacted during the pandemic, most notably the prohibition on terminating Medicaid coverage for most enrollees during the official public health emergency, and enhanced premium tax credits to help people get covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces. Administrative data show that

September not only marks the end of summer and back-to-school time for many children. It is also when the U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes annual data on the prevalence of food insecurity in the United States. The new data released last week show that, following a robust policy response that helped many families meet their food needs, overall rates of food insecurity remained steady in 2021. There was a small but not statistically significant decline in the share of households experiencing food insecurity (meaning that they did not have enough food to support an active, healthy life at

Customer service delays at the Social Security Administration (SSA) are causing serious problems for applicants and beneficiaries, who are enduring record-long waits for disability decisions, long hold times on the agency’s 800 number, and other problems stemming from a decade of austere administrative funding and compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. These delays cause significant stress and financial hardship, and backlogs will continue to grow unless policymakers act. Congress should use the upcoming temporary government funding measure to begin fixing this situation, by including “anomaly”

Today’s Census figures show government policies prevented massively higher financial hardship and lack of health insurance in 2021.

The newly proposed rule is critical because as of 2021, of about 28.9 million uninsured people in this country, 7.3 million were eligible for but not enrolled in Medicaid.

This week at CBPP, we focused on poverty and inequality, food assistance, state budgets and taxes, housing, health, and the economy. On poverty and inequality, Arloc Sherman, Danilo Trisi, and Gideon Lukens highlighted what to look for in the 2021 poverty, income, and health insurance data the Census Bureau will release next week. On food assistance, Joseph Llobrera noted that food insecurity is at a two-decade low for households with kids, signaling successful relief efforts. On state budgets and taxes, Michael Mazerov highlighted how Massachusetts’ Fair Share Amendment ballot measure would

The latest annual Agriculture Department (USDA) report shows that some 13.5 million households with 33.8 million people were food insecure at some point during 2021. The data tell two stories: on one hand food insecurity remains too high, and it’s higher both for households with children than without and for those with members of color than for white households. But overall food insecurity in 2021 was statistically unchanged from 2019 and 2020, even amid a pandemic; it improved for households headed by a Black adult; and it reached a two-decade low for households with children — thanks largely

Massachusetts voters this November will consider the Fair Share Amendment (FSA), a ballot measure that would establish an additional tax on the portion of people’s income over $1 million a year to raise revenue for stronger schools and a more efficient, safe, and reliable transportation system. It’s a good idea that, if approved, would boost Massachusetts’ position as an economic leader among states. There’s also little evidence for opponents’ claims that outmigration or tax planning by the state’s millionaires will significantly undercut the projected billions of dollars the measure would

h2.cbpp-h2-n { padding-left:25pt; position:relative; } span.cbpp-h2-n { position:absolute; left:0pt; } On September 13, the Census Bureau will release 2021 poverty, income, and health insurance data from its Current Population Survey (CPS). The figures will show the impact of extraordinary government efforts to bolster economic security and health coverage in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including new data on the reduction in child poverty due to the expanded Child Tax Credit. The figures will reflect the recovering economy in 2021, although not this year’s continued job growth