Poverty

People without homes are among those facing COVID-19’s most severe consequences, including high infection rates, and, for older adults and those with pre-existing health conditions, increased risk of severe complications or death. 

We at the Center stand with the countless organizations, activists, community groups, religious and civic leaders, and others in calling for justice for George Floyd — and for fundamental, systemic reforms to foster racial equity and end racial injustice.

Though the April 2020 jobs report showed huge losses for all workers, regardless of race or ethnicity, history is clear that different groups experience downturns with significantly differing intensities.

Governors and other state officials can play a central role in reaching these individuals.

This week at CBPP, we focused on state budgets and taxes, health, food assistance, and the economy.

The CARES Act includes a $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to help states, populous cities and counties, tribal governments, and U.S. territories cover unanticipated costs from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic effects.

The “risk corridor” provisions that were added at the last minute to the House-passed Heroes Act would provide an unnecessary benefit for health insurers and do not merit inclusion in the next COVID-19 relief bill. With no indication that health insurers’ net costs are rising due to the pandemic, even well-designed risk corridors should be a low priority for federal legislation compared to other, far more urgent needs.

This paper explains the MOE’s requirements and recommends how states can best implement continuous coverage.

Whenever our kids return to school, a severely diminished learning experience awaits them unless the federal government learns an important lesson from the past and significantly boosts state aid — and soon.

This week at CBPP, we focused on state budgets and taxes, food assistance, the federal budget, health, and the economy.

State revenues have plummeted due to COVID-19. On May 15, the House of Representatives passed economic stimulus legislation — known as the Heroes Act — that includes significant new resources to help states avoid mass layoffs of teachers, health care workers, first responders, and others, as well as desperately needed fiscal relief for tribes and U.S. territories.

In our new series of brief videos, SNAP (food stamp) participants, policy experts, and others describe how SNAP helps Americans weather crises — including the current health and economic crisis — by supporting workers and those temporarily unemployed, boosting the economy, helping families put food on the table, and

It would be unwise and self-defeating to let debt concerns deter policymakers from taking needed steps to fight hardship and to bolster and then revive the economy.

SNAP (food stamps) responds quickly to increased need, such as during economic downturns and natural disasters, and the economic crisis spurred by COVID-19 is no exception. Indeed, the rise in the number of SNAP participants in recent weeks is unprecedented, with 2 million (14 percent) more people accessing benefits between February and April in the 17 states that have posted such data.

As economic projections worsen, so do the likely state budget shortfalls from COVID-19’s economic fallout. We now project shortfalls of $765 billion over three years, based on the new projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) of yesterday and Goldman Sachs of last week.

"People of color are experiencing disproportionately more infections and hospitalizations with people of color also overrepresented in jobs that are at higher infection risk now and in the jobs hardest hit economically."

Congress should take steps to help as many people as possible access marketplace plans at this critical time.

The Heroes Act, which the House passed May 15, includes an important SNAP (food stamp) benefit increase that would help families put food on the table when many are struggling and provide stimulus for the economy when it’s most needed. We urge the Senate to quickly approve this SNAP boost.

This week at CBPP, we focused on the economy, state budgets and taxes, health, food assistance, housing, federal taxes, family income support, and Social Security.