"New Hampshire boasts the nation's lowest percentage of people living in poverty and maintains strong national rankings in other quality-of-life measures. But 48,000 New Hampshire families struggle to make ends meet."
Additionally the article reveals a shocking and eye-opening statistic on how NH is impacted by poverty.
"Despite the overall well-being of the state, one in seven New Hampshire families lives in poverty. 1 in 7!"
The article notes that this information "brings attention to low-income families in New Hampshire." These families need support. In the article Carsey Institute Director, Cynthia 'Mil' Duncan states, "We know that economic and family stability are so important for children's future, and that stability depends on whether these families can secure sufficient earnings, government assistance, and social support to sustain a basic family budget."
The article also reports on the number of factors and trends affecting including housing costs and ability access higher education and jobs beyond the low-skilled sector.
Perspective of the persistent fear and proximity of poverty to some families is stated in the following quote:
"The adults and children that comprise New Hampshire's low-income families live in a precarious position. Even small fluctuations in their family, employment,or the economy can push a family into poverty."
The Carsey Institute's findings were not an isolated incident, earlier in the year (June 2006) NH Public radio had a news report on New Hampshire children living in poverty.
The report declares that according to "the 2006 Kids Count national survey, conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, says between 2000 and 2004 the number of poor children in New Hampshire went from 6% to 10%.
That's a 67% jump, the largest growth rate of any state nationwide."
Like the Carsey Institute the news report looks into some of the factors involved and the need of increased concern and reaction to poverty including,
-'Wages not keeping up with costs'-minimum wage
-Increased cost of health insurance
-Cost of housing (rent)
-The fact that most families facing poverty have jobs, even multiple jobs just to get by "parents scrape together whatever is available."
Toward the end of the report Ellen Shemitz of the Children's Alliance says, "the problem is bigger than a lack of affordable housing, or poor paying jobs. She says sate and federal policies make it harder for children to get out of poverty." More attention needs to be brought to issues such as minimum wage, social services, and health insurance.
Sources:
Direct Link to Carsey Institute article: http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2006/dec/as20carsey.cfm
Direct link to NHPR news report: http://www.nhpr.org/node/11126
Carsey Institute Homepage: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu
New Hamsphire Public Radio Homepage: http://www.nhpr.org
Poverty is real. Sometimes too real. In a struggling economy fear can thrive and lives can change. I am lucky to be in a caring, supportive family with a decent living. We don't go on extravagant vacations across country or abroad and we infamous clearance rack shoppers. However, I am aware and more so now that based on a number of scenarios my family and I could find ourselves facing poverty. We could become one of the one in seven families that lives in poverty in New Hampshire.
1 in 7. It really gives perspective. Pick out seven of your neighbors, seven of your friends, seven of your classmates. One in each group could be feeling the impact of poverty first hand. Poverty is hard to see but its there and sometimes closer then we tend to think it is.
-Kristen Mosher
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