COMMUNITY MATTERS
		Focusing on Poverty in Utah

For most of us, the anticipation of spending time with friends and family, exchanging gifts, and celebrating during the holiday season brings an inner warmth that defies the bleak weather and comforts the soul. There are, however, many people who cannot find such comfort in the holidays, as they face the reality of not being able to provide for their families’ basic needs, let alone fulfilling the hopes of their children for that special gift.

More than 232,000 Utahns are living in “official” poverty – on incomes below $19,000 for a family of four according to the Federal Poverty Level. Perhaps even more striking is the fact that another 500,000 Utahns are struggling in what many call “working poverty” with incomes that are below $38,000/year for a family of four. Together the number of Utahns struggling with insufficient income is roughly three times the entire population of Davis County.

Poverty manifests itself in many ways. Low-income people are four times more likely than higher income people to be uninsured and are far less likely to have access to job-based coverage. The uninsured and underinsured are also more likely to carry medical debt, making them even less financially stable. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 420,000 Utahns (16.6 percent of the population) are uninsured. That’s enough to fill the Energy Solutions Arena to capacity more than 20 times.

The lack of affordable housing can be another major problem for low-income households. Housing costs in Utah have risen dramatically in recent years and many families must spend far more than 30% of their income for housing. Using the 30% standard, an individual needs to earn $13.36/hour in order to afford a 2 bedroom apartment in Utah - 259 percent of the minimum wage, The growing gap between income and housing costs leads many people into homelessness. According to the Utah Division of Housing and Community Development, Utah had an average of 2,470 homeless people in shelters nightly in 2005. However, this number does not include people living in transitional housing nor does it count those who camp, live in cars or are doubled-up in less than ideal circumstances.

Hunger is another common problem faced by Utahns who live in poverty. Utah ranks third in the nation for the incidence of hunger, a statistic that illustrates what we already know: Even those who do not count as officially poor do not always have sufficient income to meet their basic needs. Even during the recent economic recovery demand for emergency food assistance increased 17% between 2002 and 2005.

All of these problems combined make the holiday season difficult for Utah’s low-income population. While UWSL works with many community partners to address both the basic needs of low-income families and find long-term solutions to these challenges, we are also coordinating efforts with other holiday assistance programs to bring cheer to families in need. I extend my personal invitation to you to contribute to this worthwhile cause. Please click here to find out how you can contribute or volunteer.

Sincerely,
Deborah S. Bayle
President and CEO