Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Poverty in Illinois

Heartland Alliance has released the seventh annual "Report on Illinois Poverty", which illustrates that Illinois families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Over 85% of Illinois’ 102 counties had increases in poverty, nearly 1.5 million Illinoisans are poor – almost 700,000 of them live in extreme poverty, below half the poverty line – and over one third of Illinoisans in poverty are children.

The report finds that:
  • Economic inequality in Illinois continues to worsen.
  • Illinois’ future is threatened by poverty and economic disadvantage among young adults.
  • Illinoisans in extreme poverty face significant hardship in trying to meet their basic needs.
  • Illinois’ fiscal health crisis jeopardizes the current and future economic well-being of families and communities.
  • Income support programs, designed to supplement worker’s low wages, are being compromised by inadequate benefit levels, as well as capacity and access issues.

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