A Plan to Fight Poverty
Even as the American economy achieves robust growth, many families in the Inland Empire and across the country continue to suffer from persistent poverty. My office put together the following report to highlight the impact of poverty in our community and to offer solutions that will help thousands of our neighbors, friends and family lift themselves out of poverty.
The report found:
- More than 392,000 people in Riverside County live in poverty, including 142,844 children.
- In Riverside County, Section 8 housing assistance only has funding for 8,500 families, while 20,000 families are on the waiting list.
- A single parent of two is likely to find themselves $589 short of their expenses every month.
No one working full time should be living in poverty. I want to help working families achieve economic stability through:
- Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour.
- Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit to allow low-income families to keep more of what they earn.
- Fully funding the Section 8 housing program, which gives children the stability they need to get a good education.
Want to weigh in on my plan to fight poverty?