Impact of Poverty (2000)
by Rainbow Research, Inc.
This study examines how poverty impacts the lives of
individuals and families — and the communities in which they
live.
The impacts of poverty are multiple and interrelated. For example, a lack of affordable housing means that many families move several times during the same school year. That means that their children must change schools several times, which often leads to poor school performance. And poor school performance usually means that young people enter the workforce without the skills needed for a well-paying job. Low-paid workers can’t afford adequate housing and often have little access to quality health care. Their children are likely to follow in their footsteps. And the cycle continues and repeats itself through the generations.
It is almost impossible for individuals or families to work their way out of poverty if only one of these factors is addressed. For example, a comprehensive and supportive childcare system is necessary for working-poor parents and their children, but unless we also address the issues of education, wages, housing and healthcare, it is likely that, even with excellent childcare, families will remain in poverty.
The effects of poverty are not limited to the poor. The impact of poverty is felt in neighborhoods, cities and even entire counties. In this report, we identify a number of these impacts. Some may wish to isolate or ignore the poor, but this report reminds us that the entire community has a stake in confronting the issues that create and sustain the conditions that make poverty inevitable and inescapable for so many.
This report will not, however, fulfill its purpose if it serves only as a reminder and an illustration. We hope that it will also serve as a call for discussion and action.