Posted on

GOP: Homelessness is Among Top Concerns

Dorothy Day Center residents sit outside Convention CenterBesides pigeon dung, homelessness is among the top concerns for organizers of the Republican National Convention.  Not because they want to solve the homelessness problem, but because it’s going to be right across the street from their convention.

This year’s Republican National Convention is being held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota directly across the street from one of the city’s largest homeless shelters, the Dorothy Day Center.  The Center houses about 200 people and is clearly visible from the Convention steps. Continue reading “GOP: Homelessness is Among Top Concerns”

Posted on

Poverty Facts Released

The Urban Institute recently released a report called “Poverty Facts, 2004.”

According to the report:

In 2004, 36.6 million people—or 12.6 percent of the U.S. population—were poor. The “poverty gap”—the amount of additional income required to remove all Americans from poverty—was $105.6 billion. Poverty rates were highest for African Americans, Hispanics, women, and persons under 25. Without government benefits, 61 million people would be poor. Social Security and other social insurance programs remove 21 million people from poverty. Means tested programs remove 3 million people from poverty. If food and housing assistance were counted as income for poverty purposes, an additional 7.6 million people would be counted as not poor.

Full report: Poverty Facts, 2004

Posted on

The Plan to Gentrify DC

Last week, This American Life featured a segment on gentrification in Washington, DC. Gentrification in DC, residents say, is not led by market forces, but is rather an orchestrated plan to displace blacks from neighborhoods to make way for rich whites.

“The Plan” is incredibly moving and persuasive. It highlights gentrification signs like local government closing public schools, libraries, and hospitals to replace them with condos and, among other things, sushi restaurants. Others, from around the country, discuss how their cities purposely allowed neighborhoods to deteriorate so developers can buy land for cheaper prices.

Is “the plan” a conspiracy theory? Maybe. But the results are striking.

Full Episode: 350: Human Resources