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General Poverty Resources

>>....Think Tanks and Information Clearinghouses

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

A nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that researches and analyzes government policies/programs, with an emphasis on those affecting low- and moderate-income people. Many reports, news. Information on and state eligibility tables for Start Healthy, Stay Healthy campaign, which offers free and low-cost health insurance.

Poverty on the Development Gateway (dgPoverty)

           Diverse group of people who share information and build partnerships around a  

           comprehensive knowledge base on poverty.

Inequality.Org

News, information and expertise on the divide in income, wealth and health. Statistics, news and opinion, links to print resources, articles, and Web sites. Nice design.

Joint Center for Poverty Research (Northwestern Univ./Univ. of Chicago/DHHS)

This center supports academic research that examines what it means to be poor and live in America, and it concentrates on the causes and consequences of poverty in America and the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing poverty. Of special interest are

• changing labor markets and the causes of inequality in the current labor market
• family functioning and the well-being of children
• the impact of concentrated urban poverty
• public policy

Web site includes tips for welfare reporters, policy briefs, working papers, newsletter, publications, events listing, links. Poverty FAQs for: Official Measures of Poverty, Populations in Poverty, Poverty Myths, TANF/Welfare, more.

Ethics Updates: Literature on Poverty and Welfare (Univ. of San Diego - Larry Hinman)

Links to MANY articles and an extensive bibliography of print literature on poverty.

American Public Human Services Association (DC)

Nice site, easy to read and navigate. APHSA is a non-profit, bi-partisan organization, made up of individuals and agencies concerned with human services. Its mission is to develop, promote, and implement public human service policies to improve health and well-being of families, children, and adults. Site offers news, publications, jobs listing, press releases, conference listings, state-specific info, policy stands, a web discussion board, many categorized poverty links, and a welfare reform history timeline, from 1993-1998.

Institute for Research on Poverty (Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison)

FAQ about poverty, research, publications, huge set of links categorized by topic, including activism, children and families, economics, population, welfare reform, more.

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) (DC)

A national non-profit organization with expertise in both law and policy affecting the poor. CLASP seeks to improve the economic security of low-income families with children through education, policy research and advocacy, and secure access for low-income persons to our civil justice system. Info about CLASP and its programs and services, publications and links.

HandsNet

"HandsNet empowers organizations to integrate effective online communications strategies to strengthen their programs and policies for children, families and people in need." Good resource for news alerts. Primary feature is fee-based Web Clipper, which gathers personalized collections of human services articles for clients.

>>....Factsheets, Articles, Reports, Resource Lists, Handbooks & Journals

Urban Institute Issue Focus: The Working Poor (Urban Institute)

Reports, forum, and commentary: Playing By the Rules But Losing the Game: America's Working Poor; Career Advancement Prospects and Strategies for Low-Wage Minority Workers; Coordination and Integration of Welfare and Workforce Development Systems; Job Prospects for Welfare Recipients, Employers Speak Out; Does Work Pay? Work Incentives Under TANF; Are There Good Jobs for Low-Skilled Workers?; Assisting Low-skilled Workers Can Help Ease the Labor Shortage; New Incentives Reward the Jump Into Jobs.

Atlantic Monthly's Poverty Articles

Twelve in-depth articles on various facets of poverty, written from 1971-1998. Topics

include urban affairs, the underclass, economics, housing, welfare.

Research Forum on Children, Families and the New Federalism

For use by researchers in the field. Searchable database of about 160 completed and ongoing studies related to families and welfare reform. Completed studies list findings and/or recommendations based on the studies, which include: Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study, Growing Up in Poverty Project, Teenage Parent Demonstration Program, a number of state and local studies, many impact studies and studies of program "leavers," etc.

Focus (Institute for Research on Poverty)

Coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues. Short essays on selected pieces of research. Site offers PDF versions of all issues, as well as contents listing for each issue.

Poverty FAQs (Joint Center for Poverty Research)

FAQs includes Official Measures of Poverty, Populations in Poverty, Poverty Myths, TANF/Welfare, more.

Sustaining Community Network: Justice and Equality

"Justice and equity are fundamental in a civilized society. Examples of injustice are a lack of adequate housing, poor sanitation, an inadequate supply of pure water, and environmental degradation related to industrial pollution. This section offers options for change and resources for positive action." Includes Online Resources, Reading, and Case Studies.

>>....Statistics, Data, & other numbers

Inequality.Org Statistics on Income, Wealth, and Health

Very detailed. Health section includes data on infant mortality, life expectancy, and the uninsured.

U.S. Census Bureau Poverty Page

Topics include How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty, Poverty Thresholds, HHS Poverty Guidelines; Poverty in the United States: Detailed Historical Tables from the Current Population Survey, Map of poverty rates by state; income data as described in next item.

Income Statistics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Includes data on Money Income in the United States; Detailed Historical Tables; Dynamics of Economic Well-Being (Moving Up and Down the Income Ladder); Child Support; Income Inequality; 4-Person Median Family Income by State; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Income Measurement.

Stateline.Org: Income and Poverty Data

Figures for Median Household and Per Capita Income, Percentage of People Living in Poverty, and Unemployment Rate. All figures matched against U.S. figures. Links to figures for all other states.

Rural By the Numbers: Poverty and Welfare (Rural Policy Research Institute)

Findings and stats relevant to rural poverty

 

Improving the Measurement of American Poverty (La Follette Institute of Public Affairs - Wisconsin)

An article based on two unpublished reports: Improving the Measurement of American Poverty, Brookings Institution and IRP (1997), and Changing the Way the United States Measures Income and Poverty: A Progress Report, U.S. Bureau of the Census (1997). Presented at a conference on poverty measurement in April, 1999.

 

>>....Curricula, Courses, Reading Lists, and Bibliographies

Reading List for a Graduate Course on Poverty and Public Policy (Joint Centers on Poverty Research)

Required and Recommended books lists, and a detailed syllabus that could be used for a do-it-yourself course in the topic. Covers measuring poverty, causes of poverty, historical responses, over 15 various public responses and consequences, dynamic of poverty and welfare.

>>....Organizations & Agencies

Coalition on Human Needs (DC)

"An alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies which address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations. The Coalition’s members include civil rights, religious, labor and professional organizations and those concerned with the well-being of children, women, the elderly and people with disabilities." For the most content, check out their Issues and Resources Page, which links to topics areas including Child Care, Child Welfare, Community Reinvestment Act, Disability Issues, Earned Income Tax Credit, Energy Assistance, Food and Nutrition, Homeless Issues, Housing, Immigrant Benefits, Juvenile Justice, Poverty and Income, and more..

National Community Action Partnership

The largest national organization representing the interests of Community Action Agencies and other private and public groups organized to fight poverty at the local level." Web site provides general information on community action agencies, events listing, professional development section, and brief statements of policy issues, including family services and development -- Child Care, Head Start, Education, Food & Child Nutrition, Income Security, Healthcare, Transportation.

National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP)

"NASCSP’s mission is to assist states in responding to poverty issues. NASCSP members are state administrators of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program (DOE/WAP). The CSBG, administered by the states, provides core funding to local agencies to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities and to empower low-income families to become self-sufficient. The DOE/WAP helps low-income families reduce their energy costs by making homes more energy-efficient." Web site has issues briefs (in PDF) on Childcare, Individual Development Accounts, Economic Development, and Welfare Reform; legislative newsletter articles on utility restructuring, welfare reform, weatherization, and innovative programming; conference and event info; etc.

World Wide Web Resources for Social Workers (WWWRSW), and Information for Practice (IP)

WWWRSW is a huge database of links to professional resources.  The majority of these links are to the “grey literature”  -  full text scientific, technical and policy reports. Also links to scholarly journals, newsletters and articles. A wide range of links to relevant government agencies, educational institutions and professional organizations are also included. This site is updated daily.

Welfare and Welfare Reform Resources

>>....Think Tanks and Information Clearinghouses

Public Agenda Online

Excellent resource for understanding welfare reform. Stories, perspectives, facts, trends, graphs; links to interesting facts, findings, and perspectives; how the public defines the issues; public views on policy options; areas of public consensus and demographic division; suggestions for further reading; and more.

Welfare Information Network (WIN)

"A clearinghouse for information, policy analysis, and technical assistance on welfare reform issues." Hot Topics section highlights recent issues, data, and developments; Tools Across Human Services section offers links to online organizations and publications. Legislation, research reference and data resources, and best practices discussed. Huge section on child care, another on childhood education, others on domestic violence, community-based strategies, housing, homelessness, immigrants, rural issues, TANF work requirements, teen parents, youth development, and lots more.

Poverty & Income Distribution (Electronic Policy Network)

Idea Central is the virtual magazine of the Electronic Policy Network. This section contains extensively summarized links to articles and reports on poverty and income-related issues, arranged chronologically.

The American Prospect: Children & Families Special Issue

Articles include: "Support for Working Families," "Decent Child Care at Decent Wages," "Reforming Welfare Reform," "Leave No Child Behind?," "It Takes a Tax Credit to Raise a Child," "Is the New Economy Family-Friendly?," and many others, as well as links to children's advocacy and research organizations.

Assessing the New Federalism (The Urban Institute)

"Assessing the New Federalism is a multi-year Urban Institute research project to analyze the devolution of responsibility for social programs from the federal government to the states, focusing primarily on health care, income security, job training, and social services. Web site has policy briefs, up-to-date reports, state database, newsletter, press releases, TANF income calculator, National Survey of American Families results, links, more. Major policy topics include Devolution, Fiscal & Budget, Income Support & Social Services (includes child care and housing), and Health Policy.

Welfare & Jobs: The Issue in Brief (Project Vote Smart)

Dual Welfare System chart, showing how the U.S. operates under two kinds of welfare, social welfare (for middle class) and public assistance, for the poor. Articles examine the effect of the Welfare Reform Act on child care, minimum wage, EIC, affirmative action, and more. Also examines the public's perception of welfare and related issues.

Welfare Policy Center (Hudson Institute)

Articles and speeches from 1995-2000, book reviews, research and projects. Recent newsletter in PDF format.

Welfare to Work (U.S. Dept. of Labor Employment & Training Administration)

Welfare-to-Work Highlights and latest news on implementation; Formula Grants and Competitive Grants recipients; Fact Sheets; Laws, Regulations and Directives; Federal Register Documents; Reports/Publications; Ideas That Work; HHS Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work; Press Releases and News Clippings; Labor Protections & Welfare Reform; Archived Articles; Links.

Coalition on Human Needs: Welfare to Work

Lots of background (especially about Welfare to Work grants) and bill summaries, news, links.

>>....Factsheets, Articles, Reports, Resource Lists, Handbooks & Journals

Urban Institute Issue Focus: Welfare Reform (Urban Institute)

Articles: Families Who Left Welfare: Who Are They and How Are They Doing? (1999), How Well Can Urban Labor Markets Absorb Welfare Recipients? (1999), Declines in Food Stamp and Welfare Participation: Is There a Connection?, The Welfare-to-Work Grants Program (1st year review), and symposium: Should Housing Have a Role in Welfare Reform?

Speech: Welfare Reform's Unfinished Business (Hudson Institute - Welfare Policy Center)

Subtitled: How to Serve the "Hard to Serve." Text of a speech made by Jay Hein, Aug. 1999, at a Welfare-to-Work conference. Crux of the speech are "five very effective strategies that can be employed to make us much better at helping families help themselves than we have done in the past."

Fact Sheets on Welfare to Work Grants (U.S. Dept. of Labor)

Fact sheets -- all in web version or PDF -- on Welfare-to-Work Grants; Meeting the Challenge: Welfare-to-Work Grants to Move Long-Term Welfare Recipients into Gainful Employment; Hiring Welfare Recipients Can Reduce Employer Taxes by $8,500 Per New Hire: The New Welfare-to-Work and Work Opportunity Tax Credits; Welfare-to-Work: Noncustodial Parents; Welfare to Work and Substance Abuse; Drug-Free Workplace Programs Foster Employment Success; and The Department of Labor Federal Bonding program.

Washington Post Article: Welfare's Changing Face

July 1998 article on welfare reform, divided into these subsections: The New System, Some [State] Examples, The Concerns, The Politics, Where It Stands. Also provides links to Key Stories, Opinion pieces, and Links and Resources on the topic.

>>....Statistics, Data, & other numbers

U.S. Census Bureau Poverty Page

Topics include How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty, Poverty Thresholds, HHS Poverty Guidelines; Poverty in the United States, Low Income Uninsured Children by State, Detailed Historical Tables from the Current Population Survey, Map of poverty rates by state; and income data as described in next item.

U.S. Welfare Caseloads - June 2000 (U.S. Dept. Health & Human Services)

Includes tables, graphs, and text: State by State Welfare Caseloads, by Recipients and by Families; Percentage and Number of the US Population on Welfare By Year Since 1960; Caseload Comparison since the signing of the Welfare Law; TANF Participation Rates; Other Reports and Characteristics of Welfare Recipients.

Poverty Guidelines, Research and Measurement (U.S.Dept of Health & Human Services - Office of Asst. Secretary of Planning and Evaluation)

Site offers HHS Poverty Guidelines; The Income Elasticity of the Poverty Line; and Other Aspects of U.S. Poverty Lines and Their History.

Improving the Measurement of American Poverty (La Follette Institute of Public Affairs - Wisconsin)

An article based on two unpublished reports: Improving the Measurement of American Poverty, Brookings Institution and IRP (1997), and Changing the Way the United States Measures Income and Poverty: A Progress Report, U.S. Bureau of the Census (1997). Presented at a conference on poverty measurement in April, 1999.

The Myth of Widespread American Poverty (The Heritage Foundation)

Executive summary of Sept. 1998 article, with links to HTML and PDF versions of full text. Premise is that many Americans judged by the Census Bureau to be poor are not: "Real material hardship does occur, but it is limited in extent and severity. The bulk of the 'poor' today live in material conditions that would have been judged comfortable or well-off just a few generations ago."

The State TANF Income Calculator (Urban Institute)

"How well off is a family on welfare? How does a family's net income change as an adult goes back to work? Use the State TANF Income Calculator to compute net income for a one-parent family with two children," taking into account various sources of income.

Consumption and Consumerism

>>....Think Tanks and Information Clearinghouses

Center for a New American Dream

"A not-for-profit membership-based organization that helps individuals and institutions reduce and shift consumption to enhance our quality of life and protect the environment." To find out what it's all about, check the New American Dream Core Issue page.

>>....Factsheets, Articles, Reports, Resource Lists, Handbooks & Journals

Article: Can We Have Social Justice in a Commercial Culture? (Center for a New American Dream)

Headings are Backlash Against Brand Identification, Environmental Justice is Social Justice, Valuing People Over Possessions.

Article: The Gross Domestic Product Myth: Why "Growth" Isn't Always a Good Thing (Washington Monthly)

Lengthy, provocative March 1999 article about how the GDP is not an accurate measure of progress and doesn't necessarily mean the country is headed in the right direction. "Spending more money doesn't always mean life is getting better. Often it means things are getting worse." Examples in fields of health, politics, personal finance, traffic, stress, more.

Consuming Kids (Redefining Progress)

Substantial article based on this proposition: Personal consumption of children and teens has increased steadily since the 1960s -- "But are kids progressing? Are they better off? Statistics concerning their physical and mental health, their eating, smoking, and drinking habits, their mounting debts, and their suicide rates say no." Contains lots of data (to 1998) and reports of studies.

Position Paper: Consumerism and Social Justice (Center for a New American Dream)

Discussion of "how much is enough:" "Our consumer culture assures us that each of us deserves the most we can get. More is better but it's never enough. Our culture, measuring success and personal worth in terms of material possessions, is especially cruel to the poor. Madison Avenue preys on low-income communities, saying success and status are only a purchase away. Millions of Americans, otherwise financially unable to play the shopping game, turn to plastic as a means to fit in." Many on-line and print resources referenced.

Article: The Dubious Rewards of Consumption

Originally published in New Renaissance magazine, 1990. The final sentence is "The consumer society, it seems, has impoverished us by raising our income."

Money Management/Budgeting Resources

>>....Factsheets, Articles, Reports, Resource Lists, Handbooks & Journals

Christian Financial Concepts: Crisis-Proofing Your Budget

Concrete, practical ways to budget so that the "unexpected" doesn't ambush your finances.

>>....Curricula, Courses, Reading Lists, and Bibliographies

Course: Consumer Practices of Low-Income Families with Strategies for Improved Financial Management (Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute)

This course features a long and detailed narrative on causes of poverty in America; lesson plans looking at poor and effective consumer practices, designed for 10th graders studying the issue; and relevant print resources lists. The teacher's premise is that "There is no way that even the best consumer practices can solve the problems of poverty which some families endure. However, good consumer practices are important in alleviating some of the worst aspects of it."

>>....Organizations & Agencies

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of MAINE, Inc.

111 Westcott Road, South Portland, ME 04116 / Appointment #: (800) 539-2227
Sections on debt management (info on credit reports, danger signs of money trouble), client services, education (free workshops), housing,

National Foundation for Consumer Credit

Online counseling, budget calculators, debt talk (chat room), credit facts, locations, links. For help, contact their national toll free crisis hotline at 1-800-388-2227. Information on obtaining a credit report.

Maine-Specific Poverty Resources

>>....Think Tanks and Information Clearinghouses

Maine Equal Justice Partners

This organization advocates for low-income clients in the legislature on issues such as health care reform, welfare reform, education and job training, food, housing, utilities. Site offers publications, legislative and policy analysis, links.

Coastal Enterprises Maine (Wiscasset)

A non-profit community development corporation whose "mission is to help Maine people and communities, particularly those with low incomes, reach an adequate and equitable standard of living, learning, and working in harmony with our natural environment." Web site sections on financial services, business technical assistance, affordable housing, targeted opportunities, research and policy development, sustainable economic development.

>>....Factsheets, Articles, Reports, Resource Lists, Handbooks & Journals

Article: Crossing Through the Pasture Pies: Finding Paths Out of Rural Poverty (Maine Rural Development Council)

Lengthy 1996 article, which originally appeared in Rural Connection (Winter/Spring 1997). A statistical portrait of poverty in Maine, interspersed with personal comments by the people affected by poverty and its offspring. Focus is on rural poverty. Contains many statistics from 1989-1996. Older article, but good information nonetheless.

Snapshot of Maine's TANF Families (Maine Assoc. of Interdependent Neighborhoods)

>>....Statistics, Data, & other numbers

Analysis of Income Trends: State-By-State (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities)

Choose "Maine" for a 1-page PDF file with charts showing how the gap in Mainers' income has widened since the 1970s. Published Jan. 2000.

>>....Organizations & Agencies

Maine Dept. of Human Services

Information on the bureaus included in DHS (family independence, elder and adult services, health, medical services; child and family services). Also press releases; mission; jobs; and more info.

Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods (Bangor/Waldoboro)

M.A.I.N. is a statewide voice for low-income concerns. We are a coalition of low-income individuals and organizations working together to gain control of our living conditions. Web site has MAIN's Economic Bill of Rights, legislative agenda, action alerts, a snapshot of Maine's TANF families, newsletter. Established in 1980.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Non-profit corporation that provides legal assistance to low-income Mainers. Site has news, priorities list, eligibility guidelines, PTLA's annual report, client education materials, more. Portland PTLA office has its own Web page.

Ingraham (Portland)

Non-profit, multi-purpose human services agency that assists people in crisis. Resource Link, Teen Yellow Pages, program information, frequently asked questions, etc.

Lewiston-Auburn Social Services Directory

Information on Children, Youth and Family Services; Collaborations; Disability Services; Emergency Services; 24 Hour Hotlines; First Call - Information and Referral; Employment and Training Services; Financial and Tangible Assistance; Health Care Services; and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Preble Street Resource Center (Portland)

15 Portland Street, P.O. Box 1459, Portland, ME 04104 / 207-775-0026
Provides a primary contact point for the many of Portland's homeless and low-income people. Provides free breakfast program, assistance with housing and other issues, food pantry, Sunday noon meal, more.