Among the nation’s working families, 10 million are poor.

Twenty-four million U.S. jobs (one-fifth of all jobs) do not keep a family of four out of poverty.

As of 2020, 24% of the homeless population in Jackson County are families.

Since 2020, the average rent has increased by 10 percent. This has outpaced wages and forces low-income families to move into less desirable living situations. The average monthly rent in Kansas City is $1200 per month. The housing market has seen price increases that make owning unattainable for many families.

Income inequality is at the highest levels ever recorded:

Between 2000 and 2019 nearly 16,000 households had income of less than $10,000 a year.

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Housing costs outpace wages.

A full-time worker earning minimum wage pays two-thirds of their income for rent alone.

Average wait for public housing is 1 to 3 years, and 35 months for Section 8 Vouchers.

Since 1980, Federal support for low-income housing has been cut in half. Local, state, and federal levels that positively impact affordable housing opportunities for homeless families are central to our advocacy and policy agenda.

Addressing The Problem

To truly impact poverty and increase self-sufficiency, it is important for us to identify policies and legislation that we can effectively support or influence as we carry out our mission of ending homelessness in the most effective way possible. The following report intends to do just that.

We have identified policies that impact our work of ending homelessness at federal, state, and local levels. All of the policies have broad consequences across multiple realms of social service organizations, families, and individuals. Each policy accomplishes a little bit of each of the following, we have divided these policies into three categories that align with our mission: rehousing, stabilizing, and empowering.

Stabilizing

Why It’s Important:

The Annual homeless Assessment Report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development states that in 2020 “the number of unsheltered people in families with children increased for the first time since data collection began.” This is far from a coast-specific challenge. Beyond the primary hurdle of housing the unhoused, ensuring that children exposed to trauma and other risks receive high-quality education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing them from experiencing homelessness as adults.

Data from the National Center on Family Homelessness

Data from the U.S. Department of Education

Data from the L.P. Cookingham Institute of Urban Affairs at UMKC

Data from the L.P. Cookingham Institute of Urban Affairs at UMKC

We support:

  • The Child Care Development Block Grant, which will expand access to early child education for low-income families
  • Provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Act (formerly known as No Child Left Behind) that support students experiencing homelessness
  • The creation of a funding stream to provide high quality and free Pre-K to all children in Kansas City, Missouri

 

Re-Housing

Why It’s Important: 

Housing costs out-pace wages. A full-time worker earning minimum wage cannot afford a one-bedroom unit at the fair market rent anywhere in the U.S. The average wait for public housing is 1-3 years, and the average wait for a Section 8 voucher is 35 months. Federal support for low-income housing has been cut in half since 1980. Policies at the local, state, and federal levels that positively impact affordable housing opportunities for families experiencing homelessness are central to our policy agenda.

We support:

  • The Missouri Housing Trust Fund and creative, evidence-based approaches to additional sources of revenue that meet the housing needs of very low-income families and individuals.
  • Federal and state low-income housing tax credits, as they are a successful and efficient method of facilitating rehabilitation and producing affordable housing for low-income families.
  • The National Housing Trust Fund becoming a permanent source of funding, not subject to annual appropriations, to close the gap between supply and need for affordable housing for low-income families.

Empowering

Why It’s Important: Among the nation’s working families, 10 million are poor. Twenty-four million U.S. jobs (one-fifth of all jobs) do not keep a family of four out of poverty. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour leaves even a single full-time wage earner living below the federal poverty line. The latest figures show that 82% of single parent households are headed by mothers only. The poverty rate for single-mother families was nearly 30% in 2018, about six times the rate for married-couple families (U.S. Census Bureau). Fewer than one-third of single mothers receive any child support (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2020). Self-sufficiency is dependent upon working a job with wage that can support a family.

We support

  • The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) due to its bipartisan support, its incentive to work, and the extra income put back into the hands of low-income families and individuals

To learn more about how Community LINC is addressing the problem, or to see how YOU can help, contact us below.

Trends And The Impact On Our Program

The Housing First model is a PROVEN COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION to ending homelessness nationally.

Kansas City Metro Area

Minimum Wage ($12.00)
Wage Needed to Afford Fair Market Rent ($19.71)

In the U.S., over 20 million renter households existed in housing poverty during 2017. Only 35 units per every 100 available for rent were affordable by extremely low income households.

Average Wait Time in KC for Subsidized Housing – 3 years
Average Wait Time in KC for Section 8 Housing – 35 months

Help end family homelessness in KC!

Every contribution makes a difference. Your financial support allows us to offer programs that truly transform lives in Kansas City.

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