“Although the 1996 welfare reform pushed millions of low-income single moms into the workforce, it did nothing to improve the conditions of low-wage jobs. In fact, if anything, economic theory (and plain old common sense) might support the opposite conclusion:… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“America’s cash welfare program—the main government program that caught people when they fell—was not merely replaced with the 1996 welfare reform; it was very nearly destroyed. In its place arose a different kind of safety net, one that provides a… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Of the $16.5 billion the federal government transfers to states for TANF, more than $11 billion is siphoned off for other uses, sometimes to… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Survival strategies come in three forms. The first is taking advantage of public spaces and private charities—the nation’s libraries, food pantries, homeless shelters, and… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Parents like Jennifer, Susan, and Rae express desires that are quite modest. Full-time hours come first. That is a prize that can be astonishingly… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Housing instability is a hallmark of life among the $2-a-day poor. Children experiencing $2-a-day poverty are far more likely to move over the course… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“As a practical matter, it is far more difficult to traffic in SNAP than it once was. Back in the days when folks got… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deems a family that is spending more than 30 percent of its income on housing… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Government-subsidized private sector job creation is one way forward. Recently, the federal government sponsored a promising short-term subsidized jobs program through something called the… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Out of every one hundred Americans, fewer than two get aid from today’s cash welfare program. Just 27 percent of poor families with children… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Already in 2001, 63 percent of very low income households were putting more than half their income toward housing, leaving too little for other… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Providing the ultimate safety net is the role that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is supposed to play, but it hasn’t proved to be… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“The most obvious manifestation of the affordable housing crisis is in rising rents. Between 1900 and 2013, rents rose faster than inflation in virtually… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
“Yet laying the blame on a lack of personal responsibility obscures the fact that there are powerful and ever-changing structural forces at play here.… — Kathryn Edin Copy Share Image
