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University of Wisconsin–Madison
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty

Day: October 23, 2012

TANF Program – Michigan

Welfare changes have saved state money; fate of ex-recipients unclear, By Ron French, October 23, 2012, MLive.com: “The number of Michigan families getting welfare checks from the state plummeted to the lowest level in more than 40 years just nine months after welfare reform was implemented. Twelve months in, the state is spending nearly $18 million a month less on cash assistance, the cumulative result of reform and an improving economy. Those figures represent the clearest picture yet of the startling scope of the state’s reform efforts. Less clear is the impact on the almost 15,000 families who lost benefits or are receiving cash assistance temporarily pending the outcome of a legal battle…”

Student Homelessness – Washington DC

Homeless student population to crest 2,500 in Fairfax County for first time, By T. Rees Shapiro, October 20, 2012, Washington Post: “The number of homeless students in Fairfax County public schools is likely to surpass 2,500 by the end of this school year, according to school officials, what would be a new record for one of the most affluent communities in the nation. Experts say the increase in homelessness among students, from kindergarten to high school, is related to the lingering effects of the recession. This year’s total will be nearly 10 times the number of homeless students counted in county schools just 15 years ago…”