- Report: 1 in 3 Illinoisans living in, near poverty, Associated Press, January 16, 2013, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “One-third of Illinois residents are living in or near poverty, more than during the depths of the Great Recession, according to a new report that suggests the trend is not slowing and that state budget cuts have exacerbated the problem. Almost 1.9 million Illinoisans, or 15 percent, live in poverty, up from 12 percent when the recession began in late 2007. An additional 2.2 million, or 18 percent, are close to the poverty level, compared with 16.2 percent in 2007, according to the report issued Wednesday by the Chicago-based Social IMPACT Research Center…”
- 1 in 5 in suburbs in or near poverty, By Jamie Sotonoff, January 16, 2013, Daily Herald: “Carolyn Schutz has a college degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, plus decades of experience as a teacher and a business manager. She actively searches for full-time work, but the 66-year-old Wheaton woman has been able to land only a part-time administrative job that pays $8.25 an hour. Her monthly take-home pay is around $350, she said. It’s made basic necessities, like the furnished room she rents and gas for her car, almost impossible to afford, despite government assistance and help from suburban charities…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty