Stimulus Emergency Fund for Needy Families – Louisiana

Louisiana bypasses federal funds for needy, By Mike Hasten, September 10, 2009, Shreveport Times: “Louisiana is not taking advantage of federal stimulus dollars to help its poorest residents because it can’t afford to put up the matching funds needed to claim the money, the head of the state Department of Social Services says. DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols also says unless programs are created at a time when the state is looking for ways to cut existing programs, Louisiana doesn’t qualify for the funds. A ProPublica/USA Today story published earlier this week singles out Louisiana as one of 23 states not utilizing tens of millions of dollars each that’s available for helping the poor even though Louisiana has the second highest poverty rate in the nation. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act put $5 billion into an emergency fund for states to use through their federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs. The emergency fund could be used to help states handle increased welfare caseloads, pay rent for families facing eviction, create temporary jobs for the unemployed or put cash in people’s pockets…”