Low-income, elderly residents decry federal housing cuts, By Josh Mitchell, June 3, 2012, Wyoming Tribune Eagle: “Lillian Allen, a resident of government housing in Cheyenne, is upset about federal funding cuts that could hurt her livelihood. ‘I think it’s wrong,’ the 86-year-old Cheyenne resident said. ‘I think we should help our people here in America.’ Funding to keep the Cheyenne Housing Authority’s 266 local units in good shape has been slashed by the federal government. Those units help low-income, elderly and disabled residents…”
Low-income families facing difficulty finding housing, By Jessica Holdman, June 2, 2012, Bismarck Tribune: “With a 1 percent rental vacancy rate in Bismarck-Mandan, affordable housing is hard for everyone to find, but that’s especially true for those on low and fixed incomes. ‘It (demand) is driving the cost of housing up such that there’s less and less affordable housing today,’ said Mike Anderson, executive director of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency. Even with housing assistance, North Dakota’s low-income residents can’t afford rent. ‘You can have a voucher and still not find place to live,’ Anderson said. North Dakota housing vouchers offer subsidies based on income. Those in the program contribute up to 30 percent of their personal income to rent and the state covers the rest. Renters have 60 days to find an apartment that fits their voucher. If they can’t find a place in that time, they can apply for a 60-day extension…”
Pregnant women who smoke here more than double national average, By Becky Orr, January 25, 2010, Wyoming Tribune Eagle: “The news is troubling: Plenty of Wyoming mothers smoked when they were pregnant. The recently released 2009 Kids Count Data Report finds that 20 percent of women in Wyoming smoked when they were pregnant. The statistic is from 2007, the most recent information available. That’s more than double the national average of 10 percent in 2007…”
Johnson County childhood poverty rate among the state’s lowest, By Jen Hicks, January 29, 2010, Buffalo Bulletin: “Slightly fewer Johnson County children are living in poverty according to an annual report that monitors the well-being of the nation’s youth. But the same study released last week showed an increase in the number of students who receive free or reduced school lunches. The 2009 Wyoming Kids Count Data Report, funded by the non-profit Annie E. Casey Foundation, found improvement in two of the three key indicators used to measure the economic well-being of children. Because financial stability can have a domino effect on a child’s welfare, Marc Homer, director of the Wyoming Children’s Action Alliance, a non-profit children’s advocacy organization said that it’s important to understand the economic situation children are raised in…”
