Federal Poverty Levels: Way Off
By “poverty” we mean generally not having or being able to afford the basic costs of living (including food, housing, clothing, hygiene, transportation, childcare, phone). In the so-called U.S., who is officially considered poor and thus “deserves” assistance and who’s not is determined by the federal poverty levels (FPL), a specific income amount. The different poverty levels correspond to different household sizes (including all income in a household), and they are what’s used by every government agency from the Census Bureau to the Department of Social Services. As such they also end up being what most mainstream journalists and the general public go by (like The Roanoke Times’ recent articles from May & July 2017). The thing is, the FPL were originally based on the lowest average cost of food for a family in 1955 multiplied by three, and *though they are increased by a few hundred dollars every year* they’ve never been changed to reflect reality.
All you have to do is glance at them to know they aren’t accurate or realistic. “Household of one: $12,060/yr” (which is $764/month, take-home pay)… If you compare average minimum monthly expenses for yourself or someone else in Roanoke with these federal levels you see they’re actually way off: by about half. In other words, there are twice as many people in or near poverty than our government acknowledges.
Poverty In Roanoke
Taking into account that the government guidelines are half off, and Roanoke’s poverty rate for 2016 was listed as 22.3%, that means half of all peoples here are in or near poverty. One in two of us! Isn’t that at least better than it was decades ago? No.
In 1969, Roanoke’s poverty rate was listed as 11.2%. Poverty in Roanoke has not only not decreased despite the city’s efforts and claims of ‘fighting poverty’ and the efforts of many non-profits here, it has actually doubled over the past 50 years. It isn’t getting better; it’s been getting worse. This shows us that whatever officials and non-profits are doing (despite most of their programs being needed and useful) is not addressing the roots.
On top of being grossly under-measured, and having doubled in the past 50 years, the urgency and seriousness of poverty is often minimized (talked about as something that can wait or that isn’t violent), not to mention systemically racist (disproportionately affecting Black and Brown people). For those who say “racism is a thing of the past,” here’s one glaring instance of how race and class *still* play out in Roanoke: the poverty rate for Black persons here is more than double that of whites. This is the legacy of 400 years of slavery, Jim Crow, and capitalism. Capitalism is built on racism, which is and has been a tool of the rich to keep their profits, while keeping us pitted against each other.
![RPPN Prop - Roanoke Poverty [past 50 years]](https://i0.wp.com/roanokeworkers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/rppn-prop-roanoke-poverty-past-50-years.jpg?w=487&h=487&crop=1&ssl=1 "RPPN Prop - Roanoke Poverty [past 50 years]")
![RPPN Prop - Roanoke Poverty [2016]](https://i0.wp.com/roanokeworkers.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/rppn-prop-roanoke-poverty-2016.jpg?w=241&h=241&crop=1&ssl=1 "RPPN Prop - Roanoke Poverty [2016]")
Capitalism Produces & Requires Poverty
So what are the roots of poverty? In one of the richest countries in the world, where there are 10 empty houses for every 1 homeless person and half of us live check to check, the only reason anyone doesn’t have enough to meet our basic needs is ultimately a selfish system. Poverty is not an individual or personal failure, it is a social and systemic issue. It is a direct result of colonial settlers stealing, hoarding natural resources, enslaving, committing genocide, and paying workers less than the value of our labor. The biggest leeches and continual causes of poverty are the people and industries that produce nothing; they make money off of money (capital, or assets, or others labor). These are the banks, the stockholders, landlords, CEOs and “owners”. Capitalism both produces and requires poverty; for the few to have extreme fortunes they take from the rest of us, especially Black & Brown, LGBTQ persons & Women.