NOTE: Hyperlinks provided in this policy fax briefing were correct as of the time of publication.

December 2000 - Vol. 2, No 10

• U.S. Conference on Mayors Releases Report on Hunger and Homelessness
• Report Assesses Poverty Research Needs
• Several Reports Contradict Message on Success of Welfare Reform
• USDA Food and Nutrition Service Announces Availability of Funds for Outreach Grants to Improve Access to Food Stamp Program

U.S. Conference on Mayors Releases Report on Hunger and Homelessness

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has released the results of its 16th annual survey, Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America's Cities. Survey results reveal that:

• In the past year requested emergency food assistance is estimated to have increased by an average of 17%, the second highest rate of increase since 1992.
• Requests for food assistance by families with children increased by an average of 16%, the highest rate of increase since 1991.
• The average demand for emergency shelter increased by 15%, the highest one-year increase in ten years.
• Officials from nearly every surveyed city reported that the primary cause of homelessness was the lack of affordable housing.
• Estimates are that, on average, single men comprise 44% of the homeless population, families with children 36%, single women 13% and unaccompanied minors 7%. The homeless population is estimated to be comprised of 50% African-American, 35% white, 12% Hispanic, 2% Native American and 1% Asian persons.
• An average of 22% of homeless people in the surveyed cities are considered mentally ill; 37% are substance abusers; 26% are employed, and 15% are veterans.

The full survey results are posted online at the Conference's website, www.usmayors.org.

Report Assesses Poverty Research Needs

The Joint Center for Poverty Research, affiliated with Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, recently surveyed policy makers to solicit what they think academics should address in poverty policy research. The respondents, who held state and federal government posts in TANF administration, child support enforcement, and social services, suggested the following as the most pressing needs in research to date:

• Nearly all participants thought an examination of the changing demographic of poverty was of urgent importance. The growing working class, that has developed as a result of welfare time limits and a strong economy, currently faces undue material hardship due to low pay, little opportunity for advancement, and scarce benefits.
• With federal cash benefits no longer a guarantee for the poor, it will be necessary to devote more research attention to supplemental benefits. Respondents pinpointed quality childcare that is financially accessible and flexible as a primary policy issue, in addition to food stamps and WIC as the only programs that will be sensitive to the changing economic and personal circumstances of former welfare recipients.

Policy administrators also expressed the need for better methods to communicate research to policy makers and administrators on the effects of various programs under welfare reform and also on the efficacy of the institutions administrating social services on the state and federal levels.

The full report comprised the November-December 2000 issue of Poverty Research News and can be accessed at www.jcpr.org.

Several Reports Contradict Message on Success of Welfare Reform

In his radio address of December 16, 2000, President Clinton expressed his pride in the success of welfare reform measures passed during his administration, stating, "I am pleased to announce that over the past eight years we've cut welfare case loads by more than eight million people. Last year alone, 1.2 million parents on welfare went to work, determined to build better lives. Nationwide over the last eight years, welfare rolls have dropped nearly 60 percent, and now are the lowest in more than 30 years."

Other recent reports, based on the experience of those no longer on welfare, however, describe a very different picture of the status of families who have recently left welfare for work. The Children's Defense Fund, in a new report, Families Struggling to Make It in the Workforce: A Post Welfare Report, surveyed more than 5,200 former welfare recipients in 1999 who have left welfare and found that:

• 58% of those who are working have family earnings below the poverty line.
• Nearly a third of parents who left welfare for work have lost their jobs, and many have cycled in and out of the workforce.
• More than half of the employed parents are unable to pay the rent, buy food, afford needed medical care, or have had their telephone or electric service disconnected.
• Many have ended up in low-paying jobs, without benefits, and have been forced to seek emergency services from homeless shelters and food pantries.
• Stable employment is extremely unlikely for former recipients without a high school diploma and those without child care and transportation.
• Families who have been sanctioned from welfare receipt for non-compliance with the new rules are more likely to be burdened by educational deficiencies and health problems than are current recipients.
• Despite low earnings, approximately half of the families surveyed are not receiving the food stamps for which they are eligible.

The report cites as critical the role that caseworkers play in informing clients of available services and thereby affecting the clients' chances of successful employment. The full report is available online at www.childrensdefense.org.

The Associated Press also reports that the working poor are experiencing an inability to make ends meet which is driving up demand at food banks across the country. Low wages and a lack of health benefits, combined with higher housing and fuel costs, are forcing families to choose between critical needs and turn to emergency services to get by. Many of these families have recently left welfare and may be unaware that they remain eligible for food stamps, according to the report.

USDA Food and Nutrition Service Announces Availability of Funds for Outreach Grants to Improve Access to Food Stamp Program

Recognizing that recent dramatic declines in food stamp participation cannot be fully explained by a healthy economy and welfare reform, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has announced a Request for Applications. Applications may be submitted by interested non-profit organizations and/or non-food stamp governmental entities to construct replicable models for educating food stamp eligible persons not currently participating in the food stamp program about the benefits of the program and how to apply for them. FNS seeks modest-scale projects that may be feasible for widespread replication, carried out by organizations with close ties to the target population groups (low-income families with children; former or current recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); 'Able-bodied adults without dependents'; elderly individuals or families, and/or immigrants and non-English speaking minorities.

Among FNS's goals are that the funded projects will:

• Develop, test and document feasible, effective, and efficient methods of helping potentially eligible customers learn about, apply for and/or receive food stamp benefits when eligible.
• Identify and document those aspects of the FSP that make it difficult for applicants to access the program and help devise and implement practical means to overcome these obstacles.
• Develop and implement community partnerships as a means of reaching potential customers and improving regular customer access.
• Create and carry out a well-defined and well-documented test of several different aspects of the undertaking.
• Establish formal working relationships with the State/local food stamp office and document these relationships with a letter of commitment or memorandum of understanding.

FNS will award at least $3 million. Proposals may be for any amount up to $300,000 and must be received by 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 5, 2001. For the full Request for Applications and further details, go to www.fns.usda.gov/fsp.GRANTS/Program Access.HTM, or contact Bernice Cockrell or Jorge Bernardo at (703) 305-2250.