The Scale of Poverty
The number of Americans officially living below the federal poverty line, according to Desmond
What is 38 million
The federal minimum wage
Desmond’s research shows this city sees over 16,000 evictions annually
What is Milwaukee
This 1996 welfare reform replaced direct aid with time-limited benefits and work requirements
What is TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
Cash payments to all citizens, which Desmond argues could eliminate poverty
What is universal basic income
Desmond states that 1 in 8 children in the U.S. live in this condition
The percentage of renters who spend over half their income on housing
What is 25%
For every dollar budgeted to TANF, only this amount reaches poor families
What is 22 cents
Expanding this tax credit for low-income workers could lift millions out of poverty
What is earned income tax credit
The percentage of Americans who will experience poverty by age 60
What is 40%
Employers steal more from workers annually through this crime than all robberies, burglaries, and car thefts combined
What is wage theft
Black women are twice as likely as white renters to face this traumatic event
What is eviction
The U.S. spends more on tax breaks for the top 1% than on this entire anti-poverty program
What is SNAP (food stamps)
Strengthening these worker organizations could reduce wage theft and inequality
The poverty rate for Black Americans is nearly double this group’s rate
What is white Americans
Corporations profit from poverty by keeping wages low and relying on these taxpayer-funded programs
What is government subsidies
For every $1 the government spends on affordable housing, it spends $3 on these for the wealthy
What is homeowner tax subsidies
Desmond argues poverty persists because the affluent use their power to protect this
What is the status quo
A policy to guarantee safe, affordable housing as a human right
What is universal housing vouchers
Desmond argues poverty is not a “lack of character” but a lack of this
What is cash
The top 1% of Americans own more wealth than this percentage of the population combined
What is the bottom 60%
Only 1 in 4 families eligible for this federal housing aid actually receives it
What are housing vouchers
A law that allows landlords to evict tenants without cause in most states
What are the no clause eviction clause
Desmond’s radical idea: ending poverty requires dismantling this system that benefits the rich
What is structural inequality