income requirements by program; and
WHEREAS, Poverty affects rural, suburban and urban residents
alike, with individuals from each of these areas reporting
similar barriers to escaping poverty, including a lack of child-
care services, housing, food, transportation, adult education
and job opportunities that pay livable wages; and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, there are 165,000 Black or
African-American children living in families where neither
parent has full-time, year-round employment; and
WHEREAS, The barriers of escaping poverty entrap individuals
living in poverty and prevents them from improving their
circumstances; and
WHEREAS, Benefits cliffs negatively impact employers,
individuals receiving benefits and their families; and
WHEREAS, In the United States, the average minimum wage
worker would need to work about 86 hours per week in order to
afford a one-bedroom rental home; and
WHEREAS, In this Commonwealth, roughly 403,600 residents are
paying more than 50% of income on housing; and
WHEREAS, Although 1.9 million residents in this Commonwealth
receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
benefits, approximately 10% of households still face food
insecurity; and
WHEREAS, The unavailability of quality, affordable child care
in this Commonwealth can leave families with a hard choice to
make, with the average annual cost of child care being $11,300;
and
WHEREAS, Children are the most likely of all populations to
live in poverty, with 17% of children in this Commonwealth
living in poverty; and
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