Poverty

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Domestic Poverty

Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest countries, Jesus’ claim that “the poor you will always have with you” remains a reality in the United States.  More than 13% of our countrymen live below even the government’s very low “poverty line” and unbelievably 1 in 3 children in the US do not have enough food and clothing for anything like a normal life.  For more details on poverty, please see our issue of In All Things on Poverty (2006).

The Jesuit Conference seeks to address domestic poverty by focusing on housing, minimum wage and recovery of the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina, particularly housing needs.  The office supports the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in the their effort to shine a light on these concerns and call upon the government and Catholics alike to ensure that all Americans can live in dignity.

Work, at its best, is God’s invitation to join in Creation.  It is normally in making our contribution to our society and world that we participate in its wealth.  An economic arrangement that breaks that connection, making it impossible to one to receive just pay for the work contribution, is an unjust situation.  In America, it is increasingly difficult to survive on the minimum wage.  Thus, we support a minimum wage that is a living wage. 

Rent or housing payment is a common struggle for low-income families making the minimum wage.  Housing is a stubborn, relentless demand: it is either paid or not; it cannot be paid in full or downsized.  With many other likeminded groups, the Jesuit Conference works to establish a National Housing Trust Fund to make the construction of much needed affordable housing more secure.  We demand the continued funding of the successful “section 8” housing program.  Finally we will work to make the housing one of the budget priorities of this Congress.  For more information on housing, please see the In All Things issue  (2005)

Hurricane Katrina and the manmade disaster that followed it highlighted the reality of poverty – and racism – in graphic terms.  More than 18 months after Hurricane Katrina struck, only 500 people of 103,000 applicants have received assistance to rebuild their homes.  With the Jesuits and partners of the New Orleans Province, we continue to educate people to this reality, encourage the stunningly generous level of volunteer support from so many Jesuit ministries, and seek to keep the demand for justice to the Gulf Coast before our government and Congress, and not allow it to be washed away as were so many lives and livelihoods. 

Any society can be judged by how it treats those in need.  We ask you to join us in a preferential option for the poor, because when the poor are well treated, our society and our Church are that much healthier, that much closer to the Kingdom our God is continually creating for us.

Resources

Affordable Housing

US Bishops on affordable housing
National Low-Income Housing Coalition
Background on National Housing Trust Fund
Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America (Catholic Charities)

Katrina

List of contacts and resources for victims
American Bar Association legal resources
List of government Katrina efforts
Louisiana Interfaith Community Organizing

NGOs

US Bishop’s Conference
Christian Anti-Poverty information
Coalition on Human Needs
Bread for the World
List of NGOS working on poverty

Governmental/Intergovernmental

USAID
World Bank
UN Development Program

Research

The Earth Institute (focusing on sustainable development)
USDA economic research
Institute for Research on Poverty (Midwest focus)
Bibliography