• jpreston2005@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    If we have programs set up to aid people that are earning 200-250% of the federal poverty level, then what it really says is that our federal guidelines for what constitutes “living in poverty” is drastically out of date.

    $15,060 per year for 1 person

    $31,200 per year for a family of 4 (Shouldn’t this be 4x the individual amount anyway?)

    These are just ludicrous. avg rent on a 1 bedroom is $1,500/ month, or $18,000/year

    We have a poverty crisis that isn’t being realized by the data, because federal guidelines say it’s A-OK for a person to be working full time and living on the street

    • LimeZest@discuss.tchncs.de
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      A family of four doesn’t need four kitchens and four bedrooms, so not every cost scales linearly as a household increases in size. Some things are also cheaper in bulk than if you are just buying enough for one person. I do think a family of four probably needs more than twice what a single person needs, however, but I am no expert on this. In any case, housing costs have drastically outpaced wages and safety nets, which is massively evident by all the homeless camps everywhere.

      • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        7 months ago

        I mean, I’d love to have my own kitchen… Personally I prefer the life of the Solarian (from The Foundation series, possibly the greatest Science Fiction series ever)