“Natural disasters hit high poverty communities the hardest,” says Kristina Scott, Executive Director of the Alabama Poverty Project (APP).  “They are more vulnerable to personal injury and property damage when a storm hits, have fewer financial resources and are more likely to experience severe mental health impacts, including post-traumatic stress disorder.”

According to the US Census Bureau, 14.3 percent of Americans live below the federal poverty threshold.  The poverty threshold is determined by age and number of people in a household and was $21,954 for a two-adult, two-child household in 2009, the most recent year for which poverty data is available.

The Census Bureau also reports that 17.5 percent of Alabamians live in poverty.  Fourteen of the tornado-impacted counties have poverty rates greater than 20 percent, including Chambers (20.7 percent), Choctaw (22.8 percent), Clarke (29.1 percent), DeKalb (21.7 percent), Franklin (21.8 percent), Greene (28.4 percent), Hale (26.6 percent), Marengo (24.9 percent), Marion (21.2 percent), Monroe (23.4 percent), Perry (31 percent), Pickens (28 percent), Sumter (35.1 percent) and Winston Counties (24.9 percent).  A full list of impacted counties with key poverty data is attached.  More information is also available on the APP website at http://alabamapossible.org/datasheet/.

In their 2004 report “Poverty and Disasters in the United States,” Sociologists Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek conclude that while poor individuals are more likely to perceive hazards as risky, they are less likely to prepare for hazards or buy insurance; less likely to respond to warnings; more likely to die, suffer injuries, and have proportionately higher material losses; have more psychological trauma; and face more obstacles during the phases of response, recovery, and reconstruction.

In response to the catastrophic tornadoes, APP is compiling resources for individuals to give, volunteer and advocate for those impacted by the storms.  They are regularly updated and available at http://alabamapossible.org/tornadorelief.

About the Alabama Poverty Project:

Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the nation. The Alabama Poverty Project (APP) mobilizes Alabamians to eliminate poverty through strategic relationships with faith communities, higher education institutions and civic organizations. For information and resources, visit our website, http://alabamapossible.org.

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More than 54,000 Alabamians were not counted in the U.S. Census nearly 10 years ago, researchers estimate.

To put that in perspective, that would be as if census-takers missed the entire cities of Anniston, Oxford and Jacksonville — combined.

. . .

Under-counted states receive less federal money, see a reduction in federal programs and miss opportunities for growth and expansion. Census figures aren’t mere facts or headlines. They lead to improvements in states’ futures, as well.

. . .

[I]f Alabama residents and census-takers produce a more accurate count, then the state stands a better chance of receiving more federal money for a host of worthwhile programs. That includes Medicaid, highway construction projects, free and reduced-lunch programs, Head Start and many others.

Likewise, the dollar-figure estimates are staggering. Gov. Bob Riley’s office says Alabama lost $546 million during the last decade due to an inaccurate census count. Numbers from the Brookings Institution use a higher estimate — $685 million.

In robust times, Alabama is hardly in a position to leave needed government funds on the table. But these are not robust times, and the upcoming fiscal years will be Siberian bleak. Getting an accurate count, and taking full advantage of the available opportunities, is critical to Alabama’s future.

Read the full text here.

Posted by Kristina Scott

According to the Census Bureau, poverty is low among veterans. Only 5.6 percent of veterans lived in poverty in 1999 – or about half the rate for all adults, which was 10.9 percent.

However, our youngest veterans, those who served in August 1990 or later, were among the most likely to be poor, with a poverty rate of 6.2 percent. And, according to this story from the Boston Globe,  the VA says that the number of homeless women veterans is on the rise.

An estimated 6,500 female veterans end up homeless.  While that’s a relatively small number, it is twice was it was a decade ago. Again, younger veterans are more at risk: One out of every 10 homeless vets under the age of 45 is now a woman.  And many are single moms.

More from the Globe:

Check out Alabama’s fact sheet here

I will be in Perry County on Saturday speaking at Sowing Seeds of Hope‘s Health Care Forum.  It is part of this Black Belt county’s Obama Day activities.

Posted by Kristina Scott

In the 2007 fiscal year, the average of state and local taxes collected per person in Alabama was $2,909. Mississippi finished 49th at $2,989. The national median was $4,011.

Alabama’s tax system is upside down, meaning it takes the most from those who have the least.  Average, middle class Alabama families pay 10 percent of their income in state and local taxes, compared to 5 percent for our wealthiest citizens.  And the poorest families – they pay 12 percent.

Here’s a link to the full study and the census data it was based on.

You might also enjoy this editorial cartoon from today’s Mobile Press Register.

Posted by Kristina Scott

2010 Census data will determine how much federal funding Alabama receives, set priorities for infrastructure improvements and draw district lines for our elected representatives.   

Low-income areas, immigrant neighborhoods, homeless individuals, minorities and the unemployed are most at risk for being under-counted.  And if a community is under-counted, it will also probably be under-funded and under-represented.  

The Census is a survey sent to every household in the United States every ten years.  It is available in multiple languages and is a legally confidential document.

Here are some specific ways that you can get involved to make the 2010 Census a huge success in your community:
 
• Contact your local U.S. Census Bureau office and find out how to partner with them.
 
• Have educational materials readily available at your nonprofit, house of worship or other community center.
 
• Sponsor a campaign or event in your community to raise awareness.
 
• Become a Be Counted site or a Questionnaire Assistance Center.
 
• Provide links and information about the Census on your website or in your emails.
 
For more information, materials and ideas visit the Nonprofit Counts website at www.nonprofitscount.org.

Posted by Haley Heckman

Here’s a rundown from the Associated Press via the Tuscaloosa News:

The numbers gathered by the U.S. Census reported that the number of people below the poverty line fell by 47,000 to 712,835. The drop was larger than any other state.

“The news in 2008 shows that Alabama was doing the right things,” said Kimble Forrister, director of Alabama Arise. “We were creating jobs.”

However, according to Forrister, the figures collected in 2008 reflected the poverty level before the recession hit.

“At the time our unemployment rate was better than the rest of the nation.”

Due to the recession, poverty levels will likely follow the rise in unemployment rates, resulting in a significant increase in poverty for 2009. Nationwide unemployment currently stands at 10.4 percent this September with Wilcox County being 25.4 percent.