Report: Safety net failing Michigan's poor

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit News

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Report: Safety net failing Michigan's poor
Mark Hornbeck / Detroit News Lansing Bureau


LANSING -- Michigan's safety net is failing a growing number of families during this economic slide, a human services advocacy group concludes in a report released today.

Cash assistance for families lags well behind inflation, tougher eligibility requirements have cut the welfare caseload, and an increasing number of families are unable to meet basic needs as unemployment and home foreclosures rise, says the report by the Michigan League for Human Services.

"It's startling when we look at what was provided in past recessions and what is available today," said Sharon Parks, president of the league "The safety net in today's recession only covers the families in the most desperate situations and, even then, it doesn't cover the essentials for children and their parents living in those homes."

The report found:

Read more: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/METRO/902240412

[IdaBriggs]

1. This is completely true. Today I get to go evict my non-paying tenant.

Their situation would not have gotten so desperate if they had been able to get some assistance when the husband became ill and was unable to work. Of course, to be fair, it wouldn't have gotten NEAR as desperate if she had been willing to work/made better financial choices (i.e., paid the rent instead of buying a new car), but still --

If not for the kindness of strangers (my family/their church/several local charitable organizations), these folks would have been on the street months ago.

And before folks try to flame me, go read my journal with the story of how the woman turned down babysitting for my kids while *I* went to work so I could pay HER flipping bills, then she screwed me over by buying herself a new car while her husband was undergoing surgery instead of paying the rent, and lying to my face for five days about how it was all the husband's fault....

GRRR. Still mad, trying to get over it, and STILL not happy that things are this bad for everyone involved.

Sigh. :(

Oh, UPDATE: The husband got out of the hospital last week -- YEAH!!!