Do the Math

Military and Defense	28 cents
Interest on Debt	19 cents
Health	20 cents
Income Security	7 cents
Veterans' Benefits	4 cents
Education	4 cents
Nutrition	3 cents
Environmental Protection	1 cents
Housing	2 cents
Job Training	.3 cents
Other	12 cents

- The poverty level for a family of four in 2006 is $20,000.

- In 2004, Approximately 37 million people in America are poor. That is 12.7% of the population.
17.8% of children under 18 and 19.8% of children under 6 (13 million) are living in poverty.

- According to a survey by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, most Americans believe that between 1 and 5 million people live in poverty in the United States.

- In 2003, 2 out of every 3 poor families had at least one individual working and yet could not earn enough to secure the basic necessities of life.

- If a single parent of two works full-time in a minimum wage job for a year, her income would be $10,712. That is still $2488 below the poverty level.

- The poorest 40% of U.S. families have 12% of the total income in the U.S. The richest 20% have 50% of the income.

- In 2001, top 1% of U.S. households own 33% of the financial wealth (excluding home equity).

- The bottom 90% of U.S. households own 30% the financial wealth (excluding home equity).

- 39% of Americans either think they are in the richest 1% of the population, or expect to be there one day!

- In 1980, CEO compensation was 42 times that of the average worker.
In 2000, it was 500 times that of the average worker.

- At the current federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, full-time, year round wage earners earn $10,712 a year…In Minnesota a minimum wage worker earns $6.15 an hour or $12,792 a year. That worker would have to work 125 hours a week to afford a typical one-bedroom apartment and 150 hours a week to pay for a two-bedroom apartment.

**Note there are only 168 total hours in any 7-day period.

- Prosperity for all?… Relative to inflation, the incomes of the poorest 20% of American families have only grown 3% since the late 1970’s, while the incomes of the middle 20% grew 17%, and the incomes of the top 20% grew 53%.

- There are nearly 70,000 renter households with annual incomes below $10,000 in the metropolitan area…but only 31,200 housing units with rents affordable at this income level.

- 67% of families living at or below the poverty level receive housing assistance in the state of Minnesota.

- 46% of total households needing housing assistance in Minnesota live in the Twin Cities.

- Housing is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of gross household income…in the Twin Cities area, however, 185,000 households with annual incomes below $30,000 pay more than this amount for their housing.

- To afford (housing costs less than 30% of total income) a 1 bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent, a worker would have to earn $13.22 per hour. To afford a 2 bedroom apartment, they'd have to earn $16.06 per hour.

- Only 37% of those on public assistance receive any housing assistance whatsoever.