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John,
When it comes to fighting poverty, have we learned anything from the pandemic?
The pandemic created a situation where we needed to innovate and activate the resources of our nation to ensure that millions of people didn’t lack housing, employment, or adequate nutrition.
Programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit and increased nutrition and housing assistance helped families and individuals keep their heads above water as the economy went into shutdown and social isolation threatened the fabric of society.
Now, two years after the expiration of pandemic-era public assistance programs at the end of 2021, we see poverty increasing again in the most vulnerable populations.
Sign the petition now: Tell Congress to protect all families and to renew pandemic-era public assistance programs.
A new report indicates that with the expiration of pandemic-era supports such as the expanded Child Tax Credit and increased housing and nutrition assistance has come a dramatic uptick in poverty across the board. Between 2021 and 2022:
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Overall poverty increased from 7.8% to 12.4%
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Black poverty rates jumped from 11.2% to 17.2%
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Hispanic poverty rates climbed from 11.2% to 19.3%, and
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Child poverty rates more than doubled, from 5.2% to 12.4%
It doesn’t have to be like this! Allowing these programs to expire is a policy choice, and it is a choice that can be reversed!
These crucial recovery tools should not be abandoned just as families and children are starting to thrive. The better we can provide an income floor, the more stability families experience, and the better able they are to invest in long-term skills-building, school, or work training, to make lasting improvements in their quality of life.
The expansion of the Child Tax Credit program has been credited with cutting child poverty in half, the largest drop ever recorded. Let’s learn from success and go back to doing what works!
Sign the petition today to tell Congress: Renew these anti-poverty programs and help families get back on their feet!
Thank you for taking these steps toward reducing poverty and improving racial equity.
- Amanda
Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund
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