Many King County residents are living on too little income. About 10 percent (including nearly 50,000 children) live in poverty. Nearly a quarter of all King County residents earn less than a “living wage” ($38,600 for a family of four in 2004, or twice the federal poverty level), and people of color are much more likely to live in poverty than white residents. But finding better paying jobs is increasingly difficult for less educated or non-English speaking people, as the local job market becomes more high-tech and service-oriented. Helping people build greater prosperity often requires addressing multiple factors: individual money management, health and skills, as well as broader educational or job-market trends.
- Provide interview-skills training, business attire and other support to help people get and keep jobs.
- Expand job-training programs that lead to employment and higher wages.
- Locate employment-support services at low-income apartment complexes and other places where people in need already are.
- Help low-income families build wealth by linking them with instruments such as the earned income tax credit or a matched savings account.
- Encourage government policies that allow families to meet basic needs and attain self-sufficiency.
- Subsidize essentials such as rent, utilities, food or medical bills for people in crisis.
- International District Housing Alliance helps low-income families build savings for home ownership, further education or find business opportunities through Individual Development Accounts, a three-to-one savings matching program.
- New Futures brings after-school programs, language classes and other support services to low-income apartment complexes, along with information about food stamps, rent assistance and other relief resources. Residents work closely with service providers.
|
