Illinois Poverty Report shows poverty at highest point in decades
Monday December 12th, 2011
Poverty, worse in Illinois today than during the recession, grew from pre-to post-recession by 16 percent, according to the 2011 Report on Illinois Poverty released in early December. In fact, poverty is at its highest point in decades. Download the report and access county-level data.
Post recession has seen no gains for struggling families. In the report, the Social IMPACT Research Center at Heartland Alliance documents hardship across a variety of indicators including income, employment, housing and assets. Together these indicators document the conditions faced by struggling families across Illinois.
- Nearly 1 in 3 Illinoisans are now considered poor or low-income. Median income has steadily declined in Illinois and stands at $52,972, down 3.4 percent from the recession.
- Unemployment in Illinois skyrocketed 82.3 percent during the recession, and since then unemployment has held steady around 10 percent.
- The average length of time Illinois workers are unemployed has nearly doubled since 2007, with unemployed workers spending an average of nearly 37 weeks unemployed in 2010.
- 1 out of every 4 households in Illinois is now considered to be severely rent burdened with housing costs comprising more than half their income.
- In 2011 the average debt of Illinoisans increased 37 percent over 2003 to $13,416
“These living arrangements are unsustainable in the long run and are the last step before homelessness for many,” according to Amy Rynell, Director of the Social IMPACT Research Center. These conditions have also led to a considerable erosion of assets and mounting debts, increasing the economic vulnerability of families across Illinois for many years to come.
Illinois Safety Net Assistance Stats
Without government assistance, nearly twice as many people nationally would have experienced poverty. Unfortunately, not all of Illinois’ safety net assistance programs responded quickly and effectively to growing hardship. And even the most responsive programs have not grown commensurate with need.
- 64 percent more households (a total of 874,109 households) are now receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps).
- The Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable federal income tax credit, has grown 10 percent from pre- to post-recession.
- The caseload for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in the year before the recession remained about the same during the recession. Since the end of the recession, the caseload has grown 64 percent to 46,694 families.
“Personal, social, and economic costs of low family incomes are far too great, compromising Illinois’ economic strength, human capital, and future well-being,” said Sid Mohn, President of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. “State policies and investments need to support an economy that works for everyone, promote work that pays a living wage, ensure that all have access to a quality education, and that families are able to access adequate income supports to help make ends meet.”
Download the report and access county-level data.
