One in Seven Californians Living in Poverty

The poverty rate in California declined in 2013, but according to a recent statewide study, one in seven Californians live below the poverty line and over a third of these people are children.

The study was conducted by the California Budget Project which describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization seeking fiscal reforms to benefit low and moderate income Californians.

Almost 15 percent of Californians lived in poverty last year, according to the CBP study, the poverty rate has improved since 2011 but is still much higher than the pre-recession rate of 12 percent in 2006.

Federal guidelines list the the current poverty line at just over $24,000 a year for a family of four.

“I think the first thing that people should understand about poverty is that most families in poverty actually have jobs, the problem is their jobs just don’t pay enough”, says Alissa Anderson of the California Budget Project, “even a full-time minimum wage job isn’t enough to lift a mom with two kids above the poverty line.”

The California Budget Project says when considering inflation, low-wage workers in California are making less per hour now than they did in the 1970’s and more education does not necessarily mean a higher paying job.

“Even workers with some college education tend to end up in the service sector, where wages are lower and benefits generally aren’t as good”, Anderson says, “so they really struggle to support their families.”

In 2012, the poverty rate in Santa Barbara County was over 16 percent and more than 23 percent in the City of Santa Maria.

“Only very recently did the Census begin to take into account cost of living and also government benefits when they are measuring poverty”, says Hazel Davalos with CAUSE, or Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, in Santa Maria, “so when you look at the Central Coast, we have a very high cost of living and also being based on industries like agriculture and tourism we have a lot of jobs but primarily low wage jobs.”

California Budget Project says children are more likely to succeed as adults, if their families receive wage increases or tax breaks and that higher wages and income tax credits, instead of more low-paying jobs, could help improve the poverty rate in California.

“When you look at the average family’s budget two of the largest line items are going to be housing and transportation”, Davalos says, “our local policy makers could really look at raising the minimum wage to really become a living wage and really looking at the cost of living when deciding what those wages should be.”

To read the California Budget Project study go to their website, cbp.org.