What Happened?
Richmond, Virginia, is debating a proposed anti-poverty plan that would improve the economic performance of one of the poorest urban areas in the country. The plan calls for seven task forces to work together to create enriching programs to meet short- and long-term goals on a budget of $760 million.
The Goal
According to the plan’s creator and Richmond mayor, the city has a list of programs to implement that will address poverty from numerous perspectives including housing, education, worker skills and wellness. The plan calls attention the declining quality of life for residents in the city, and the direct impact the collapses have on institutional and economical growth, The New York Times reported.
The Maggie L. Walker Initiative for Fighting Poverty and Expanding Opportunity plan aims to directly counter the drop in city funding for public aid and welfare programs that has proven common across the country in the aftermath of the economic recession.
As federal and state officials are pushing for cuts in public spending, local governments are left with minimal resources to revamp communities and boost economic activity.
While the city is in need of governmental support for development programs, public sentiment is split. One portion of the community is enjoying growth and development with new infrastructure and resources to wealthier residents, The New York Times reported.
Nearly half of Richmond’s population, however, lives in poverty or is at serious risk of falling below the poverty line. With 25 percent of Richmond workers earning less than $11.72 an hour, families continue to struggle to rise above poverty levels. Some of the programs being considered by the local government and community include:
- Partnering at-risk youth with adult mentors
- Publish housing initiatives and options for homeownership
- Intensive manufacturing training programs
- Farm-to-school program to boost nutrition
- Public assistance to help pay for water and wastewater bills
The programs hope to optimize anchored institutions within the community and leverage these resources to improve job opportunities, education and quality of life for residents.
International Issue
The growing number of populations falling into poverty is an international concern, as many nations saw their economies crumble during the recession - leaving minimal resources for local communities to rebuild what was lost.
As part of its Millennial Development Goals, the United Nations has created an anti-poverty campaign that hopes cut poverty numbers in half by 2015. The End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign is one of eight overarching, worldwide goals including:
- Ending hunger
- Improving education
- Creating gender equality
- Innovating healthcare for children
- Boosting maternal healthcare
- Combating HIV/AIDS
- Increasing environmental sustainability
- Developing a global partnership to maintain all program successes
As the United Nations continues to push its 2015 campaigns, the organization recently announced $2.5 billion in new commitments to support the anti-poverty efforts as well as other initiatives. With more than 1 billion people worldwide surviving on $1.25 per day or less, the United Nations will leverage the funding to remove inequalities in countries that are holding back governments from making the necessary changes to overcome the poverty issue.
Making Money Count
Gov1 has tracked other cases of local governments working to battling rising poverty numbers by embracing collaborative strategies with other organizations and communities.