Basic Needs Assistance for the Poor Advances Economic Recovery and Employment Goals

[dcsmart]

The current recession is associated with sharp rises in unemployment and underemployment, leaving families with fewer resources to address their most basic needs—food, heat, and shelter. These circumstances have led Congress and President Obama to consider including additional funds for emergency assistance programs within proposals for economic recovery legislation—the recently passed H.R. 1 and still pending Senate version that will soon head to a conference committee.

Helping low-income families and individuals is reason enough to expand funding for these programs, but providing for these basic needs also helps the entire nation by advancing economic recovery and employment goals

Recovery package proposals have included additional funding for the following federal food programs:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps)
Emergency Food Assistance (food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens)
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Recovery package proposals have included additional funding for the following energy assistance programs:

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

Recovery package proposals have included additional funding for the following homeless assistance programs:

The Emergency Food and Shelter Program
Homeless Assistance Grants
Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
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FULL ARTICLE
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/02/basic_needs_brief.html
THERE ARE MANY LINKS WITHIN THIS ARTICLE PROVIDING MORE INFO

[FirstLight]

1. THANK GOD!

When Rachel Maddow had her segment on spending and that food stamps generate more than $1.30 for every dollar spent, that should wake some people up.

You know, the rich keep their money, the poor spend because there are so many things we go without from day to day, if there is a little extra in any way, we will use it...just to live more "normal" ...at least that's my own personal experience. The days hen I have an extra $20 because my gas bil is lower, I will go and look for socks for the kids and such, because we do without so many regular things on a daily basis. Sometimes buying shampo that costs more than .99 is a luxury!


so, yes...thank good ness that we can get some more help on this end of things. Obama knows we have to grow from the bottom UP. I hope we still ahve time to mnake a go of it, though...it is getting scarier out there.

[undeterred]

4. Food Stamps: $1.00 spent = $1.73 stimulus

Food Stamps generate even more than that. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#29062335
But it infuriates Republicans when poor people eat.

[bobbolink]

2. What good is food without housing? WHERE do you prepare it??? On your car engine?

ENOUGH with this "SHELTER" stuff!

It's time for "progressives" to get off this Raygun "SHELTER" crap and work for HOUSING!

You can't fix meals in a shelter... you take what is there, no matter how lacking in nutrition.

[dajoki]

3. Until they expand...

these programs and make them actually helpfull, it makes no difference. The Liheap I can get would not even be enough to pay for ONE month's heating bill for my family. Right now I have the heat turned off downstairs in our house and we are living upstairs for the winter, otherwise they will cutt off my electricity because we can't afford the bill and Liheap is a JOKE!!