Efforts to promote living wage job opportunities combined with efforts to help families meet basic living expenses such as food, housing, childcare, transportation, and health care are vital toward achievement of ROMA National Goal #2: The Conditions in Which Low-Income Live are Improved.
Please LET US KNOW if you have suggested LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN items that might be added.
It is largely recognized that Federal Poverty Guidelines are much lower than self-sufficiency levels. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has issued three reports that address this issue: Measuring Poverty in the United States (April 2009), Measuring Income and Poverty in the United States (April 2007) and When Work Doesn't Pay: What Every Policymaker Should Know (June 2006). Extensive NCCP resources are available to support Living Wage Campaigns to help individuals and families gain the financial security needed to meet basic living needs including a Basic Needs Budget Calculator and Other Data Tools.
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The Basic Economic Security Tables, which are part of The Economic Security Database under the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The BEST Index presents local expenses, savings requirements, and what incomes are needed to achieve economic security by family type, and at the city, county, and state levels.
Living Wage Calculator under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reflects poverty rates among the working poor for use with public policymaking and planning, as well as advocacy initiatives. Local data is presented on basic monthly expenses according to family size and composition to compute the level of gross annual income required to afford the cost-of-living. A Living Wage (per hour) is then compared to:
- Typical wages for various professions
- Poverty level
- Minimum wage
Economic Policy Institute (EPI) provides high-quality research and education in order to promote a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy. Items offered include:
- Basic Family Budget Calculator with data by state and area
National Low-Income Housing Coalition - The Housing Wage in Out of Reach captures the gap between wages and rents across the country, and is the estimate of the full-time hourly wage that a household must earn to afford a decent apartment at the HUD estimated Fair Market Rent (FMR), while spending no more than 30% of income on housing costs. The report includes a side-by-side comparison of wages and rents in every county, Metropolitan Area (MSAs/HMFAs), combined nonmetropolitan area and state in the United States.
Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
- Poverty USA Tour (video format)
- Maps & Data - Includes national overview to compare poverty level of states and County Level for detailed local info
- Poverty Facts
- Stories of Hope
- Education Center - Resources to increase awareness about poverty in America for Grades K-5....Grades 6-12....Adults
Other Resources
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Minimum Wage Laws in the States - U.S. Department of Labor
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Summary of Living Wage Initiatives from the New Rules Project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
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Labor Markets, Wages and Poverty through UMass Political Economy Research Institute
Efforts to promote living wage job opportunities combined with efforts to help families meet basic living expenses such as food, housing, childcare, transportation, and health care are vital toward achievement of ROMA National Goal #2: The Conditions in Which Low-Income Live are Improved.
Kenneth Ackerman, Virtual CAP Project Manager
434.295.8802