The High Cost of Low Income Living
Written
by: Dani Cronce; Binghamton Councilwoman – 05/10/2016 – 5:25PM ET
For the
impoverished families living in America being poor may not be as cheap as one
may think. Low income jobs that pay by the hour means more hours that parents
have to work. This means more time away from their family and home. For many
people who live in poverty the lack of transportation means long bus rides and
frustrating bus schedules. Particularly in Broome County, where public
transportation hours do not offer rides in the early morning or after 9pm.
Which are the working hours of most low paying hourly jobs. Which can cost a
low income person a job and needed income.
Just going
grocery shopping can be hard on the wallets of the low income population. Those
with limited income have to buy what is necessary. There are no extra funds to
buy what is not completely needed. They cannot afford to buy bulk. Purchasing a
box of toilet paper for $20 may save in the long run, but when you only have
$30 in your wallet you just can't afford it.
The lack
of fresh produce and dairy leads to poor diets. Cheap foods that are processes
are more affordable that fruit and vegetables. What about families that can't get
to a grocery store? On average, food stamp beneficiaries live about 1.8 miles
away from a grocery store.
Transportation
plays a large part. If the family does not have a vehicle, then they must use a
taxi or shop at a corner store which is more expensive. A gallon of milk at a
corner store may cost a dollar more than a grocery store. This is most dominating
on Binghamton's North Side where we have a food desert made by lack of grocery
stores.
In the end
the poor pay more for groceries.
Cheap housing
is not as cheap as you may believe. The housing stock available within the low
income community have their own issues. Higher heating and cooling cost due to
poor insulation is common. Fees associated with moving from one problem house
to another is a costly issue. These homes can have plumbing and electrical
issues. Cheaper homes often use older appliances which use more power which
cost more in the long run. Most apartments do not have washer and dryer units
in the home. This adds the cost of washing laundry at the laundry mat.
There are
higher interest fees for the low income worker. They are seen as a high risk
and more fees and higher interest fees are added to their credit cards. Many
living in poverty can't get loans. Over draft fees affect the poor who live
paycheck to paycheck. Every penny counts, $30 fees can end up taking away food
or the ability to pay a bill for the low income family.
Poverty can have a crippling effect
on the growing child. Poverty can harm a child's ability to learn. Behavioral,
social and emotional problems stem from the instability that poverty brings.
The lack of stability creates
unsettled nerves. Not having healthy food, going to bed hungry, lack of
appropriate fitting clothes. The stress of both parents working or having only
one parent at home can be debilitating. Hours alone while their parents are
working can cause stress. Older siblings end up being babysitters.
Frequently moving and the lack of
adequate housing can make a child feel insecure.
The mental and physical stress of
instability creates troubling health consequences. The effects of poverty can
be more severe than warfare stress on some accounts.
The mental stress of being poor is a
major reason that the low income people are more likely to have high blood
pressure, cholesterol, and become obese or diabetic. These medical issues are
brought on by hormones that compromise the immune system and promote weight
gain. Even worse these hormones can be passed down from a mother to her unborn
child.
Cities much like Binghamton have
been hit with a shrinking population. We suffer from job loss and a collapsing
housing market. The loss of manufacturing jobs means the loss of better paying
trade jobs. This means less stability for low income families.
Crime statistics
November 18, 2014 NCJ 248384
Highlights:
For the period 2008–12—
•
Persons in poor households at or
below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (39.8 per 1,000) had more than double the
rate of violent victimization as persons in high-income households (16.9 per 1,000).
•
Persons in poor households had a
higher rate of violence involving a firearm (3.5 per 1,000) compared to persons
above the FPL (0.8–2.5 per 1,000).
•
The overall pattern of poor persons
having the highest rates of violent victimization was consistent for both
whites and blacks. However, the rate of violent victimization for Hispanics did
not vary across poverty levels.
•
Poor Hispanics (25.3 per 1,000) had
lower rates of violence compared to poor whites (46.4 per 1,000) and poor
blacks (43.4 per 1,000).
•
Poor persons living in urban areas
(43.9 per 1,000) had violent victimization rates similar to poor persons living
in rural areas (38.8 per 1,000).
•
Poor urban blacks (51.3 per 1,000)
had rates of violence similar to poor urban whites (56.4 per 1,000).
Those who are poor are more prone to
violence and crime. Unhealthy living conditions affect the quality of life in
our low income districts. Higher amounts of drug trafficking and manufacturing
occur in the low income areas; this brings crime to the front steps of those
who suffer from poverty. Inequality comes with a high price tag. A tag that
affects our poor mentally, physically and emotionally. We simply cannot afford
to sit by and let our poor suffer.
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