ME Releases Poverty Report

Maine’s ten Community Action Agencies, in conjunction with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, have released the “Poverty in Maine Update,” the first in a series of newsletters that describes trends, profiles those most at risk, and measures the extent of poverty in the state.

The Update is based on the most current, reliable data available from state sources and presents state and county statistics. The first volume of the newsletter focuses on heat and food. The next volume will focus on regional poverty rates, employment and income, and trends in these measures.

According to the newsletter, poverty remains persistent across the state. Sixteen percent of Maine households receive food stamps, and nine percent receive fuel assistance through LIHEAP. Nearly 38 percent of enrolled K-12 students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. Maine has seen increases in the percentage of students eligible for the lunch program and the number of LIHEAP applications, and some analysts predict that poverty rates will increase as a result of the recent national economic downturn.

The “Poverty in Maine Update” is available at www.penquis.org  or at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center’s web site at www.umaine.edu/MCSC/reports/PovertyNewsletterFeb08.pdf

Source: Maine newspapers

Page Last Updated: September 24, 2009