What are policy areas affecting women in poverty that need strengthening?
These themes emerged from their discussion: • Lack of funding and competition for resources • Irregularity of hours is rising • Debt and erosion of the safety net • Long term planning is a challenge when immediate needs are not being met • Shelter issues for the LGBTQ population • Local businesses are closing • Rising transportation costs are increasing community isolation • Social service organizations are feeling the economic crunch, and struggling to make payroll • The poor are the poorest they have been on record and measuring poverty continues to be a struggle • Food banks are overburdened • Re-entry issues and sealing records • Maternal profiling and the need for caregiving policies • Need an infusion of funding into childcare programs • Corporate policy: employer-based literacy programs and first home-buyer programs for low-wage earners • Employee Free Choice Act: could enable many to join unions, which has a major impact on low-wage earning women in the service sector • Wage th
