The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law has compiled a list of twelve “opportunities for action that all antipoverty advocates can take on both the federal and state levels in 2007.”
The State of Poverty is America’s most populous state—37 million people. For many living in poverty, opportunity is limited, mobility is restricted, and the road to prosperity is blocked.
The fundamental causes of poverty are economic and structural, but through legal advocacy and policy development we can change the state and lead the way to economic success for all.
The organization has produced a policy booklet (PDF) with background and direction for the following actions:
1. Strengthen the Legal Foundation for Civil Rights and Racial Justice
2. Establish Affordable Quality Health Care for All
3. Guarantee Economic Safety for People with Employment Challenges
4. Invest in the Public Good Through Fair Budget and Tax Policies
5. Expand Low-Income Housing in Economically Diverse Communities
6. Create Redemptive Opportunities for People with Criminal Records
7. Increase Economic Mobility Through Lifelong Education
8. Link Economic Development to Workforce Development Opportunities
9. Advance Low-Wage Workers by Making Work Pay
10. Build and Protect Assets for Financial Stability and Growth
11. Protect Access to the American Dream for Immigrants and Refugees
12. Ensure Economic Opportunity and Safety for Women and Girls
What can your library do to advance this agenda and to assist low-income and vulnerable groups?