February 23, 2012

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Programs That Help Low Income Families

The Salvation Army

Image by Thomas Hawk via Flickr

No one can deny it, times are tough on everyone. Times are especially tough for families who were already struggling. If you are part of a low income family, you may not be aware there are organizations which can lend a hand in these tough economic times.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army operates across the entire United States. Their programs available for low income families include the following.

  • Housing and homeless services to provide emergency housing
  • Food and nutrition programs which provide food for those in need
  • Christmas charity, which provides Christmas dinners, clothing and toys for those families who cannot afford them

Goodwill

Goodwill plays an important role in providing people across America with the skills to better their life, regardless of their socio-economic background. Their programs designed to help low income families to increase employment options include the following.

Medicaid

For low income families in the United States help is available to gain access to health care services. Medicaid is a federal-state run means tested program which supports low income families and their children, as well as people with a disability and the elderly. It also supports pregnant women with a low income. The eligibility requirements differ from state to state, however the primary requirements for Medicaid eligibility include the following.

  • Having limited assets
  • Age
  • Income and resources
  • Residential status
  • Disability
  • Pregnancy
  • Being a child

When times are tough financially, it is good to know what programs are available in case you require some assistance.

 

 

Filed Under: Poverty, Real Estate Tagged With: , ,

America Isn’t as Expensive as You Think

You may be surprised to find out that the cost of living in the United States is much lower than other places in the world. Take England for example – the cost of living there is higher, mainly because the nation has to import a lot of their supplies. England has always been good with trading, but cannot compete with the natural resources in America. America does not have to import as much so many items costs less.

The one resource that America does not have in abundance of right now is oil. The price of oil is what keeps our commodities from being really cheap. It costs suppliers to ship and package their products and that cost is dependent on oil. If oil dropped in price then everything in America would drop in price as well, because we have lots of everything.  The economy would do much better if the price of oil dropped.

Even though oil costs as much as it does Americans still live in a country were commodities are really cheap. Only a few handfuls of countries that are developed have such cheap prices. Third world countries have a lower standard of living, but also provide some of the same products at a lower price. Land is cheaper in other counties, because they have not built the same infrastructure that Americans have. Most of the available land in American can have water, power, and a road built to it with relative ease. Other countries may have to build entire pipelines and power stations to do the same.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: , ,

The Economy Is Just Experiencing a Change of Pace

There are always ups and downs in every nation’s economy history just happen to be in one of the down moments for America. It is not necessarily a bad thing that we are in the low spot right now it just means everything has a little less value. The economy is doing really bad when it seems like nobody can get work and everyone is waiting in line to get fed. We are not in that position and America may be on its way there, but we have the knowledge to keep it from happening.

During the great depression none of the banks had any money because everyone was pulled out what was in their savings. There was no confidence in the market anymore and everyone was scared. This actually made the depression worse, because no confidence in money meant that the money everyone used had no value. Today we still hold value to the dollar, because it still costs money to buy a gallon of gas. If gasoline were to ever drop in price then the dollar might as well.

Our economy is not built on the gold standard and hasn’t been for years. The one thing every business needs to operate is oil. We are on an oil standard and if the price of oil rises then the value of a dollar goes down. The value goes down, because every company relies on oil in some way to do business directly or indirectly. You can start worrying about the economy when the price for a barrel of oil tops one hundred dollars and stays there. When oil prices raise then the cost of doing business will rise too and the dollar will drop in value.

Filed Under: Economy, Homeless Tagged With: , ,

Habitat for Humanity Help Others in Economic Crisis.

Now, more than ever, families all over the world need adequate housing. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that provides housing for needy families, below certain income levels. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity couldn’t be available at a more opportune time with thousands upon thousands of families in the United States losing their homes.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 95 million people have housing issues in the United States. These issues include home owner that have a mortgage too high for their income levels, over crowding problems, homelessness as well as housing that is inadequate to live or raise a family in. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that is providing adequate and affordable housing to people, not just in the United States, but around the world based on a families needs and ability to pay.

Habitat for Humanity and their efforts to provide adequate housing have improved the prevention of diseases, such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diarrhea and malaria. The efforts of Habitat for Humanity also create better neighborhoods, which attract investment opportunities and provide stability and security for neighborhoods, that at one time, may have been considered unsalvageable.

When building houses, Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers from around the community in order to keep the cost of production low and housing more affordable. Habitat also requires any applicants that apply for a Habitat for Humanity home and accepted, to put in so many hours or “sweat-equity” building houses for others before getting a Habitat home of their own built. This contributes to a stronger community by helping others who are in financial crisis, and Habitat for Humanity rewards these efforts from others by providing them with a home as well, if needed. Making future homeowners work on their home as well as others around the community will develop pride in a community, knowing how hard they had to work to achieve what they now have.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: , ,

Applying for Habitat for Humanity Housing and What to Expect.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that builds housing for needy families, who fall below certain income levels, around the world. According to the Habitat for Humanity website 95 million Americans need housing based on a variety of different circumstances.

The first step in applying for a Habitat home is finding a local Habitat for Humanity office. This can be done online, or by calling the toll free number listed on the Habitat website. These resources will tell you how to apply as well as providing information on the types and pricing fo homes available in your area.

After submiting an application for a Habitat home certain qualifications must be met by the applicant. While qualifications differ from state to state and community and community, the most common qulifications that must be met are; legal residency, ability to afford a home, proven steady income and good credit.

Once accepted applicants must realize that their work is not over. Accepted applicants are required to maintain a savings account, provide an affordable down payment on a home, as well as complete “sweat-equity” hours on other Habitat for Humanity homes being built in the community; including their own. Applicants are also required to attend home ownership classes, preparing them for home ownership and what to expect. This class is a huge home owner asset, as most do not know what to expect when signing a contract on a home.

Habitat for Humanity, based on these qulifications, chooses what are called “partner families” who would be the best candidates for a habitat home. Habitat for Humanity doesn’t descriminate against race or religion when determining proper home applicants and are only selected based on need and ability to pay a mortgage. Habitat for Humanity helps families of all ages making this organization a much needed blessing in times of economic hardship and instability.

Filed Under: Economy, Homeless Tagged With: , ,

Helping Build With Habitat For Humanity

Habitat for humanity is one of the worlds largest and most extensive affordable housing projects. Habitat for humanity was started in 1976 by a wealthy lawyer and his wife, who believed that they should be using their wealth and opportunities to help other around the United States who were struggling to find safe and affordable housing.

Because of the success and hard work of all the volunteers and employee’s in the Habitat family, the non-profit organization has grown immensely and now has offices and programs running in 100 different countries across the world. Habitat for humanity is a great volunteer opportunity because it provides the volunteers with hands on experience with home building from the ground up, as well as, provides them with an opportunity to give back and be recognized for their hard efforts. Here are just a few ways that individuals can help Habitat for Humanity.

Three Volunteer Opportunities With Habitat For Humanity

1. Volunteer In Your Community- Habitat for Humanity offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including volunteering locally in the community. Habitat has programs that last anywhere from four days to two weeks and involves learning the carpentry trade, helping to renovate homes that have been damaged, and joining groups on a daily basis to go out and help at any Habitat event.

2. Volunteering In Your Country- Aside from volunteer opportunities in the community, Habitat also offers programs where individuals can travel across America for two to six months helping on different projects in different parts of the country.

3. Volunteering Over Seas- Because the success of the Habitat projects and its expansion overseas, now volunteers have the opportunity to travel to a foreign country for a certain amount of time to learn and be involved in the whole rebuilding process.

Habitat for Humanity is a great way to get involved and volunteer to make somebodies life better and more comfortable.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: , ,

Private Companies Coming To The Aid Of Public Officials

The western front of the United States Capitol...
Image via Wikipedia

For many years private companies have been joining together to with public offices to create contracts for civil municipalities. Since the beginning of sub-division public offices have accepted bids for private trash, and recycling removal, as well as, power and water companies. This was done to bolster the private sector and take the burden of the government and tax payer to shoulder the costs of civil municipal projects.

Since the beginning of the most recent recession Americans all over the country have been losing their homes and apartments due to sub prime mortgage failures and with the state and federal government trying to take the reigns, the debt and displacement of Americans was only slightly improved. However, private companies all over the country saw the realization of all the countries debt swallowing up the capabilities of the government.

In order stop the bleeding and restore the housing economy, companies across the U.S. are teaming up with public services to hedge the costs of developing affordable homes that can be acquired with out sub prime mortgages. There are many benefits to a public/private partnership. Here are just a few.

Two Reasons Why Public/Private Partnerships Are Important

1. Hedge Costs- The initial costs of building subdivisions is immense and sometimes crippling. With the help of private companies the public organizations can defer some of the initial costs to the company with a promise to pay them back over time. This creates breathing room for not only the public entity but also drives down the cost of the housing for the individual.

2. Bolsters Economy- By creating jobs and building projects the economy sees an influx of cash flow that can be spent or saved, but helps to put money back in people pockets and delays the need for a higher tax. As well, allowing private companies to be a part of building projects bolsters capitalism.

The power of private companies and public entities working together will prove to be the future.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: , ,

The Effect Of Bundling Low-Income Housing

Low Income Housing, Location of Pilot Stoves
Image via Wikipedia

For years low income housing or “the projects” have been built in the inner city and for the most part right next to one another. Prior to the expansion of cities across the United States this was seen as the appropriate way to handle low income housing because it put patrons in the middle of the city with easy access to jobs and schools, however studies are now showing that this type of mentality only perpetuates the need for low income housing.

The understanding was that individuals who needed to live in low income housing could not afford to a car to commute from the suburbs every day or could not budget a bus pass. Also it gave children better access to schools which helped to ensure that those children would be able to make it to school every day. However, instead of providing opportunities for these indivuals or their children, researcher’s now say that this type of plan accomplishes just the opposite.

Instead of creating opportunities the housing projects perpetuate a life of low-income for everyone who lives in the area. Here are just a few aspects of the community that are affected by bundling low income housing projects.

Three Aspects Of The Community Affected By Bundling

1. Parents- Because of the proximity to the downtown area and so many people fighting for jobs in one area, parents find it hard to find good employment and a way to leave the projects.

2. Children- Because the low income is poorer taxes are either cheaper or subsidized by the state and federal government meaning the children have less materials in school and are provided with a less than desireable education than their counterparts in the suburbs.

3. Business Owners- Business owners in the area are affected by the mass of low income shoppers and thus it is harder for them to realize profits and move out of the low income area.

Researcher’s have found that projects breed more projects.

Filed Under: Poverty, Real Estate Tagged With: , ,

Benefits Of The 2009 Recovery Act

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 14: U.S. President Barac...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Since the collapse of Wall Street in late 2007, different government organizations have been joining together to combat the ever looming fear of poverty. With the loss of millions of jobs and the ability to feed their children many Americans turned to the government to help make up the differences that were lost in the collapse of so many important industries. However, thanks to the Recover Act of 2009, written shortly before the market bottomed out, millions of Americans were protected through various government programs and essentially saved from poverty.

The role of the government was vital in ensuring the millions of American’s would make it through the recession with out falling into poverty and seeing their lives pushed into disarray. Here are just a few of the government programs that aided those in trouble during the last year.

Three Government Aid Programs of Recovery Act

1. Federal Unemployment- Through the expansion of federal unemployment packages 1.3 million individuals were able to apply and receive money from the federal unemployment agency.

2. Child Tax Credits- Because of improvements and funds that bolstered child tax credits 1.5 million American families received aid for the taxes and expenditures related to child rearing.

3. Food Stamps- 700,000 families and individuals were helped through the implementation of more food stamp programs and ebt cards for struggling Americans all over the country.

According to the Census Bureau the Recovery Act of 2009 helped roughly 4.5 million Americans to stay above the poverty line and to continue to feed their families and themselves. Programs such as the Recovery Act are vital if not necessary to ensuring that all families have the same opportunities no matter how bad the economy gets. The people who are provided a better life know the importance of these programs when they look in the faces of their healthy children, every day.

Filed Under: Economy Tagged With: , ,

Affordable Housing By City

When deciding to buy a home cost is most likely the most important aspect. It tells a person in what neighborhood they can afford to buy a home but it also tells a person what kind of home they can afford. Often times people choose to buy plots of land that they like and then they build a smaller house on the plot of land that they buy. Also, sometimes people may choose to knock down an existing home and rebuild the home of their dreams right on top of it.

However, whether you are building your dream home or lucky enough to find one that already has everything you want, it’s important to remember that when buying a home or anything like it, that getting the bang for your buck you want is what will make the difference between a dream home or a stressful mortgage.

Finding the most bang for the buck usually means looking geographically. Often the median income in large cities will be the same, but the prices of homes can be five to six, even seven times greater than the median income. Therefore for some people when looking for a new home means figuring out where to settle down and what will provide their family with the greatest amount of economic freedom while still leaving in a home that they love. Here some of the best priced cities for homes.

Cities Where Homes Affordable

1. Pittsburgh

2. Detroit

3. Cleveland

4. Indianapolis

5. Atlanta

6. Greensboro

7. Detroit

8. Dallas

These cities are some of the most affordable because they fall in a category close to the median income of families in these cities. That also means that not only can families purchase homes easier but can also pay them off quicker then other parts of the United States that can anywhere from 35 to 50 year mortgages.

Filed Under: Economy, Low-Income Housing Tagged With: , ,
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