skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

More Arkansas Families at Risk of Homelessness

play audio
Play

Tuesday, December 15, 2020   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas is falling short in housing security during the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new report based on the latest Census household survey data.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation says in September and October, nearly 1 in 5 households with kids said they had only "slight or no confidence" at all that they'd make their next rent or mortgage payment on time. Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said many folks are working on the front lines at hospitals, child-care centers, restaurants, grocery stores and in low-paying jobs.

"And these are industries that are being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic right now," Huddleston said. "And so, the greater share of your state's workforce that are in these low-wages industries, that makes it much more likely they're going to be at risk in terms of housing insecurity."

He noted housing insecurity is closely tied to hunger. The report found 14% of Arkansas families with children said they "sometimes or often" did not have enough to eat. However, Huddleston said more recent state research shows that number is now closer to 20%.

Broken down by race, the report shows how current and historic policies continue to drive deep inequities in families' access to resources. Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs with the Casey Foundation, said food insecurity is nearly twice as high among Black households with children compared to white households.

"The pandemic has laid bare and really exacerbated racial and ethnic inequities in this country," Boissiere said. "And we've seen that Black, Latino and Native communities in particular have been hard hit."

Huddleston added having to teach kids remotely and work at the same time is taking an enormous toll on parents. He said nearly half of adult respondents said they feel they're not equipped to help their children with schoolwork.

"I think this report clearly shows how significant state and federal intervention is needed to protect the health and economic well-being of families with children," Huddleston said.

He says state and federal lawmakers could expand access to unemployment insurance for part-time and gig-economy workers, low-wage workers and students, and expand child-care access. The report says policymakers also should work to cut red-tape that prevents families from using programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.

Disclosure: Annie E Casey Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Education, Juvenile Justice, Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021