“The current scale of community development is insufficient to address the many complex causes of poverty and to ensure the vital conditions that shape health, wealth, and well-being are met for all Americans. Addressing poverty and meeting the vital conditions are in the direct interest of stakeholders beyond the field of community development, including government officials, businesses and business owners, educators, and healthcare providers and payers. New business models are needed to closely align the financial interests of those who benefit from a healthier, more productive population and those who create the conditions that promote human flourishing.” 

“The nation’s dominant narrative, which states that people can achieve the American Dream of economic success through resilience and grit and by taking personal responsibility, causes great harm. We have stigmatized poverty with racist and misogynistic language, such as “welfare queens and deadbeat dads,” instead of acknowledging our history. This narrative perpetuates White privilege and tells those in stigmatized groups that opportunity is there if they seize it and work twice as hard. Working twice as hard to overcome systemic and structural barriers harms health. Evidence shows how disparities in health outcomes increase with education and income, which contradicts a narrative that emphasizes personal responsibility and hard work.” 2022 NC SHIP, pg. 28. 

According to the North Carolina Justice Center, in 2019, the federal poverty guideline was $25,750 combined income for a family or household of four.

• 1.4 million North Carolinians, or about 1 in every 7 people in the state, lived in poverty 
• 1 in 5 North Carolinians under 18, or over 430,000 children, lived in poverty

Higher rates of poverty among women are connected to the lack of support for working parents.  
In 2019, the poverty rate among North Carolina women was more than 20 percent higher than for men.

• 786,000 women, or 14.9 percent, experienced poverty
• 600,000 men, or 12.2 percent, experienced poverty 

Young children have the highest poverty rate of any age group.  Many people were close to poverty before the COVID-19 pandemic began.  Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Census Bureau changed the 2020 American Community Survey (ACS) release.  Instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data. One should not compare 2020 ACS data to any other data survey years. 2022 NC SHIP, pg. 30

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• Advocate for universal basic income
• Advocate for universal health insurance/Expand Medicaid eligibility
• Bring back the infrastructure to support community & economic development at the state and federal level
• Focus economic development on well-paying jobs
• Improve third grade reading proficiency and high school graduation rates
• Increase paid medical leave
• Increase subsidized childcare
• Increase the state earned income tax credit
• Launch funds for minority businesses
• Raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour • Reduce incarceration
• Strengthen initiatives to prevent teen pregnancy
• Support and strengthen the community college system

American Community Survey (US Census)

• Economic Mobility: Job market (income); Savings rate; Ownership (home, business, investment)
• Study the Road to Zero Wealth - https://ips-dc.org/report-the-road-to-zero-wealth/
• Study Economic Mobility - https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/hendren/files/mobility_geo.pdf
• DHHS, in partnership with a diverse set of stakeholders, developed a standardized set of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) screening questions.
  • Food insecurity
  • Housing instability
  • Lack of transportation
  • Interpersonal violence

https://www.ncdhhs.gov/about/department-initiatives/healthy-opportunities/screening-questions