Community Impact

What do you want to know about how our communities are impacted by poverty?

United Community Action Partnership is based on the understanding that poverty is experienced differently by different people and our mission is to eliminate poverty by empowering individuals and strengthening communities. Our joint efforts with interested and caring community members aid us in sharing information, communicating needs, and celebrating progress toward a brighter tomorrow.

Poverty Facts

• More than 43 million people (1 in 7) in the U.S. live below the poverty line.
• 1 in 5  U.S. children under age 18, or nearly 15 million, live in poverty.
• The poverty line for a family of four is $24,300.
• A worker needs to earn $11.68/hour to reach the poverty level for a family of four.
• There is no county in the country where the federal minimum wage is enough to afford a Fair Market Rent, one-bedroom apartment.
• The three most cited reasons for family homelessness are: 1) Lack of affordable housing, 2) unemployment, and 3) poverty.
• Nearly 40% of all homeless persons are families with children.
• Homeless families are often hidden from our view—they are living in shelters, cars, campgrounds, or doubled up in overcrowded apartments.
• 17.6 million households now pay more than 50% of their income for housing.
• Only 25% of those eligible for federal housing assistance receive help, due to lack of funding.
• In America, just over 16 million children live in households where they have to skip meals or eat less to make ends meet.
• Two-thirds of children in poverty live in families in which at least one family member works.