Census reports indicating poverty affected more people last year than the year before did not surprise Jennifer Stone, whose income dropped by two-thirds in the same time period.
The U.S. Census Bureau released two studies Tuesday: The American Community Survey, which found that poverty in Colorado had increased to 11.1 percent in 2004 from 9.8 percent in 2003; and a second, the Current Population Survey, which showed a two-year average poverty rate of 9.9 percent for 2003 to 2004 – a slight increase over the previous two years.
Poverty among children under 18cq increased to 14.5 percent in 2004, according to the community survey.
The federal definition of poverty is those who earn less than $15,067 for a family of three and less than $19,207 for a family of four.
Nationwide, the number of Americans living in poverty rose by 1.1 million to 37 million in 2004, according to the Current Population Survey. That marked the fourth straight year of annualits poverty figure has increased nationally.
And local experts say the numbers hardly tell the whole story.
They are mere benchmarks, things we care about like poverty, housing and all kinds of things,”said Jeff Romine, research economist at Leeds School of Business at CU. “I think those who are poor are really getting hard hit and are really poor now.”
Advocates say there are thousands more whose incomes are barely above the federal poverty level but who are just as poor.
“Many of them are in part- time and temporary jobs; many don’t have health care through employment and rely on safety- net programs, such as food stamps and child health care plans,” said Linda Meric, director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women.cq
Stone, 27, received food stamps and her two daughters ??how many??were on Medicaid before she lost her job at a Diamond Shamrock gas station and became homeless.
The family lived with relatives and friends for eight months before qualifying for low-income transitional housing. Stone now spends $83 of her $356 monthly aid check on rent.
“In the matter of a year, my life completely changed,” she said. “I was making about $550 every two weeks. At least I had enough to cover my bills.”
Stone and others are eligible for aid based on the federal poverty numbers, which do not account for cost-of-living differences from city to city, said Suzette Tucker-Welch, a senior analyst at the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute.
“The federal numbers are one measure of the poorest of the poor,” Tucker-Welch said. “I would hope that at some point we would be able to address these issues with some other measures.”
The newest round of numbers does not affect how much money comes to Colorado. That is still based on 2000 census data and won’t change until the 2010 census, said Teri Davis, manager of financial assistance programs for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.cq
The American Community Survey is the census bureau’s annual questionnaire about demographics, income and housing.cq
Other data about Colorado released Tuesday show average travel time to work increased to 23.5 minutes from 22.9 minutes.
The foreign-born population remained the same at 9.7 percent, with 59.7 percent of those born in Latin America.
Colorado Springscq ranked second in the nation among large cities, ??on same measure as Aurora, or is this a different measure for 74.5 percentcq of its population non-Hispanic white.
Denver ranked 10th among counties with 41.3 percentcq of men over 15cq who have never been married.
Staff writer Elizabeth Aguilera can be reached at 303-820-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com.
