Combating Poverty in Kentucky

The issue of poverty is an incredibly convoluted and multifaceted one that requires attack from many different vectors. One potential solution and fix to the issue is government programs and assistance. The Urban Institute performed a research report on poverty projections in 2021 and found that government assistance such as SNAP benefits and the Child Tax Credit helped Kentuckians and even estimated what the poverty rate would be without them. Campbellsville University also supports this idea. An article they released discussed five different social initiatives that fight poverty in Kentucky. An example of one of these social initiatives is Kentucky Youth Advocates, which seeks to create a state earned income tax credit with the goal of helping working-class families. Not only should we employ government programs and assistance, but we should also utilize charities and non-profit organizations. “5 Social Initiatives Fighting Poverty in Kentucky.” CU Online , 22 Feb. 2023, online.camp...

Poverty has been an overwhelming issue for the residents of Kentucky over the past couple years, as the state is seeing a rising number of impoverished communities and individuals continuing to fall below the poverty line. Poverty has been a growing issue for the state of Kentucky as a whole, but this issue has violently struck parts of Eastern Kentucky, causing much damage to its citizens. In an article written by Ben Cosgrove, he goes to tell and show the sad world that the residents of Eastern Kentucky have come to know as their life. In "The War on Poverty Pages of Life: Appalachia Portraits", Ben explains that Eastern Kentucky’s poverty rise began when the coal industry collapsed, and as many residents here depended on the coal mines for jobs, they had become unemployed and out of work. Ben photographed pictures of residents of Eastern Kentucky; this collection of photos was called "The Valley of Poverty." Within Ben’s photographs, you can see the amount of hur...

Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of this issue and the effects it has on plenty of citizens. Eastern Kentucky has long been known for its poverty issues, stemming from a combination of economic, historical, and geographic factors. Firstly, the main issue causing this persistent poverty has been the economic decline. This region has heavily relied on the coal industry. Since this industry has faced a severe decline, so has eastern Kentucky's economic status. With this decline in the coal industry, it has also caused a major drop in unemployment rates. Many coal industry workers are struggling to find an alternative job that offers them the same wages and benefits. Another main issue is that educational attainment levels in Eastern Kentucky are often lower than the national average. Limited access to quality education can perpetuate the cycle of poverty, as individuals may not have the skills and qualifications needed for higher-paying jobs. Since many residents are in suc...

Kentucky and its citizens have been facing an overgrowing issue of poverty over the past couple years, especially in its Eastern and rural areas. As Kentucky continues to stay within an extremely high poverty rate, according to Ronnie Ellis, we are seeing a decreasing amount. And while you may think a decreasing amount would put a state at an advantage, Kentucky is still sitting at an extremely high poverty rate of 17.2 percent of Kentuckians still living in poverty or below the poverty line as of 2017, which still puts Kentucky in the top five most impoverished states in the country. Ronnie goes on to say that more individuals of color suffer from poverty in Kentucky than white individuals. To compare, the minority poverty rate sits at 51.5 percent, while the white poverty rate sits at 16.1. As we can tell, the difference is substantial. The state of Kentucky has been trying to lower its poverty rate for years but is still seemingly in the top five most impoverished states. Source: El...