Regardless
of your political view of public housing, here’s a not-so-fun fact:
Most
of the folks who qualify for public housing—because they can’t get decent
housing privately with their own resources—don’t actually live in public
housing.
Why?
The
existing stock of public housing is only sufficient for 1 out of 4 of the
families who are poor enough to qualify for it.
Three-quarters
of the families who would think public housing is a step up can’t take that
step, because there is no place for them to step up to.
Try
to imagine what it’s like to live where they live now.
Matthew
Desmond, in the March 6 Sunday New York Times, extends the perspective by
asking this question:
“What
if food stamps only covered one in four families?”
By
the way, just for the record: there are more white (non-Hispanic) folks getting
benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program than any single
minority. SNAP administers the food stamp program. About 20 million white folks
get food stamps. About 15 million black folks get food stamps. You get the
picture.
Copyright © Richard Carl
Subber 2016 All rights reserved.
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