“Never doubt a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
In 2007 in King County:
The need is great in King County. The following statistics are taken directly from the Communities Count 2008 report.
More children living in poverty
Over 56,000 children under the age of 18 in King County were living in poverty in
2007. This number has jumped by over 18,000 children since 1999. At the same time,
an increasing percentage of King County residents of all ages lived in poverty, from
8% in 1999 to 10% in 2007.
Children growing up in poverty are at greater risk of health problems, and are not as likely as their peers to achieve academic success.
King County food banks served 215,941 people in 2007, almost 80,000 of them children.
What is a 'living wage'?
A living wage is the minimum income
that a family needs to provide the basic
necessities of life. A living wage for a
family of 4 with only one working adult
is about $50,00 annually. A single
person needs to earn at least $26,000
a year to afford a basic standard of
living. A family of 4 where both adults
work would need $71,374 a year to
cover basic expenses, plus child care.
Almost half of all jobs available in King County do not pay a living wage income
One of the main reasons for the substantial rise in living wage income required in the Northwest in the past five years is the rise in health care costs.
In 2007, approximately 45% of renters and 41% of home owners with mortgages in King County paid 30% or more of their household income for housing. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 30% of gross income is the most that all but wealthy households can pay for housing without creating an excessive housing cost burden. Housing that requires more than 30% of income is considered to be “unaffordable.â€
How many people are homeless in King County?
On any given night in King County, more than 8,000 people are homeless. This includes over 2,500 people staying in emergency shelter, over 3,300 in temporary transitional housing, and more than 2,600 people counted outdoors during the 2008 One Night Count of homeless people. Almost 3,000 are members of homeless families with children.
Source: The Committee to End Homelessness website
