By the numbers.
Poverty in CA:
- In 2018, there were 5,160,208 people experiencing poverty in the state of California, or 13.3% of the state’s population.
- The Supplemental Poverty Measure, a more accurate measurement, is 19%.
- 8.1% of California’s children live in deep poverty, where families are living under 50% of the Federal Poverty Rate.
- California is ranked 51st in the nation for affordable housing.
CA Food Insecurity:
- The Food Insecurity rate in California is 11.7%, or 4,574,710 people struggling to maintain a regular source of adequate, nutritious food.
SNAP/CalFresh in California:
- Only 70% of eligible Californians participate in CalFresh:
- 74% are household with children,
- 49% are in working families,
- 9% are in families with elderly or disable members.
- The CalFresh program kept 806,000 out of poverty-417,000 of which were children (2009-2012)
- More facts and figures about CalFresh.
CalWORKs:
- CalWORKs families live at 30% of the Federal Poverty Line.
- Cuts to the CalWORKs program over the last 2 decades has give 1.1 billion dollars annually for the state budget.
Suplemental Security Income (SSI):
- In 2018, the maximum SSI/SSP grant is $910.72 per month.
- Women, disproportionately Asian, Black, and Latina, are the majority of SSI/SSP recipients.
- The state has saved an estimated $10 billion from the cuts to these recipients since 2009.
- Starting in the summer of 2019, SSI recipients will be eligible for CalFresh.
- More information about SSI.