County's hunger rate high among working poor

[Judi Lynn]

County's hunger rate high among working poor
The numbers are double the U.S. average, a study finds.
By Sonja Isger

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, October 15, 2004

BOYNTON BEACH — In Palm Beach County — the third-wealthiest county in the state — the number of working-poor families with someone who ate less or skipped eating altogether is twice as high as the national average, a survey released Thursday found. And while children are typically shielded from hunger when there isn't enough food for the entire family, those in Palm Beach County went hungry at a rate three times higher.

Within the past year in this county, one in three households with incomes of $35,000 or less ran out of food before they had money to buy more.

Rents or mortgages and utility costs are busting their budgets, says Scott Badesch, executive director of the United Way of Palm Beach County, one of the survey's sponsors. "The relationship between affordable housing and hunger is strong," he said.
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And living in Palm Beach County keeps getting more expensive. The median cost of a used home has grown 80 percent in the past five years while the median family income has grown only 19 percent, according to statistics provided by the United Way.
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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2004/10/15/s1c_hungry_1015.html

[struggle4progress]

1. kick for Jeb and Shrubyas's "ownership society"

:kick: