Updated "Self-Sufficiency Standard" Illustrates What Families Need to Get By

September 16, 2009

CHICAGO— Economic troubles are far from over for working families in Illinois, as 1 million households (which does not include households headed by seniors), don’t earn enough to make ends meet without public or  private support, according to a new report released today by the Social IMPACT Research Center (IMPACT), a program of Heartland Alliance. The report, Getting By & Getting Ahead, defines The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Illinois as a measure of the income families need to pay for their basic necessities on their own.

For the first time since 2001, Illinois’ Self-Sufficiency Standard has been completely updated offering a fresh look at the income Illinois families need to make ends meet.

The 2009 Illinois Self-Sufficiency Standard is calculated for 152 family types in 108 geographies, mostly counties, in Illinois. It reports real local costs for basic necessities such as housing, food, transportation, health care, child care, taxes, and miscellaneous items such as diapers, clothing, and household items. This makes the Standard one of the most geographically and family composition specific tools of its kind. The 2009 Illinois Self-Sufficiency Standard was calculated by the University of Washington’s Center for Women’s Welfare.

In Illinois a three-person family (parent, a preschooler, and a school-age child) requires an annual income of $49,030 to pay for their most basic needs independently – nearly three times the federal poverty standard of $18,310 – the report found. The report notes that the updated Standard is a more realistic measure of what families need to get by than the Federal Poverty Level, designed more than four decades ago. And in stark contrast to the Self-Sufficiency Wage for most family types anywhere in the state, Illinois’ minimum wage of $8.00 falls far short of what families need.

The Standard varies greatly across the state as the cost of meeting basic needs is higher in major metropolitan areas. A single parent with a preschooler and school-age child living in DuPage County must make more than $29 per hour (nearly $62,000 annually) to make ends meet. The same family in Edgar County would need an hourly wage of $12.78 ($26,986 annually) to get by. Visit www.ilselfsufficiency.org to download Self-Sufficiency fact sheets for each county in Illinois.

“Holding a job -- even full-time, year-round job – is no longer a guarantee you’ll be able to make ends meet,” said Amy Rynell, Director of IMPACT. “The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a critical tool to document what wages are needed to truly support a family’s most basic needs. The fact that a million Illinois families fall short of the Standard signals a need for renewed investments in building a skilled workforce, providing opportunities for long-term, good-paying jobs and careers, improving access to government-based income support programs, and providing opportunities to build assets so families can both get by and get ahead.”

The Self-Sufficiency Standard is a useful tool for advocates, business leaders, policymakers, and service providers trying to help move families from crisis to stability and on to success. Along with the report’s release, the Social IMPACT Research Center has launched the Illinois Self-Sufficiency Standard Project, a comprehensive guide to utilizing the Standard including local fact sheets tailored to self-sufficiency in each county, policy briefs and an online calculator (launching later this fall). Visit www.ilselfsufficiency.org

The Self-Sufficiency Standard was developed by Dr. Diana Pearce while she was the Director of the Women and Poverty Project at Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW). WOW established the national Family Economic Self-Sufficiency (FESS) Project in 1996. Through a partnership between WOW and the Center for Women’s Welfare at the University of Washington, the Self-Sufficiency Standard has now been calculated in 37 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia.

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The Social Impact Research Center (IMPACT), formerly the Mid-America Institute on Poverty at Heartland Alliance provides dynamic research and analysis on today’s most pressing social issues and solutions to inform and equip those working toward a just global society. As such, IMPACT conducts research to increase the depth of understanding and profile of social issues and solutions; develops recommendations and action steps; communicates findings using media, briefings, and web strategies to influence a broad base of decision makers; and Impacts social policy and program decisions to improve the quality of life for poor and low-income individuals.
For more information: 773.336.6075 | research@heartlandalliance.org | www.heartlandalliance.org/research

 

Media Contact(s):

Amy Terpstra
312.870.4946
aterpstra@heartlandalliance.org

Thaisa Gee
312.408.2580
tgee@valeriedenney.com

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New Report: 1 Million Families in Illinois Don't Earn Enough to Make Ends Meet on Their Own

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Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights helps people who are threatened the most by poverty or danger improve their lives and realize their human rights. For more than 100 years we have been providing solutions—both through services and advocacy—creating paths from crisis to stability and on to success. Our work in housing, health care, legal protections, and economic security supports more than 200,000 people annually, helping them build a better future.