Feature: Letters to Congress

National Group Sign-On Letter Urges Congress to Quickly Enact No Less Than American Rescue Plan
February 5, 2021

On February 4th, over 100 national organizations including the Coalition on Human Needs called on the United States Congress to enact swiftly no less than what is called for in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Without speedy and comprehensive action, "...families that could have managed will be pushed into poverty and deaths that could have been avoided due to the pandemic will occur."

CHN letter to all U.S. Senators demands COVID-19 relief
September 25, 2020

CHN on Friday, Sept. 25 sent a letter to all 100 U.S. Senators demanding COVID-19 relief. It reads in part, "The pandemic has imperiled your constituents’ economic well-being and their health. COVID-19 cases are again rising, and as we enter the colder months, the threat will increase. The moratorium on evictions expires at the end of the year. If you leave now without acting, millions of people, unable to come up with one or more months of unpaid rent, will face eviction."

CHN’s letter to all members of the U.S. Senate urging Senators to extend U.S. Census reporting deadlines
August 10, 2020

CHN's letter to all members of the U.S. Senate urging Senators to extend statutory reporting deadlines for apportionment and redistricting data for the 2020 Census to April 30, 2021, extend the deadline to transmit state population totals to that date, prohibit the Bureau and the President from sending the relevant data to the Congress in advance of those deadlines, and to allocate $400 million to address Census Bureau operational challenges.

MOST RECENT PUBLICATIONS

The High Cost of Being Poor in North Carolina
October 26, 2016

It is welcome news that the poverty rate in North Carolina declined from 17.2 percent in 2014 to 16.4 percent in 2015. But the fact is, it is expensive to be poor in North Carolina. Anti-poverty programs help alleviate costs, but more must be done to reduce burdens.

The High Cost of Being Poor in Illinois
October 21, 2016

It is welcome news that the poverty rate in Illinois declined from 14.4 percent in 2014 to 13.6 percent in 2015. But the precarious situation for the poor and near poor stands in the way of substantial progress. The fact is, it is expensive to be poor in Illinois.

The High Cost of Being Poor in Mississippi
October 14, 2016

In 2015, Mississippi had the highest poverty rate among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data released in September 2016 by the Census Bureau show that nearly 638,000 adults and children remain in poverty in Mississippi – and they need to pay every dime they have for necessities like rent, child care and groceries. It is expensive to be poor in Mississippi. Anti-poverty programs help alleviate costs, but more must be done to reduce burdens.