EMBARGOED until December 23, 2001
Contacts: Kathleen Mulligan-Hansel (414) 384-9094
Pamela Fendt (414) 229-6155
Marcus White (414) 276-9050
A new report shows demand for emergency food, shelter and medical care in Milwaukee County increased dramatically between 1995 and 2000, a period of strong economic growth. Four years after W-2 replaced AFDC, private non-profit programs and churches are often providing the only safety net for many families in need.
Low-wage employment and problems with the W-2 program and its implementation have resulted in a growing number of persons who rely on emergency service programs to meet their families' most basic needs.
The report, Passing the Buck: W-2 and Emergency Services in Milwaukee, was issued by the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, the Center for Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the Institute for Wisconsin's Future. It tracks the use of emergency services by low-income families between 1995 and 2000 in the context of area economic conditions and the implementation of the Wisconsin Works Program.
The W-2 program has received local and national acclaim for its success in reducing the number of Milwaukee County families on welfare from 35,000 in 1995 to less than 7,000 in 2000. But emergency service providers claim that the cost has been too high. The study traces the demand for services in three critical basic needs areas—food security, housing, and medical care—and surveys trends in service provision by Milwaukee-area congregations.
"This research shows how changes in the welfare system have affected Milwaukee's communities," said Dr. Kathleen Mulligan-Hansel, of the Institute for Wisconsin's Future. "Since welfare reform was implemented, communities have stepped in, investing more in programs to support low-income families. We should be asking if this system is sustainable or if there is a natural limit to how much community organizations can do."
Some of the key findings in the study reveal that:
Food-related referrals to community hotlines increased by 136% between 1996 and 2000.
There has been a 49% increase in the number of people served by food pantries over the five-year period.
Referrals to emergency shelter by the centralized shelter hotline increased 53% between 1998 and 2000.
Overflow homeless shelters served three times as many people per night in 2000 as in 1997. Emergency shelters operate at capacity almost constantly. The gap between the demand for emergency shelter and available space has increased by 406% since 1997.
The amount of charitable health care provided by area hospitals doubled between 1995 and 1999 and the number of unpaid medical debts rose by 82%.
Only 15% of congregations believed the situation has improved for families since 1995; 87% of respondents reported receiving the same or more requests for assistance in 2000 compared to 1995.
"Despite the economic expansion of the past few years, congregations have found themselves doing more and more to meet the needs of low-income families," explained Marcus White, Executive Director of Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. "We're in a recession now, which means people will need more help and congregations will be in more of a pinch. We really need to ask ourselves if we want a society where people work hard all day at low-wage jobs and then have to ask a church for food each night to feed their kids."
The rapidly growing population of families needing emergency services indicates that W-2 policies should be adjusted to provide a more secure safety net, especially as the economic slump continues.
"At the state level it is critical to make it easier for families to access basic supports. When W-2 was implemented many families lost their Food Stamps and Medicaid – the very programs that were meant to ease their transition to work or augment low-paying jobs," said Pam Fendt, of the UW-Milwaukee Center for Economic Development. "In addition, the safety net features within the W-2 program need to be improved."
The report recommends that access to support programs—such as BadgerCare and Food Stamps—be streamlined so more families can get the help they need to meet their basic needs.
The authors also point out that national debates over welfare reform should take a lesson from Milwaukee's experience. When the federal government reauthorizes Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) in 2002, policymakers should be sure to fully fund government programs for low-income families. Even though there are fewer families receiving cash assistance now, many families still need help making ends meet. Because wages for many workers are so low, families rely on the programs funded by TANF to meet basic needs.
To receive a copy of the full report, please call IWF at (414) 384-9094.
A summary version of the report and the full report can be obtained on IWF's website, www.wisconsinsfuture.org.
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