1 in 5 in state can't get by

from the Denver Post

A study on self-sufficiency says 20 percent of Coloradans don't make enough to take care of basic needs.
By Elizabeth Aguilera

One in five Colorado residents earns less than the amount needed to cover basic needs, according to new data.

The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute on Wednesday released its second annual Self-Sufficiency Standard, which calculates a bare-bones budget for basics like food, housing, child care, transportation and other necessities. The standard, which is calculated for a variety of family types, including single-parent families and households with infants or older children, is calculated for all Colorado counties.

Ginger Wiggins is among those living below the Self-Sufficiency Standard, which is $33,856 for a single parent and a preschooler in Denver.

The college student budgets $450 a month, earned through her part-time job at Starbucks combined with some public assistance. She and her toddler daughter live in subsidized housing, receive a discount on child care and depend on student loans. Still, even though she graduates in May, she faces a long road ahead.

"I can see that even starting as a first-year teacher in special education, I won't make enough money to pay for child care and health care and insurance," she said.

The Self-Sufficiency Standard and the new VisionKEI online tool to help calculate what families need to reach self-sufficiency were revealed Wed nesday to representatives from agencies across the state who work with low-income families.

Tracey Stewart, coordinator of the self-sufficiency study for the institute, said the standard provides a more accurate measure of family income adequacy than the federal poverty level, which does not consider all the necessary expenses a family might have.

State Treasurer Cary Kennedy said state officials use the self-sufficiency study when creating policies.

"What a help it is for policymakers to have these tools so we can really evaluate how to help families and to understand how they struggle on a daily basis," she said.

Wiggins plans to get a master's degree in social work and will continue to shop at thrift stores, limit visits to Grandma's to save gas and utilize only free activities like the park.