Report: Many New Jerseyans can't afford bare-bones needs

from The Daily Record

Advocates push for boost to minimum wage, more education, tax reform

By MICHAEL RISPOLI

TRENTON -- One in five New Jerseyans aren't paid enough to afford bare-bone necessities without seeking outside help, as the gap between their earned income and cost of living widens, a report released by poverty advocacy groups Wednesday says.

A one-adult, one-preschooler household would need to make between nearly $36,000 through more than $54,000 -- depending on the region -- to meet needs such as housing, health care, food and other costs, the report found. The average minimum wage for this family would have to be $26.56 per hour -- nearly four times New Jersey's minimum wage.

This leads to tough choices and sacrifices, said the report's author, Diana Pearce, director of the Center for Women's Welfare at the University of Washington.

"It should be shocking and a wake-up call to people that we are increasingly not acknowledging that people are struggling," said Pearce. "This is hard on people who are struggling because they have income over the poverty level, so you're not 'poor,' and yet families can easily become homeless because you don't have enough money to meet your rent or your food."

This is the fourth such report conducted by Pearce and the Poverty Research Institute at Legal Services of New Jersey. Pearce has conducted self-sufficiency reports for 35 other states.

An estimated 1.8 million residents in New Jersey are in households with incomes that are less than double the federal poverty level, which for a family of three is $17,600. The state's self-sufficient wage is anywhere from $18,000 to $35,000 above the federal poverty level, Pearce said.

Stephanie Baldwin, who used to rely on help from Catholic Charities in Trenton and now works as a secretary for the group, said her $25,000 a year salary can only afford to find apartments for herself and her 5-year-old son that are "rarely clean, comfortable or safe."

"The most common scenario is you pay $600 a month, a real bargain, and live in an area that is high in crime and where the owner or super never fixes things," said Baldwin.

The report recommends revamping and expanding governmental policies, which the advocates admitted would be tough because of hard economic times statewide and nationally. Among the suggestions were increasing the minimum wage, improving access to education and tax reform to help struggling families, said Melissa Quaal, senior researcher and policy analyst for Legal Services of New Jersey.