Policy & Practice | April 2021

ROOT CAUSES OF INTERGENERATIONAL POVERTY

History & Truth

Failure to recognize and address structural racism, trauma, and discrimination

Power & Influence

Policies, Programs &

Poverty & Inequality Child, adult, and family well-being is undermined, preventing WA from reaching its full potential and reinforcing the status quo

$ Budgets

Policy and program decisions do not include people disproportionately affected

Values & Beliefs

Harmful and inaccurate stereotypes about people experiencing poverty

Policies and programs fail to address root causes, and therefore are insufficient at reducing poverty and mitigating its efffects on Washingtonians

Narrative

Poverty is discussed as a personal problem, not a systemic one

resources invested in data, think tanks, task forces, and research briefs to address it. To remedy this, Birdsong argues, we should invest in the experts best equipped to offer solutions— people experiencing poverty. Listening to the Experts That’s what the PRWG did. The initial group convened had grown weary of the status quo with regard to poverty and decided to flip power on its head, putting a Steering Committee of people and communities historically excluded from economic well-being in charge. The 22-member committee set PRWG’s priorities and provided final

volunteer at schools and community organizations, advocate for opportuni- ties for their kids, and lend a hand to their neighbors. They know the value of a dollar well and make savvy budget decisions. They juggle these responsi- bilities while navigating a health and human services system that, by design, makes getting ahead extraordinarily difficult—a system underwritten by decades of inherently unjust, unequal federal and state policies. The story we tell about poverty— that people with low incomes are lazy, helpless, gaming the system—is not true. High rates of poverty and inequality persist, despite all the

Birdsong argues that the solutions to stubbornly high rates of poverty and inequality exist there—we just don’t invest in them. Instead, we let inac- curate, harmful stories about people experiencing poverty persist, resulting in misguided solutions. In spite of this, people experiencing poverty repeatedly prove their resil- ience. The majority are working, sometimes multiple jobs, and find innovative ways to make ends meet. Those working part time, or not at all, generally have good reasons—a debili- tating physical or mental illness, an unsafe relationship or living situation, or struggles with homelessness. They

Lori Pfingst is Senior Director of the Economic Services

Tim Probst is the Grants Management Director for Financial Services at the Washington State Employment Security Department.

David Stillman is the Assistant Secretary of the Economic Services Administration at theWashington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Administration at theWashington State Department of Social and Health Services.

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