Each week, Dismantle Poverty’s Megan Matthews answers a question about the Poverty Reduction Work Group’s mission to reduce poverty and inequality in Washington State.
Here’s this week’s entry.
“People who live in rural areas of Washington are struggling to meet their basic needs too. Is there something in the plan for them?”
Absolutely! When we say we want a just and equitable future for all Washingtonians, that’s exactly what we mean. The experience of poverty is not shared equally. In addition to race and ethnicity, LGBTQ, and disability, geography is another demographic with unequal poverty. Counties with more rural areas have higher poverty rates (See Blueprint, Page 11).
To genuinely address problems facing rural communities, people who live in rural areas participated on our steering committee.
Cost of, access to, and having enough resources are big issues facing folks living in rural communities. The recommendations in the Blueprint involve increasing and improving access and addressing cost so that opportunities really are accessible.
To submit questions, email Megan here or use the Contact page on this website.