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Little Change in Illinois Poverty Rate in 2007
The U-S Census report on 2007 poverty levels shows little change from 2006 statistics.

The census bureau estimates that nearly 1.5 million Illinois residents lived below the poverty line last year.

Amy Rynell, director of the Heartland Alliance, says that means about 11.9 percent were at or below the poverty line, a slight drop from 12.3 percent in 2006.

"For a family of four, they would be considered poor if their income ws about $20,650 a year. For a family of three it's just over $17,000 a year or less."

Rynell says the state's poverty rate has been on the rise since 2000, when it was 10.7 percent. She predicts the rate will be much higher in 2008.

Rynell also says although poverty and unemployment will likely rise in the coming year, there is hope that legislation approved by the governor will help. The governor recently signed a bill to create the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. The goal of the group is to develop a plan to comprehensively address poverty, and to reduce extreme poverty in the state by 50 percent or more by the year 2015.

Rynell says in addition to the governor's newly created commission, lawmakers must address the hours kept by social service programs, such as staying open later for people with 9 to 5 jobs so they can apply for economic assistance.
08 29 08 by Newsroom
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