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CLASP Reports on State Poverty Task Forces

A Step Ahead on Modern Poverty Measure

The current federal poverty measure is based on a formula developed in the 1960s that established the poverty threshold as three times the basic food budget for a family of three. Back then, the average family spent significantly more on food. The need for a modern poverty measure that more accurately reflects the daily circumstances of poor families and the value of policy interventions has been recognized for some time. Absent a modern federal measure, some states are taking action to address limits of the current poverty measure. State Poverty Task Forces a Step Ahead on Modern Poverty Measures summarizes the varied efforts of five states to combat poverty and more accurately gauge poverty levels.

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