Dear Future President,

The percent of poverty in America is rising ,because the minimum wage is low, price of housing is high, and people are unable to sustain a healthy diet due to the lack of currency.

According to Poverty Program, people such as Full-time students, student apprentices, and workers with disabilities can be paid as less as $4.25/hour (Much less than the minimum wage of $7.25). However, this does not apply to all workers across the country. Federal policy guidelines say that 30% of earned money should go towards rent. Which means people that earn the minimum wage should find an apartment for $377 a month. It is said that any employee working at the minimum wage can not afford housing anywhere in the United States. (http://www.povertyprogram.com/usa.php)

While people who are working at minimum wage, housing values have risen along with their prices. In effect, housing that workers were able to pay for has not kept up with the population growth throughout the country. These people are unable to do anything about their job situation, causing their children to be effected by a thing such as food shortage within the household that they are staying in.

In the United States it is recorded that 21% of households including children are suffering from food shortages. It is found that more than 40% of “pantry users” often choose between paying for heat and paying for food.

Poverty in America is rising, with adjustments to the minimum wage, cost of housing, and the supply of food in the U.S, this may not be such a big problem in our country.

Thank you, I am Honored to be writing to you

Kendra