The Importance Of Poverty In Baltimore

The prevalence of poverty in the city of Baltimore is not only based on location,but the education, race and dynamics of the family. According to the Maryland Alliance For The Poor (MAP) “25.2 percent of people in Baltimore City live below the poverty line - $23,492 for a family of four – in 2012.” and “The median income for households in Baltimore City is $39,788. Baltimore City, has one of the largest participation in free and reduced lunch along with the second highest unemployment rate in the state of Maryland. In addition, when it comes to food benefits Baltimore is one of top cities that receive food benefits. Baltimore, was one of the cities that benefited from the booming steel industry between the years 1950-1995. When the steel

The lack of jobs for people with or without high school diplomas contributed to the rise of unemployment and the reliance on state benefits. Gentrification is also an issue one can assume, it is one of the contributors to the issue of poverty in Baltimore. Gentrification often leaves the individuals within a community displaced and these individuals are typically minorities. Recently, in the city of Baltimore there have been programs developed such as Metropolitan Baltimore Quadel (MBQ). MBQ moves individuals from the inner city neighborhoods that have lived in public housing at one point in their life and place them in homes in different counties. These counties include Hartford County and Howard County and while this provides housing in the inner city for professionals it places individuals that are already struggling economically, in areas that require driving and little to no public transportation. One can assume that programs such as MBQ are created to mask the issue rather than tackle it head on. Education, plays a major role in the issue of poverty, because most children do not stand a chance if they do not come from a stable environment. One can assume that when a child is raised in poverty they often do not have access to food and proper clothing these items can make it hard for children to focus in school. Lack of focus in school will lead to a lack of success, which contributes to the lack of poverty, and it becomes an ongoing cycle. In a research done by John Hopkins it was concluded that “They found that a child 's fate is in many ways fixed at birth — determined by family strength and the parents ' financial status.The kids who got a better start — because their parents were married and working — ended up better off. Most of the poor kids from single-parent families stayed poor.”