It’s not new that everywhere in the world there is poverty, regardless of if it’s a rich country or a country like some in Africa, so called third world countries. Even United States of America, probably the richest country in the world, faces serious problems with poverty. As Mark McCauslin points out:

According to the Coalition of the Homeless, about 34 million Americans live below the poverty line (they are officially classed as poor by the government). Since 1979, the number of poor families has increased by 35 percent. In other words, more than 1 out of 10 families lives in poverty (13).

Seeing those humongous numbers makes us try to figure out if there is any way of fighting poverty: reducing above numbers at least. In order to find any kind of cure though, causes of poverty are the most important that should be figured out initially. Among many other factors, economic crisis, personal problems of people, and uncontrolled flow of immigrants are the most dominant causes of poverty.

Obviously, economic crisis in any country brings up a shortage in jobs, which of course results in massive layoffs. After the event on September 11, about many employees were laid o

Another very serious cause of increase of poverty could be the uncontrolled flow of immigrants from all over the world. Same Bertha Davis notes “[i] mmigrant laborers are among the millions of working poor […]”(30). One of the reasons is that because they don’t have as many relatives here as native citizens. As above-mentioned Peter H. Rossi shows, using percentage rate, that people who have somebody to depend on in his or her difficulties are much less likely to become consistently poor (188). Most immigrants are the first generation coming to United States, consequently often they find themselves in a situation when they have to depend on a close person and not having one puts them in a very difficult situation which most likely will drive them to the doors of poverty. Same Rossi suggests helping them by creating some government funds such as SSI, GF and so on…(190).

Another consequence of economic crisis is the increase of housing rents, which seriously affects the increase of a number of poor. In recent years the housing prices have skyrocketed. As Mark McCauslin mentions, “everybody has felt the crunch, but poor people have been hit the hardest. Studies show that most people living in poverty spend more than half their income on housing”. He continues pointing out that these people had to sacrifice other necessities, like food or clothing to be able to pay their rent (14). Peter H. Rossi agrees with McCauslin noting that “Census Bureau of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has recorded in city after city declines in the proportion of housing renting for 40% or less of poverty-level incomes”(182), which of course is related to the increase of apartment rents. Is there any way to solve this particular problem? Same Rossi suggests increasing benefits for low incomes, noting that except SSI no other benefits have been increased (190). McCauslin also suggests increasing funds on “public housing” writing that “low-income housing has been disappearing…”(16).

In those couple lines is a philosophy of recognizing the problems of poverty facing them, and trying to fight them. Only one thing remaining to be added: knowing the causes of poverty makes the fight agai

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