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Michigan Poverty Task Force
Michigan Poverty Task Force
Lifting Michiganders Out of Poverty
"No parent should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table for their families. That's why I've charged this task force with identifying more ways we can lift families up and ensure they can build a good life for themselves here in Michigan. I plan to work very closely with this team to ensure that every parent can feed their families with healthy, nutritious food, put a roof over their heads, and keep them warm in the winter." - Governor Whitmer
According to Michigan Association of United Ways ALICE report, 1.7 million Michigan households struggle to afford the basic necessities of housing, child care, food, technology, health care and transportation.
While there are already many efforts underway throughout state government to assist individuals living in poverty, the Michigan Poverty Task Force is committed to finding ways to strengthen, broaden, coordinate and streamline those efforts, ensuring that Michigan families have access to the support they need.
Spotlight
Until noon on Friday, August 30, 2024, LEO’s Office of Prosperity LEO is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) from interested parties to conduct a comprehensive study to determine if the MI Impact Grant achieved its intended purpose of lifting families out of the ALICE populations and get a better understanding of its impact on the ALICE population.
Download the full RFP and proposal template
Download Attachment A template
In February 2021, the Michigan Poverty Task Force released a report detailing 35 recommendations that would help to improve the lives of those in the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population and other low-income Michiganders. These recommendations focus on what state government can and should do to help eradicate poverty.
Included in the report were recommendations centered around the state’s use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding, including conducting an in-depth study of the effectiveness of TANF distribution. LEO contracted with the University of Kansas’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research to conduct a comprehensive study to determine if the state’s current approach to TANF distribution is serving low-income families well, along with analyzing other state public assistance benefit programs to identify potential barriers to access and provide suggestions on removing any such barriers.
Poverty by the Numbers
Today, 537,322 Michigan households fall below the poverty level, but more importantly, the United Way’s ALICE Report shows that 41% or 1.7 million of working Michigan households struggle to afford the necessities like housing, childcare, food, technology, health care and transportation. To afford the basics, single adults need a salary of just over $27,000 and a family of four need over $78,000. The Michigan Poverty Task Force will work to identify and evaluate measures such as these to gain a full understanding of both the scope of poverty’s impact on Michigan families and communities, and the ways state government can best help those families and communities.
1.3M of Michiganders are living in poverty |
18% of Michigan children in poverty |
33% of families with children are below the ALICE threshold |
Task Force Report
The Task Force released its second set of policy recommendations to continue the State’s efforts to lift struggling Michiganders out of poverty and improve their health outcomes. The 2022 recommendations focused on five key areas:
- Income and social protection
- Housing, basic amenities and the environment
- Early childhood development
- Social inclusion and nondiscrimination
- Access to affordable health services of decent quality
Task Force Members
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2019-19 to create the Michigan Poverty Task Force within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). The task force will be comprised of directors, or their designees, from a number of state departments and agencies and will be charged with making recommendations to the governor on how to best coordinate and activate efforts within state government to lift Michigan families out of poverty and help them on a path to opportunity. The Task Force will connect and collaborate with the public and key stakeholders in carrying out this important work.
State of Michigan Departments
Agriculture and Rural Development Insurance and Financial Services |
Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Labor and Economic Opportunity |
Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |