A five-part Boise State Radio series examining poverty in Idaho has resulted in a poverty policy white paper put together by Boise State University’s Public Policy Center.
Titled “That Could Be Me: The New Voice of Poverty in Idaho,” the paper includes a series of recommendations and summarizes Boise State Radio’s investigation on the impacts of the changing economy for ordinary Idahoans. Boise State Radio contracted with the Public Policy Center, which is housed in the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, to write the white paper and make policy recommendations.
The policy suggestions are related to three areas:
- Increasing education and awareness about poverty
- The need for continued and further collaboration across the governmental, non-profit and corporate sectors to fight poverty
- State funding of poverty initiatives
“It is critical for policy makers to see the faces and hear the stories of those living in poverty,” said Melissa Lavitt, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs. “The recommendations are based on the lived experience of families and individuals affected by poverty. This represents an important contribution to our understanding of the current harsh economic realities.”
The Boise State Radio project, which was funded in part by the National Center for Media Engagement, also included a community roundtable held in September, where advocates and policy makers discussed the Boise State Radio series, the larger context of poverty in Idaho and made policy recommendations.
Recommendations in the white paper include convening a poverty summit, governor’s summit or legislative interim committee to increase awareness; ensuring that governmental partners have the technical assistance needed to assist non-profit partners in responding to grant-driven reporting and staffing requirements, and loosening restrictions on eligibility and duration of benefits to accommodate the duration and severity of the recession, among others.
To see the entire white paper, go to http://sspa.boisestate.edu/publicpolicycenter/publications.shtml.
For more information, contact Stephanie Witt, director of the Public Policy Center, at (208) 426-3667 or switt@boisestate.edu, or John Hess, general manager of Boise State Radio, at (208) 426-1984.
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Media Contact: Mike Journee, University Communications, (208) 426-1517, mikejournee@boisestate.edu
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