Poverty

Poverty in District of Columbia

District of Columbia

Poverty is a social determinant of health that has intergenerational impacts. It is associated with higher rates of environmental exposures and poor health outcomes, as well as increased risk of mortality and chronic disease. Those with incomes below the federal poverty level may struggle to consistently meet basic needs such as stable housing, food and health care.

The percentage of individuals living below the poverty level is higher among:

• Women compared with men.
• Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals, who have rates more than two times higher than those of Asian and non-Hispanic white individuals. Both income and wealth disparities between white and minority households are deeply rooted in structural racism in housing, education and employment.
• Those living in rural areas compared with those in metropolitan areas.

Many federal, state and local government programs, as well as community interventions, exist to support and help reduce the number of people living in poverty. Some of them include:

• Policy initiatives that supplement income such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for those with limited income and few resources.
• Universal basic income (UBI) programs that aim to provide individuals in a community with regular cash transfers, regardless of employment status, age, or other conditions.
• Programs that improve access by reducing costs to health care such as Medicare and Medicaid.
• Food and nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
• Affordable housing policies such as rental vouchers, subsidized housing and utility assistance programs.
• Policy initiatives that address racial and ethnic disparities in income, housing and health, such as residential segregation.

Healthy People 2030 tracks different measures of economic stability and has an objective for reducing the proportion of people living in poverty.

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Galea, Sandro, Melissa Tracy, Katherine J. Hoggatt, Charles DiMaggio, and Adam Karpati. 2011. “Estimated Deaths Attributable to Social Factors in the United States.” American Journal of Public Health 101 (8): 1456–65. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2010.300086.

Khullar, Dhruv, and Dave A. Chokshi. 2018. “Health, Income, & Poverty: Where We Are & What Could Help.” Health Affairs Health Policy Brief. Bethesda, MD: Project HOPE. https://doi.org/10.1377/hpb20180817.901935.

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