Local Anti-poverty Initiatives

Local governments across the country are coordinating their resources to move forward with anti-poverty agendas. Some, like Savannah, Ga., are partnering with unlikely but effective allies such as business leaders to combat poverty while others, such as New York City, are trying new and sometimes contentious methods. The following is a list of a handful of municipalities that are leading the charge in the fight against poverty.


Miami, Florida:
In 2002 a $2 million anti-poverty campaign increased awareness about the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit and made micro-loans to small businesses. In 2005, ACCESS Miami offered a “comprehensive empowerment strategy aimed at increasing residents’ access to the financial tools and education that are fundamental to economic prosperity and success.” In June 2007, Miami was awarded first place in the 2007 City Livability Awards Program by the United States Conference of Mayors for the work of ELEVATE MIAMI which aims “to increase household income; assist residents in saving and accumulating assets; establish talented workforce; enhance small businesses; and build the capacity of faith-based organizations.”

New York City, New York:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has established a $150 million annual commitment to implement the recommendations of the Commission for Economic Opportunity, which the Mayor appointed to develop new strategies to tackle poverty.  This approach will focus on three demographic groups: (1) working poor adults; (2) young adults aged 16 to 24; and (3) children 5 years old and younger.

(1) working poor adults; (2) young adults aged 16 to 24; and (3) children 5 years old and younger. The Mayor is also pursuing a demonstration project which adapts lessons from Progressa, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that has improved outcomes for the poor in Mexico and other developing countries. Under a CCT program, participants gain additional cash when specific actions are accomplished, for example, when children get immunized.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
Mayor Tom Barrett established an Anti-poverty Committee and sponsored a June 2006 Anti-Poverty Forum: Why Poverty Affects Us All. In 2007, this Committee helped draft an economic development report to guide Milwaukee's activities.

Portland, Oregon:
Portland launched its Economic Opportunity Initiative in 2004 to achieve a 25 percent increase in income for 2000 residents. The Initiative offers community-based, comprehensive support projects focused on small business development or employer-involved job training. Participants are provided three years of support, which can include Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), banking services, legal services, housing, health care, credit repair and driver's license reinstatement.

Providence, Rhode Island:
Mayor David N. Cicilline established the Poverty, Work and Opportunity Task Force through a January 2007 Executive Order. The mission of the Task Force is to identify ways to lift families out of poverty and rebuild the middle class in the City of Providence. “Pathways to Opportunity: Building Prosperity in Providence.”

The November 2007 final report of the Task Force sets out five broad action areas for the city and offers specific proposals within each area; the report also pinpoints actions for the state and federal government. The actions include policies to (1) Help low-wage workers and job seekers to improve basic skills and to obtain quality jobs that provide pathways for advancement; (2)Connect youth to jobs and college by providing opportunities for in-school and out-of-school youth to complete high school with the confidence, education and skills to succeed; (3) Increase access to jobs with adequate wages and benefits and access to work support programs for working adults and families. Work supports include child care subsidies, health insurance, Food Stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Family Independence Program; (4) Reduce the high cost of being poor by improving financial education, reducing predatory lending and other high-cost business practices and increasing access to basic banking services, such as checking accounts and loan; and, (5) Prevent poverty in future generations by providing access to quality early education, teen pregnancy prevention, and supports for teen parents. In making its recommendations to the Mayor, the 35 member Task Force decided that “The focus…is on the young people and adults that have the most possibility of moving into the workforce and advancing to higher level jobs – those individuals that have bridgeable skills gaps.” At the same time, the report notes the recommendations are “about making the long-term investments so that poverty and lack of opportunity do not carry forward into future generations.”

Savannah, Georgia:
Under the leadership of Mayor Otis Johnson, Savannah has introduced one of the country’s most innovative local anti-poverty initiatives.  With a goal to reduce poverty in Savannah by five percent by 2010, Step Up: Savannah’s Poverty Reduction Initiative consists of 95 public and private organizations coordinating their efforts to reduce the city’s poverty rate which has remained at 22 percent for nearly thirty years, according to the 2000 census count. Savannah’s business community has been a key partner in the Step Up coalition – the initiative is even housed in the office building of the city’s Chamber of Commerce.  Step Up works through action teams focusing on several issue areas including asset building, affordable housing, healthcare, and transportation. 


We encourage you to submit other initiatives to reduce poverty and increase opportunity. To submit your suggestion, e-mail Jodie Levin-Epstein.