The Poor in Texas Have Been Vastly Undercounted, New Report Finds
“The federal poverty level — the standard used by the government to determine who should be considered ‘impoverished’ — doesn’t reflect Midland’s income crunch. In fact, according to the standard, the percentage of Midland residents living below the poverty line dropped from 13 percent in 2010 to 8 percent in 2016; compared to Texas’ 2016 poverty rate of 15.6 percent, that’s pretty good. But don’t take that number at face value, said Stephanie Hoopes, the director of a United Way project that aims to more accurately assess poverty in Texas and 17 other states. The group released a report Monday showing that the federal government may be vastly undercounting poverty in Texas. As a result, poor Texans may face unwarranted obstacles to seeking government assistance.”