Fighting Urban Poverty

This year's unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, arising from alleged police misconduct in the deaths of black men, cast a light on impoverished conditions not only in those cities but in urban areas throughout the country. From Philadelphia and New York to Kansas City and Los Angeles, joblessness, poor schools, crime, blight, high incarceration rates and segregated housing patterns have helped drive millions of Americans — many of them minorities — into poverty. In some localities, up to a third of the residents subsist below the federal poverty line. Many experts say economic growth is essential to combat urban poverty. But beyond that, policymakers are divided on how to help the poor, with some advocating a higher minimum wage and more government social programs and others stressing personal responsibility and economic incentives to spur business growth in inner cities. With Congress gridlocked, some states and cities are moving on their own to help the urban poor, including increasing the minimum wage.