Issue	Solution
Economic Self-Sufficiency for Women
Women play an integral role in the workforce and increasingly provide the primary income in a household. As their economic well-being goes, so goes the economic well-being of the entire family. Working women still only earn 74 cents for every dollar men earn and women make up the bulk of lower-paid and contingent jobs. FACT: Roughly 3.3 million women hold more than one job. CPA Resource: Women & the Economy Program	Enforce existing pay equity legislation; where it doesn’t exist, sponsor and pass it. Extend pro-rated benefits packages to the contingent workforce — those who work part-time, seasonally or temporarily. Leverage state money with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) money to finance secondary education. Provide educational opportunities for working parents (model legislation available from CPA).
Affordable Rural Housing
In many rural parts of the U.S., low-paying jobs, seasonal work and reliance on declining natural resource jobs have created poverty rates equal to those in inner cities. This has contributed to a lack of affordable housing for families living in the rural U.S. FACT: Over 50 percent of rural households earning under $10,000 annually spend over 70 percent of their incomes on housing. FACT: Four in ten rural workers work full-time and still can’t keep their families out of poverty — 25 percent higher than the national average. CPA Resource: Revitalizing Communities Program	Create home-financing solutions for people in rural areas through business, government and community partnerships.
Welfare Reform & Workfare
States need to ensure that those leaving welfare rolls don’t “fall through the cracks” — and that the new experiment of workfare leads people to successful, sustainable jobs that allow them to provide for themselves and their families. FACT: Currently, adults without dependent children cannot receive food stamps after three months. FACT: In 1996, 14.4 million people had incomes of less than half the poverty threshold — up 500,000 from 1995. FACT: Between 1994-1996 poverty rates dropped in five states (Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and Texas) and increased in three (Arizona, Montana and Vermont). CPA Resources: Southeast Community Policy & Leadership Forum, Women & the Economy Program	Pass legislation to ensure payment of a livable wage for all working families. Expand benefits to the contingent workforce — those who work seasonally, part-time or temporarily. Provide educational opportunities for working parents (model legislation available from CPA).
Economic Development for Poor Communities
Economic development can help communities in ways reaching beyond job creation alone. Poverty adversely affects children’s health, education level, family structure and environment. Economic development can protect living environments, bring capital into poor communities, increase property values and provide greater services to residents. FACT: During the next legislative session, 23 states will consider measures to end affirmative action. FACT: The median household income for African-American households is $23,482, compared to an overall median income of $35,492. FACT: In 1997, nearly half of all African-American children lived in poverty. FACT: Women and minorities receive less than 5 percent of state and federal procurement contracts. CPA Resource: Southeast Community Policy & Leadership Forum, Women & the Economy Program	Create jobs and build healthy communities at the same time through model legislation on brownfields clean-up and lead paint removal (model legislation summaries available from CPA’s website). Use Economically Targeted Investment (ETI) Strategies to infuse capital into at-risk areas in order to spur job growth and capital development (model legislation available from CPA). Oppose new state legislation or ballot initiatives that end affirmative action.