Not everyone lived well during what was billed as the prosperous 1990s.
Many Utahns struggled the past decade and continue to struggle paying rent, buying food and maintaining health insurance. Though fewer people may be categorized as poor, their cost of living and quality of life have all the elements of poverty, said Judy Hilman, health-care advocate for Utah Issues.Utah Issues, a local advocacy organization, will explore the factors that impoverish families and discuss solutions to the problems at its annual Poverty Conference at the University of Utah Olpin Union May 12 and 13. The two--day session will culminate two months of meetings on poverty issues statewide.
"From the dialogues, we are learning that we need fresh, analytic approaches to poverty, new models for resolving it, like asset--based community development and community--based problem solving," she said.
John McKnight, co-author of "Building Communities From the Inside Out," will discuss how to use existing assets such as residents and local organizations to address poverty issues. He helped found the Asset--Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University.
According to data compiled by Utah Issues, 185,000 Utahns are impoverished. The number of uninsured residents rose 63 percent the past 10 years, totaling 280,000 people. Some 75 percent of them are unemployed.
Housing costs soared during the 1990s, nearly doubling. The average home price went from $69,400 to $128,600, while rent for a two-bedroom apartment ballooned from $312 a month to $604.
The conference is free and open to the public. Utah Issues has invited local legislators, elected officials and state policy makers to attend.
Workshops will address topics such as landlord/tenant law, housing trust funds, state subsidized child care, removing sales tax on food and women's access to health care.
For more information, call 521--2025 or 1--800--331--5627.
You can reach Dennis Romboy by e-mail at romboy@desnews.com