Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Wednesday that she signed an executive order to create the Michigan Poverty Task Force, which is aimed at understanding and solving the problem of poverty in Michigan.
The order requires that the chair of the task force have an advisory council that includes three Michigan state legislators and three Michigan residents who have been impacted by poverty or work with impacted communities. Two of the legislators must represent urban areas impacted by poverty and one must represent a rural area impacted by poverty.
“No parent should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table for their families,” Whitmer said in a statement. “That’s why I’ve charged this task force with identifying more ways we can lift families up and ensure they can build a good life for themselves here in Michigan.
More than 40 percent of Michigan households struggle to afford necessities like housing, childcare, food, technology, healthcare and transportation, according to United Way’s ALICE report. A 2018 study showed that one in five Michigan children live in poverty, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
The task force will be under the umbrella of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
“There’s no one solution to solve poverty, it’s going to take all of us, putting our shoulders to the wheel, to make real progress,” said LEO Director Jeff Donofrio in a statement. “The Task Force gives us the chance to do collectively what none of us could accomplish on our own. Bringing together state departments, philanthropy, community organizations and local leaders, we’ll be better able to identify and tackle the root causes of poverty and bring opportunity to more Michiganders.”
The task force will have its first meeting in January 2020 and will report to the governor’s office.
“I plan to work very closely with this team to ensure that every parent can feed their families with healthy, nutritious food, put a roof over their heads, and keep them warm in the winter,” Whitmer said.“That’s why I’ve charged this task force with identifying more ways we can lift families up and ensure they can build a good life for themselves here in Michigan.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Gretchen Whitmer” by Gretchen Whitmer.
