FEDERAL INCOME POVERTY GUIDELINES TO CREATE ADDITIONAL HOMELESS

***FEDERAL & STATE POVERTY GUIDELINES SAY: "NO HELP FOR HARD WORKING TAX PAYING FAMILIES IN CRISIS" - GROSS INCOME = YOU DON'T QUALIFY*** ***FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES CREATE ADDITIONAL HOMELESS IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY*** ***MAYOR TOM MURPHY HIRES A TEAM TO INVESTIGATE THE HOMELESS*** ***ALLEGHENY COUNTY RANKED #1 FOR INCOME DESPAIR - SAYS - "WPXI NEWS" 09/25/02*** ***ALLEGHENY COUNTY HARD WORKING TAX PAYING FAMILIES IN CRISIS STAY IN CRISIS DUE TO "FEDERAL & STATE GOVERNMENT POVERTY GUIDELINES - GROSS INCOME = "YOU DON'T AND WILL NOT QUALIFY"***

There are thousands of families in financial crisis in Allegheny County today with and without children. If you have children you have no problem qualifying for any of the programs the state or federal government have to offer. If you are a family with no small children and your "Gross Income" is not within the poverty guidelines there are NO ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS for you. You either have to already be homeless, in the process of eviction, and even then you are not guaranteed assistance.

I am one of the many families in Allegheny County in crisis with no minor children. My husband had a heart attack and is no longer allowed to work in the job he had for 26 years. I am now the sole provider of a family of three. I have called and applied for every assistance program out there; for food, assistance with utilities, rental assistance, and I do not qualify because again my "Gross Income" before any deductions does not meet the FEDERAL POVERTY_& LOW INCOME GUIDELINES and I have no minor children.

My family and I are trying to prevent being evicted, prevent having our utilities shut off, and just be able to buy food. Both my husband and I have worked all of our lives, paid our taxes to the state and federal government just like everyone else, yet when a crisis arrived in our family, (my husband had a heart attack and was told by his doctor to find a different career after 26 years at his job, because the physical stress of the job was too much stress for the heart, and we are now minus one income) THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS NO HELP FOR YOUR FAMILY."

I am working full time, and my Gross Pay (before deductions) is $2130.00 monthly. My net pay after deductions is $738.00 monthly. Our rent is $495.00 + utilities, and food. Yet we qualify for "NO FEDERAL OR STATE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS" for food, rent, utilities or anything else for that matter.

There are thousands of families out here in Allegheny County that are experiencing the very same situation, looking for the same assistance that we are, and being rejected for the same reasons. We cannot even get food from a food bank because of my gross income. What we are trying to prevent is becoming homeless, having our utilities shut off, and having no food. We already have NO FOOD in our home and are coming up on 3 months behind on our rent, more than 3 months behind on our utilities, and NO FEDERAL OR STATE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS that will help us.

Maybe if we had some assistance programs to help hard working families in crisis in our Pittsburgh Communities, the number of homeless people would decrease every year instead of increasing, and Mayor Tom Murphy wouldnt be spending unnecessary funds to investigate the homeless.

Just because we have no minor children does not mean that we are not a real family with real needs, a family in crisis.

How can our Government get away with basing the FEDERAL POVERTY & LOW INCOME GUIDELINES on "Gross Income" which is money you don't have until your deductions have been met.

Gross Income is NOT" your take home or Net Pay which is the actual money you have to support your family.

IMAGINE, JUST FOR A MOMENT THAT PRESIDENT BUSH, THE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, OUR STATE LEGISLATORS or Mayor TOM MURPHY would need to live on a "GROSS INCOME" of $1252.00 for a family of three, which happens to be the FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES set by our own Federal & State Government, That would actually require them to step in our shoes for a moment, for a day even, just to see how hard we work just to TRY to keep our heads above water.

The LOW INCOME GUIDELINES set by our own Federal & State Government for a family of three is currently at $1878.00. Again these income guidelines are based on your GROSS INCOME" which is money before your deductions have been met, imagine what your actual take home or Net Pay would be for you to support your family.

Number of Household Members    CAP, Smart Comfort, & $1 Energy Fund (150% of Poverty Level) Monthly Income    LIHEAP (135% of Poverty Level) Monthly Income
1    $0 - $1,108    $0 - $996
2    $0 - $1,493    $0 - $1,343
3    $0 - $1,878   $0 - $1,690
4    $0 - $2,263    $0 - $2,036
5    $0 - $2,648    $0 - $2,383
6    $0 - $3,033    $0 - $2,730
7    $0 - $3,418    $0 - $3,075
8    $0 - $3,803    $0 - $3,422
Each Additional Person Add    $385    $318

I feel, as many of these families in crisis in Allegheny County, that if we had more assistance programs to help these families before the becoming homeless, losing your electric and gas service, or not having any food to feed your family the economy would be much better off.

Let us not forget, once you are homeless you become unable apply for assistance because you need an address to be able to apply for any assistance program out there, A REAL CATCH-22.

What is happening to our State and Federal Government????

There are hard working families out here in Allegheny County that worked all of there lives and paid their taxes to the state and federal government every year and supported their own families up until crisis set in, and now that we are in crisis, our own government will not help us.

Where is the justice in that? What kind of Justice is this for all of us who have worked, supported our families, and paid our taxes???

How many more families in Allegheny County will stay in crisis because our own government will not help us????

How many of us will become homeless after supporting our families until crisis arrived in our homes???

How many of us out there are without food to feed our families????

How many of us have no utilities or are pending having them shut off for non-payment????

What will it take before our Government opens it's eyes to the Families in Crisis here in ALLEGHENY COUNTY?????

ARE WE JUST SUPPOSE TO TAKE "NO" FOR AN ANSWER???

I for one do not intend to take "NO" for an answer. I will do whatever it takes to help my family and anyone else who is in need of assistance.

***LETS US STAND TOGETHER AND HELP EACH OTHER*** CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN ALL STAND TOGETHER. WE NEED MORE THAN ONE FAMILY BEFORE WE CAN ATTEMPT TO APPROACH THE MEDIA, THE NEWSPAPERS, OUR SENATORS, LEGISLATORS, AND EVEN OUR PRESIDENT.***

***ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND COME TOGETHER TO HELP OUR FAMILIES***

CONTACT ME AT THE INFORMATION BELOW:

The Kilgore Family
232 Jasper Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15211   
412-481-5949 Evening
412-232-3444 x3127 Daytime
ckilgore328@aol.com