Poverty in Latah County

The League of Women Voters of Moscow, recognizing the needs of those in poverty in Latah County, advocates for and supports programs or approaches which can improve or increase accessibility and availability of goods and services, either through the coordination of existing programs or by the alteration, enhancement or creation of new services in the areas of housing, food insecurity, child care, transportation, and health care.

The general conclusion of the LWV-Moscow’s study of Poverty in Latah County is that the extent of poverty in Latah County has not been fully recognized and those in need are underserved. Both private and governmental programs at all levels should be fully utilized to identify those in need, to provide information on what services are available, and to assist the needy in acquiring those services. The League of Women Voters of Moscow advocates for the establishment of a single point of access to information regarding poverty programs and the funding to support it; advocates for full utilization and marketing of all government programs, including federal and State of Idaho programs that are available to low-income, underprivileged people; and advocates for the coordination of eligibility rules and phaseouts so those receiving multiple benefits do not lose them simultaneously.

Specifically, LWV-Moscow will:

Endorse programs that enhance the availability of appropriate and safe housing for the homeless, especially homeless families in Latah County.
Advocate for more housing for low-income residents.
Support the expansion of all programs that support providing meals to food insufficient children and adults.
Encourage legislation that would address the regressive sales tax on food.
Support the development of a local food facility for collection and distribution of foods.
Advocate for measures to identify individuals and families who are eligible for assistance programs that affect children.
Advocate for increasing the eligibility of individuals and families for programs that affect children by expanding the definitions of eligibility to include other parameters.
Lobby Latah County to develop a child care ordinance that can be incrementally achieved starting with standards and regulations relating to health and safety.
Advocate for an increased number of fixed routes in bus service in Moscow and a mechanism to fund them.
Support the establishment of public transportation to outlying towns in Latah County and to Washington State University.
Support transportation fuel assistance programs for low-income individuals.
Encourage the development of a Federally Qualified Health Center and other health facilities for our community, especially for low-income and medically underserved people.
Advocate for transportation services to enable access to health facilities in our community, especially for low-income and medically underserved people.
Support programs that would increase the number of professionally licensed and/or certified health care providers in the State of Idaho. Background information and more detailed discussion can be found in the League of Women Voters Study of Poverty in Latah County, Idaho 2012.