During the holiday season, we know that many national, regional, and local media focus attention on less-fortunate Americans and the efforts to help them through charities, food banks, and other institutions. With this in mind, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan US research organization and policy institute ( www.cbpp.org )that conducts research and analysis on a range of issues  has issued a new snapshot of the state of poverty and hardship in the USA. The analysis takes stock of how the poor are faring in terms of incomes, food availability, housing needs, and health coverage and explains the inadequacy of current federal programs to address those problems.

Full Report

Appendix