Document Type

Report

Rights and Access Note

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Publication Date

9-2006

Abstract/ Summary

This report presents a statewide and county-by-county picture of poverty in Maine in 2006. In 2005-2006, the Maine Community Action Association contracted with the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine to update and expand our earlier report, Poverty in Maine: 2003, which also was produced with funding from the Maine Community Action Association. The intent is to build upon the Maine State Planning Office’s “Annual Report Card on Poverty in Maine,” to provide a more detailed examination of poverty at the county and local levels. Information is based on datasets from: the food stamp program administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) administered by the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA) through the community action agencies; the free and reduced school lunch program administered by the Maine Department of Education; unemployment data from the Maine Department of Labor; updated U.S. Census information on poverty, income, and population; the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Economic Information System (REIS); and information developed by the Maine Center for Economic Policy (MECEP) regarding livable wages in Maine. The indicators are a subset of standard ones used in the United States in evaluating the extent of poverty, assessing needs, and measuring services and benefits aimed at low-income populations. The report includes a statewide and county-by-county view of selected indicators and of trends since the 2003 report, as well as individual “poverty profiles” and trends for each county.

Version

post-print (i.e. final draft post-refereeing with all author corrections and edits)

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.