Have you ever lived without enough money to support yourself? Last year, 13.2% of Americans did not have enough money to support themselves or their families. In the United States, 1 in 7 people are at risk of hunger, and 3.5 million people are forced to sleep in parks, under bridges, in shelters or in cars. In this article, you will learn about the history of poverty in America and its definition, the causes/reasons of poverty, the effects of poverty on America, and the wages of poor people. Poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money. or goods. In the United States, poverty began to become a major problem in the late 1950s, when it reached 22.4 percent of the American population. Throughout the 1960s, poverty steadily declined, reaching 11.1 percent in 1973. Over the next ten years, poverty alternated between 11.1 and 12.6 percent, but by 1980 the percentage number of people living in poverty has started to increase again. By 1983, the poverty rate had reached 15.2 percent. Over the next decade, the poverty rate remained above 12.8 percent, reaching 15.1 percent in 1993. By 2000, the poverty rate had fallen to 11.3 percent. By 2004, the poverty level had reached 12.7 percent of Americans. The poverty rate increased to 15.1 percent between 2004 and 2012. There must be many reasons why so many people are affected by poverty. There are many reasons why so many people live in poverty. The primary cause of poverty in America comes from social or racial groupings and stereotypes, isolation from social interactions and opportunities, lack of knowledge, lack of job skills, education and resources. Other reasons for poverty include lack of affordable housing...... middle of paper ...... boasting themselves and their families. There are things and organizations being started to try to help prevent poverty, such as raising the minimum wage to over $11 an hour, which would make housing more affordable for people living in poverty or for anyone who cannot afford housing. live. Another thing going on is that an organization known as Bread for the World is working to eradicate hunger not only in America, but around the world by raising money to buy food and send to people living in poverty. One last major effort that can be made to help people who are living in poverty is to donate old clothes or food to help those struggling with poverty. People across America live in poverty, and poverty is not going away. Yes, many things are done for the most deprived, but is it enough? ??