Out of reach : place, poverty, and the new American welfare state

Sweeping changes in welfare programs since 1996 have transformed the way America cares for its poor. Today, for every dollar spent on cash welfare payments, some twenty dollars are spent on service programs targeted at the working poor—job training, adult education, child care, emergency assistance, mental health care, and other social services. This important book examines our current system and the crucial role that geography plays in the system’s ability to offer help. Drawing on unique survey data from almost 1,500 faith-based and secular service organizations in three cities, Scott W. Allard examines which agencies are most accessible to poor populations and looks at the profound impact of unstable funding on assistance programs. Allard argues that the new system has become less equitable and reliable, and he concludes with practical policy recommendations that address some of the more pressing issues in improving the safety net. Contents 7 Preface 9 Abbreviations 13 Chapter 1. Introduction 15 Chapter 2. Place, Poverty, and the New American Welfare State 23 Chapter 3. Spatial Inequality in the Safety Net 61 Chapter 4. The Financing and Stability of Organizations Serving the Poor 102 Chapter 5. A Comparison of Faith-Based and Secular Nonprofit Service Providers 132 Chapter 6. The Politics of a Fragmented Welfare State 159 Chapter 7. Repairing Holes in the Safety Net 185 Technical Appendix 211 Notes 245 References 259 Index 273 Changes in welfare programs since 1996 have transformed the way America cares for its poor. Drawing on survey data from faith-based and secular service organizations in three cities, this book examines which agencies are most accessible to poor populations and looks at the impact of unstable funding on these agencies' assistance programs. Changes in welfare programmes since 1996 have transformed the way America cares for its poor. For every dollar spent on cash welfare payments, 20 dollars are spent on service programmes targeted at the working poor. This text examines the system and the role that geography plays in the system's ability to offer help