More Than a Quarter of Orange County Youth Live in Poverty

A recent article in the Orange County Register notes that 27 percent of young children in Orange County live in poverty, and that the range of poverty varies drastically by area: 9 percent in Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Hills, to 48 percent in East Santa Ana. The information, as provided in the Geography of Child Poverty in California report by the Public Policy Institute of California, reveals areas across the state where poverty impacts youth, including Los Angeles County where 30 percent fall below the poverty line.

According to the article, “For the average young child in poverty, a family’s total resources, including earnings and benefits from safety net programs, were below $26,100 per year for a family of four.” Much of this poverty in areas such as Los Angeles and Orange County are the result of costly housing. This news heightens the importance of SPIN’s services, such as the GAPP Housing Program, to help families move from poverty to greater self-sufficiency.

Learn more about the state of youth in poverty in California. Read the full article.