Blog #8

As shown in the course materials power point urban poverty is made up of many factors. Substandard wages, affordable housing, education, child care, health care and transportation make up these factors. These mothers typically have little to no education and therefore are force into minimum wage jobs. Minimum wage is not enough to keep a person afloat and this in turn effects what housing opportunities that are available. Child care is another major expense and as in Jessica’s story, can cost more than the rent of the housing. Many of these families will go without health care and may run into problems such as Iris Flores did when she incurred an upper respiratory infection, pushing her further away from saving money or paying bills. Transportation is also a large factor because these jobs may not be relatively close to their affordable housing. It becomes an especially larger problem when the mother does not live in a city with an expansive public transportation system (which most cities don’t have). Such as in Mallory’s case, though she would like to own a vehicle to broaden her job prospects, she is too consumed with just making ends meet.

Jessica has worked minimum wage jobs all her life and worries that her children will be in the same situation as she. She stresses to them the importance of academics and is disappointed that she cannot give her children a better life. She does not allow her children to play outside because she worried about the other children in the neighborhood may have negative effects on them. She has always tried to keep her children away from the worst communities; even if that means that she must live in the worst conditions of the acceptable communities.

Mothers who may be poor like Jessica, but that may live in different neighborhoods may not face the same fear as Jessica does. For a mother living in a mixed income neighborhood the fears may not as large for basic necessities such as security, health, and the children running with the wrong crowds or being influenced in a negative way by them. They may find it easier to find last-minute care situations and may have a better support system throughout the community.