DETROIT, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to form an anti-poverty task force as of Wednesday.
As written, Executive Order 2019-19 will create the Michigan Poverty Task Force within the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO).
According to a statement, the task force will be charged with making recommendations on how to best coordinate and activate efforts within state government to lift Michigan families out of poverty and help them get on a path to opportunity.
Data from the United Way’s ALICE report indicates that 43 percent of Michigan households struggle to afford necessities like housing, childcare, food, technology, health care and transportation.
A separate study from 2018 study indicates that one in five Michigan children live in poverty.
It will be the goals of the Michigan Poverty Task Force to gain a full understanding of both the scope of poverty’s impact on Michigan families and communities, and the ways state government can best help those families and communities.
“No parent should have to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table for their families,” Governor Whitmer said. “That’s why I’ve charged this task force with identifying more ways we can lift families up and ensure they can build a good life for themselves here in Michigan. I plan to work very closely with this team to ensure that every parent can feed their families with healthy, nutritious food, put a roof over their heads, and keep them warm in the winter.”
Officials say that Executive Order 2019-19 requires that the chair of the task force establish an advisory council comprised of three Michigan state legislators, including two representing urban areas impacted by poverty and one representing a rural area represented by poverty, and three Michigan residents who have been impacted by poverty or are working with impacted communities.
The Executive Order can be read in full online at this link.
