'A dire situation' for working poor
3 minimum-wage jobs required for family of 3 to live
- Jason B. Johnson, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, July 23, 2004

A single parent with two children living in the Bay Area would need to work at least three minimum wage jobs to care for their family's basic needs, while nationwide the cost of living for many is so high that government subsidies are essential for survival, according to a report released Thursday by a network of family advocacy groups.

The study, "Coming Up Short: A Comparison of Wages and Work Supports in 10 American Communities," was done by the Washington, D.C.-based group Wider Opportunities for Women. The Oakland-based National Economic Development and Law Center, which falls under the national group's umbrella, outlined conditions in the Bay Area at a San Francisco press conference.

The reports used the self-sufficiency standard -- a minimally adequate budget to cover food, lodging, child care and other basic necessities. Advocates say the self-sufficiency standard captures the high cost of living more effectively than the widely used federal poverty guidelines.

To meet basic needs according to the standard, a single parent with an infant and a preschooler needs to earn $69,241 annually ($32.78 hourly) in San Francisco, and $56,932 annually ($26.96 hourly) in Alameda County.

The federal poverty line for a family of three is $15,260, and $18,850 for a family of four. The guidelines are used to determine eligibility for programs such as Head Start, food stamps, National School Lunch and the Children's Health Insurance Program.