COLUMN: Cache Valley’s Dirty Secret
Last March I came in contact with a service group called Habitat for Humanity that builds homes for the poor. I was surprised to see this type of organization in Cache Valley.
Living in Utah, it always seemed that poverty and housing problems are phenomena of large inner-cities or third-world countries. Furthermore, having been involved in residential real estate, I am aware of many financing options, cooperative build programs and government subsidies created for low-income families. I questioned if Habitat for Humanity is actually needed here in Cache Valley, and wondered if they are giving away homes to people who are able to sacrifice and provide for themselves. After months of research, I discovered that beneath Cache Valley’s outward appearance, we are hiding a secret of poverty.
Statistical data compiled in the Cache Valley Almanac shows that 12 to 15 percent of Cache Valley residents are officially living in poverty. According to U.S. Census Bureau standards, a family of three living in poverty would have an annual income of about $14,000. Even with government programs adding, on average, $1 for every three earned, the figures add up to a sum that can hardly provide even bare essentials for a small family.
Despite these meager circumstances, many people complain about free riders who purposely stay poor to live on government assistance. Perhaps this belief stems from our ideals of hard work and self-sufficiency, but evidence indicates that we are mistaken. Considering that only 12 percent of welfare recipients remain on welfare for more than four years, and three in four recipients receive assistance for only one year, the notion that welfare recipients are free-riding is obviously a myth for most areas of our nation. Being poor is simply too hard to make it worthwhile.
Economic income mobility theory asserts that the majority of Americans will experience poverty at some point in their lives. Many of us are able to provide for ourselves right now, but we must begin to feel an obligation to help others. We can only hope that when we are experiencing the strain of poverty, able members of our communities will reach out to assist us. Maybe we have allowed our virtues of work and self-sufficiency to turn into vices of apathy and blame.
Undoubtedly, Cache Valley’s student population accounts for a significant slice of our poverty pie, but it’s difficult to explain away the fact that 59.4 percent of our single female families with children under 5 are living in poverty. Add to this the fact that housing prices in Cache Valley are among the highest in Utah, and we should not be surprised to find 161 homeless families in our latest census.
If all these figures are true, why don’t we see more vagrants and beggars on our streets? In my three years living here, I do not recall seeing even one. Disturbed by the lack of evidence, I inquired of the Bear River Association of Government, and was shocked to learn that despite Cache Valley’s population, we have very few homeless facilities. The poor and struggling in Cache Valley are bussed to and from Ogden facilities each day for help. It is difficult to imagine the instability and fear this must engender in both mothers and children.
Although there are many wonderful volunteer and charitable organizations fighting poverty in Cache Valley, many of us still need to fight our own apathy to extend an arm of service to our neighbors. Habitat for Humanity was founded to provide poor people with decent housing. Applicants for assistance must undergo an extensive application process, proving an income level between 50 to 30 percent of the local average, an income level well below the poverty level. They must also pay a mortgage covering the cost of materials, and work off a specified number of “sweat equity hours.” Because the homes aren’t “giveaways,” this program provides opportunities for personal growth, sacrifice, and stability. On Wednesday, March 31, Habitat for Humanity will be hosting an event on our campus to offer students service opportunities. It is time for us to make changes, and instead of allowing our struggling residents to be shipped off for someone else to help, become involved by volunteering. Now that Cache Valley’s dirty secret is in the open, it is our choice to make a difference in the community.
Comments can be sent to Rustin Diehl at rustindiehl@cc.usu.edu