United States Census Bureau

The SSRC collaborated with Trudi Renwick at the United States Census Bureau on the webinar Understanding Supplemental Poverty Measures: Their Development and Application in December 2013.

With the release of the California Poverty Measure in the fall of 2013, the United States Census Bureau and the Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse (SSRC) partnered to provide an opportunity for researchers, practitioners, and organizations to learn about the development and purpose of supplemental poverty measures (SPMs). The official poverty measure, which has been in use since the 1960s, estimates poverty rates by looking at a family’s or individual’s cash income. SPMs are more complex and incorporate additional items such as tax payments, housing cost, and increase the threshold for basic necessities such as food and utilities. Additionally, supplemental poverty measures are often tailored for specific States or cities.

Click here to view materials from the Webinar.

Visit the SSRC library to find more relevant resources.