Today, House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Reed (R-Indiana) held a press conference in the Capitol to announce the launch of “Empowering Opportunities: Gateways Out of Poverty.”
This initiative by the majority policy committee will work to address the issues faced by Pennsylvania’s poorest citizens and how the legislature can create new pipelines out of poverty. In the press release announcing the campaign, the committee notes that over 12% of Pennsylvania’s population, or nearly 1.5 million people, live below the poverty line in our state.
The goals of Empowering Opportunities are to define barriers, build community partnerships, develop integrated solutions, and maintain a commitment for long-term strategies. Rep. Reed noted that he wants not only to “help families escape poverty, but to create permanent gateways toward new opportunities.”
The House GOP Policy Committee has announced that their next steps will be to hold hearings, roundtable discussions, and tours with stakeholders across the commonwealth to better understand the current work addressing poverty and identify future opportunities.
CommonGround PA will advocate for the committee to address the unique concerns faced by homeless youth. Often they do not have access to appropriate resources – especially if they are without a personal support system.