U.S. Census Bureau Releases New 2010 Poverty & Uninsured Figures

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While poverty increased and "deep poverty" reached a record high, government assistance kept poverty from climbing higher, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Executives at The California Endowment, which invested $4 million in census outreach to hard-to-count communities, are available to speak about the importance of the support and successful implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act as it relates to California's underserved communities.

Interviewees are able to answer questions about:

• The ever growing needs of California's underserved communities
• The critical role the Affordable Care Act plays in California families financial security
• Effective means by which to promote health in neighborhoods, in schools, and with prevention.

BACKGROUND: The decision to fund census outreach was driven by widespread concern that California's under-served were at high risk of being grossly under-counted. As a result of the budget crisis, the state's census outreach effort was slashed from $25 million in 2000, to a mere $2 million in 2010. For these reasons, The Endowment designed an outreach effort focused on the hard-to-count in Los Angeles and other pivotal areas of the state.  The $4 million investment was matched by more than $5 million from 20 other funders.  The collective effort supported census outreach by more than 150 non-profit organizations in our 14 sites and beyond.

The effort was a success, particularly among hard-to-count communities.  In fact, Los Angeles had the highest response of major cities nationwide. This type of strategic leveraging for the long term is a core principle of The Endowment's work plan.  It is worth noting that census data also revealed the number of uninsured Californians rose from 6.7 million in 2008 to 7.2 million in 2009, the highest rate of uninsured Californians ever recorded.

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's health. The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more information, visit The Endowment's homepage at www.calendow.org.

SOURCE The California Endowment