Hernandez Poverty Q1
Each year, the Los Angeles County Business Federation, BizFed, a grassroots alliance of 180 business organizations representing 400,000 employers that employ 3.5 million Angelenos, conducts its “Pulse Poll,” meant to gauge the temperature of the business community and the issues affecting the industry.
In the 2019 poll, BizFed members identified the top issues to address as the imminent need to effectively combat poverty and promote economic mobility. The top responses include 1) focusing on career and technical training as well as industry-specific apprenticeships, 2) increasing viable childcare options for working families and single-parent households, and 3) guaranteeing our safety net services are both efficient and effective.
Furthermore, we engaged poverty experts to help deepen our understanding of the drivers of poverty in Los Angeles County. Based on their insights, we have identified advocacy opportunities to focus on the populations who have capacity for quickest change result, such as the working poor, single parents, and immigrants.
By providing affordable access to childcare and housing, while accelerating the naturalization process, and (to our surprise about the level of impact) providing continuing access to English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, we can make a real difference in assisting these individuals to escape or avoid poverty.
We are committed to lifting 1 million Angelenos out of poverty in the coming decade through job growth as well as policies and regulations that promote affordability in all aspects of life, investment in all levels of workforce development in order to accelerate job growth, and effective and efficient services for all Los Angeles County residents.
