The Michigan Poverty Task Force has released its second set of policy recommendations to continue the state’s efforts to lift struggling Michiganders out of poverty and improve their health outcomes.
Since the task force’s first 2021 report, significant investments for Michigan families have centered on gaps in Michigan’s social safety net and were included in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s FY22 budget based on PTF 2021 recommendations.
The newest report offered 29 policy recommendations designed to address disparities that make some Michiganders both poorer and sicker than others.
The recommendations are organized around social determinants of health, or non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.
“To make Michigan a place of opportunity, we have to invest in Michiganders and ensure they have access to quality, affordable healthcare and the chance to earn a great education or land a good-paying job,” said Whitmer. “There is a strong connection between the health and wealth of Michiganders and this report helps us address barriers to economic stability that impede health outcomes.
“Together, we made significant investments in the last state budget to uplift working families, but we must do more to deliver on the kitchen-table issues, lower costs, and continue growing Michigan’s economy.”
The Task Force recommendations were made in five key focus areas:
• Income and social protection
• Housing, basic amenities and the environment
• Early childhood development
• Social inclusion and nondiscrimination
• Access to affordable health services of decent quality
“In 2021, the Poverty Task Force made significant progress in its advocacy for our recommended policy changes to ensure that every Michigander has access to economic opportunity and prosperity,” said Kim Trent, who leads the task force and is the Deputy Director of Prosperity with the Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). “With these next set of recommendations, we are proposing solutions designed to make struggling Michiganders wealthier and healthier.”
Among the report’s 29 recommendations are strategies to address the lack of access to quality childcare, affordable housing options and broadband in rural areas. In rural communities, Michiganders struggle to find access to childcare, affordable housing options, access to broadband, and utilizing Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), which burdens families and affects health.
Whitmer convened the Task Force in 2019 to leverage the policy expertise of 14 state departments to create strategies to reduce poverty in Michigan.
The body’s first report contained 32 recommendations, including 13 that have been adopted or have had significant momentum.
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