Poverty-wage jobs. Separate and unequal schools. Unaffordable housing. Polluted neighborhoods. Police and community violence. Mass incarceration. Broken immigration system. Denied wealth and opportunity. Resilience and brilliance.
The Status Quo:
People in poverty are stereotyped and blamed. They aren’t valued, listened to, or invested in by many elected officials.
The Solution:
UPSET the
Setup
Narrative Change
Tell the real story of poverty in California by elevating the voices of people who actually live in poverty.
Power Building
Build relationships with neighbors in our community, government, and private sectors to focus on poverty elimination and equal opportunity.
Policy Change
Create and implement bold, new policies that are rooted in the ideas and needs of individuals and communities.
Key Poverty Statistics:
13.2%
13.2%
Of Californians were in poverty, 2019-21. The highest rate in the nation. (Census Bureau)
We are grounded in the simple notion of the dignity of all people.
Michael Tubbs
Those closest to the pain should be closest to the power.
What EPIC will do in 2023:
Travel across the state to listen to the needs, ideas, and aspirations of individuals and communities so we can work together to develop informed policy solutions.
Lift up the stories of people living in poverty, as well as the advocates, activists, researchers, elected officials, and others involved in the movement to end it.
Produce data- and policy-driven insights about how to effectively tackle poverty in our state, such as this joint venture with the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality.
Collaborate with changemakers to introduce new policies, pilots, and programs that address the most critical issues affecting communities living in poverty.