Letter to the editor of the Delaware County Daily Times

Editor:

When I think of poverty, I don’t just imagine someone living in extreme crisis.

I think about families like mine in Delaware County, families just barely above the official poverty line, struggling every day to get by.

We didn’t qualify for help, but we were never financially secure.

That’s why I strongly support the Poverty Line Act of 2025 (H.R. 1428).

This bill would finally update how poverty is measured by including the real costs of living — like housing, child care and transportation — that hit Delco families hard. It would also make sure the poverty line is updated every year to reflect inflation and cost increases.

Right now, poverty is measured using a formula from the 1960s that’s based on food prices, not rent, not utilities, and definitely not what life actually costs today.

In Delco, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is nearly $1,500. But many families making around $40,000 a year are still told they make “too much” to get any assistance. That doesn’t make sense.

I’ve lived this reality. I grew up in Upper Darby Township with my single mom and three siblings.

My mom worked constantly to keep us afloat, but every time she applied for help, she was told we didn’t qualify.

Sometimes it came down to being just two dollars over the income limit. We stretched every dollar, but the system didn’t see us as needing help.

The Poverty Line Act could change that. It would expand access to benefits like SNAP and utility aid to families who are working hard but still falling short.

And it would allow states to use an even higher standard, 125% of the federal poverty line, to reflect the true cost of living in places like Delaware County.

But we can’t afford to wait until 2028 when the law is supposed to take effect.

And we definitely can’t wait for more delays in Congress. Families in Delco are already dealing with food insecurity, evictions, and rising child care costs. They need support now.

That’s why I’m urging our community to speak up. Call U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5, and ask her to push for the immediate passage of H.R. 1428.

We also need to start preparing locally, making sure agencies are ready for expanded eligibility and urging state leaders to adopt the higher poverty guidelines.

The way we define poverty should reflect real life, not outdated numbers.

The Poverty Line Act is our chance to fix that. And I believe we owe it to families like mine, and thousands of others across Delco, to act now.

Aaliyah Rogers,Upper Darby Township

Originally Published: July 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM EDT

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