Housing for low-income people isn't adequate in the Chicago-area, and it's a major barrier to emerging from poverty. That's according to a new report on out today from Heartland Alliance. The research finds that more and more, poverty in the Chicago area is not just an urban problem. More than 40 percent of the region's poor live in the suburbs – that's up from less than a fourth back in 1980. For more on the rise of poverty in Chicago's suburbs, we spoke with Amy Rynell, director of the Heartland Alliance's Mid-America Institute on Poverty. She says suburban poverty is not always obvious.
This report is partially funded by the Chicago Community Trust, which also helps pay for some programming on Chicago Public Radio.