Contact: Alex Rossman
arossman@mlpp.org
517.487.5436
Michigan’s economic “recovery” still dependent on zip code, skin color
LANSING—Data released by the United States Census Bureau today shows that Flint and Detroit have the highest poverty rates of comparable cities in the United States and that Michiganians of color are struggling, issues the Michigan League for Public Policy has been working hard to address.
Detroit’s poverty rate of 39.8 percent and Flint’s poverty rate of 40.8 percent were the highest in the nation for cities of their size. Flint’s median income for 2015 was $25,342, and Detroit’s was $25,980, both less than half of the statewide median household income.
For 2015 statewide, Michigan’s median household income increased 2.4 percent from 2014 to $51,084. The state’s overall poverty rate dropped .4 percent to 15.8 percent and the child poverty rate dropped from 23.7 percent to 22.4 percent. These figures are slightly higher than the national poverty rates of 14.7 percent overall and 20.7 for children.
“Michigan’s economic improvement is in the eye of the beholder and too many people in our state are still not seeing any relief,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “Reducing poverty and improving incomes for Detroit and Flint residents and people of color will benefit all of our communities and businesses. Talking about these geographic and racial disparities is a start, but the real need is for quick and thoughtful action by lawmakers to doing something about them.”
For poverty, today’s Census data reinforced the continued racial disparities in Michigan. Across Michigan in 2015, the poverty rates for people of color were: 32.9 percent for Blacks or African-Americans, 25.2 percent for American Indians or Alaskan Natives, 23.8 percent for Hispanics or Latinos and 14.9 percent for Asians. These were all higher than the 12.3 percent poverty rate for Whites in Michigan.
The median income for Whites in Michigan in 2015 was $54,775, nearly $4,000 more than the state’s overall median income. For Hispanics/Latinos, the median income was $13,000 less than whites at $41,844. For Blacks/African-Americans, it was even worse, with a median income of $31,099, more than $23,000 lower than Whites.
With the lead poisoning disaster in Flint and the physical and fiscal conditions of Detroit Public Schools, the League took an in-depth look at Michigan’s Cities in Crisis and made policy recommendations to state government on how to support Flint, Detroit and other cities.
Today’s Census data reinforces the need to also take action on statewide policies lawmakers can pass to reduce poverty and improve economic equity for all include:
- Working to make college more affordable, especially for older workers and individuals raising families;
- Eliminating the asset limit for food assistance;
- Enacting earned sick leave for all workers;
- Improving investment in child care, education and state support services; and
- Restoring Michigan’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and expanding the federal EITC to low-wage workers not raising children.
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NOTE ON HEALTHCARE COVERAGE:
The Census released data earlier this week on healthcare coverage, which was a significant bright spot for Michigan. Thanks to Medicaid expansion through the Healthy Michigan Plan and other healthcare reforms, 475,000 more Michiganians had health insurance in 2015. That was a 44% drop in the number of Michigan residents without health insurance from 2013. But despite the Healthy Michigan Plan’s continued success, state lawmakers cut outreach funding in the 2017 budget that stands to hurt the program’s efforts.
The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on economic opportunity for all. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
