“More than 46 million Americans live in poverty. » The poverty level in Florida is currently 17.1 percent. Poverty levels are at their highest levels since 1960. Does the United States have an obligation to help the poor? In America, we claim to be the land of the brave and the home of the free. But how many people in America are safe from poverty? In the United States, 49.7 million people live in poverty. In 2012, 49 million people did not know if they would be able to buy food for themselves or their families. This is incredibly painful to hear. In the United States, which prides itself on being a world power, some people cannot afford to eat. Factors that affect poverty include government programs, unemployment, organizations that help the poor, and how poverty is calculated. Some people say that the government just gives money to the poor, but that is not true at all. In order to get money from the government, you must fill out an application and meet certain conditions. These can be loans or grants, but grants are more difficult to obtain. Sure, the government provides things like education, Medicare, welfare, food stamps, etc., but will these things help the poor escape poverty? No. Will this help them live in a better environment? Unlikely. There are some really good ideas out there right now that could be incredibly helpful to the homeless or poverty stricken. Utah has reduced the number of homeless people by 78% since it decided that instead of putting homeless people in jail, it could just give them housing. That's right! Who knew homelessness could be solved by giving people housing? In fact, it saved Utah money by not spending money on prisons to house the homeless....... middle of paper ... most possible. The poverty line must be raised to a level that includes all people in dire need, not just those who are drowning. These things might just help many poor people get out of poverty. So yes, we need to help the poor, but first we need to figure out how to do it. No. Internet. March 6, 2014. http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.asp&xgt. No. Internet. March 6, 2014. .. Np. Internet. March 6, 2014. .. Np. Internet. March 6, 2014. .. Np. Internet. March 6, 2014. .Rozzi, Giulla. No. Internet. March 6 2014. .