State legislature to address “Cliff Effect” and impact on low income families
The state legislature is working on a bill that would help families rely less on public assistance programs. Senator Eric Lesser held a Facebook LIVE interview on Monday to discuss this legislation and its impact on the CLIFF EFFECT. The Cliff Effect occurs when a family’s income increases enough that they lose eligibility for public assistance supports like food, childcare, and housing, but not enough to afford these on their own, leaving them worse off with less overall income. Lesser interviewed Anne Kandilis, Director of Springfield WORKS, a program of the Economic Development Council of Western MA, and Regina Hudson, Financial Credit Counselor for Springfield Partners for Community Action, to discuss how it has impacted individuals like Hudson and how the bill can help. The conversation can be found on Twitter and Facebook.