Because poverty affects a wide range of people, poverty has evolved into a very complex issue. And although the government has passed legislation to try to improve the situation, many of these means-tested measures, such as food stamps, have only been able to help surface poverty and fail to eradicate the long roots that poverty has cultivated throughout history. The profound effects of poverty are seen above all in minorities who struggle much more to escape from a current situation created by the historical process. While government assistance, such as food stamps, helps alleviate some of the burden of poverty, these measures fail to recognize the reality that many poor minority members have undervalued homes or no homes at all and even if they can rent, that 'rent can be high enough to take up more than fifty percent of their salary. Overall, poverty in America is an extremely complicated issue that has its roots throughout history. And although the government has attempted to pass legislation to help provide poverty relief, America has yet to provide measures that target the roots of poverty and until then, the government assistance it provides will only be superficial and will fail to provide a long-term guarantee. short-term solutions to a complicated situation