“More than 46 million Americans live in poverty.” The poverty line in Florida is currently at 17.1%. The poverty level is at its highest level 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 free from poverty? 49.7 million people in the United States live in poverty. In 2012, 49 million people were unsure whether they would be able to buy food for themselves or their families. It's incredibly distressing to hear. In America, which prides itself on being a world power, some people cannot afford to eat. Factors that influence poverty include government programs, unemployment, organizations that help the poor, and how it is calculated. Some people say that the government simply hands out money to the poor, but this is not true at all. To get money from the government, you must fill out an application and meet certain requirements. These can be loans or grants, however grants are more difficult to obtain. Of course, the government provides things like education, healthcare, welfare, food stamps, etc., but will these things help the poor out of poverty? No. Will it help them live in a better environment? It's not likely. There are some great ideas out there right now that could be incredibly helpful to homeless or poverty-stricken people. Utah has reduced the number of homeless people by 78% since it decided that instead of putting them in prison they could simply house them. Right! Who knew that homelessness could be solved by giving people homes? In fact, this actually saved Utah money from not having to spend money on prisons to house the homeless....... middle of paper... in the quickest way possible. The poverty line must be raised to a level that includes all those who are struggling hard, not just the people who are drowning. These things could help many poor people out of poverty. So yes, we need to help the poor, but first we need to figure out how to do it. Work cited. NP Network. March 6, 2014. http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.asp&xgt. NP Network. 6 March 2014. .. NP. Network. 6 March 2014. .. Np. Network. 6 March 2014. .. Np. Network. 6 March 2014. .Rozzi, Giulla. NP Network. March 6 2014. .