Simulation sheds light on the reality of living in poverty

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

Sometimes, the best education comes from experience. The Community Resource Envision Center hosted a unique event Nov. 13 titled “The Cost of Poverty Simulation,” where about 50 participants were grouped into family units and sent out to navigate “real-life” scenarios with limited budgets.

The simulation was designed to give a hands-on understanding of the many challenges that arise from living with insufficient resources.

“For some, this experience will be an accurate view of how life is every day,” said Kalynn Raugh, with the Community Action Partnership. “For others, this experience will prove to be just a little too much to handle.”

Before the simulation began, Raugh told participants some alarming statistics about poverty in the United States. 

“There are currently 41 million Americans living at or below the federal poverty line,” she said. “That’s 12.6% of the U.S. population.”

Raugh outlined a scenario that might sound familiar to many in Bonner County: a family of three living under the poverty line would have to earn less than $25,820 per year, which is roughly $2,150 per month, not including taxes. Working full-time, this translates to about $13.45 per hour. Minimum wage in Idaho is currently at $7.25 per hour, where it has remained since 2009, when it was increased from $6.55 per hour.

“A two-bedroom apartment would take up 59% of that monthly income, leaving about $882 per month for everything else,” Raugh said. “That is food, car expenses, gas, insurance, health care, clothing, day care.”

After the introduction, participants began the experience. My “family” included Lindsay Morgan, who works with CREC, and Rebekah Little, with Bonner Homeless Transitions.

Participants meet with Poverty Simulation volunteers in the mock town to receive services to help them make ends meet. Photo by Ben Olson.

Morgan played “Jennifer,” a 27-year-old high school dropout who got pregnant at 17 years old. Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom and just learned she is pregnant again.

“I’m the nonprofit resource specialist, and prior to this position, I worked as an advocate for the courthouse in Kootenai County, so I already have a heart for advocacy,” Morgan told the Reader when asked why she was participating.

“With Bonner Homeless Transitions, this is what we do every day,” Little said. “I wanted to attend so I could have a deeper knowledge of our community’s impact by homelessness and poverty.”

Little played “Chris,” the 30-year-old father who works at a fast-food restaurant.

Both parents struggle with alcohol and other addictions and are in various treatment programs. They receive food stamps and medical assistance, have no vehicle and are experiencing marital issues.

I played their 10-year-old child, “Dominick,” who has ADHD and asthma and has to sleep on the couch of the family’s one-bedroom apartment. Dominick is starting to act out his frustrations at school and is angry his mother is pregnant because it will mean he will have less of his own space at home.

The simulation was divided into “weeks,” where families took part in real-world scenarios, with more than 20 volunteers stationed at booths making up a “town” complete with a gas station, bank, school, grocery store and more. 

If a family had a car, they needed to pay for gas. If they walked or took the bus, they needed to apply for a pass or vouchers. If they were in line to receive financial assistance and the whistle blew — signifying the end of the week — they did not receive services that day. Families also start the event off with assets that can be sold to the pawn shop when they fall short of the bills.

At the end of the first week, organizers pointed out to the participants that most every family failed to buy food at the grocery store, so most went without food for an entire week. My own family unit was unable to obtain food stamps after forgetting to obtain a walking voucher. Plus, young Dominick was contacted by the police for wandering around unsupervised after school. Chris was late to his job and was warned that one more late arrival meant termination.

As the weeks went on, the most obvious lesson to come out of the experience wasn’t that poverty exists, but that those living at or below the line must endure hardship after hardship, with events sometimes compounding the difficulties. 

To make matters worse, organizers issued “fate” cards, which simulate life events that can be either good or bad — anything from your car breaking down to participation in a medical study for low-cost drugs.

As the simulation continued, some families managed their responsibilities, but most fell short. Some were arrested. Some kids were expelled from school. My own family had to choose to buy Dominick’s asthma medication, leaving the ADHD pills for next week because there wasn’t enough to cover both.

For Morgan and Little, the experience was illuminating, but also highlighted the form of poverty that we see in North Idaho, which can sometimes appear different from that in more populated areas. Many of the “hidden homeless” in rural areas live in their vehicles or in tents pitched out of town. Some work jobs, but are unable to live comfortably because of the desperate need for affordable housing.

“It’s not like big-city homelessness,” Little said. “This summer we supported six families who were living on Forest Service land, and we were able to get five of the families into permanent housing — the other family chose to continue living in the woods.”

By the end of the experience, all the participants took off their name badges to return to their own lives, which is the stark difference between poverty as a simulation versus poverty as a reality. In real life, those living in poverty can’t just take off their nametags. They live it every day.

“Poverty is so much more complex than just finances,” Raugh said. “‘The Cost of Poverty Simulation’ is just a small glimpse at the life of those living below the poverty line every day in our community. It’s just a glimpse of the obstacles faced that impact these families every single day.”

To learn more about Community Resource Envision Center, visit crecidaho.com.