Virginia's "Act On Poverty" Survey

1. Share Your Ideas

Please share your ideas about how Virginia can best reduce poverty on a state and local level.

1. Please enter your zip code

Please enter your zip code ZIP:

2. Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important for your COMMUNITY to engage as a means of reducing poverty on a LOCAL LEVEL:

	Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Attract new businesses and jobs to the community or region	Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important for your COMMUNITY to engage as a means of reducing poverty on a LOCAL LEVEL: Attract new businesses and jobs to the community or region Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand access to affordable health care insurance	Expand access to affordable health care insurance Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand access to health and human services on a local level	Expand access to health and human services on a local level Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand access to public transportation	Expand access to public transportation Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand access to temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)	Expand access to temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Improve high school graduation rates	Improve high school graduation rates Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Improve K-12 education	Improve K-12 education Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increase awareness of assistance services currently available at a local level	Increase awareness of assistance services currently available at a local level Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increase wages	Increase wages Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Provide job training or job re-training	Provide job training or job re-training Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Reduce crime	Reduce crime Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Reduce drug use	Reduce drug use Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important

3. Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important for STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERS to engage in reducing poverty in VIRGINIA:

	Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand eligibility requirements for existing federal programs (TANF, Medicaid, etc.)	Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important for STATE GOVERNMENT LEADERS to engage in reducing poverty in VIRGINIA: Expand eligibility requirements for existing federal programs (TANF, Medicaid, etc.) Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expand existing unemployment benefits	Expand existing unemployment benefits Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increase access to health care for those who are living at or below the poverty level	Increase access to health care for those who are living at or below the poverty level Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Lower taxes or provide greater incentives to businesses interested in relocating or starting operations in Virginia	Lower taxes or provide greater incentives to businesses interested in relocating or starting operations in Virginia Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Provide additional funding to cities/counties for economic development efforts	Provide additional funding to cities/counties for economic development efforts Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Raise awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program	Raise awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) program Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Revise Virginia's tax structure to provide a greater return to the working poor and middle class	Revise Virginia's tax structure to provide a greater return to the working poor and middle class Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important

4. Please check the TOP 3 ISSUES that you feel are most important in reducing poverty in Virginia:

Please check the TOP 3 ISSUES that you feel are most important in reducing poverty in Virginia: Expanding benefits (unemployment insurance, TANF, etc.) to cover more people for longer periods of time

Improving how services are delivered on a local level

Improving how services are delivered on a state level

Increasing access to affordable child care

Increasing access to affordable health care

Increasing funding and resources for K-12 education

Increasing wages

Job availability

Raising awareness about assistance services available on a local level

Raising awareness about assistance services available on a state level

Other (please specify)

5. Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Youth:

	Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Domestic violence, abuse and neglect issues	Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Youth: Domestic violence, abuse and neglect issues Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increasing financial and life skills to better prepare them for the future	Increasing financial and life skills to better prepare them for the future Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increasing high school graduation rates	Increasing high school graduation rates Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Increasing technology and science skills to better prepare youth for college entrance or workforce readiness	Increasing technology and science skills to better prepare youth for college entrance or workforce readiness Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Lowering risk taking behaviors (drug abuse, sex, etc.)	Lowering risk taking behaviors (drug abuse, sex, etc.) Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Lowering the teen pregnancy rate	Lowering the teen pregnancy rate Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important

Other (please specify)

6. Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Families:

	Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Avoiding out-of-wedlock births	Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Families: Avoiding out-of-wedlock births Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Caring for aging family members	Caring for aging family members Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Domestic violence, child abuse and other neglect issues	Domestic violence, child abuse and other neglect issues Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Drug and alcohol abuse in families	Drug and alcohol abuse in families Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding access to affordable child care	Expanding access to affordable child care Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding access to affordable health care	Expanding access to affordable health care Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Lowering the incarceration rate	Lowering the incarceration rate Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Providing financial security	Providing financial security Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Securing and maintaining a full time job	Securing and maintaining a full time job Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important

Other (please specify)

7. Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Elderly:

	Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Affordable housing	Please check and rate the following activities or strategies you feel are most important in addressing poverty issues facing Virginia's Elderly: Affordable housing Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Elder abuse or neglect	Elder abuse or neglect Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding access to affordable health care	Expanding access to affordable health care Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding access to community services	Expanding access to community services Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding access to public transportation	Expanding access to public transportation Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Expanding independent living options	Expanding independent living options Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Financial security	Financial security Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Food security (having enough food to eat)	Food security (having enough food to eat) Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important
Not being able to pay monthly bills	Not being able to pay monthly bills Very Important	Important	Somewhat Important	Not Important

Other (please specify)

8. Please describe (400 words or less) your idea(s) for reducing poverty in Virginia.

Please describe (400 words or less) your idea(s) for reducing poverty in Virginia.

Thank you for your feedback. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey.

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