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The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2008: A Family Needs Budget

Colorado finds itself at an economic crossroads. With stagnant wages and income, rising costs, and a troubling fiscal landscape, families and communities are facing ever-increasing challenges.

Child care and food costs are rising dramatically. Energy, transportation, and housing prices are increasing. It is becoming harder and harder for families to afford, or access health care in Colorado. And in more and more communities, the threshold for families to be self-sufficient is increasingly out of reach.

More and more families are finding that they are unable to stretch their wages to meet these rising costs for basic yet vital necessities. It begs the question, what is an adequate income? And how does that standard vary among different families and communities in Colorado?

This report addresses this fundamental question. What does it take to make ends meet? How much does it take to be self-sufficient? And what kinds of common-sense, innovative policies can Colorado pursue to help more families get there?

Read the executive summary, or click below for the full report.

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