The New America Foundation hosted a discussion on "Removing Red Tape: New Strategies for Strengthening the Safety Net."
According to the organization, during the Great Recession, "the safety net provided by public assistance programs lifted millions of families out of poverty. Others, however, fell through the cracks due to a dizzying and counterproductive maze of applications and eligibility requirements."
The discussion focused on how to make applying for and staying on public assistance easier, both for the recipients and the government administrators, and looked at solutions that are at work now in a variety of programs.
Speakers included: Aleta Sprague, Policy Analyst, New America Foundation; Dottie Rosenbaum, Senior Policy Analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Vince Kilduff, Deputy Executive Director, Office of Programs, Department of Human Resources, Family Investment Administration, State of Maryland.
Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Policy Coordinator and Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), moderated the discussion.