Many people consider poverty to be a problem that is concentrated in inner cities. The suburbs, on the other hand, are typically viewed as places where families go to raise kids in relative comfort once they’ve gotten a good handle on their finances and saved to buy a house.

Unfortunately, this is no longer a reality. Our Columbia, SC bankruptcy attorneys know that many suburban families are struggling to pay their bills or driven into foreclosure or bankruptcy. The problems of suburban poverty are not limited to a few people or to a few areas but have become a major issue throughout South Carolina and the United States.

Suburban Poverty Rising in South Carolina

According to a recent NBC News Article, suburban poverty has practically become an epidemic. In fact, from the years 2000 to 2011, the number of suburban residents living in poverty rose almost 64 percent. Today, there are now an estimated 16.4 million people who are living in suburbs who are classified as living in poverty.

The increase in the number of poor families in suburbia was significantly higher than the rate of increase in cities. In fact, the rate of growth for suburban poverty was more than double the rate of growth for urban poverty in many major cities. This has resulted in a situation where, for the first time, there are more poor and struggling people living in suburbs in many locations than are living in urban areas.

Poverty is a problem anywhere that it occurs, but those in suburban areas may unfortunately be worse off in some ways than poorer people living in urban areas. Because poverty is stereotypically viewed as an inner-city issue, most of the resources intended to help people in poverty are usually concentrated in metropolitan areas. This may mean that struggling people in suburbia have limited access to lifelines that could help them through such as food banks and public transportation.

Because poverty is not expected in the suburbs, the problem is also a hidden problem. People may be ashamed or afraid of admitting that they are having a hard time paying their bills. They may not have the support of neighbors, friends and family that is often available in traditionally-struggling communities where people may be able to count on each other for help or at least for understanding.

The reality, however, is that high rates of poverty in the suburbs are driven by many factors very few of which are the fault of those living in this bad situation. Suburban poverty rates have largely increased due to high rates of unemployment, the collapse of the real estate bubble, a slow economic recovery, an increase in student loan debt, an increase in income inequality and the fact that many of the new jobs that are being created are low-wage with limited benefits.

This means that suburban homeowners and individuals who are coping with poverty should never be afraid to ask for help. Whether the solution is seeking government benefits or declaring bankruptcy, there are resources out there to assist those who are having a hard time financially.

If you are considering bankruptcy, contact the Columbia, South Carolina attorneys at Matthews & Megna today at 877-253-7705.