What is Poverty in the United States today? There are over 70 federal means-tested programs that provide cash, food, housing, medical care and social services to poor and low income persons. Over $714 billion in 2008. The typical poor household, as defined by the government census, has a car, air conditioning, two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD, VCR, an Xbox or PlayStation. In the kitchen, a refrigerator, oven-stove, microwave, washer-dryer, cordless phone and coffee maker. 43% own their own homes which are in good repair and in fact have more living space than the average (non-poor) European. By its own reporting, the typical poor family was not ever hungry (94%), was able to obtain medical care when needed (87%), and had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs. Poverty remains an issue of serious social concern, but exaggeration and misinformation obscure the nature, extent, and causes of real material deprivation, thereby hampering the development of well-targeted, effective programs to reduce the problem. R. Rector and R. Sheffield, The Heritage Foundation