Nov 17, 2014

Bus route expansion to include Chauncey, Rt. 13

An Athens city bus route expansion, made possible through a state grant and matching local dollars, will for the first time offer regular public transit in the village of Chauncey and along Route 13, further connecting riders to an already robust public transit system.

“We hope this new service proves valuable to the entire community, especially low-income residents who live in villages just outside the City of Athens,” said Michael Lachman, transportation services manager for Athens Public Transit, which is administered by Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action. “Many cannot afford to live in Athens due to the high cost of housing. This expansion offers a way for these workers to get to the jobs they need in an affordable way. It will offer a lifeline to many needy households in our corner of Appalachia.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation awarded the $34,806 grant to APT and HAPCAP through the Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) project, a competitive federal grant that’s intended to improve access to jobs and educational opportunities, particularly among low-income residents.

With matching dollars from Athens County Job and Family Services and the city of Athens, the funds will replace the existing Route 5 loop through Athens and The Plains with a pair of synchronized route loops that include the outlying village of Chauncey and parts of Route 13.

Nov 3, 2014

Cash benefits have fallen by more than 20 percent in most states and continue to erode

Cash assistance benefits for the nation’s poorest families with children fell again in purchasing power in 2014 and are now at least 20 percent below their 1996 levels in 38 states, after adjusting for inflation.  ...

For 99 percent of TANF recipients nationally, the purchasing power of their benefits is below 1996 levels, after adjusting for inflation.

As the country moves past the economic downturn and public coffers regain strength, states should halt the erosion of TANF benefits and begin restoring the purchasing power lost over the past 18 years.

Read more from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.