When Kathryn Edin was studying poverty in the U.S., she and Luke Schaefer made a startling discovery - the number of households in the U.S. living on just $2.00 a day had skyrocketed in the past two decades. The pair authored the 2016 book '$2.00 A Day: Living On Almost Nothing In America' which chronicles their research into why extreme poverty has risen so much in America. At the time of the book's release, they estimated 1.5 million households in America qualify as extremely poor, and that 3-million children live in those households. Edin talked to families living at this level across the country, including in Johnson City, Tennessee. She shared her findings with BPR's Matt Bush, as well as potential solutions to this problem in areas like Asheville which have seen sustained economic growth, but also rising inequality.
Edin will be the speaker at the Thursday evening's Pisgah Legal Services 8th Annual Poverty Forum. It starts at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets can be purchased at the U.S. Cellular Center box office prior to the show for $15. BPR is a media sponsor of the forum.