Poverty Shifts to the Twin Cities Suburbs

"Twin Cities suburbs that are home to increasing numbers of poor residents are struggling to maintain housing, build transportation infrastructure and make sure residents have access to social services," reports John Collins.

Collins summarizes the findings of a recently released report by the Metropolitan Council, which also found that "there are now more than 385,000 people living in poverty in the metropolitan area's suburbs and rural areas compared to 259,000 in Minneapolis and St. Paul combined."

Maplewood Mayor Nora Slawik is cited in the story, noting that that city's housing stock is deteriorating, contributing to the ill effects of poverty in the community. "One way Slawik says her city is trying to keep up property values is by creating a pool of money that residents can access to maintain or repair their homes," reports Collins.

The article includes more on the implications of suburban poverty, and relates the region's challenges with similar trends around the country.