Those figures just released by the Bureau of the Census are bad news for Dade County. The numbers understate the current situation, and only provide a hint of sharper poverty in the near future, said local agencies that work with the poor. The new Census estimates are for 1993, reflecting an increase over 1989 poverty figures. But the figures are probably already out of date for Dade. The county has seen an acceleration of foreign immigration, with net increases of more than 40,000 immigrants in each of the past two years, according to Census population estimates released recently.
Experts working with the poor say they have seen more people needing help in the past few years.
There are many obstacles that can keep people trapped in poverty, said Regina Grace, director of the Self-Help Institute for the Community Action Council. They're also looking for child care, because you can't look for a job until you've got child care. They need to have skills. They need to have transportation. They need to have child care.