In Fresno, the poverty problems slowly have been getting worse and worse. Fresno is one of the poorest cities in California, with nearly half of the population living below 200% of the federal poverty level. The income gaps in Fresno are larger than the rest of California. Over 20% of Fresno residents live under the federal poverty level, which is more than 1.5X the rate for the rest of California and the united states. The income gap has been growing fast since 1980 and continues to grow to this day. 22% of adults in Fresno have a college degree, compared 36% average across the whole state. Also, what contributes to the problem is low wage jobs. About 42% of jobs in Fresno are considered a low waged job. Over 80% of Fresno residents don’t have a high enough yearly salary to afford a 1 bedroom apartment with how high rent/mortgage rates are, and continue to rise slowly. Currently Fresno is has one of the highest amounts of homeless people in one city compared to the rest of the country. According to Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care (FM Coc), this year, Fresno had 1,819 unsheltered individuals – 123 higher than 2022.