In this New Year, Americans have celebrated the lowest unemployment rate since 1969,^[1] an expansion to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program,^[2] and a cap on the cost of most insulin for those on Medicare.^[3] At the same time, low- and middle-income Americans have experienced a rise in the cost of groceries,^[4] the highest rate of eviction in several years,^[5] and a reduction to the Child Tax Credit.^[6] During these changing economic and political conditions, Volume 30 of the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy continues to shed a light on contemporary issues in poverty law. Our second issue includes scholarship on the heightened surveillance and policing of those in poverty, the welfare rights of prisoners, and policy solutions to ensure economic mobility for low-income Americans.

We want to thank our authors, who include academics, practitioners, students, and GJPLP alumni. We also want to thank our Board of Advisors and our Faculty Advisors for their support and guidance on this issue. We also want to thank our staff for their tireless commitment to this scholarship. Finally, we want to thank you, our reader; we look forward to sharing these ideas with you.

Sincerely,

Samantha Rudelich, Editor-in-Chief, Vol. 30

Megan Kilduff, Managing Editor, Vol. 30

[1] David Harrison, Unemployment Falls to 3.4%, Lowest in 53 Years, Jobs Report Shows, WALL STREET J. (Feb. 3, 2023), https://www.wsj.com/articles/january-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-economy- growth-2023-11675374490.

[2] See Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of Treasury, Treasury Announces $690 Million to be Reallocated to Prevent Eviction, (Jan. 24, 2023), https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1213.

[3] Insulin, MEDICARE, https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/insulin (last visited Feb. 22, 2023).

[4] See, e.g., Nik Popli & Solcyre Burga, Here’s Why So Many Grocery Store Staples Are So Expensive Right Now, TIME (Jan. 28, 2023, 8:00 AM), https://time.com/6250895/grocery-prices-rising- inflation/; Food Price Outlook, USDA (Jan. 25, 2023), https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food- price-outlook/summary-findings/; Ben Popken, Joe Murphy, & Robin Muccari, Graphic: Track grocery price trends, NBC NEWS (Feb. 8, 2023, 11:43 AM), https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/ graphic-track-grocery-price-trends-n1264037.

[5] See, e.g., Hunter Bassler, Maricopa County Evictions Highest Since 2008 Housing Crisis, Data Shows, 12 NEWS (Feb 3, 2023 8:36 AM), https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/maricopa- county-eviction-highest-2008-housing-crisis/75-c4583db9-c484-4462-bd4f-d75400fbfadd; Allessandra Harris, Utah’s Eviction Numbers are on the Rise as Rental Funds Run Out, KSL NEWS RADIO (Feb. 20, 2023, 8:00 AM), https://kslnewsradio.com/1988413/utahs-eviction-numbers-are-on-the-rise-as-rental- relief-funds-run-out/; Kyle Harris, Denver Eviction Filings are Back Above Pre-Pandemic Levels. With Rent Aid Mostly Gone, Keeping People Housed is an Uphill Fight, DENVERITE (Feb. 8, 2023, 11:35 AM), https://denverite.com/2023/02/08/denver-eviction-filings-rent-assistance/.

[6] Ann Carrns, Your Tax Refunds May Be Smaller This Year, N.Y. TIMES (Jan. 13, 2023), https:// www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/your-money/tax-refund-credit-irs.html. See also Get Ready for Taxes: What’s New and What to Consider when Filing in 2023, IRS, https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/get-ready- for-taxes-whats-new-and-what-to-consider-when-filing-in-2023 (Dec. 6, 2022).