Kitting your house out with all the required everyday items can be expensive enough for anyone, and is made even harder if you are not a big earner. Throw a recession into the mix and you now have a lots of families who are struggling with old and decrepit furniture that not only looks bad but also makes every day living difficult. Low income families may have a savior however in the form of the US government who are soon to urge those wealthier families to donate their second hand and unwanted furniture rather than destroy it or sell it to antique shops.

 

Local events, magazines and radio will all be used to advertise the government’s initiative, which is thought to begin later this year. Americans have always been able to rally together in times of hardship and it is thought that around 150,000 homes would benefit a great deal from the appeal. The furniture that is most in demand is white bedroom furniture including children’s beds, wardrobes and bedside table. There is also a high demand for living room items, with many families lacking tables, book cases and couches.

 

There are a number of individuals and groups who have been quick to criticise the idea, saying that as industry is struggling most in the recession, people should be being urged to make new purchases to kick start it. Organisers of the initiative have responded by saying that the economy will in fact benefit from the scheme as it will encourage those from wealthier backgrounds to get rid of their old furniture and buy new pieces. George Yapton, the governments head of consumer spending stated “people will always continue to buy new furniture, we just want to stop it going to waste and instead go towards helping those whole really need it”..

 

The government has said that all furniture, regardless of condition will be accepted for consideration, including painted furniture, kitchen furniture, bedroom items, really anything that people don’t want.