I assume this question is to bait me into a debate about equal opportunity, discrimination, and wealthy privilege. I do not contend that there aren't issues to solve in these arenas.

So for the simple economic answer: Poor people are poor because they consume more wealth than they create (or at least break even).

Again as to not offend, I fully understand that economic well-being is still dependent on circumstance to a degree that needs to be addressed. But this fact does not change the economic answer to why poor people are poor.