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State of Poverty: about the research

State of Poverty: about the research. Prepared by Community Research Partners for OACAA Research methods: Demographic, social, economic, and program data Focus groups hosted by CAAs in Cleveland, Marietta, and Columbus Literature review

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State of Poverty: about the research

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  1. State of Poverty: about the research • Prepared by Community Research Partners for OACAA • Research methods: • Demographic, social, economic, and program data • Focus groups hosted by CAAs in Cleveland, Marietta, and Columbus • Literature review • Case studies of CAA programs identified as best practices by ODOD and OACAA

  2. Understanding poverty in Ohio • How is economic hardship measured? • Who is living in poverty? • What factors contribute to increases in poverty? • What are the individual and program barriers to taking action? • What are successful strategies to “root out poverty?”

  3. Self-sufficiency: what it really takes to avoid serious hardships

  4. Ohio’s record high poverty rate • In 2007, 13.1% of Ohioans living in poverty • Down from 13.3% in 2006 • About 1.5 million people • up from 1.2 million in 1999 • Above national rate (13.0%) for the first time • 10% rate when War on Poverty began in 1960s • Nearly 1 in 10 Ohioans receive food stamps • 130% of poverty

  5. Poverty increased more than five times state population growth

  6. 2 of 3 persons in poverty are white, non-Hispanic

  7. Poverty rates vary among groups

  8. The geography of poverty in Ohio • Largest concentrations in Northeast and Central regions • Highest rates in Southern and Southeast • Poverty moving to the suburbs

  9. Divergent job and poverty trends

  10. The working poor: a disconnect between having a job and earning a living • Continued loss of manufacturing jobs • Low-wage work • Majority of Ohio families in poverty are employed • 1 in 4 workers age 18+ earns below $10/hr • Growth occupations • Low-wage or middle-high skill • Low-skill adults • 45% of Ohioans age 25-54 have no post-secondary education

  11. Individuals: barriers to taking action • Education • Kindergarten readiness; proficiency/graduation test passage; post-secondary education • Housing • Rental housing wage: $13 an hour • Basic needs • Food, health care, child care, income support program eligibility and coverage gaps • Asset accumulation • Racial disparities in business and home ownership

  12. Programs: barriers to taking action • Scarce resources • Increased demand from a “new layer” of poverty • Rising costs of goods and services • Funding cuts • Few options for single adults • Complex problems • Addressing short-term, emergency needs and long-term change strategies • Program silos don’t work together to address the needs of the “whole person” • Programs don’t support people through transitions

  13. Programs: barriers to taking action • Local knowledge • Government and foundation initiatives can be disconnected from actual need in the field • Policy biases of funders lead to missed opportunities • Political will • Low-income citizens are not a visible voting bloc • Fewer businesses are locally owned, with less engagement in the community • Effective solutions may not have immediate payoffs • Some groups most in need are not politically popular causes

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