Beginning the Dialog on Poverty Community Needs Assessment … · 2018-05-24 · 1 Community Action...
Transcript of Beginning the Dialog on Poverty Community Needs Assessment … · 2018-05-24 · 1 Community Action...
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Community Action
Organization
of
Western New York 45 Jewett Avenue ● Buffalo, New York ● 14214
716-881-5150 ● 716-881-2927 (fax) ● www.caowny.org
Southeast to Northwest view of Buffalo, New York
Beginning the Dialog on Poverty
Community Needs Assessment 2017 - 2018
L. Nathan Hare, President and CEO
Published: January 26, 2018
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Table of Contents
Page
Preface 6
Section I – Just the Facts 7
Section IA: Erie County Profile 7
Section IB: Niagara County Profile 9
Section II – Factors Impacting Poverty 19
Section IIA: Most Distressed Communities 19
Section IIB: Culture of Poverty – Niagara Falls 20
Section IIC: Erie County College Graduation losing its 22
Grip as a Shield Against Poverty
Section IID: Trends in Critical Areas of Need in Erie and 22
Niagara Counties
Section IIE: Print Media Analyses 34
Section III – Community Surveys 41
Section IIIA: Community Consumer Survey 41
Section IIIB: Drug Addiction Research and Treatment 46
Program (DART) Customer Satisfaction
Survey
Section IIIC: Community Member Needs Assessment
Summary 48
Section IIID: Community Partner Survey 57
Section IIIE: Board, Staff and Volunteer Survey 61
Section IIIF: Community Summary 66
Section IV – Comparison of CAO Client Characteristics to NYSCAA
Erie and Niagara County's Poverty Profile 71
Exhibit 8: CAO 2016 – 2017 Client Characteristics Report 72
Exhibit 9: Comparison of CAO Client Characteristics to
NYSCAA Erie and Niagara County's Poverty
Profile 74
References: 76
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Exhibits
Exhibit 1. Erie County Comparison Profile: 2012 – 2015 8
Exhibit 2. Niagara County Comparison Profile: 2012 – 2015 11
Exhibit 3. Map of Buffalo/Environs with highest child poverty highlighted 39
Exhibit 4. Map of Niagara County with highest child poverty highlighted 41
Exhibit 5. Customer Survey Form 44
Exhibit 6. Customer Survey Report Results. 46
Exhibit 7. DART Client Satisfaction Survey Results 49
Exhibit 8. CAO 2016 – 2017 Client Characteristics Report 72
Exhibit 9. Comparison of CAO Client Characteristics to NYSCAA Erie and Niagara
County's Poverty Profile 73
Figures
Figure 1: Erie County Race and Poverty by Percentage 13
Figure 2: Erie County Race and Poverty by Number 14
Figure 3: Erie County Living in Poverty by Age Group 14
Figure 4: Erie County Population age 25 and above by Education level 15
Figure 5: Erie County Population age 25 and above living in Poverty by Education Level 15
Figure 6: Niagara County Race and Poverty by Percentage 16
Figure 7: Niagara County Race and Poverty by Number 16
Figure 8: Niagara County Living in Poverty by Age Group 17
Figure 9: Niagara County Population age 25 and above by Education level 17
Figure 10: Niagara County Population age 25 and above living in Poverty by Education Level 18
Figure 11: Erie & Niagara Poverty Rate for Female Headed Households with Children vs 18
All Households
Figure 12: Erie & Niagara Median and Per Capita Income 19
Figure 13: Erie County Teen pregnancy rates 2005 – 2014 30
Figure 14: Niagara County Teen pregnancy rates 2005 – 2014 31
Figure 15: DART Client Satisfaction Survey Results 50
Figure 16: Size of households of Community Member Survey Respondents 50
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Tables
Table 1 - Demographics and Educational Level of Residents 2011 – 2015 23
Table 2 - Typical Rents in Erie County vs USA 23
Table 3 - Income for NY State, Erie County, Buffalo and the high poverty zip codes 25
Table 4 - Hospital Admissions 25
Table 5 - Erie County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years 29
Table 6 - Niagara County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females aged 15 – 19 years 30
Table 7: Buffalo/Environs by Children below Poverty 41
Table 8 - Niagara County Children below Poverty 42
Table 9: Community Member Respondent Levels of Education 52
Table 10: Community Member Respondents’ Specified Service Needs 52
Table 11: Community Member Respondent Services Need Gap 53
Table 12: Perceived reasons Community Member Respondents did not receive service
Needed 53
Table 13: How Respondent heard about the agency 53
Table 14: Household Members’ Sources of Communication: 54
Table 15: Community Member Respondent Primary Mode of Transportation 54
Table 16: Reasons transportation has been a problem at some point over the past year 54
Table 17: Number of people in household who are employed 55
Table 18: Of those household members not employed and primary reasons 55
Table 19: Respondents receiving Income Benefits 56
Table 20: Respondents’ Household Incomes 56
Table 21: Respondents in need of employment assistance 57
Table 22: Respondents facing financial difficulties 57
Table 23: Respondents’ Housing Status 57
Table 24: Type of Residential Unit by Respondent 58
Table 25: Housing Conditions Respondents are living in 58
Table 26: Renter Respondents - Household Utilities included in the rent 58
Table 27: Reasons Respondents have not purchased a home 58
Table 28: Community Partner Type of organization 59
Table 29: Community Partner Relationship to the CAO 59
Table 30: Community Partner – top most pressing needs in Erie County 59
Table 31: Most pressing needs ranked from highest to lowest 60
Table 32: Services with less capacity than demand in Erie County 60
Table 33: Rank order of services for which demand exceeds capacity 61
Table 34: Most challenging issues low income households will face in the next 3 years 61
Table 35: Rank most challenging issues from highest to lowest 62
Table 36: Source of Respondents 63
Table 37: Sectors represented by Board Member Respondents 63
Table 38: Length of Respondents’ Relationship to the CAO 63
Table 39: Respondents’ knowledge about agency’s programs and services 63
Table 40: Top most pressing needs in Erie County 64
Table 41: Respondents’ knowledge about agency’s programs and services 64
Table 42: Services with less capacity than demand 65
Table 43: Rank order of services for which demand exceeds capacity 65
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Table 44: Most challenging issues low income households will face in the next 3 years 66
Table 45: Ranking of those challenging issues from highest to lowest 66
Table 46: Mission statement accurately reflects CAO’s work 67
Table 47: Growth Opportunities 67
Table 48: Ranking Needs Expressed by Survey Respondents 70
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Preface
To develop this needs assessment, information was integrated from several sources. The New
York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA) produces a snap shot of poverty
indicators every year as a part of its Annual Poverty Report. Because each year’s report tabulates
the same indicators, it was possible to use, in our case the 2013 and 2017 Annual Poverty
Reports, to assess trends that could inform our assessment of current needs. That comparison and
analysis is included in Section I of this document entitled “Just the Facts: Snap Shot of Indicators
for Erie and Niagara Counties.
Section II focuses on various factors that impact on persons living at or below poverty and the
communities the poor and low income live in. This section assesses factors impacting on poverty
through the eyes of members of the Erie and Niagara County communities. Data was
incorporated from the Economic Innovation Group, a public policy research organization that
showed that 11 of the 53 most economically distressed communities in New York State are in
Erie and Niagara Counties, 9 of them in the City of Buffalo.
We incorporated news articles from the Niagara Gazette and the Forbes Magazine, analyzing
and confirming what research data had shown about patterns of poverty in Niagara County
and that economic conditions in Erie and Niagara County have made earning and
undergraduate degree less of a shield against poverty than in the past.
Section II discusses trends in Education, Housing, Health, Teen Pregnancies, and Lead
Poisoning. It demonstrates that the two County area and their big cities have been effective in
reducing teen pregnancies. However, such pregnancies remain a key factor in the incidence of
poverty in this two-County area.
Analyses provided by the Buffalo News and the New York Times shine light on childhood
poverty, supported by a census tract and census map depiction of where childhood poverty is
most pronounced in Erie and Niagara Counties, and an analysis of graduation rates specific to
the City of Buffalo.
Section III incorporates information gleaned from members of the community, including
customer/clients of several of CAO’s programs, Partner Agencies and Organization,
Community Members and a survey that incorporated CAO Board Members, Staff and
Volunteers. These surveys provided excellent insight into the manner in which varying
stakeholders perceive the needs of the communities of people they serve.
Section IV provides a look at how the CAO’s allocation of its resources aligns with the needs
identified by the stakeholders incorporated in the surveys and a comparison of the
characteristics of the people actually served by the CAO over the past year, to the
characteristics of the overall poor in Erie and Niagara Counties as a whole.
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Section I – Just the Facts: Snap Shot of Poverty Indicators for
Erie and Niagara Counties
The profile expressed below for Erie and Niagara Counties is based on comparing the indicators
provided in the 2013 and the 2017 New York State Annual Poverty Report developed by the
New York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA).
The NYSCAA data enabled a comparison between the time periods around which the data
analysis is framed. Unless otherwise indicated, the NYSCAA data uses information from the
American Community Survey, 2011 – 2015.
A. Erie County Profile
Poverty grew in Erie County by 4% over the years between the end of 2012 and the end of 2015,
comparing the New York State Poverty Reports for 2013 to 2017 (Exhibit 1 – Row 4). Poverty
as a percentage of the total poor declined for all groups except Hispanic/Latino residents. Of
Hispanic/Latino residents 38.2% live the poverty line, 36.5% of African Americans and 9.4% of
White residents (Exhibit 1 – Row 1 - 3).
While Erie County’s overall population, for whom poverty status had been determined, increased
from 2012 through 2015 by 3,222 residents ((Exhibit 1 – Row 6), the total number of residents
living at or below poverty increased by 5,453 (Exhibit 1 – Row 16).
The population of seniors ages 65 and older saw the highest increases in the percentage of their
group whose members live at or below poverty (Exhibit 1 – Row 19).
By age group, poverty grew most significantly for children under age 18 (by 1.3%), and for
seniors ages 65 and above (by 3%) (Exhibit 1 – Rows 17 and 19).
Although adults ages 25 and over saw the lowest increase in the percentage of their members
who were poor, they also saw the highest numerical increase in the total number of poor in Erie
County (3,805) (Exhibit 1 – Row 18).
While increasing education provides some insulation against the incidence of poverty in
individual lives, every education group from high school graduates to four-year college
graduates experienced an increase in the percentage of their members living at or below poverty.
Persons with a high school diploma had the lowest increases in members who were living in
poverty (3%), while the percentage increase in persons living at or below poverty was highest for
persons with a four-year degree or higher (17%) (Exhibit 1 – Rows 24 - 26).
This trend line suggests a disconnect between the types of vocational opportunities student
degree pursuits prepare them for and what the Erie County job market in consists of.
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Of the roughly 57,683 adults age 25 and over who have no high school diploma, 30.4% are
living in poverty. On the other hand, of the 199,264 adults age 25 and over with a Bachelor’s
degree or better, only 4.7% live at or below poverty (see Figures 4 and 5, below).
Reflecting the County’s improving fortunes, median income in Erie County rose by 5.7% from
2012 through 2015, from $48,473 to $51,247 (Exhibit 1 – Row 28).
For households with children present, hourly wages increased by 18%, and for a typical
household living in a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent, wages increased by 5%
(Exhibit 1 – Rows 29 and 30).
Median income also rose for persons having at least a high school diploma by 6% (exhibit 1 –
Row 31).
Clearly, the emergence of near-national health insurance, through the Affordable Care Act,
significantly impacted the percentage of Erie County residents lacking health insurance as the
percentage of employed residents without health insurance declined by 19.6%, and the
percentage of unemployed residents without health insurance declined by 21.6% (Exhibit 1 –
Rows 34 and 35).
While poverty increased for households overall, the poverty rate for female headed households
experienced the lowest increase, suggesting some success in mitigating the effects of the Great
Recession on female headed households (Exhibit 1, Row 40).
Exhibit 1
Erie County Comparison Profiles 2012 - 2015
Erie County End of 2015 End of 2012 % Change
Rate Number Rate Number
Erie County
Race & Poverty 1 White 9.4% 66,877 9.4% 67,357 -.7%
2 African American 36.5% 42,908 37.6% 43,626 -2%
3 Hispanic/Latino 38.2% 16,575 36.6% 14,612 13%
4 Total Living in Poverty 15.00% 134,715 14.50% 129,262 4%
5 6 Erie Population 921,584 918,704 .3%
7 Pop. - whom pov. status is determined:
8 9 Overall 895,449 892,227 .3%
10 Population Under 18 189,496 195,334 -3%
11 Population 25 & Over 623,772 613,082 2%
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12 Population Over 65 144,564 138,681 104%
13 14 ERIE COUNTY R A T ES
15 Living In Poverty: 16 Individuals 15.00% 134,715 14.50% 129,262 4%
17 Children (Under 18) 23.10% 43,713 21.80% 42,655 3%
18 Adults 25+ 11.40% 71,223 11.00% 67,418 6%
19 Senior Citizens 65+ 11.40% 12,159 8.40% 11,666 4%
20 Education and Poverty 21 Of the Adult Population ages 25 +: 623,772 613,082 2%
22 Educational Attainment 23 No Diploma, Living in Poverty 30.40% 17,561 24 H. S. Diploma, Living in Poverty 13.00% 22,792 12.50% 22,059 3%
25 Associate 11.30% 21,605 10.60% 19,451 11%
26 Bachelor's Degree + 4.70% 9,265 4.20% 7,944 17%
27 Employment & Poverty 28 Median Income $51,247 $48,473 11.4%
29 Living Hrly. Wage for 1 Adult, 1 Child Hhld $23.59 $19.91 18.5%
30 Hourly Wage for FMR, 2BR Apartment $14.52 $13.83 7.2%
31 Median Income w/High School Diploma $29,734 $28,125 5.7%
32 Health & Poverty 33 No Health Insurance : 34 Employed 6.90% 8.60% -19.8%
35 Unemployed 22.20% 28.30% -21.6%
36 Free/Reduced Lunch Program 51 30 70%
37 Gender & Poverty High School Diploma Only
38 Male (HSD Only): 35,623 34,366 3.7%
39 Female (HSD Only) 24,207 23,095 4.8%
40 Fem HHlds w/Children Below Poverty 42.60% 42.10% 1.2%
41 42
B. Niagara County Profile
Poverty grew much less in Niagara County than in Erie County, growing by 1% over the years
between the end of 2012 and the end of 2015 (Exhibit 2 – Row 4). Poverty actually declined for
White residents, both as a percentage of their sub-group (by .3%) and in terms of raw numbers
(by 4%) over this time period (Exhibit 2, Row 1). Poverty for both African Americans and
Hispanic/Latino Americans climbed substantially. As a percentage of their members living in
poverty, Hispanic/Latino members saw their percentage in poverty increase by 2.9%, and their
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raw numbers increase by 27%. African American residents saw their percentage of members
living in poverty increase by 3.6%, and their raw numbers increase by 17% (Exhibit 2 – Rows 2
and 3).
While Niagara County’s overall population, for whom poverty status had been determined,
decreased from 2012 through 2015 by 1,649 residents ((Exhibit 2 – Row 8), total number of
residents living at or below poverty was virtually unchanged, increasing by 185 (Exhibit 2 –
Row 4).
Niagara County saw very modest increases in the percentage of poverty for persons aged 18 and
below and for persons aged 25 and above, (2% and 3%, respectively), and by 86 persons and
338 persons, for persons aged 18 and below and for persons aged 25 and above, respectively
(Exhibit 2 – Rows 16 and 17). Poverty for seniors ages 65 and above declined 166 persons or
5% over the 2012 to 2015 period (Exhibit 2 – Row 18).
While increasing education provides some insulation against the incidence of poverty in
individual lives, persons with a high school diploma only saw a slight decrease in the
percentage of their members living at or below poverty (2%), while persons with an Associate’s
degree saw an 8% increase in the percentage of their members living at or below poverty (370
persons). Strikingly, persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher, as a group, saw a 43% increase
in the percentage of their members living at or below poverty, a total increase of 502 persons
(Exhibit 2 – Rows 23 – 25). However, with a poverty rate of 4.7%, earning a bachelor’s degree
or higher is still the best insulation against poverty (see Figures 9 and 10, below).
Similarly to Erie County, the median income increased by 5.6% from 2012 through 2015, from
$45,722 to $50,094 (Exhibit 2 – Row 27).
Yet, similarly to Erie County, incomes in Niagara County for specific targeted groups increased
over the 2012 through 2015 period. For households with children present, hourly wages
increased by 18%, and for a typical household living in a two-bedroom apartment at fair market
rent, wages increased by 5% (Exhibit 1 – Rows 29 and 30).
Median income also rose for persons having at least a high school diploma by 11% (Exhibit 2 –
Row 30).
Of the roughly 13,940 adults age 25 and over who have no high school diploma, 25.1% are
living in poverty. On the other hand, of the 34,763 adults, age 25 an over with a Bachelor’s
degree, only 4.7% live at or below poverty (see Figures 9 and 10, below).
Clearly, the emergence of near-national health insurance through the Affordable Care Act
significantly impacted the percentage of Erie County residents lacking health insurance as the
percentage of employed residents without health insurance declined by 14%, and the percentage
of unemployed residents without health insurance declined by 15% (Exhibit 2 – Rows 33 and
34).
While poverty increased for households overall, the rate for female headed households
experienced the highest increase in Niagara County, increasing by 12%.
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Exhibit 2
Niagara County Comparison Profiles
2012 - 2015
Niagara County End of 2015 End of 2012 % Change
Rate Number Rate Number
Niagara County
Race & Poverty 1 White 10.80% 20,033 11.10% 20,840 -4%
2 African American 39.80% 6,173 36.20% 5,464 13%
3 Hispanic/Latino 27.00% 1,397 24.10% 1,104 27%
4 Total Living in Poverty 13.70% 28,816 13.50% 28,631 .6%
5 6 Niagara County Population
7 Pop. - whom pov. status is determined:
8 Overall 210,195 211,844 -.8%
9 Population Under 18 43,495 45,619 -4.9%
10 Population 25 & Over 148,587 147,888 .5%
11 Population Over 65 34,828 33,042 5.4%
12 13 NIAGARA COUNTY POVERTY R A T ES
114 Living In Poverty: 15 Individuals 13.70% 28,816 13.50% 28,631 .6%
16 Children (Under 18) 19.90% 8,646 18.80% 8,560 1%
17 Adults 25+ 11.10% 16,482 10.90% 16,144 2%
18 Senior Citizens 65+ 8.90% 3,084 9.80% 3,250 -5.4%
19 Education and Poverty 20 Of the Adult Population ages 25 +: 148,587 147,888 .5%
21 Educational Attainment 22 No Diploma, Living in Poverty 23 H. S. Diploma, Living in Poverty 12.30% 6,407 11.90% 6,524 -1.8%
24 Associate 10.30% 4,931 9.80% 4,561 8.1%
25 Bachelor's Degree + 4.70% 1,648 3.70% 1,156 42.6%
26 Employment & Poverty 27 Median Income (see Quick Facts, below 50,094 $45,722 9.6%%
28 Living Hrly. Wage for 1 Adult, 1 Child Hhld 23.59 19.99 18%
29 Hourly Wage for FMR, 2BR Apartment 14.52 13.83 4.9%
30 Median Income w/High School Diploma 30,246 $27,330 6.7%
31 Health & Poverty 32 No Health Insurance :
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33 Employed 7.80% 9.10% -16.7%
34 Unemployed 25.80% 30.20% -17.1%
35 Free/Reduced Lunch Program 54% 46% 17.4%
36 Gender & Poverty High School Diploma Only
37 Male (HSD Only): 36,991 35,879 3.1%
38 Female (HSD Only) 23,881 21,859 9.3%
39 Fem HHlds w/Children Below Poverty 44% 39.40% 11.7%
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Figure 1.
Erie County Race & Poverty
White 9.4%
African American 36.5%
Latino/Hispanic Race 38.20%
(Note: Figure 1 reflects groups as a percentage of all poor; does not include other Minorities)
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
Erie County Race & Poverty by Percentage
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Figure 2.
Erie County Race & Poverty
White 66,877
African American 42,908
Latino/Hispanic Race 16,575
(Note: Figure 2 of total 134,715 County Poor, does not include other Minorities)
Figure 3.
15.0% ERIE COUNTY POVERTY R A T E
Living In Poverty by Age Group:
All Individuals 134,715
Children (Under 18) 43,713
Adults 25+ 71,223
Senior Citizens 65+ 12,159
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
White African AmericanHispanic/Latino Race
Erie County Race & Poverty by Number
Erie County Race & Poverty
0 50,000 100,000 150,000
All Individuals
Children (Under 18)
Adults 25+
Senior Citizens 65+
Age Group
Living In Poverty by Raw Number:
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Figure 4 – Erie County.
Educ. & Pov. Adult Population 25+: 623,772
Education Level Total % Population
No Degree 57,683 9.30%
H.S. Diploma 175,657 28.20%
Associate's Degree 191,168 30.70%
Bachelor's Degree + 199,264 32.00%
(Note: 32% of Erie’s population ages 25 + have a Bachelor’s degree)
Figure 5 – Erie County.
Age 25+ Living in Poverty by Education
Education Level Total % Population
No Degree 17,561 30.40%
H.S. Diploma 22,792 13.00%
Associate's Degree 21,605 11.30%
Bachelor's Degree+ 9,265 4.70%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
Education - Age 25+ Population
Total % Population
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
No Degree H.S.Diploma
Associate'sDegree
Bachelor'sDegree +
Age 25+ Living in Poverty by Education
Living in Poverty Total
Living in Poverty % Population
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Figure 6.
Niagara County
Niagara County Race & Poverty
White 10.80%
African American 39.80%
Hispanic/Latino Race 27.00%
(Note: Figure 7 reflects groups as a percentage of all poor; does not include other Minorities)
Figure 7.
Niagara County Race & Poverty
White 20,033
African American 6,173
Hispanic/Latino Race 1,397
(Note: Figure 8 - of total 28,816 County Poor, does not include other Minorities)
0.00%5.00%
10.00%15.00%20.00%25.00%30.00%35.00%40.00%
Niagara County Race & Poverty by Percentage
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
White AfricanAmerican
Hispanic/Latino Race
Niagara County Race & Poverty by Raw Number
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Figure 8.
13.7% NIAGARA COUNTY POVERTY R A T E
Living In Poverty:
All Individuals 28,816
Children (Under 18) 8,646
Adults 25+ 16,482
Senior Citizens 65+ 3,084
Figure 9 – Niagara County.
Education & Poverty Adult Population 25+: 148,587
Education Level Total % Population
No Degree 13,940 9.40%
High School 51,932 35.00%
Associate’s Degree 47,952 32.30%
Bachelors or Higher 34,763 23.40%
0 5,000 10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,000
All Individuals
Children (Under 18)
Adults 25+
Senior Citizens 65+
Age Group
Living In Poverty by Raw Number:
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
No Degree HighSchool
Associate Bachelorsor Higher
Age 25+ Population by Education Level
Total % Population
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Figure 10 – Niagara County.
% of Adults Ages 25+ in Poverty
by Educational Achievement
Education Level Total % Population
No Degree 3,496 25.10%
High School 6,407 12.30%
Associate’s Degree 4,931 10.30%
Bachelors or Higher 1,648 4.70%
Figure 11.
Erie & Niagara Counties:
Female Headed Household
w/ Children Present below Poverty
F/w/Chldrn All Hlds
Erie 42.60% 15%
Niagara 44% 13.70%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
No Degree High School Associate Bachelorsor Higher
Age 25+ in poverty by Education Level
Total % Population
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
Erie Niagara County
Poverty Rate for Female Headed Households vs Total County
F/Chldrn All Hlds
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Figure 12.
Median and Per Capita Income
Erie Niagara
Median Income 51,247 50,094
Per Capita Income 29,940 27,487
Figure 12 Sources: U.S. Census Quick facts.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/niagaracountynewyork,eriecountynewyork/PST045216)
U.S. Census Quick facts. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ eriecountynewyork/PST045216
Section I Sources:
(a) New York State Annual Poverty Report. New York State Community Action Association.
Retrieved from:
http://nyscommunityaction.org/PovReport/2016/Poverty%20Report_2017_Master%20Doc.p
df
(b) New York State Poverty Report. New York State Community Action Association, 2013.
Retrieved from:
https://ams.nyscommunityaction.org/Resources/Documents/News/NYSCAAs_2013_Poverty
_Report.pdf
(c) U.S. Census Quick facts. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/
eriecountynewyork/PST045216
(d) U.S. Census Quick facts. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/
niagaracountynewyork,eriecountynewyork/PST045216
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Median Income PerCapitaIncome
Income Levels
Median and Per capita Income
Erie Niagara
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Section II – Factors Impacting Poverty
Assessing Factors impacting on Poverty through the eyes of
members of the Erie and Niagara County communities
A. Most Distressed Communities
Axelson, Ben Most distressed places in Upstate NY: 53 communities struggling to get by,
ranked. NewYorkUpstate.com, October 06, 2017. Retrieved from:
http://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2017/10/most_distressed_places_in_upstate_new_york.ht
ml
The Economic Innovation Group, a public policy research organization, developed a model
for ranking communities by levels of stressors. Distressed communities were defined as those
with the lowest "economic well-being," identified using these factors:
Adults without a High School Diploma
Poverty Rate
Prime-Age Adults Not in Work
Housing Vacancy Rate
Median Income Ratio
Change in Employment
Change in Establishments
According to this report, 9 of the 53 most distressed communities in Upstate New York are in
the city of Buffalo within Erie County. Another was in the Gowanda area shared by both Erie
and Cattaraugus Counties, and another was in the Northside community of Niagara Falls
(Axelson, Ben, 2017). These communities have had the least success in recovering from the
Great Recession, having a distress score of over 90 out of a possible 100 total points. They
included:
#2 Willert Park Neighborhood, Bflo. (14204), Erie County; Distress score: 99.2, Pop.: 8,930
#9 Sloan - Emerson Neighb., Bflo. (14212), Erie County; Distress score: 98.2, Pop.: 10,550
#17 Masten Park-Kingsley; Buffalo (14208), Erie County, Distress score: 96.6, Pop: 24,380
#18 Forest-Front Park Neighb, Bflo. (14213), Erie County, Distress score: 96.5, Pop: 24,380
#20 MLK Park Neighborhood, Buffalo (14211), Erie County,Distress score: 96.4, Pop: 21,910
#35 Kaisertown Neighborhood, Bflo. (14206), Erie County, Distress score: 93.4, Pop: 20,810
#38 Niagara Falls, north side (14305), Niagara County, Distress score: 92.7, Pop: 16,760
#39 Kenfield-Lasalle Neighb., Bflo. (14215), Erie County, Distress score: 92.5, Pop: 39,500
#40 Gowanda (14070), Erie/Cattaraugus County, Distress score: 91.9, Population: 6,440
#42 Black Rock Neighborhood, Bflo. (14207), Erie County,Distress score: 91.8, Pop: 22,980
#52 Downtown, Buffalo (14203), Erie County, Distress score: 90.4, Population: 1,730
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14204/@42.8794006,-78.8993281,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d3124020d0879f:0xfa801263cd43e80d!8m2!3d42.8801089!4d-78.8637428https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14212/@42.8899135,-78.8313157,13.79z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d30d9e8ea0707d:0x23918160ba8e3695!8m2!3d42.8954613!4d-78.8241068https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14208/@42.9154882,-78.8632291,14.31z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d31290c68aabc5:0x896a216c6a00d9a8!8m2!3d42.9174901!4d-78.8524199https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14213/@42.9204721,-78.9204078,13.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d3131bb7af27cb:0x8901cdc298885de0!8m2!3d42.9165666!4d-78.8920444https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14211/@42.9054323,-78.8489594,14.21z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d30d6d9aa8d247:0x866444361fd2f647!8m2!3d42.9109033!4d-78.8099472https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14206/@42.8823081,-78.8274149,14.16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d30db937d3bfc9:0xc72d48f253e28653!8m2!3d42.8820351!4d-78.8099472https://www.google.com/maps/place/Niagara+Falls,+NY+14305/@43.1275187,-79.06998,12.43z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d35d57f056ca89:0x6e880448e96f3ee8!8m2!3d43.1197084!4d-79.0306032https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14215/@42.934876,-78.8343554,13.34z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d30d2342d48731:0xe4cb05b4f30bfe08!8m2!3d42.9397553!4d-78.8099472https://www.google.com/search?q=14070+zip+code&oq=14070+zip+code&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.3422j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14207/@42.9567861,-78.9279182,13.01z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d36ca8970a5d2b:0xbdec4eb787bbbd0!8m2!3d42.9486552!4d-78.9005333https://www.google.com/maps/place/Buffalo,+NY+14203/@42.871419,-78.9118213,12.77z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d3128b92478f87:0xbd8a2f0e80d3edb6!8m2!3d42.8667771!4d-78.8750644
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B. Culture of Poverty - Niagara Falls
Sondel, Justin (2014). POVERTY IN NIAGARA: 'Culture of poverty' impacting significant
number of residents in the Falls. Niagara Gazette, Mar 2, 2014.
Justin Sondel’s report is based on an interview with Sister Beth Brosmer, director of the Heart,
Love and Soul food pantry in Niagara Falls. Sister Brosmer works closely with hundreds of poor
and working-poor residents in the city’s north end. Sister Brosmer assess a report commissioned
by the John R. Oishei Foundation noting that “Niagara Falls has more than its fair share of
people living in poverty. The Oishei report the report was created following an analysis of data
under a partnership between the John R. Oishei Foundation and the University at
Buffalo’s Regional Institute, and provides a sobering assessment of conditions in Niagara Falls,
New York.”
• Roughly 22,425, or nearly one out of every two residents, are “doing poorly or struggling
financially.”
• About 10,900 Niagara Falls residents, or more than 20 percent, live on incomes below
federal poverty levels, identified as $23,550 for a family of four.
• Another 11,525 city residents do not fall under the federal poverty threshold, but earn less
than 200 percent of that line, putting those people in a position described in the report as
“close” to poverty.
“The Oishei Foundation released the Niagara Falls community report as part of a larger,
multi-year effort being undertaken by the Mobile Safety-Net Team, a task force created to
study issues related to poverty throughout the region. The team had analyzed 12 Western
New York communities as part of the larger initiative.”
In developing the Falls report, team members met with area service providers, residents and
city leaders to assess not only the numbers but the reasons behind high poverty rates in the
Falls.
Mobile Safety-Net Team Supervisor Jeffrey Pirrone said it is hoped the project will help people
living in poverty improve their chances of coming out from under their struggles. Organizers
also hope the findings will highlight the dire need for change in communities like Niagara Falls
where so many continue to be hard hit by high needs and limited opportunities.”
”This is not supposed to be a report just to sit on a shelf,” he said.
The report highlights many shortcomings people in and around Niagara Falls have been
discussing for years, including what are described as “alarming indicators and trends.”
Among them:
• “Poverty is growing, while Niagara Falls’ population is shrinking.” The city’s overall
population has declined by 9 percent since 2000 while the number of city residents living in
poverty has grown by 2 percent over the same time period. Niagara Falls has 11,270 fewer
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residents than it did in 1990, representing an 18 percent decline. Since 1970, the city’s
population has declined by 35,000.
• “Economic vulnerability is widespread.” In some tracts, such as downtown, Hyde Park and
Highland Avenue, three quarters of residents are in poverty or at-risk. In these areas, which
include U.S. Census tracts 202, 206, 209 and 213, at least two-thirds of individuals are “doing
poorly with incomes under 200 percent of poverty.” Only six of the city’s 20 Census tracks are
doing better than Niagara County as a whole, according to researchers.
• “Teen pregnancy and fragile young families are concerns.” Teen pregnancy rates in Niagara
Falls zip codes (14301, 14303 and 14305) are the highest across Niagara County, at 10 percent
more. Zip code 14303 has the second highest rate across Western New York’s eight counties.
• “Safe and appropriate rental housing is lacking.” According to the report, 55 percent of
rental units in the Falls are “substandard,” either costing more than 30 percent of income, lacking
in complete plumbing or kitchen facilities and/or house more than one person per room.
• “About 15 percent of Niagara Falls’ most vulnerable have urgent concerns for food.” The
report defines parts of Niagara Falls as a “food desert,” areas where lower-income populations
do not have access to groceries.
• “Crime rates are alarming.” Researchers said over the course of a year, more than one out of
every hundred persons will be the victim of a violent crime, either murder, rape, robbery or
assault.
The Mobile Safety-Net Team surveyed 359 residents as part of its community needs
assessment. One out of two residents surveyed said they have encountered “difficulty” getting
services. One in five named “income limits” as the most common barrier to their success. Others
on the list included traveling difficulties, distance from job centers in Erie County, criminal
records, lack of full-time job opportunities, low levels of educational attainment, difficulty in
navigating the network of available human support services and lack of awareness about
available programs in their community.
Pirrone said conversations with Cataract City residents living at or near the poverty line often
involved a common message: They feel “trapped” by their financial circumstances.”
”In a lot of the communities where we work people talk about a lack of hope, and I think in
Niagara Falls it was the most prevalent,” Pirrone said. “They don’t see a way up. They don’t see
a way out.”
“Sharon Ana Entress, a senior policy associate with UB’s Regional Institute, said one of the
recommendations made in the study was to provide more access to case workers for people
living in poverty.”
”We found that it seems like folks in poverty that don’t have those social networks in, maybe,
dealing with hopelessness and not seeing the options, they really need more hand holding in
navigating the system in accessing resources and opportunities,” Entress said.
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Back on Ontario Avenue, Brosmer said she hopes the report will motivate people in a position to
create change to get together and work on the issue in a united front. While the statistics may be
hard for some to swallow, Brosmer hopes the findings will draw more of the level of attention
she believes is needed when it comes to dealing with the city’s poor.
”It’s sad that it’s that way,” Brosmer said. “But it’s also good for people to see that.”
“The full community report on the City of Niagara Falls as well as other community
reports developed by the Mobile Safety-Net Team and the University at Buffalo’s Regional
Institute can be found by visiting www.oishei.org/index.php/initiatives/msnt/msnt-
community.”
C. College Graduation losing its Grip as a Shield Against Poverty
Leef, George (2014). College Degrees Aren't Becoming More Valuable -- Their Glut
Confines People Without Them To A Shrinking, Low-Pay Sector Of The Market. Forbes
Magazine, April 21, 2014. Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeleef/2014/04/21/college-degrees-arent-becoming-more-
valuable-their-glut-confines-people-without-them-to-a-shrinking-low-pay-sector-of-the-
market/#2c2d7c15498e
This Forbes magazine article cites a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that
260,000 people with college or even professional degrees are mal-employed, meaning they are
employed in jobs they could have gotten with no college degree at all. Moreover, the percentage
of college graduates who work in jobs that don’t require any advanced academic preparation (the
“mal-employed”) has been rising for years, and now stands at 36 percent.
A pew Research study, also cited in the Forbes Magazine article, states that only 62 percent of
the “Millennials” agree that their college experience “has paid off”, compared with 84 percent of
the “Generation Xers” and 89 percent of the “Boomers.” Conversely, the percentage who say
that college was not beneficial is growing. Among “Boomers” it was only 8 percent, but among,
“Millennials” it has reached 12 percent.
These reports highlight the need for parents and future college entrants to pick disciplines in
which they intend to work and in which there are a number of job openings.
D. Trends in Critical Areas of Need in Erie and Niagara Counties
1. Education in Buffalo and Erie County:
Of persons over the age of 25, Table 1 demonstrates the educational level achieved in New York
State, Erie County and the City of Buffalo. “Erie County has higher high school graduation rates
than the State, but in the City of Buffalo the rates are noticeably lower. Completion of higher
education is lower in the County than in New York State, and even lower in the City of Buffalo.
http://www.oishei.org/index.php/initiatives/msnt/msnt-communityhttp://www.oishei.org/index.php/initiatives/msnt/msnt-communityhttp://money.cnn.com/2014/03/31/news/economy/minimum-wage-college-graduates/index.htmlhttp://money.cnn.com/2013/06/25/news/economy/malemployment-rate/index.html
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It should be noted that there are a number of zip codes in the City of Buffalo that have extremely
low high school and higher education graduation rates. There is a direct correlation to rates of
unemployment, crime and poverty when this data is looked at simultaneously (Poloncarz and
Burstein, 2017).” Strategically, the CAO has collaborated with the Say Yes Buffalo
foundation and the Buffalo District Parent Coordinating Council to improve student
persistence in staying in school and gaining access to higher education opportunities. (Burstein, 2014)
Educational Achievement in NYS, Erie County, & Buffalo among residents > 25yrs Census
Data 2011-2015
Table 1. - Demographics and Educational Level of Residents 2011 - 2015
NYS Erie County Buffalo
High School Graduates 85.6% 90.4% 82.7%
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher 34.2% 31.6% 24.6%
Source: Burstein, Gale R. and Poloncarz, Mark (2014). Erie County New York Community
Health Assessment 2017 – 2019.
2. Housing
Rental housing vacancy rates have fallen since 2012 from about 27% to 24.37% in 2015,
according to Civic Dashboards “Rental Vacancy Rate for Buffalo, NY”, retrieved from:
http://www.civicdashboards.com/city/buffalo-ny-16000US3611000/rental_vacancy_rate).
Renters make up 31.64% of the Erie County, New York, population, and 9.22% of houses and
apartments in Erie County, New York, are unoccupied (vacancy rate), according to:
BestPlaces.net, “Erie County, New York”).
32.9% of Buffalo’s and 32.4% of Erie County’s housing was built on or before 1939, according
to BestPlaces.net.
Table 2.
Typical Rents:
Typical Rents by number of Bedrooms
Erie
County
United
States
2 Bedroom Home or Apartment $755 $1,027
https://www.trulia.com/for_rent/36029_c/SINGLE-FAMILY_HOME_type/?cid=bsd|bestplaces|bsd_forrent_county_NYErie|bpl_PPSHousing_l_14
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3 Bedroom Home or Apartment $959 $1,379
4 Bedroom Home or Apartment $1,098 $1,601
VACANT HOUSING
Vacant For Rent 1.69% 2.34%
In Erie County, with a median household income of around $51,247 (Quick Facts, Erie County),
and assuming at least 20% of that income is withheld from paychecks, the median income earner
would have $33,997 to spend or $2,833/mo. If that median income household required three
bedrooms for their family, the average of $959 in rent cost/month would equal nearly 34% of
their monthly income, excluding costs for gas, electric and insurance. Housing for such families,
including utilities and insurance could easily consume 50% of their household income.
The BestPlaces.net report also indicated rental vacancy rates in Erie County at around 1.69%.
This tight market results in higher rental rates, higher conditions set by landlords, and
fewer opportunities to rent above standard quality housing. This forces many prospective
renters to live in substandard housing, in difficult neighborhood environments with high
rents and few landlord commitments to quality maintenance.
Strategically, the CAO has adopted a strategy to use weatherization and energy efficiency
grants and loan interest loans available through NYSERDA, and private home
improvement loan through existing banks to help home owners lower the costs of operating
their homes, and make improvement investments in their homes.
Source: BestPlaces.net “Erie County, New York”, retrieved from: https://www.bestplaces.
net/housing/county/newyork/erie).
3. Health Disparity
“Health disparities are evident in many areas of Erie County for a variety of contributing
factors. Socioeconomic generational strife leads to significantly poorer health outcomes.
Within Erie County there are zip codes with significantly lower socioeconomic status than
the county as a whole. These zip codes are primarily within the City of Buffalo. To illustrate
this, historically, 73% of the Erie County Department of Health clinic patients come from five
zip codes in the City of Buffalo. These five zip codes are 14204, 14206, 14211, 14212, and
14215 (Burstein, 2014).” The Table 3, below, taken from Burstein’s report shows that of those
persons living at or below poverty in Erie County, 81.5% are White; of those in Buffalo, 52.8%
are White, and of those living in these high poverty zip codes 38.62% are White. Interestingly,
the high poverty zip code with the highest percentage of Black residents has the third highest per
capita income of those five zip codes. These indicators evidence that the poverty problem is as
javascript:alert("Vacant housing - for rent Updated: December, 2016");
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much or more a class problem than a race or ethnic problem (Burstein, Gale R. and Poloncarz,
Mark, 2014).
Table 3 – Income for NY State, Erie County, Buffalo and the high poverty zip codes
Characteristic NYS Erie Buffalo 14204 14206 14211 14212 14215
% In labor
force
63.8% 63.3% 59.9% 55.9% 60% 55% 53.9% 59.3%
Median Hhld.
Income
56,951 48,805 30,230 20,355 32,777 23,949 26,677 31,383
Per Capita
Income
31,796 27,366 20,072 17,251 19,494 14,686 15,014 17,048
% Families
Below Poverty
11.0% 10.5% 26.1% 42.5% 16.1% 31.4% 27.6% 27.2%
% Individuals
Below poverty
14.5% 14.2% 29.9% 40.4% 20.9% 37.3% 34.5% 28.6%
% Black 17.2% 14.5% 40.6% 76.9% 11.7% 79.1% 43.9% 82.5%
% Hispanic 17.6% 4.5% 10.5% 9.1% 4.6% 3.6% 2.6% 3.3%
% White 67.9% 81.5% 52.8% 20.3% 86.7% 18.8% 51.3% 16.0%
% Not High
School
Graduate
19% 11.1% 19% 22.4% 19.4% 23.7% 27.2% 15.5%
Analysis of demographic trends as they relate to poor health and need for public health
services indicates that where poverty is the highest, poor health outcomes are the greatest.
Disparities in the community, whether we look at race, ethnicity, education, or
socioeconomic statuses are all evident within these zip codes. Health outcomes are
significantly poorer than those of the county as a whole (Burstein, 2014).
Table 4 Hospital Admissions
Zip Code Hospital Admissions Rate as
a percentage of Rate
Expected
14211 153%
14215 150%
Strategically, the CAO is collaborating with the Community Health Center and the
Primary Care Development Corporation to improve low income residents’ access to
primary and preventive care, and has worked with the Kaleida’s health care navigator
office to expand awareness of health care opportunities under the Affordable care Act. By
improving preventive and primary care utilization, the CAO believes our County can reduce
hospital admissions, especially in these high incidence zip codes. Through the CAO’s advocacy
with the Primary Care Development Corporation, the Community Health Center received a
$1.5Million low interest loan to relocate its primary service operation to the much larger former
St. Frances hospital location (Burstein, 2014).
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4. Lead Poisoning
“Despite substantial progress, childhood lead poisoning remains a major problem both in New
York State and in Erie County. Eight zip codes in Erie County have been designated by the
NY State Department of Health as “Communities of Concern” where children are at high risk for lead poisoning. They overlap in many cases the highest poverty zip codes in Erie County
cited above (Burstein, 2014).
The Erie County communities with the highest incidences of blood lead levels are located in the
City of Buffalo, and include Zip Codes: 14201, 14207, 14208, 14209, 14211, 14212, 14213, and
14215. Since there is no medical treatment that permanently reverses the adverse health effects
of lead exposure, focusing on primary prevention is critical to address and eliminate the
problem.”
“The age of housing stock is a significant factor in lead poisoning prevention. More than 75%
of the housing stock in Erie County was built before 1970 and is very likely to contain lead
based paint. There are 46,605 renter occupied units that were built before 1940 (2000
Census). Age and housing tenure increase the likelihood that these housing units are
Substandard, and may contain lead hazards (Burstein, 2014).”
“Housing choices for very low income and low income families are very often limited to the
oldest housing most in need of maintenance and with a higher risk of lead based paint
hazards increasing the evidence of health disparities in the population (Burstein, 2014) (also see
the section on Housing, above.)”
“There are 23,933 related, non-elderly, renter occupied households in Erie County with
household incomes less than or equal to 50% of the median family income (MFI). An additional
8,423 related, non-elderly, owner occupied households have incomes at or below 50% MFI.
There are 25,784 related, non-elderly-households in the 50-80% MFI range (Bestplaces.net).”
“In the thirty years between 1970 and 2000 Buffalo‘s population decreased by 37% placing
once stable neighborhoods at great risk of urban decline. The number of vacant housing
units in Buffalo almost tripled since 1970 with 16% of housing units vacant in 2000
(Bestplaces.net).
However, the consistent efforts by the City of Buffalo and County of Erie administrations
demolished unrecoverable housing and built hundreds of affordable housing units over the time
between 2000 and 2016. The 16% vacancy rate of 2000 has declined to a 9.22% vacancy rate
today (BestPlace.Net).
The number of owner occupied housing units, expressed as a percent of total housing units, had
decreased from 56% in 1970 to 43% in 2000 (State of the Cities Census Data (SOCDS)
(Burstein, 2014). Today 59.1% of the housing in the City of Buffalo is owner occupied
(Bestplaces.net).
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Strategically, the CAO has developed its Home Improvement and Resource Program with
help from a grant from the Office of Children and Family Service, sponsored by NYS
Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes. Through this initiative, the CAO has developed a
collaboration with the Prime Time Energy Solutions, NYSERDA (EmpowerNY and Assisted
Home Performance Program) and M & T Bank (home improvement loans). The CAO is
expanding this collaboration to include additional weatherization and energy solutions providers
to increase the number of homes for whom we can lower utility costs and improve housing
sustainability.
The CAO uses its highly evolved community outreach platform to connect homeowners to grant
and low interest and no interest loan opportunities, obtain energy audits and retrofit home
remediation work-ups, address identified lead and asbestos problems, reduce the cost of
operating homes and increase home livability and quality.
Further, the CAO connects home owners to the Erie County Childhood Lead Poisoning
Prevention Program (Child Lead), which is responsible for the case management of lead
poisoned children in Erie County. Child Lead is required to address the potential for lead
exposure, as well as prevent lead poisoned children from further exposure. The program
conducts investigations and provides information to the parents or guardians of children under
the age of 18 regarding a reported elevated blood lead level.
5. Teen Pregnancies
Among the leading factors in families and individuals coming to live in poverty is the factor of
teen pregnancies. Children having children tend to live in or near poverty for extensive
periods of their lives, and the children of these children tend to have similar life outcomes.
“Researchers have identified the rise in single-parent families (especially mother-child
families) as a major factor driving the long-term increase in child poverty in the United
States. Nearly one-fourth (24 percent) of the 75 million children under age 18 live in a single-
mother family. Most single-mother families have limited financial resources available to cover children’s education, child care, and health care costs. Seven in 10 children living with a single
mother are poor or low income, compared to less than a third (32 percent) of children living in
other types of families. In 2008, over three-quarters (77 percent) of young children in single-mother families were poor or low income.
Many studies have shown that teenage mothers and their child(ren) have a high risk of living in
poverty, due to not completing high school, being a single parent and their lack of
knowledge and readiness to raise a child resulting from their unplanned pregnancies.
Children born of teenage mothers are at a higher risk maltreatment and poor performance in
school. In addition, many studies have also shown that teenage pregnancies and poverty have
an effect on their child’s development (Burstein, 2014).
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Teenage pregnancy and the road to poverty
Poverty is a major problem most teenage mother’s experience. Between 2009 and 2010, roughly
48 percent of all mothers age 15 to 19 lived below the poverty line. Teenage mothers that live
with their parents were somewhat better off, only 34 percent of them lives below the poverty
line. As their children grow older, their likelihood of living in poverty increases. By the time
the child reaches three years old, their likelihood of living in poverty increases to 50
percent. According to the US Census Bureau “teen mothers are more than twice as likely as
mothers between ages 25 and 29 to live in poverty” (As cited in Schuyler Center for Analysis
and Advocacy, 2008, p.9, http://www.scaany.org/documents/teen_pregnancy_dec08.pdf).
A major risk factor as to why many teenage mothers live in poverty is because they drop out of
high-school, “fewer than 38 percent get a high school diploma and another 19 percent get a
GED, and only 5% of young teen mothers complete at least two years of college by age 30 and
less than 2% obtain a college degree.” (Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, 2008, p.10)
". Therefore, these mothers will not get a well-paying job to raise their child (Mather, Mark,
PhD, 2010).
Teen pregnancy levels, reflecting pregnancies of girls ages 15 to 19, are highest in zip codes
14301, 14303, and 14305" in Niagara Falls, the report states. "While some supports are in place
for young parents, few are preventive in nature and those that are reach only small numbers of
students."
Researchers found that nearly 15 percent of girls in the city between the ages of 15 and 19 are
getting pregnant each year, with the 14303 zip code registering the second highest teen
pregnancy rate in Western New York (Sondel, Justin, 2014), Teen pregnancy a major issue in
Niagara Falls. Niagara Gazette, October 5, 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.niagara-
gazette.com/news/local_news/teen-pregnancy-a-major-issue-in-niagara-falls/article_776123c2-
f14a-57c0-893c-064233fb84e8.html)
In Erie County, the focus is on the zip codes with the highest incidence of teen pregnancies,
including zip codes: “14201, 14204, 14206, 14207, 14208, 14209, 142011, 14213, and 14215.”
“In the target zip code areas, the average teen birth rate in 2012 was 61.3 per 1,000 females
between the ages of 15 and 19. This is more than 3 times greater than New York State’s
(excluding New York City) average of 18.5 per 1,000 and the 2013 national teen birth rate of
26.5 per 1,000 females.” (Burstein, Dr. Gale. Erie County Department of Health, November 4,
2015. Retrieved from: http://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=erie-county-recieves-federal-
teen-pregnancy-prevention-grant-awarded-2-million-annually-five-years-r).
The good news as seen from the figures below, teen pregnancies continue to decline in Erie
and Niagara Counties.
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Table 5 - Erie County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females aged 15-19 years
Crude Rate
Year Single Year 3-Year Average NYS exc. NYC
2005 52.8 40.9
2006 53.1 53.6 41.5
2007 54.8 52.4 41.6
2008 49.3 51.4 39.4
2009 50.2 48.5 37.3
2010 46.0 47.0 35.4
2011 44.9 44.1 30.8
2012 41.4 40.8 29.0
2013 36.1 36.6 26.1
2014 32.2 24.0
Figure 13.
(Source: New York State Department of Health.)
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Table 6 - Niagara County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females aged 15-19
years
Crude Rate
Year Single Year 3-Year Average NYS exc. NYC
2005 54.2 40.9
2006 54.1 52.9 41.5
2007 50.3 51.0 41.6
2008 48.5 50.7 39.4
2009 53.5 49.9 37.3
2010 47.8 48.3 35.4
2011 43.4 44.5 30.8
2012 42.1 39.2 29.0
2013 31.7 34.3 26.1
2014 28.9 24.0
Figure 14. (Source: New York State Department of Health.)
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“Many studies have shown that teenage mothers and their child have a high risk of living in
poverty, due to not completing high school, being a single parent and their lack of knowledge
and readiness to raise a child because of unplanned pregnancies. Children born of teenage
mothers are at a higher risk maltreatment and poor performance in school. In addition, many
studies have also shown that teenage pregnancies and poverty have an effect on their child’s
development. (Poverty Among Teenage Mothers and The Child’s Outcome Essay.)”
“Poverty is a major problem most teenage mother’s experience. “Between 2009 and 2010,
roughly 48 percent of all mothers age 15 to 19 lived below the poverty line. Teenage mothers
that live with their parents were somewhat better off (Poverty).”
“About 24 percent of teen mothers reported receiving a form of child support. However, among
those who did receive child support, they only got on averaged about $2,000 per year. In
addition, children who live apart from their fathers are more than three times as likely to be poor
than children living with both parents together” (Poverty).
Many studies have shown, families are better off when they are supported by two incomes.
Briefly, the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (2008), points out “the poverty rate for
children born to teenage mothers who never married and who did not graduate from high school
is 78%, compared to 9% of children born to women over age 20 who are currently married and
did graduate from high school. So, about two-thirds of families begun by young, unmarried
mothers are poor.” Because of the high poverty rate in teen mothers, they are more likely to end
up on public assistance, “compared to mothers just ten years older, teen mothers are almost three
times as likely to require some sort of public assistance”. By waiting only a few more years they
can reduce their odds of living in poverty by about 20%” (Poverty).
As mentioned before, teenage mothers are likely to live in poverty, being a single parents and
lack knowledge to raise a child. As stated by Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (2008),
“children of teenage mothers are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care (Poverty).
6. Substance Abuse
The most significant aspect of substance abuse in Erie and Niagara Counties is that of opiate
abuse. The NYS Department of Health’s reporting of admissions to OASAS-certified treatment
programs, shows that for Erie County, the total unique clients admitted for heroin rose slightly
from 2,629 to 2,691, and the total unique clients admitted for any opioid (including heroin) fell
slightly from 4,138 to 4,028, comparing 2015 to 2016. In Niagara County, unique clients
admitted for heroin rose from 635 to 704, and unique clients admitted for any opioid (including
heroin) decreased slightly from 1,283 to 1,280, comparing 2015 to 2016. A report by Promises
Treatment centers states that in Erie County, “an average of seven overdose deaths occur
in a week.” According to New York State Upstate, Erie county has the 15th highest rate of opiate
deaths in New York State, and Niagara has the 21st highest (sources:
http://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2016/10/which_upstate_new_york_counties_have_highes
t_heroin_overdose_rates.html) and (New York State - County Opioid Quarterly Report. New
York State Department of Health, July, 2017. Retrieved from:
https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/opioid/data/pdf/nys_jul17.pdf)
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7. Food Deserts
The term “food deserts” implies an area where there is an absence of food retail outlets. The
Cornell study “Beyond Food Deserts” evidences that rather than “food deserts”, particularly in
low income areas or where there is a high percentage of people of color, these communities in
Erie County experience “quality food deserts” with high costs.
The Cornell study tested the hypothesis that access to different types of food retail destinations,
located within a five-minute travel time, in predominantly black and mixed-race neighborhoods
differs from that in predominantly white neighborhoods, while controlling for factors such as
income, population, and area of the neighborhood.
The study found what can only be called “red lining” of neighborhoods of color with regard to
the location of supermarkets and restaurants. These neighborhoods tend to have small grocery
stores within a five minute walk, which generally offer lower food diversity, older and often near
spoilage produce, at higher prices than supermarkets (Buffalo: SUNY-Buffalo 2003; Milwaukee:
Johnson, Percy, and Wagner 1996; Los Angeles: Ashman et al. 1993).
The study found that of fruit and vegetable markets: about 95 percent of Erie County
neighborhoods lack a fruit and vegetable market, and that the available grocery stores and
supermarkets are concentrated within about 20 to 30 percent of the county’s neighborhoods,
respectively.
When comparing availability within a five-minute walking area, black neighborhoods have about
one-half (0.43 times) of the number of supermarkets as compared to the number available within
a five-minute walk of white neighborhoods. Consistent with this disparity, the Cornell study
found that predominantly black neighborhoods have less than half the number (0.4 times) of
restaurants within a five-minute walking distance when compared to predominantly white
neighborhoods.
Strategically, this and other studies suggest that the solution is to build a quality food network
around the small neighborhood grocery stores, food pantries and mobile quality food operations.
Raja, Samina, Ma,Changxing and Yadav, Pavan (2008). Beyond Food Deserts Measuring and
Mapping Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Food Environments. Cornell University, May
19, 2008. Retrieved from:
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=buffalocommo
ns
Section II Sources:
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BestPlaces.net “Erie County, New York”, retrieved from:
https://www.bestplaces.net/housing/county/new_york/erie).
Burstein, Gale R. and Poloncarz, Mark (2014). Erie County New York Community Health
Assessment 2017 – 2019. Retrieved from:
http://www2.erie.gov/health/sites/www2.erie.gov.health/files/uploads/pdfs/CHA.pdf)
Burstein, Dr. Gale. Erie County Department of Health, November 4, 2015. Retrieved from:
http://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=erie-county-recieves-federal-teen-pregnancy-
prevention-grant-awarded-2-million-annually-five-years-r
Mather, Mark, PhD. (2010). U.S. Children in Single-Mother Families. Population Reference
Bureau (PRB) Data Brief, May, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.prb.org/pdf10/single-
motherfamilies.pdf
New York State Department of Health. Niagara County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000
females aged 15-19 years. Retrieved from:
https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/birth/b13_29.htm
New York State Department of Health. Erie County Teen pregnancy rate per 1,000 females
aged 15-19 years. Retrieved from: https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/birth/b13_14.htm
New York State - County Opioid Quarterly Report. New York State Department of Health,
July, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/opioid/data/pdf/nys_jul17.pdf
New York State Upstate (2016). Retrieved from:
http://www.newyorkupstate.com/news/2016/10/which_upstate_new_york_counties_have_highes
t_heroin_overdose_rates.html)
Poverty Among Teenage Mothers and The Child’s Outcome Essay. Retrieved from:
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Poverty-Among-Teenage-Mothers-and-The-Childs-
FKC9VYPYVJ
Raja, Samina, Ma,Changxing and Yadav, Pavan (2008). Beyond Food Deserts Measuring and
Mapping Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Food Environments. Cornell University, May
19, 2008. Retrieved from:
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1118&context=buffalocommo
ns
Sondel, Justin, 2014), Teen pregnancy a major issue in Niagara Falls. Niagara Gazette,
October 5, 2014. Retrieved from: http://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/local_news/teen-
pregnancy-a-major-issue-in-niagara-falls/article_776123c2-f14a-57c0-893c-064233fb84e8.html
Wilcox, W. Brad, 2012. The kids are not really alright. Slate.com, July 22, 2012. Retrieved
from: http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/single_motherhood_
worse_for_children_.html
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E. Print Media Analyses:
1. Buffalo News Focusing on Childhood Poverty
Tan, Sandra and Williams, Deidre (2017). New census figures offer hope in Buffalo's fight
against child poverty. Buffalo News, October 2, 2017. Retrieved from:
https://ppgbuffalo.org/news-and-events/news/article:10-01-2017-12-00am/
While poverty remains a big problem in Buffalo, new census figures show significant drops
in the poverty rates for children, African-Americans and Latino residents.
The child poverty fell 10 percentage points to 44 percent, the lowest rate since at least 2010.
The poverty rate for minority groups remains higher than the overall poverty rate in the city, but
the recently released 2016 American Community Survey showed the percentage of African-
American and Latino residents living in poverty has dropped sharply.
"Reducing poverty requires a community wide approach," said Mayor Byron W. Brown. "The
collaborative plan that we have put in place in the city is helping to reduce poverty rates in
Buffalo, especially childhood poverty, and the latest Census numbers demonstrate that our plan
is working. Childhood poverty is still much higher than we would like to see and clearly we all
have much more work to do.”
Community leaders greeted the new data with either cautious optimism or skepticism. Nearly
one-third of city residents – 30.5 percent – still lives in poverty, a figure that has not changed
much this decade.
But some see the numbers – particularly child poverty – as a sign that Buffalo is starting to
succeed in its battle with poverty. Others question whether the numbers truly represent a
diminishing of poverty or a just a minor ripple in a sea of overwhelming financial distress.
“It’s great to see child poverty numbers go down instead of going up,” said Sam Magavern,
executive director of the Partnership for the Public Good.
Child poverty in Buffalo on the decline
Child poverty in the City of Buffalo fluctuates, but has fallen to its lowest percentage since at
least 2010.
For a while, he said, that figure was one of the most disturbing statistics in Buffalo. Just last
year, the American Community Survey results showed Buffalo child poverty at 54 percent.
In the past, Magavern said, “it didn’t just go up, it went up dramatically.”
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In 2015, Buffalo's child poverty rate ranked second-highest – behind only Detroit – among 113
cities with populations of at least 200,000, according to the American Community Survey's one-
year snapshot.
In 2016, Buffalo ranked No. 7, behind Cleveland, Detroit, Rochester and Memphis, as well as
Laredo, Texas, and San Bernadino, Calif.
Buffalo's 10 percentage-point drop was the fourth-steepest decline in the nation, according
to a Buffalo News analysis of the census data.
But some battling poverty on the front lines still don't see much to like in the survey results.
“I’m not impressed,” said L. Nathan Hare, chief executive officer of the Community Action
Organization of Erie County.
He said a child poverty rate of 44 percent is nothing to celebrate. He also pointed to the overall
poverty rate, which has stayed fairly consistent over time, except for an increase last year.
“When we look at these poverty numbers, you have to compare where we were before the
bottom fell out of the economy," Hare said. "Those are the numbers where poverty has
persisted.”
The bright side
Those who view the declining child and minority poverty numbers with cautious optimism point
to various signs that the economy is growing and benefiting more people who are struggling to
make ends meet.
George Palumbo, an economics and finance professor at Canisius College, pointed out that
both income and earnings are starting to grow in this region. Last year, he said, percent
growth in pay for Erie County finally matched national growth percentages.
"We have rarely had our earnings grow as fast as the rest of the country," he said, referring to his
analysis of quarterly employment and wages data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
His report also notes that the metropolitan area has finally surpassed employment levels
from the recessions in 2001 and the 2008 recessions.
In regard to the greater change in Buffalo child poverty figures compared to overall poverty
figures, Palumbo said the explanation is murkier. But he speculated that with so many city
residents who would otherwise be classified as working poor, the impact of higher earnings for
disadvantaged parents is leading yielding a greater positive impact on children. Many adult
individuals, however, remain unemployed and are not receiving any benefit from rising wages,
he said.
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Brown recounted various city anti-poverty efforts and partnerships, including summer youth
employment programs and joint work with the United Way and Community Foundation of
Buffalo. “Looking forward, we are partnering with the state, Erie County, not-for-profits and
people living in poverty themselves as part of the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative,"
Brown said.
Broader trends
The falling child poverty rate for Buffalo closely echoes those at the state and national levels.
The national Kids Count Data Center pointed out that according to the latest data, 19.5
percent of children nationwide live in poverty, which translates into 14 million kids. That
figure has been falling since 2014 and nearly returned to its pre-recession level of 18
percent. Kids Count points to policies such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Affordable
Care Act and the raising of the minimum wage as likely contributing factors.
The federal government estimated 20.7 percent of children in New York State live in poverty,
slightly higher than in Erie and Niagara counties, where 19.9 percent and 17.9 percent of
children, respectively, are poor.
In Buffalo, the overall poverty figures remain more stable and fell slower than the child poverty
or minority poverty figures. Some of this is likely due to the survey sample size, with the overall
population of poor citizens much larger than the child population and therefore less susceptible
to big statistical swings from one year to the next.
Even so, some note that the child poverty rate is at its lowest level so far this decade.
Magavern echoed Palumbo's belief that the stronger economy may be contributing to the
decrease in childhood poverty rates in Buffalo. "Unemployment has been going down, and
there’s been some improvement in wages, an increase in the state minimum wage," he said.
"That could certainly be a factor."
But the Rev. Kinzer Pointer, chairman of the Erie County Poverty Advisory Commission, said
there isn't necessarily a correlation between an improving economy and a reduction in poverty
among marginalized populations.
"There's been poverty rising in all the time that we've seen economic progress in the city,"
Pointer said.
Work to do
Everyone agrees more must be done. “In most census tracts with kids under five, the numbers are
just high,” Hare said. Typically in Buffalo, there is a much higher percentage of single women-
headed households with kids younger than 5, he said, and those women generally have lower
incomes, in the $20,000 to $40,000 range. Many single parents are shut out of positions that pay
“really good money,” so they compete for lower-paying jobs, he said."You end up in a position
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as a store clerk, a sales clerk," he said. "You can’t have a woman making $20,000 a year with
two or three kids."
Magavern said reducing costs for those in poverty is just as important as raising wages and
creating more employment opportunities. Affordable housing, adequate public transportation –
those things matter just as much as taking home a bigger paycheck, he said.
"It’s about costs, especially for basic items like food, transportation, housing – the big items in
your monthly budget – and policy solutions," he said.
Data questions
Those who have a ground-level look at poverty aren't ready to buy the latest set of numbers.
Samuel L. Radford III, a Buffalo Public Schools parent activist who also works for the
Community Action Organization, said it's possible the numbers reflect the fact that more
poor families are being pushed out beyond the city limits; that with the gentrification of the
city, poverty is becoming less concentrated and more diluted. But it's still there.
"They're just as poor, and it's just as bad," he said.
Pointer, pastor of Agape Fellowship Baptist Church, also questioned the accuracy of the data,
stating that a 10 percentage point drop in child poverty from one year to the next seems
impossible.
"What I see every day in my work, and what we've seen working across the county over the
course of the last year – we've seen entrenched poverty," he said. "To see this type of precipitous
drop that's not indicated in others ways and places is a little problematic."
He'll be asking numbers crunchers on the county poverty committee to take a closer look at the
survey data, he said.
"If we can discover some validity in these numbers, we need to figure out why," he said, "and we
need to keep working."
2. New York Times: Focusing on Graduation Rates
Saulny, Susan (2005). Study on Special Education Finds Low Graduation Rate. New York
Times, Education, June 3, 2005. Retrieved from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/education/03dropout.html?_r=0; and Living Now, 2013.
(New York City) About 111,000 students who received special education services left the
system from 1996 to 2004, and of those students, 13,672 - or 12.3 percent - graduated with
Regents or local diplomas, according to Advocates for Children, the nonprofit group that issued
the report, "Leaving Empty-Handed." In addition, 12 percent received an alternative
certificate, an Individualized Education Program diploma.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/education/03dropout.html?_r=0
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[Do the math. If 60% of Buffalo African American (AA) Males children are enrolled in
Special education and 12% of them graduate, that is 7.2% of the AA Male Student
population. If 50% of the 40% of AA Males students (i.e., those not in Special Education)
graduate, that’s 20% of the total AA Male student population. Added together that is a
composite graduation rate of 27%. (Living Now, 2013)]
What is the graduation rate of AA Male students in the Buffalo School District?
Historically, it has been around 25 – 30%. However, Buffalo’s AA and Hispanic/Latino
graduation rates are markedly higher today according to a 2014 report in the Buffalo News
which stated “Based on a chart of four-year June graduation rates released by the state, 42 percent of
Buffalo’s Hispanic male students and 45 percent of black male students graduated in four years,
compared with 61 percent of white male students. (Lankes, Tiffany and Tan, Snadra, 2014, Buffalo
News, June 23, 2104, Retrieved from: http://buffalonews.com/2014/06/23/buffalos-8-point-leap-is-best-
among-states-big-5/).”
3. Childhood Poverty in Erie and Niagara Counties
Note: The size of Erie County makes it impossible to show all of its census tracts in a manner
that is readable. The table below reflects the 34 census tracts with the highest number of children
below poverty, and compares that number to total poverty in the census tract and the percentage
of children at or below poverty.
Exhibit 3: Map of Buffalo/Environs with highest child poverty highlighted
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Table 7 – Buffalo/Environs by Children below Poverty
Tract 93.01 is bounded by Main St., Kenmore Ave, Niagara Falls Blvd, Sheridan Ave, and
Bailey Ave.; Tracts 129.01 and 125.01 are in Lackawanna.
Census Tract
Number Children at/Below
Estimate, persons at/below poverty
% Children at/Below
149.04 n/a n/a n/a
40.01 456 51.30% 92.70%
171 436 62.30% 73.40%
70 379 55.20% 88.60%
174 313 44.40% 59.80%
43 301 40.20% 76.60%
55 288 46.80% 56.60%
44.02 262 58.00% 67.40%
27.02 260 59.30% 79.80%
59 248 39.50% 46.20%
93.01 225 23.20% 38.50%
35 220 43.80% 71.40%
33.02 213 44.40% 79.20%
34 209 29.40% 77.70%
101.02 209 23.70% 53.60%
10 207 20.70% 50.50%
168 206 36.80% 59.90%
58.01 200 35.10% 69.40%
44.01 187 29.60% 58.40%
37 183 43.20% 61.60%
41 181 24.10% 62.80%
24 179 35.00% 64.90%
56 179 37.20% 63.70%
58.02 166 41.10% 47.00%
2 160 30.40% 65%
129.01 158 12.60% 40.20%
8 152 16.20% 54.30%
103 149 28.90% 69.30%
125.01 149 17.90% 50.00%
5 148 38.00% 51.70%
61 148 37.70% 37.20%
71.01 146 49.60% 72.30%
36 142 47.40% 85.00%
69.01 141 55.30% 61.80%
71.02 141 46.70% 50.20%
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Exhibit 4: Map of Niagara County with highest child poverty highlighted
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Table 8 – Niagara County Children below Poverty
Number Children at/Below
Estimate, persons at/below poverty
% Children at/Below
202 381 64.80% 81.90%
203 247 23.60% 69.60%
207 235 38.40% 75.30%
233 205 16.50% 49.50%
213 182 46.20% 94.80%
235 159 29.50% 60.20%
205 122 50.60% 87.10%
236 117 19.70% 42.50%
212 98 32.70% 76.60%
234.04 91 7.70% 16.30%
245.02 90 10.20% 38.00%
210 87 33.20% 35.40%
232 66 20.70% 38.80%
242.01 62 9.50% 19.60%
209 52 49.00% 41.90%
237 52 31.30% 33.50%
226.01 47 18.80% 54.70%
241.01 47 9.10% 32.00%
231 44 13.50% 34.90%
234.05 41 14.30% 30.40%
217 37 30.20% 56.90%
234.01 37 10.30% 12.80%
211 33 36.30% 41.80%
240.02 33 12.10% 29.50%
32 11.60% 13.30%
206 30 28.40% 34.90%
230.01 29 11.80% 14.40%
9400.01 27 31.10% 33.80%
9400.01 27 31.10% 33.80%
227.12 27 9.30% 11.90%
201 24 21.40% 15.10%
238 23 14.50% 10.70%
Note in virtually every instance the percentage of persons living at or below poverty in a given
census tract is substantially lower than the percentage of children living at or below poverty in
that census tract. While poverty is a pressing concern across the two County region, poverty
among children is overwhelming and requires a concerted strategy to overcome.
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Section III – Community Surveys
A. CAO Customer Survey
The CAO used a Customer Survey (see below), developed by the New York State
Community Services Administration, to assess customer/client satisfaction in different
parts of the agency’s service system. In this section we describe the results of surveys
conducted with the Youth Services Department (30 Respondents), the New Venture
Housing Department (29), the STEPS Employment and Training Department (30), and
Head Start (28),, totaling 117 Respondents (the STEPS Survey did not capture the
Gender information on those surveyed). The Drug Addiction Research and Treatment
Program Customer satisfaction Survey is reflected in Section B, below.
The survey respondent information reflects the responses and characteristics of the
Parents/Guardian for the Youth Services and Head Start programs.
Nearly 83% of the customers surveyed were women, typical of the populations CAO
serves and the Staff who serves them. Two-thirds of our customers learn about the
agency through word of mouth, and more than 56% had only learned about the agency’s
services over the previous year.
Pre-School Head Start and school-age child care make up 40% of the services requested
by our customers followed closely by jobs assistance (nearly 20% of requests).
Nearly 98% of respondents found CAO services easy to get to, and open during hours
that work for them (77%). Almost all of our customers felt they were being treated with
respect, and two-thirds were able to access what they needed on their first trip to CAO.
More than half of our Respondents felt their self-sufficiency improves and over a third
said their income improved due to their services from the CAO. Nearly 81% felt the CAO
was making a difference in the community.
More than half of the Respondents reported that someone in their households volunteered
in their church, neighborhood, community or other arenas, while more than 70% were
actively involved in their communities.
A pattern with implications for how the CAO provides its program services for pre-
schoolers and youth, was that about one-third of the youth appeared under the care of
their grandparents or great-grand parents. The CAO will explore this pattern through
further customer service research. The analysis below reflects survey data obtained from
t