1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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.

7

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.

8

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%

9

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

10

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%.

11

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 :

12

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%

40

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

13

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:

14

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

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

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

19

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

20

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

21

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.

22

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

23

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

24

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");

25

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).

26

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).

27

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).

28

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.

29

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.)

30

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.)

31

“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)

32

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:

33

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

34

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.”

35

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.

36

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

37

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

38

[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

39

40

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%

41

Exhibit 4: Map of Niagara County with highest child poverty highlighted

42

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.

43

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