Transcript Perspectives Of Low Income People In Northwest New Jersey

Perspectives Of Low Income
People In Northwest
New Jersey
Community Assessment
2006
Why Are People Living In Poverty?
• Unfavorable economic conditions and lack
of living wage jobs
• Lack of hope and self esteem
• Immaturity
• Poor choices and lack of support
• Lack of job skills, education & training
Why Are People Living In Poverty?
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Born into it
Natural disasters, accidents, major health issues
Policies & decisions we’ve made perpetuate
Racism/Discrimination
Domestic abuse, divorce, death, separation
Mental illness and substance abuse addiction
Isolated
Continuum of Economic Security
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Lack basic necessities (i.e. food)
Can’t secure permanent housing
Lack long term ties to labor market
Minimal/no marketable skills, education
Mental/physical disabilities
Weak family structures; children at risk
No “kin/community” supports
Minimal community engagement
No assets
Only receive services
Limited transportation
Health issues
Concepts Poverty Teaches
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Success – unattainable, for those with luck
Failure – inevitable, no hope to overcome inherent deficiencies
Job – not a living wage, takes me from family
Emotions – made to be expressed, privately or publicly
Future – painful to envision, live for now
Money – use it before it gets away, not enough anyway
Police – out to get us, to be avoided
Education – don’t have the symbols to belong (clothes, car)
Teachers – make me feel unwanted, stupid
Health – non-existent care, use emergency room, share medicine
Doctors – not seen as advocates, “know it alls”
Dentists – hassle to access, great deal of pain
Fate – life happens, no power, only react to it
Poverty in the US
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1 in 8 Americans live in poverty
1 in 5 children
1 in 10 will experience poverty within 13 years
Between ’64-72 poverty fell 42%; ’93-2000 fell
25%, but rose 25% since 2001
• Richest 1% had 19% of income and one third of
wealth,
• Lowest 20% had 3.4% of income and 1% of
wealth
Poverty by County
Sussex
Passaic
Bergen
Poverty Rates for
New Jersey Counties, 2005
Warren
Morris
Essex
Hudson
1.4 – 2.9%
Union
Hunterdon
3.6 – 4.7%
Somerset
5.5 – 6%
Middlesex
6.7 – 7.8%
Mercer
Monmouth
8.5 – 10%
12.4 – 12.6%
Burlington
14.6 – 16.5%
Gloucester Camden
Salem
Atlantic
Cumberland
Cape May
Ocean
Families in Poverty
COUNTY
(families-population)
HUNTERDON
(43,730 – 126,116)
MORRIS
(169,794–481,139)
SOMERSET
(109,070-314,960)
SUSSEX
(50,789-151,443)
WARREN
(38,675-108,910)
TOTAL
(412,058-1,182,568)
(2.8/family)
100%
(Family of 4)
200%
New Jersey
Below Self
Sufficiency
3585
8%
10,606
24%
15,305 – 35%
$61,452
13,510
8%
43,222
25%
62,117 – 37%
$59,388
9,210
8%
27,994
26%
40,812 – 37%
62,481
5,222
10%
15,643
31%
22,772 – 45%
$53,876
5,757
15%
14,914
39%
20,662 – 53%
$51,034
37,314
9%
112,379
27%
161,668 – 39%
$57,360
Zip Codes with 10% or More
Households Below $20,000
HUNTERDON
Lambertville
Frenchtown
Hampton
Oldwick
Three
Bridges
MORRIS
SOMERSET
SUSSEX
Parsippany
Pequannock
Dover
Kenvil
N. Plainfield
Bound Brook
Manville
Raritan
Somerset
Somerville
South Bound
Brook
Sussex
Ogdensburg
Branchville
Montague
Layton
Newton
Lk Hopatcong
Ledgewood
Netcong
Wharton
Mt Freedom
WARREN
Phillipsburg
Belvidere
Blairstown
Hackettstown
Oxford
Washington
Living With Minimum Wage
(One adult, one preschooler, one school age-2005 LSNJ Study)
40 hrs x $7.15
Housing (2 bdrm-FMR)
Childcare
Transportation
Healthcare (out of pocket)
Food
Misc.
Balance:
$14,872
13,927
13,843
5,280
3,264
5,762
3,981
-$31,185
Affordability
• Hours to work for average two bedroom
fair market apartment ($1100) at minimum
wage – 153
• Hours to work for one child for a week of
child care ($125-$275 per week) – 17.5 to
38.5 hours per week.
• Hours in a week - 168
Family Income
• Average NORWESCAP family income
– $15,469.00
• 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines*
– $20,650.00
*Based on family of four
Self-Sufficiency Wage by County
Sussex
Passaic
Bergen
Real Cost of Living, annual wage
New Jersey Counties, 2005
Warren
Morris
Essex
$36,547 – 39,295
Union
Hunterdon
$39,846 – 41,538
Somerset
Middlesex
$42,136 – 44,298
$45,309 – 46,160
Mercer
Monmouth
$47,044 – 49,071
$51,568 – 54,435
Burlington
Gloucester
Camden
Salem
Atlantic
Cumberland
Cape May
Ocean
Hudson
The Self- Sufficiency Standard
(One Adult, Infant and Preschooler/ Per Hour – 2005 LSNJ Report))
Annually Hourly
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Hunterdon
Morris
Somerset
Sussex
Warren
$29.12
$28.17
$29.06
$24.24
$23.03
$61,506
$59,485
$61,377
$51,191
$48,633
National Living Wage$17.20/hour
Average NORWESCAP
family income
-$15,469.00
2007 HHS Poverty
Guidelines
-$20,650.00
Minimum Wage Annual
-$14,872
Wage Level Comparisons
Five County Average – 4 Person Family
86,000
90000
80000
70000
57,646
60000
50000
41,300
38,104
40000
30000
20,650
15,469
20000
14,872
9802
10000
0
TANF/FS Min Wage NOR Fam
Poverty
Per Cap
Real Pov
Self Suff
Median
Job Titles of Respondents
• 75% In a Service Occupation
– Food Service, Retail, Childcare, Etc.
• 18% Professional or Managerial
– Office, Teacher, Social Worker, Etc.
• 7% Clerical and Sales
– Assistant, Secretary, Customer Service
• 1 in 4 jobs in America doesn’t pay enough to get
a family above the poverty level.
Greatest Identified Needs
• Affordable Housing
• Job/ Better Job
• Health Insurance/
Dental Insurance/
Better Health
• A Car/ Better Public
Transportation
• Education/Training
Findings
• 53% rent their housing
• 23% are divorced or separated, 41%
single
• Population consists of 73% White, 15%
Latino, 9% Black
• 30% do not have H.S. diplomas
• 91% speak English, 8% speak Spanish
Findings Continued
• 69% have internet access in their homes
• 9% use public transit; 64% own car
• 43% use food pantries; 37% every month
• 30% use childcare
• 45% have taxes done by for profit companies
(152,628 EITC claims not requested $217,851,000 left out of the community!)
More Interesting Findings
• 55% of respondents are employed
• 49% have trouble finding doctor/ dentist
due to insurance type
• 29% have been homeless
• 38% receive food stamps; 49% didn’t
know if eligible or how to access (NJ is
48th in participation – 44th in School
Breakfast)
Roadmap Out Of Poverty
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Social awareness, empathy and advocacy
Poverty is purple
Appropriate resources (Human and Financial)
Investment mentality
Making it personal
Positive angry conversations
Listen to the real experts & design programs
Infrastructure needs to respond to innovation
The faith-based community
Programs in alignment – collaborative framework
A will to change
Change the terms of community engagement – not just social sector
Who Is NORWESCAP?
• Community action program incorporated
in1965
• Footprint: Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic,
Somerset, Sussex and Warren Counties
• Mission:
Fighting Poverty.
Creating Opportunities.
Changing Lives.
Who is NORWESCAP?
• The Numbers:
– Touch the lives of 30,000 people
– Portfolio of over 65 emergency & self-sufficiency
programs
– 15 board members – tripartide
– 240 staff
– Revenue of $24 million
– Over 100 funding sources
– Administrative costs 4½ %
What Impact Does NORWESCAP Have?
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Link people with needed services
Conserve 1000’s of dollars in energy costs
Improve credit scores & financial literacy
Loans for first time borrowers
Match savings for education, cars, small
businesses, and homes
• Increase tax refunds
• Remove barriers and create opportunities.
What Impact Does NORWESCAP Have?
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Increase the # of child care slots
Increase the capacity of child care providers
Families at work/training through childcare.
Increase developmental skills in preschoolers.
Enhance parenting & coping skills
Potential cancers are detected.
What Impact Does NORWESCAP Have?
• Created two health care facilities
• New skills for job enhancement &
Job placement
• Create affordable housing (rental and for sale) & enable
first time homebuyers to purchase
• Provide over 140,000 volunteer hours.
• Save local food pantries $3 million & increase the supply
of nutritious food.
• Improve health and nutritional status & prevent infant
mortality
• Secure emergency shelter, heat and utility.
Who is NORWESCAP?
“We’re not just a safety net, we’re a selfsufficiency trampoline”
2006 Community Investment
COUNTY
NORWESCAP
INVESTMENT
COUNTY
PORTION
UNITED WAY
HUNTERDON
$2,151,334
$10,000 – Cty Tax
$20,000 – Pass Thru
$25,952
MORRIS
$754,763
$0 – Cy Tax
$22,500 – Pass Thru
$0
SOMERSET
$1,211,897
$0 – Cty Tax
$0 – Pass Through
$0
SUSSEX
$6,718,611
$47,500 – Cty Tax
$4,441 Pass Thru
$31,800
WARREN
$8,754,147
$140,484 – Cty Tax
$80,029 – Pass Thru
$86,618
TOTAL
$19,590,752
$200,483 – Cty Tax
$124,470 – Pass
Thru
$144,370
Ways You Can Help
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Volunteer
Get “hands on” experience thru our “Circles Campaign.”
Make A Donation
Collaborate on a Project – Poverty Summit
– Hunt-11/16; Morris-10/26; Som-10/19; Sx-10/5; Warren-11/9
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Promote EITC
Make Referrals
Have Us Speak To Other Groups
Link Websites
Contact Info
For more information on
NORWESCAP or to download the full study,
county information and slides
Visit Our Website:
www.norwescap.org
Terry Newhard – 908.454.7000 x110
[email protected]