Helping People Help Themselves 2011-2012 - KLCAS · 2015-01-15 · If you help yourself by working you can’t get any help but if you don’t work at all that state pays it all

Helping People Help Themselves

2011-2012

KLCAS Community Needs Assessment 2011-2012 2 | P a g e

KLCAS Mission Statement

“Serving Klamath and Lake Counties by seeking and distributing resources and providing services that

promote self-sufficiency and alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty.”

Introduction Klamath and Lake Community Action Services was founded in 2001 to work towards the mission statement above. In the beginning, it was just a director, a fiscal person, and a board. Now there are over twenty employees serving these two counties and a full tri-parte board Services offered include energy assistance and housing assistance through our service center; crisis management and family mentoring through Family Support and Connections; homebuyer counseling education, financial education, and foreclosure prevention counseling through Klamath and Lake Homeownership Center; Social Security Disability representation, and representative payee services and Individual Development Accounts. In addition, we leverage resources by supporting community agencies like the Gospel Mission, Integral Youth Services and Marta’s House. Poverty is an exceptionally complicated social phenomenon, and trying to discover its causes is equally

complicated. The stereotypic (and simplest) explanation persists-that the poor cause their own poverty-based

on the notion that anything is possible in America. The “blame the poor” perspective is typecast and not

applicable to all of the working poor trying to make ends meet. Neither is the perception that the poor are

fatalists in which nothing can be done to change economic outcomes.

The goal at KLCAS is “to move people from dependence on public programs to economic self-sufficiency by

treating the symptoms, as well as, addressing the causes of poverty.”

What we do know about poverty is that it is a multi-faceted problem that affects all of us. The effects of poverty

are serious. Children who grow up in poverty suffer more persistent, frequent and severe health problems than

do children who grow up under better financial circumstances. Many infants born into poverty have a low birth

weight, which is associated with many preventable mental and physical disabilities. Children raised in poverty

tend to miss school more often because of illness. These children also have a much higher rate of accidents

than do other children, and they are twice as likely to have impaired vision and hearing, iron deficiency anemia.

Levels of stress in the family have also been shown to correlate with economic circumstances. Studies during

economic recessions indicate that job loss and subsequent poverty are associated with violence in families,

including child and elder abuse. Extended stress and lack of basic needs can lead to more health problems,

increased disruption at work, school, family relationships and friendships.

Climbing out of poverty is difficult for anyone. Limited access to education and living wage jobs prevent the

achievement of economic security. The more you learn, the more you earn.

Note: per Klamath County 2010 Community Indicators 17.6% of community members live below the

poverty level in Klamath County or nearly one of every six persons.


Executive Summary

The following table compares responses to questions pertaining to alleviating the conditions of poverty:

Alleviating the Conditions of Poverty Client Consumer Provider Government Community

Co

mm

on

Se

rvic

es

Re

ce

ive

d

1. SNAP/Food 2. OHP/Medicaid 3. Energy Assistance

1. Housing Assistance

2. Medical 3. Food 3. Energy Assistance

1. Lack of Education 1. Not Enough Jobs 2. Generational

Poverty 3. Low Motivation

1. SNAP/Food 2. Energy Assistance 2. Housing

Assistance 3. Cash Assistance

Un

me

t N

eed

s

1. Medical Assistance 2. Housing Assistance 3. SNAP/Food

1. Employment/ Training

2. Housing Assistance

3. Medical Assistance

1. Education Programs

2. Job Training 3. Youth Education

1. Family Wage Jobs 2. Emergency

Housing 3. Long Term Stable

Housing 3. Service for Youth

The following table compares responses to questions pertaining to causes of poverty:

Causes of Poverty Client Consumer Provider Government Community

To

p A

nsw

ers

1. Not Enough Jobs 2. Lack of Education 3. Budgeting Issues

1. Not Enough Jobs 2. Generational Poverty 3. Lack of Education

1. Not Enough Jobs 2. Lack of Education 3. Generational Poverty

1. Generational Poverty 2. Substance Abuse 3. Not Enough Jobs

Co

mm

en

ts

Violence

Wages vs rent

Gas

Utilities

Economy

Drugs and alcohol

… A serious lack of permanent, full-time, living wage jobs

Affordable childcare

Jobs are not living wage

Drugs and child abuse

Addiction

Drug and alcohol abuse

Domestic violence

Too much government help

Poor choices by individuals, drugs, alcohol and pregnancy

Too much welfare. No motivation to better one's self

People not trained with job skills

Drug abuse/Alcohol abuse

Jobs for unskilled that pay more than govt. assistance

Low paying jobs added to cost of all other needs


The following table compares responses to questions pertaining to working towards self-sufficiency:

Working Towards Self-sufficiency Client Consumer Provider Government Community

De

fin

itio

n 1. No Longer Needing

Assistance 2. Able to Meet Basic

Family Needs 3. Decent Paying Job

1. No Longer Needing Assistance

2. Able to Meet Basic Family Needs

3. Decent Paying Job







Str

en

gth

s 1. Highly Motivated

2. Have Valuable Job Skills

3. Learning Better Job Skills

Ob

sta

cle

s

1. Can’t save any money.

2. No Work Available

3. Bad Credit

Oth

er

Co

mm

en

ts

…would appreciate more job opportunities that offer better health benefits

If you help yourself by working you can’t get any help but if you don’t work at all that state pays it all. Causes laziness and lack of self-worth…state helps people who don’t want to help themselves…not good role models for the next generation.

Lack of funding for programs that will get people on their feet to become self sustaining. More of a whole program…

The inability to apply consequences to those who are unwilling to put out the effort to find employment and achieve self-sufficiency.

I am not excited about seeing those individuals that are generational welfare recipients allowed to continue.

Need less government programs.

Bringing in businesses which provide an actual living wage rather than just minimum wage.

The problems most people are experiencing may start out as one problem, but then snowballs into a greater problem due to not understanding how to take care of the first problem. Joblessness is the starting point for most people.

Methodology

Surveys were designed to gather basic information about the causes and conditions of poverty, the strengths and weakness, and what is needed for self-sufficiency. Four groups of community members were asked to participate in written or online surveys: client consumers, service providers, government leaders, and the general community. Consumer surveys were given in a paper format. All other surveys were presented online using Zoomerang. Surveys were anonymous with the option for respondents to provide their information if desired. For the four groups, there were a total of 266 responses during the months of May and June 2011.


In addition to the paper surveys, interviews of both the clients and the volunteers were conducted at two food pantries: Crescent, Merrill/Malin, and Lakeview. The interviews were used to expand on some of the information gleaned from the paper client surveys and online provider surveys.

Background/Demographics for Klamath & Lake Counties

Klamath and Lake Counties are in Southern Oregon, east of the Cascade Mountains and on the California border. According to the 2010 Census, Klamath County had a population of 66,380 with 60.4% of the population ages 18-64. Lake County had a population in the same census of 7,089 with 59.5% of the population ages 18-64. The population is 90.4% Caucasian in Klamath County and 93.8% Caucasian in Lake County. Another large group in both counties is the Hispanic community accounting for 10% of Klamath County and 8% of Lake County. Both counties have 86% of the population with a high school education or higher. A major issue in Klamath and Lake Counties is geography. Because of the location, it is isolated from the more populous part of Oregon, including the state capital of Salem. Lake County consists of 8,359 square miles with an average of one person per square mile. Klamath County has 6,135 square miles with an average of ten people per square mile. (Oregon Blue Book 2011-2011 published by Oregon Secretary of State) This rural issue makes it difficult for potential clients in outlying areas to seek services. According to the HUD FY 2011 MFI (Median Family Income) Estimate, Klamath County has a median income of $53,700 and Lake County’s is $44,200. Oregon is listed as $63,100 which puts both counties significantly below. In addition, WorkSource Oregon Employment Department lists the unemployment rate as 12% for Klamath and 14% for Lake as of April 2011. According to the recent census, over 17% of each county’s residents fall below the poverty rate compared to 13.5% in the state. These factors with rising unemployment have made Klamath and Lake Counties two of the “Hardest Hit” or “housing distressed” counties in the recent foreclosure trends.

Review of Surveys Client Consumer Surveys Surveys were collected from consumers served by the following agencies: KLCAS Service Center (energy assistance, housing assistance); DHS Self-Sufficiency; DHS Senior and Disabled Services; WIC; Salvation Army; Senior Center; Oregon Child Development Coalition; Oregon Human Development Corporation; Food Pantries (Crescent and Merrill/Malin, surveys and interviews). A total of 142 surveys were collected. Demographic information for respondents is as follows:

Gender Age Range Household Size Type of Household

M - 20% F - 80%

16-24 - 22% 25-34 - 30% 35-44 - 14%

45-54 - 11% 55-64 - 8% 65+ - 14%

Average: 2.95 1 - 21% 2 - 23% 3 - 23%

4 - 17% 5 - 10% 6+ - 7%

Single Person - 27% Single Parent - 27% Two Parents - 38%

Other - 9%

Household Members Under Age 18 Household Members over Age 65

Total: 165

83 households surveyed had children under 18

Total: 30

27 households surveyed had members over 65


Ethnicity Race Household Income

Hispanic - 17% Non-Hispanic - 83%

White - 90% Native American - 7% African American - 2%

Asian - 1%

$0-$7,000 - 56% $7,001-$14,000 - 26% $14,001-$21,000 - 7%

$21,000-$28,000 - 3% $28,001-$35,000 - 5%

$35,000+ - 4%

Disabled Veteran Homeless

30% 4% 3%

After providing demographic information, consumers responded to the following questions: What services have you accessed in the last year? (multiple choice)

Which service that you receive helps you the most? (open-ended, sorted into general categories)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

TANF7%

Food Bank or Pantry

1% Energy Assistance

1%

OHP15%

SNAP46%

WIC2%

HUD5%

All11%

Hospice2%

Family Support & Connections

2%

Other5%


Please list any UNMET needs you’ve had in the last year. (open-ended, sorted into general categories)

What one service that you are not receiving would help you the most? (open-ended, sorted into general categories)

What do you think are the major causes of poverty where you live? (multiple choice)

Job7%

Utilities10%

SNAP15%

Medical25%Dental

5%

Other15%

Cash Assistance

8%

Mortgage5%

Housing10%

TANF10%

Utilities14%

Other10%

Housing17%Caregiver

5%

Medical19%

Cash Assistance

5%

SNAP16%

Child Care4%

0102030405060708090

100


What do you need to achieve self-sufficiency? (open-ended, sorted into general categories)

What do you see as your current strengths in achieving stability and self-sufficiency? (multiple choice)

What do you see as your current obstacles in achieving stability and self-sufficiency? (multiple choice)

Job65%

Transportation

3%

Social Security

5%

Education10%

Motivation/ Support

7%

Other7%

Budgeting Help3%

Highly Motivated

26%

Good Support System

14%

Have Valuable Job

Skills22%

Learning Better Job

Skills11%

Budgeting Skills8%

Government Assistance

15%

Other4%

No Child Care8%

Health Problems8%

Lack of Transportation

8%

Discrimination2%

No Training/ Lack of Skills

4%Not Enough Government

Assistance7%

Can't Save Any Money

22%

No Work Available19%

Bad Credit13%

Substance Abuse4%

Other5%


How would you define self-sufficiency for yourself and your family? (multiple choice)

Things you would like to add regarding questions in this survey: (key or common answers selected)

Thankful for all the help I do get! Hopefully I won’t need it forever. Other comments: (key or common answers selected)

All the people here have been really nice and super helpful (DHS Klamath)

Community businesses need to offer health benefits that would assist families

Thanks for being here to help (KLCAS)

Services like energy assistance are a real life saver for me and others in my situation

This is a wonderful program that has really helped my family through tough times (KLCAS)

If you help yourself by working you can’t get any help but if you don’t work at all the state pays all. Causes laziness and lack of self-worth in the economy. State helps people who don’t want to help themselves, which are not good role models for the next generation.

Provider Surveys Provider surveys were received from the following fourteen agencies (thirty agencies were invited to participate). Surveys were received from all levels including management, case managers, and office staff.

KLCAS

DHS Self-Sufficiency

WorkSource Oregon (Klamath County)

Child Care Resource Network

New Beginnings Intervention Center (Lake County)

Lake County Senior Citizens Association

Lake County Crisis Center

Klamath Housing Authority

Klamath Adult Learning Center

Klamath County WIC

Klamath County Health Department

Klamath Commission on Children and Families

Klamath Family Head Start

SPOKES Unlimited

Answers to survey questions were as follows:

Decent Paying Job15%

Able to Meet Basic family

Needs16%

Stable Housing21%

No Longer Need

Assistance27%

Receiving Disability

21%


Types of consumers served: (multiple choice)

What is the most common or important service that your clients seek? (open-ended, sorted into general categories, some respondents gave multiple answers)

What do you consider the biggest UNMET needs in your area? (open-ended, sorted into general categories, some respondents gave multiple answers)

Families34%

Children22%

Seniors10%

People with Disabilities

21%

Other13%

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14


What do you think are the major causes of poverty in our area? (multiple choice)

What do you see as your organization’s current strengths in meeting its goals? (open-ended, sorted into

general categories)

Lack of training6%

Lack of Education13%

Not enough jobs20%

Low motivation9%

Poor or unaffordable

housing5%

Not enough government help

4%

Problems with

budgeting5%

No good role models

3%

Generational poverty

18%

Health Issues (Physical or

Mental)10%

Other7%

Collaboration with

Community Partners

9%

Efficiency14%

Empowering Consumers

7%

Experts5%

Knowledge of Resources

12%

Leadership5%

People19%

Support/ Encourageme

nt5%

Variety of Services

7%

Other17%


What do you see as your organization’s current weaknesses in meeting its goals? (open-ended, sorted into general categories)

Comments for responses indicated as “Other”:

Limited programs

The inability to apply consequences to those who are unwilling to put out the effort to find employment and achieve self sufficiency.

Education

Programs that don't quite meet the needs of the homeowners.

I would like to see more one on one with our staff visiting other agencies and communicating our services and what we can offer our clients and what services are also not available. I would also like to see our staff have Verbal Judo and Diversity training.

Would like to have a demonstration kitchen

Not enough State/local support

Difficulty in obtaining community resources (Lake)

Our weatherization program in Lake Co. is handled through Klamath County. Our only participation in this program is referrals. We have people on the waiting list that have been waiting for a couple of years....not enough people in this program to satisfy the need (Lake)

I will only speak to the programs that I oversee and coordinate. The documentation requirements for our programs are extensive, which decreases the amount of time available for client contact.

Outreach getting out to the outlying areas where services are non-existent and to get to us is difficult.

Funding issues38%

Insufficient Staff19%

Recruiting Volunteers

5%

Other38%


How would you define self-sufficiency?

Comments on each definition: Having a decent paying job

LIVING WAGE JOB

Money to pay for medical insurance for your family, etc

Maintaining a decent paying job is a challenge for individuals in poverty

Easier said than done...find that a lot of the people we service are not real reliable or do not have the ambition to get off the system and make their own way

Able to meet a family's basic needs

Being able to provide the families basic needs is crucial to be becoming self-sufficient.

If they are not able to meet basic needs then they turn to other means to survive that they shouldn’t be doing

There is a comfort knowing you are providing the necessities for your family. Having a stable rental situation or owning a home

I have observed people accessing stable housing and because of mental health issues have been unable to maintain their housing

Personal pride in owning a home or providing a good rental situation for your family

Some rentals have higher heating bills due to not being energy efficient No longer needing public or private assistance

This is a difficult transition because of child care. When a parent goes to work child care may be so costly they may have had more income on public assistance

...distinguishing emergency assistance from other forms of public assistance

Some folks will always need some sort of assistance. Receiving disability benefits

Important for safe, stable housing.

for the ones who need this as they cant or not able to work, they need this to get by on

The social security system is very difficult to navigate without help and lots of folks give up and this leaves them usually homeless and or living in poverty

I see too many people that have worked the system to get on disability or are on it because of their poor choices in life, i.e alcohol and drug misuse

Having a decent paying job

21%

Able to meet a family's basic

needs19%

Having a stable rental situation

or owning a home21%

No longer needing public

or private assistance

21%

Receiving disability benefits

18%


Anything you would like to add regarding topics in this survey?

Education is a key component to self-sufficiency.

In light of possible budget constraints, it is more important than ever that state and community entities work together for the benefit of mutual clients.

I think that requiring people who are on the system to do community work or volunteer to earn the money they are given would be a big incentive for them to look for a job where they could earn a paycheck

Other comments?

I would like to see more interaction in meeting the needs of the low income folks in the community with government officials.

Huge need for affordable quality childcare for low income families. Subsidies for cost of childcare for college students and low income as a whole.

Government Surveys Invitations were sent to representatives from every level of government in both counties to participate in this assessment. Specific invitees included: city council members, county commissioners, county sheriff, district attorney, district court judges, state representatives, state senator, and federal senator. Nine responses were received, three from Lake and six from Klamath. Questions asked and their results are as follows: What do you think are the major causes of poverty in our area? (multiple choice)

Options which received no responses: Divorce/Other Major Life Change, Lack of Training, Poor or Unaffordable Housing, Not Enough Government Help; No Good Role Models

Lack of Education

23%

Not enough jobs23% Low

motivation14%

Problems with

budgeting4%

Generational poverty

18%

Health Issues (Physical or

Mental)4%

Other14%


What service or programs do you think your community needs?

What do you consider the biggest UNMET need in your area? (open-ended)

Family wage jobs

Hunger

Assistance to senior citizens to enable them to remain active and secure in their homes and neighborhoods.

Entry level jobs that have a future, that offer initial training and ongoing training for advancement.

Youth drug and alcohol prevention What do you see as your county’s current strengths in meeting its goals? (open-ended)

Good economic development network; strong tradition of volunteerism; Klamath Community College & OIT.

A strong community spirit

Awareness. Proactive civic groups.

Alternative energy efforts within the county.

our community is small so we all know each Other and are willing to work closely together to solve problems.

What do you see as your county’s current weaknesses in meeting its goals? (open-ended)

Lack of vision; minimal long-range planning; minimal communication between city & county government; budget issues; unfunded state & federal mandates; citizens' high expectations for government services coupled with an unwillingness to pay for that level of service.

Benefits and entitlements

Too many governmental programs.

Services that would encourage corporations to build in the area.

lack of funding and use of existing funds

Adult Day Care3%

Job Training14%

Spousal abuse shelter/

counseling3%

Youth education11%

Health/ nutritional counseling

8%

Budgeting workshops

8%

Education programs

17%

Child care/day care6%

Recreation opportunities for

youth9%

Tutoring opportunities

3%

After-school programs

6%

Summer food programs

6%

Other6%


How would you define self-sufficiency? (multiple choice)

Anything you would like to add regarding topics in this survey? (No comments received) Other comments:

Thank you for the opportunity to participate.

Need less government programs.

I am not excited about seeing those individuals that are generational welfare recipients allowed to continue. There has to be a defined end and it must be followed.

I represent northern Klamath County and all of Lake County in the legislature

Community Surveys Community surveys were distributed via several methods. CAB members were asked to complete and also to forward, KLCAS staff was asked to forward, invitations were sent to an email list from a poverty seminar held by KLCAS, and the Chamber of Commerce was asked to forward. 77 responses were received and are detailed below: Industry you work in or company you work for: (randomly selected responses)

Health Care

Fundraising

Hospice

College of Cosmetology

Self-Employed

Firefighter/EMT

Retired from US Forest Service

Unemployed

Sky Lakes Medical Center

Klamath Tribes

Legal

Education

Sky Lakes Medical Center

Grandparents as Parents What county do you live in? Klamath – 69 Lake – 2

Having a decent paying job

27%


needs7%


or owning a home24%



22%

Receiving disability benefits

20%


Who do you see as the neediest members of our community? (multiple choice, up to 2 responses)

What is the most common or important service that people in your community seek? (multiple choice, up to 5 responses)

Families in poverty

38%

Children in poverty

21%

Seniors9%

Veterans1%

People with Disabilities (physical or

mental)9%

Homeless individuals and

families18%

Other4%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40


What do you consider the biggest UNMET needs in your area? (multiple choice, up to 3 responses)

What do you think are the major causes of poverty in our area? (multiple choice, up to 3 responses)

05

1015202530354045

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40


What do you see as your community’s current strengths in fighting the war on poverty? (multiple choice, up to five responses)

Options which received no responses: Meeting the needs of minorities What do you see as your community’s current weaknesses in fighting the war on poverty? (multiple choice, up to five responses)

Options which received no responses: Community College, Faith Based Organizations

05

101520253035404550

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45


How would you define self sufficiency? (multiple choice)

Receiving disability benefits received no responses. Anything you would like to add regarding topics in this survey?

Social support is more important than self-sufficiency as a goal. The ability to contribute to the well-being of the community and be valued is more important than self-sufficiency.

Generational poverty and how hard it is when you suffer multiple diagnosis and depression to keep your appointments and even get up let alone deal with some attitudes and judgments of agency workers not blaming here have had much feedback from clients over my 10 years being a case manager and working with people in this community

We need more family wage jobs so that able bodied people can get off public assistance and still be able to take care of their families. We need industry to come to our town and not just more shopping stores that only bring minimum wage jobs.

We need more new small businesses so that if one fails it doesn't put everyone out of work at the same time! Large 200+ employers are great but 10 + employers are more stable for the economy.

drug use is a contributor to all the problems in this town, including alcohol

The problems most people are experiencing may start out as one problem, but then snowballs into a greater problem due not understanding how to take care of the first problem. Joblessness is the starting point for most people.

I see a huge and growing number of families that are what is now called couch surfing and I don't believe the government or community realize the burden placed on the families that are helping the homeless families; both the financial and stress that they are dealing with.

I feel that Klamath County does offer many services for those in need however the need is so very great now. Minimum wage jobs even with both adults working do not provide a decent lifestyle. I do feel that people who receive assistance from programs need to do something in return for that assistance and not feel that they are being targeted. Nothing is free in this world and helping another person creates great networking, relationships and community togetherness.

Other comments:

Changing the thinking of decision makers

I believe the need for good childcare is very underrated. Everyone discusses educational needs however this starts from birth. The government expects TANF families to work or do 20 to 40 hours of participation but they do not meet the need of childcare in order for this to be accomplished.

My husband and I have benefited from the Homeownership Center staff and we both cannot express how grateful we are. We both have always given back to our community and that will not change until we are gone. A paycheck is not everything and America is great because the people are great.

Having a decent paying

job15%


needs39%


or owning a home10%



36%


Client and Volunteer Interviews at Food Pantries: While taking client consumer surveys at three outlying food pantries, we took some time to conduct informal interviews. These interviews revealed many of the same results as the surveys above with one major difference. Volunteers and consumers both expressed a frustration at the difficulty in receiving social services due to the issue of being in an outlying area. For instance, in Crescent, almost a two hour drive from Klamath Falls, the food pantry is located in a small church. It is an extraordinary effort which includes a clothes closet. However, in order to access the food bank to stock up on supplies, they have to travel the two hours each way with trucks and trailers. The expense of this necessitates that they only do this once a month. They cannot access the food bank in Deschutes County (which is 15 minutes away) because they are in Klamath County. A similar problem involves medical care. Being such a small community, there are no doctors or dentists available. There is a health clinic for low-income families in La Pine but it is limited to Deschutes County residents except in extreme emergencies. The church does the best it can by providing energy and rental assistance but in such a small community, resources are very limited. The feedback from Lakeview was similar with an added component. Lake County residents feel frustrated that they are often combined with Klamath County when it comes to receiving services. A provider comment received from a survey above summarizes it best by saying “[Lake County needs] recognition by the state as a county with needs - not lumped together with Klamath County” The problem with reaching outlying areas is not due to lack of intention. These counties are so large geographically that it is often financially unfeasible to go to the client directly. Just in gathering the food pantry interviews, costs included mileage to the locations (over 400 miles) and paying employees for driving time (4 hours for Crescent, 5 hours for Lakeview and 1 hour for Merrill). In addition to that, there is the challenge of getting the word out to rural low-income community members that often live off the beaten path and lack reliable transportation. Why do people live in these areas then? One community member from Bly said it well, “It is cheaper to live in Bly so we tend to attract some lower to no income (welfare) folks.” This was also a common response in Crescent. It is less expensive on a fixed income to live in an outlying area. However, if you need emergency assistance, the travel costs are often more expensive than the assistance that would be received.

Other Agencies Providing Services in the Area

In the war against poverty, there are multiple agencies that provide services in Klamath and Lake Counties. Among these are (this is a sample and is not intended to exclude any providers):

Integral Youth Services

Gospel Mission

Marta’s House, Lake County Crisis Center, and New Beginnings Intervention Center (Lake County)

Klamath Housing Authority

Department of Human Services

WIC

Health Dept

Food Bank and pantries

Salvation Army

Inner Court

Senior Centers

Head Start

Oregon Child Development Coalition

Oregon Human Development Coalition

An overwhelming response was that jobs are needed to help bring people out of poverty. Agencies in this area who are working on this are:

South Central Oregon Economic Development District (Klamath and Lake)

Chamber of Commerce (Klamath and Lake)

Klamath County Economic Development Association (Klamath)


Summary of Issues and Results as They Apply to Six Anti-poverty Goals

Low-income people become more self sufficient Our first goal in answering this question was to define what respondents considered self-sufficiency. The

options given were: having a decent paying job, being able to meet a family's basic needs, having a stable

rental situation or owning a home, no longer needing public or private assistance, and receiving disability

benefits.

KLCAS has many programs to help people become more self-sufficient. Our Family Support and Connections

program helps families overcome obstacles with problem solving techniques to help them move forward. They

also have a mentoring program for long-term support, problem solving, and goal setting. The Klamath and

Lake Homeownership Center assists people of all income levels in improving their financial situation through

such things as budget and credit repair. As a client moves into a better financial situation, they can then help

them through the home buying process. We also have a Benefits Specialist on staff who helps qualified

disabled homeless and low-income individuals apply for Social Security disability benefits. Finally, our

Homeless Prevention Manager works with people who are housing challenged to keep them in their homes or

assisting them in moving to more affordable housing and to work on long-term strategies for stability.

The major need which prevailed in all the surveys was the need for family wage jobs. This ties into all of the other options: meeting a family’s basic needs, having stable housing, and no longer needing assistance. All of the surveys ranked a deficiency in the number of jobs (especially living wage jobs) was a cause of poverty or a obstacle to self sufficiency. Some specific comments were:

From a consumer respondent in response to what is needed for self-sufficiency, “to get back on my feet and be able to work”

From a community respondent, “We need more family wage jobs so that able bodied people can get off public assistance and still be able to take care of their families. We need industry to come to our town and not just more shopping stores that only bring minimum wage jobs.”

From a government respondent, regarding unmet needs, “Entry level jobs that have a future, that offer initial training and ongoing training for advancement.”

From a provider regarding what is needed for self-sufficiency, “Crucial to meet family goals” Add to the lack of jobs the burden of paying for child care and the opportunities are even more diminished.

From a provider, “This is a difficult transition [no longer needing assistance] because of child care. When a parent goes to work child care may be so costly they may have had more income on public assistance.”

From a client consumer, “If you help yourself by working you can’t get any help but if you don’t work at all the state pays all.”

Unfortunately, programs to help people bridge the gap between poverty and self-sufficiency are underfunded and the first to be cut. As expressed by one provider, an unmet need in our area is, “Lack of funding for programs that will get people on their feet to become self sustaining.” The conditions in which low-income people live are improved KLCAS offers programs all along the needs spectrum. Energy assistance and housing assistance programs meet the immediate needs of a client consumer in crisis, protecting individuals and families from homelessness or other difficult situations. Our annual event, Project Homeless Connect provides basic needs to families who are struggling with homelessness or potential homelessness by providing basic necessities and connecting these households with community resources. Foreclosure counseling through the Klamath and Lake


Homeownership Center works with client consumers in a housing crisis by offering financial counseling and helping them prevent foreclosure. Our mentoring program through Family Support and Connections teaches families skills to help them transition from a situation where they are relying on assistance to a situation where they are self-sufficient. On the next level, the homeownership center is helping people to improve their financial literacy, work through credit issues, and ultimately realize the dream of homeownership. In our assessment, we found that there are many current services to meet most of the identified needs of the consumer. For example, the agencies identified in a preceding section all provide a service either to promote current well-being through crisis management or to promote long-term sufficiency through training and mentoring. Comments from consumers indicate that this is a strength for our community. Some specific comments were:

“Services like energy assistance are a real life saver for me and others in my situation.”

“This is a wonderful program that has really helped my family through tough times.”

“Thankful for all the help I do get! Hopefully I won’t need it forever.” Providers also indicated a pride in the level of service they are able to be provide. Although there was a consistent frustration with lack of funding and limited staffing, 14% cited their ability to meet needs quickly as one of their strengths. Low-income people own a stake in their community. KLCAS uses every possible opportunity to involve low-income individuals in our programs. The KLCAS Community Action tri-parte board requires that one-third of the board be low-income community members. Also, the annual Project Homeless Connect encourages community members to volunteer in carrying out the event. We also engage consumers in our steering committees for individual programs. However, the assessment does point out a need for more of this in our community. One comment from a provider indicated: “I think that requiring people who are on the system to do community work or volunteer to earn the money they are given would be a big incentive for them to look for a job where they could earn a paycheck.” A community respondent also suggested, “I do feel that people who receive assistance from programs need to do something in return for that assistance and not feel that they are being targeted.” On a positive note, 7% of provider respondents felt that a strength of their organization was empowering consumers. There are several good reasons to support this goal in our future planning. First, allowing low-income individuals and families to have a stake in their community provides them with a dignity and pride that many of us take for granted. Second, volunteer work specifically may provide an additional motivation to get off public assistance so that the worker can receive pay for work they may already be doing. Third, it allows low-income individuals to gain skills that will strengthen their personal, family, and work lives. Partnerships among supporters and providers of service to low-income people are achieved KLCAS works closely with many agencies in the area to leverage resources and create synergy in helping the low-income members of our community. We distribute a comprehensive resource guide not only through our own programs but via many other agencies. We also work closely with service providers to get the word out about their programs and ours through our annual Project Homeless Connect event. In addition, we work as an intermediary for funding streams which benefit the Gospel Mission, Integral Youth Services, Marta’s House, and the Lake County Senior Center. Our assessment indicated that there is still a need for even more cooperation and partnering. Provider comments included: “Services for low-income/at-risk families [should be] accessible in one location” and “I would like to see more one on one with our staff visiting other agencies and communicating our services and


what we can offer our clients and what services are also not available.” In addition, a community member commented that there was a problem with “fractured or disjointed services.” A definite contradiction found in the survey was the perception of government leaders versus providers in regards to the amount of cooperation between these two types of entities. Government leader response indicated that there is too much government help by saying. Two specific comments were, “need less government programs” and “too many governmental programs.” In describing their county’s current weaknesses, one leader cited “benefits and entitlements.” There was also a powerful reaction in the other direction. One government leader cited a county weakness as “unfunded state & federal mandates.” A provider commented, “I would like to see more interaction in meeting the needs of the low income folks in the community with government officials.” And in the general community survey, 25 respondents indicated that support from government leaders was a weakness in this community (one respondent indicated it was a strength). Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results KLCAS has worked extensively in the last two years to increase our capacity to serve clients. In addition to maintaining our Family Support and Connections program and the Homeownership Center, we have brought our energy assistance and housing assistance programs in house to provide “one-stop shopping.” Most recently, we added a Benefits Specialist to help people apply for disability benefits, a representative payee, and an individual development account program. We also have utilized outside resources to supplement what we are able to do. We have benefited from two AmeriCorps volunteers, two workers through Oregon Human Development Corporation, and one worker through the JOBS program. Volunteers are also a key component in increasing our capacity. In addition, KLCAS is committed to training and employee growth. In 2010, our employees participated in 664 hours of training. Our board members participated in 128. Finally, we continually strive to increase our financial capacity by applying for private as well as public grants and by fundraising and seeking donations. For future stability, we are now looking for ways to integrate social enterprise into our plan. Survey responses indicate that increasing capacity (or even maintaining capacity) is a challenging goal for many agencies. Providers especially indicated that diminished funding and less staff is an obstacle for their success. In identifying weaknesses in achieving goals, 38% of respondents indicated funding issues and 19% indicated insufficient staffing. One government leader cited “budget issued [and] unfunded federal and state mandates” as a weakness in our service area. However, most other government leaders felt that there was too much government help. Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their potential by strengthening family and other supportive systems. The programs that KLCAS provides support all five performance indicators for this goal. In 2010, we accomplished the following:

Helped over 8,000 senior and disabled individuals in maintaining an independent living situation because they received services that we provide.

Assisted over 9,600 individuals with emergency assistance allowing them to maintain some stability in their situation.

Improved families’ dynamics by enriching them with understanding of child and family development processes through our Family Support and Connections program.

Supported families helping vulnerable populations by helping with dependent care and energy assistance.

Provided information and referral to 16,800 clients.


Our survey indicated that there is still a strong need for strengthening family and support systems. A couple of client consumers indicated that unmet needs in the last year were “help in the home” and “regaining control of our kids.” A government respondent commented that an unmet need for our area is, “Assistance to senior citizens to enable them to remain active and secure in their homes and neighborhoods.” Finally, an insight from a community member probably makes the strongest statement about the need for more focus in this area: “I see a huge and growing number of families that are what is now called couch surfing and I don't believe the government or community realize the burden placed on the families that are helping the homeless families; both the financial and stress that they are dealing with.”

Acknowledgements This process was very enlightening for KLCAS as an organization and will hopefully be very informational for the community as a whole. We’d like to thank all the individuals who made input into the process. Their insightful and honest responses provided an understanding of the successes and needs of this community that we might not have been privy to otherwise.

Appendix

A) Copy of survey instruments B) Map of communities served by KLCAS

Documents

Helping People Help Themselves 2011-2012 - KLCAS · 2015-01-15 · If you help yourself by working you can’t get any help but if you don’t work at all that state pays it all