Poverty Data Report Meriden, CT. - New Opportunities Inc · 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous ... • entrepreneurial • understands and engaged

New Opportunities, Inc.

Poverty Data Report

Meriden, CT.

New Opportunities, Inc.

POVERTY DATA REPORT

Table of Contents I. Overview

1

II. National Data

5

III. Connecticut Data

18

IV. Meriden Data

31

Poverty Data Report. October, 2007 Page 1

POVERTY OVERVIEW What Is Poverty? As we begin the process of creating a new anti-poverty vision and strategy for our agency and for our community, we need to have a profile of poverty in our community. So, what are we talking about when we use the word “poverty”? The federal poverty guidelines were developed in the 1960s and have been adjusted for inflation annually ever since. The federal formula is based on a multiple of basic family food cost, a formula which has come under much scrutiny and criticism. Here is the most recent federal poverty guidelines:

2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines Persons

in Family or Household48 ContiguousStates and D.C. Alaska Hawaii

1 $10,210 $12,770 $11,750

2 13,690 17,120 15,750

3 17,170 21,470 19,750

4 20,650 25,820 23,750

5 24,130 30,170 27,750

6 27,610 34,520 31,750

7 31,090 38,870 35,750

8 34,570 43,220 39,750

For each additional person, add 3,480 4,350 4,000

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 72, No. 15, January 24, 2007, pp. 3147–3148

Given this definition of poverty, the level of poverty nationally has remained pretty much unchanged for several decades. The official poverty rate in recent years: -- US Census. Historical Poverty Rates

All People Year Percentage1989 12.8%

1997 13.3%

2000 12.5%

2005 12.6%

2006 12.3%

Public policy makers, advocates and academics have argued that the federal poverty guidelines understate the severity of poverty in the nation and fail to define the real urgency of individuals and families who cannot meet their basic needs on a consistent basis. The State of Connecticut, for instance has doubled the federal guidelines in framing its new public policy commitment to reduce child poverty in the state by 50% over the next ten years. The state assumes that citizens below 100% of the federal guidelines live in severe poverty; it assumes that citizens living below 200% of the federal guidelines—many of whom are the working poor—struggle to meet their basic needs on a consistent basis and struggle to provide their children with opportunities for success in our society. Academic Andrew Hacker argues that U.S. households with less than $25,000 income annually comprise an economic group he calls “Deprived,” families who cannot meet their basic needs on a consistent basis. Here is his picture of U.S. households living in three different economic groups: 18.6% Comfortable +$75,000 53% Coping $25,000--$75,000 28% Deprived Under $25,000


Hacker’s perspective suggests that the U.S. economy is not working well enough for over one quarter of the population. Specifically, he points out:

• 1/3 of U.S. jobs pay les than $20,000 • 17% of the population is without health insurance • In 1970, one out of 15 children were on public assistance; in 1997 one out of 7 • Percent of races in poverty

o White 8.5% o Black 29.3% o Hispanic 30.3% o Asian 14.6%

• Of those who start life in the lowest economic quintile, 40% will stay there for a long period • Of those who start life in the highest economic quintile, 80% will stay in the 4th or 5th quintile • Only 1 in 10 children in the Deprived economic group goes to college

Source: Andrew Hacker, Money: Who Has How Much and Why, 1997

Most recently, strategists in our own community action field have revisited the task of defining poverty, reframing the analysis in terms of a continuum of economic security in order to re-examine the issue from a fresh perspective:

CONTINUUM OF ECONOMIC SECURITY (Draft December 18, 2006 by the Poverty Definitions Working Group) 1. Economically In Crisis/Below subsistence/Chronically impoverished Persons and households that regularly experience many of the following conditions:

• chronic lack of basic necessities including food • unable to secure permanent shelter; actively homeless; or no capacity to meet market level rents • lack long-term ties to labor market either formal or informal • chronic/permanent mental or physical disability that limits employment • Family structures seriously compromised; at-risk of failing children and elder supports. • has few or no kin/”clan” support relationships • minimal engagement with community or public resources • no assets • one-sided engagement with community services (i.e. only able to receive) • limited transportation (undependable car) area of low transit options • major health conditions with care insufficient to meet needs

2. Economically Impoverished - Vulnerable, Insecure, At Risk (includes the poor, “working

poor/near poor”) This category includes what has been historically defined as those eligible for federal subsistence programs, but also working poor individuals, persons whose incomes are insufficient to meet basic household needs over the long-term.

• intermittent lack of basic necessities, including food • limited or irregular access to labor market or self-employment • temporary/short-term lack of cash • irregular employment • mental or physical disability that limits employment • at risk of homelessness • housing costs in local market exceeds 35% of income. • has ability to work and seek out community and public services, interrupted by unemployment;

relocations; immigration status • Parent may lack resources to prepare children; Family/household status compromised putting

children/elders at risk of being removed from household. • Has few kin/clan support relationships • 1 paycheck from financial crisis • health conditions going under-treated; limits/constraints on health care access • no asset base • health care debt or other personal debt exceeds capacity to pay within current income


3. Economically Stable – persons and households with resources and cash income sufficient to support itself over time; maintaining family structures, but still vulnerable to financial crises.

• regular source of income; average risk of unemployment • ability to engage the labor market • can maintain basic necessities of household • capacity and knowledge of community and public services • able to access credit • can save • has regular access to private or community services and programs as eligible (health, counseling,

etc.) • housing is assured or stable within market conditions; rent is no more than 35% or less of

income. • can maintain stable family relationships; handle problems in a steady way • engage in two-way civic/community participation • understand basic financial planning principles, credit, debt • have savings or assets to carry household expenses for at least 3 months • regular dependable transportation options • understands how to find a job, do business in the US

4. Economically Thriving/Asset building – these households have income more than needed to meet

basic needs; enabling them to save and plan for the future with security and meet contingencies and short-term shortfalls.

• can support basic household needs on a regular basis • can support family structures • regularly engages the market economy institutions • has knowledge and access to personal and business capital (formal or informal) • stable housing; maximal housing choice costing no more than 35% of gross income • education/skills available across range of labor market positions • understands and may be engaged in entrepreneurial activities successfully • understands and engaged in civic community of some kind (trade association, chamber of

commerce, ethnic association) or votes on a regular basis. • understands and makes use of tax deductions, financial planning and • has retirement accounts • assets/savings to carry household expenses for 6 months • financial literate, understands how to use credit, debt, successfully • personal debt not a burden on current income • stable access to range of health care needs within budget • transportation access to jobs and resources within reasonable cost and distance

5. Economically Sustaining/Asset leveraging – these households can meet basic needs, and are

investing surplus to generate long-range financial assets, becoming more independent of labor market with diversified incomes to meet contingencies and short-term shortfalls as well as retirement needs.

• owns home; may own income –producing property • able to leverage assets to increase future income (education/business/investments) • can support basic household needs on a regular basis • can support family structures • has reliable and affordable transportation or close proximity to work and all needed private or

community services (health, education, counseling, etc.) • regularly engages the market economy institutions • has knowledge and access to personal and business capital (formal or informal) • understands compound interest/investment income • education/skills available across range of labor market positions • entrepreneurial • understands and engaged in civic community of some kind (trade association, chamber of

commerce, ethnic association) or votes on a regular basis. • active financial planning, use of tax deductions to increase income • assets/savings to carry household expenses for 12+ months • has an active investment/savings account sufficient to cover retirement over time


These descriptors of levels of economic security do not mention income per se, but cause us to get to know individuals and families, to assess their situation carefully and then to address needs regardless of income. Our Society’s Mindset About Poverty As we engage our community in a dialogue about what will become a new shared vision and new high impact strategies, we will be more successful if we define what we mean by the word poverty. We will also need to come to the dialogue with some ideas about what causes poverty. Decades of research into the causes of poverty in our wealthy country point to three foundational causes of poverty:

Education---------- Race---------- Family of origin

Having said that, we know that we will always have a wide range of opinions about the causes of poverty. The Ford Foundation has conducted research into what Americans think about poverty and reported their findings in An Economy that Works for All. Their analysis tells us that:

• Most Americans believe in the American Dream, that any of us can gain wealth with hard work and good luck

• Americans believe in the value of work and the positive example we set for our children by hard work.

Americans supported welfare reform because they believed that many people on welfare did not want to work

• Poverty is a low priority issue but Americans care about the poor • Americans, including most poor people, believe that poverty is at least partially the fault of the poor—a

personal problem brought on by poor choices • Americans think poverty will always be with us • Americans believe that the economy is a force of nature which cannot be governed without doing it

damage • Most people have some connection with people in poverty—friends, family or personal experience • The media does not report extensively on the problems of the working poor

--http://www.economythatworks.org As we plan with community groups, it will be helpful to know the values that guide Americans as they think about poverty and about people in poverty. According to the Ford Foundation’s research, Americans hold these values:

1. Each individual is responsible for his or her own success or failure

2. With hard work comes reward

3. Anyone can achieve the American Dream 4. The goal is equal opportunity, not equal

outcome

…………………………………………………………….……….


National Data and Trends Economic The Commerce Department reported Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007 that the savings rate for all of 2006 was a negative 1%, meaning that not only did people spend all the money they earned but they also dipped into savings or increased borrowing to finance purchases. The 2006 figure was lower than a negative 0.4% in 2005 and was the poorest showing since a negative 1.5% savings rate in 1933 during the Great Depression…. For December, the savings rate edged down to a negative 1.2%, compared to a negative 1% in November…. The savings rate has been in negative territory for 21 consecutive months…. Economists warn that it the phenomenon exists at a particularly bad time with 78 million baby boomers approaching retirement age. Instead of building up savings to use during retirement, baby boomers are continuing to spend all their earnings.

--- Source: AP Washington. 2.1.07 US banks reported the biggest jump in delinquent loans in 16 years, largely because of the troubled real estate sector, regulators said Wednesday. The FDIC, in its Quarterly Banking Profile, said the share of past-due loans—those late by 90 days or more—jumped $6.4 billion, or 10.6% in the second quarter. That’s the biggest quarterly increase since the end of 1990. – USA Today, Thursday, 8.23.07

Foreclosure filings across the U.S. nearly doubled last month compared with September 2006, as financially strapped homeowners already behind on mortgage payments defaulted on their loans or came closer to losing their homes to foreclosure, a real estate information company said Thursday. A total of 223,538 foreclosure filings were reported in September, up from 112,210 in the same month a year ago, according to Irvine-based RealtyTrac Inc. –USA Today, September, 2007 Decline of personal savings


Current US inflation rate (CPI index*) for October, 2007 is 3.5% average for the year is 2.3%.

* NOTE: The Consumer Price Index (CPI), is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. It is based on prices of food, clothing, shelter, fuels, transportation fares, charges for

doctors’ and dentists’ services, drugs and other goods and services that people buy for their day-to-day living. --Connecticut Dept of Labor: July, 2007: http://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/cpi.asp

Financial Trends from the Annie E. Casey Foundation Research CREDIT CARD CRUSH Change from 1989 to 2001 in the number of families with incomes less than $10,000 who own a credit card and carry a balance from month to month: +72 percent Change from 1989 to 2001 in the average balance of credit card holders with family income less than $10,000: +184 percent (from $646 to $1,837) Increase between 1994 and 2004 in the average late fee charged by credit card companies to customers who do not make a minimum payment on time: +150 percent (from $11.96 to $29.88) FRINGE FINANCE FIESTA Growth in the number of pawn shops operating nationwide from 1986 to 2003: +142% Ratio of “payday lending” outlets currently operating nationwide versus the number of these outlets operating in the early 1990s: more than 100:1 Average annualized interest rate of a payday (short-term cash advance) loan: 470 percent BANKING BLUES Amount a western Massachusetts bank charged a new customer in 2003 for “bounce protection” fees after she overdrew her balance by $98.25: $180 in the first month Amount this customer would have paid if her account had traditional overdraft protection through a line of credit (rather than bounce protection): $1.50 Number of banks nationwide now offering bounce protection: nearly 3,000 MORTGAGE MISERY Growth nationwide in the volume of high-interest“ sub-prime” mortgage loans from 1994 to 2003: from $43 billion to $385 billion Average fees charged by sub-prime mortgage lenders (expressed as a percentage of the loan value): 7 percent Average fees on a conventional or “prime” mortgage: 1.1 percent Percentage of sub-prime and conventional prime mortgage loans that carry prepayment penalties: 80 and 2, respectively HEALTH CARE [MONEY] HEMORRHAGE Average bill charged to an uninsured patient in 2001 for inpatient care at a Cook County, Illinois, hospital: $21,985 Average bill for an insured patient for care at the same hospital in 2001 (after discounts negotiated by insurers): $6,530 --- Annie E. Casey Foundation, ttp://www.aecf.org/publications/advocasey/winter2005/advocasey_index.htm


Wealth Distribution in America

For the most part, lower-, middle-, and even upper-middle-income working-age households depend on their paychecks, not stock portfolios, to meet their everyday needs. Typical working families that own stock do so in retirement plans that are costly to turn into cash. Therefore, increasing stock value does little to help them make ends meet at a time when wages for most workers have been stagnant for several years now.

--The State of Working America:2006/2007. Economic Policy Institute. http://www.epinet.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20061011

Marriage Rates of 22 to 30 year old men in the US by Annual Earnings Levels, 2004 = All races = African-American % 80. 75. 70. 65. 68.760. 55. 50. 53.0 45. 47.8 46.3 47.7 40. 41.2 35. 35.1 37.6 36.6 30. 31.1 25. 26.5 20. 20.3 15. 18.3 16.6 10. 13.1 5. 6.2 0. All Less than

$10,000 $10,000 – $19,999

$20,000- $29,000

$30,000- $39,000

$40,000- $59,000

$60,000- $79,000

$80,000+

Note: graph heights are not precise due to 5% increment spacing. Please refer to the numbers for accurate data.

-- 2005 Current Population Survey courtesy of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University


--Atlantic Magazine. March 2007

Nationally, children of single mothers are much more likely to live in low-income families below 200% of the FPL (71%) than are children of single fathers (46%) or two parents (27%). -- Lu, H., & Koball, H. (2003, Aug.). The changing demographics of low-income families and their children, pp. 5-

6. Living at the Edge Research Brief No.2. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty.(CPC Plan.2005) Children living in fatherless homes are: • 5 times more likely to live in poverty • 9 times more likely to drop out of school • 37% more likely to abuse drugs • 2 times more likely to be incarcerated

• 2.5 times more likely to become a teen parent • 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders • 32 times more likely to run away

--DHHS Fatherhood Statistics Shares of Household Income by Quintile Quintile 2006 2006 2007 2007 % change -

2006- 2007 Number Percent Number Percent Lowest 22,887 3.4% 23,202 3.4% - Second 22,887 8.6% 23,202 8.6% - Third 22,887 14.6% 23,202 14.5% -.7 Forth 22,887 23% 23,202 22.9% -.4 Highest 22,887 50.4% 23,202 50.5% +.2

-- US Census 2006 Poverty Report. 8.07

HH income rose .7% in 2006 from $47,845 in 2005 to $48,201 in 2006, an increase of $356. – US Census 2006 Poverty Report. 8.2007 Note: An analysis by the New York Times suggests that HH incomes rose because more people went to work, not because workers received more pay. -- NY Times. 8.29.2007 Jobs and Wages Real median earnings of both men and women who worked full-time, year-round declined between 2005 and 2006 (1.1 % and 1.2 %, respectively). This is the third consecutive year that men and women experienced a decline in earnings. – US Census 2006 Poverty Report. 8.2007


EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME, YEAR-ROUND WORKERS 2005 2005 2006 2006 % 2005 2005 2006 2006 % Men with earnings

Estimated income

Men with earnings

Estimated income

change ’05-‘06

Women with earnings

Estimated income

Women with earnings

Estimated income

change ’05-‘06

61.5 mil $42,743 63.0 mil $42,261 –1.1 43.3 mil 32,903 44.6 mil 32,515 –1.2 – US Census 2006 Poverty Report. 8.2007

The number of working men 15 years and older increased by about 1 million to 84 million. An estimated 75% worked full-time, year-round in 2006, a higher percentage than in 2005 (74%). The number of women workers was 74 million in 2006, an increase of 1.2 million from 2005. About 61% of women worked full-time, year round, also a higher percentage than in 2005 (60%). – 2006 Poverty Report. 8.2007

While productivity increased by nearly 20% since 2000, the real median hourly wage rose by just 3%. Wages for middle and low-wage workers grew modestly in real terms over the course of the current expansion, but real gains have been far less impressive since 2003. - The State of Working America: 2006- 07 National Employment Figures Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend up in November (94,000), and the unemployment rate held at 4.7%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Job growth continued in professional and technical services, health care, and food services. Employment continued to decline in manufacturing and also fell in several housing-related industries, including construction, credit intermediation, and real estate. Average hourly earnings rose by 8 cents over the month. . --Department of Labor. November, 2007

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Employment Situation Summary Category Quarterly Averages Monthly Data Oct. - Nov.

change 2007

II III 2007

Sept. Oct. Nov. Average hourly earnings, Total private sector

$17.32 $17.50 $17.54 $17.55 $17.63 + $0.08

Average weekly earnings, Total private sector

$586.11 $591.39 $592.85 $593.19 $595.89 +$2.70

Note: Weekly earnings of $596 produce an annual salary of $30,992 --Department of Labor http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm


Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that in 2005, nearly 29 million U.S. children lived in low-income families. The majority of these children, or nearly 15 million, had at least one parent who worked regularly. These families are living on the economic edge—despite regular employment—and struggling to make ends meet. Work is crucial to lift families out of poverty. But in the United States, a job alone does not always ensure sufficient income to provide for a family’s basic needs. As a result, children in low-income families often reach adulthood without the tools, experiences, and connections to help them thrive. These children are more likely to suffer from preventable illnesses, fail in school and become teen parents than children from more affluent families—and they are more likely to be unemployed as adults. --U.S. Census.2005 ACS “… CEOs of large companies earn an average of $10.8 million a year, which is 362 times as much as the average American worker, and retire with $10.1 million in their exclusive pension funds. The groups further point out that the compensation of US CEOs wildly exceeds that of their European counterparts, who, we are invited to believe, work equally hard. … The 20 highest-paid individuals at publicly traded corporations last year took home, on average, $36.4 million. That's...204 times more than the 20 highest-paid generals in the U.S. military."

– Barbara Ehrenhart, author: Nickeled and Dimed in America, citing studies by United for a Fair Economy and the Institute for Policy Studies, writing for The Nation. 9.3.07

56% of African Americans work in low-wage jobs (those paying $12.87/hour or less). Retail trade and the health care and social assistance sectors include larger proportions of black low-wage workers than the national black average of 56%.

-- Job Quality and Black Workers , by Steven C. Pitts, Ph.D. The Center for Labor Research and Education The unemployment rate of blacks with a high school degree (7.3%) was higher than that of white high school dropouts (5.9%). And the unemployment rate of blacks with a bachelor’s degree or higher (3.8%) was the same as that of whites who attended college but did not receive a degree according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And when the best-educated blacks—those with a doctorate degree—found work, they earned on average $12,000 less a year than whites with a doctorate, the Census Bureau reported in its 2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. – From the article: A Tough Sell, by DeWayne Wickham, USA Today, 8.21.2007 The new report, titled "Trends in Black Male Joblessness and Year-Round Idleness: An Employment Crisis Ignored" and prepared for the Alternative Schools Network in Chicago, Ill., Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies and economist Andrew Sum analyzed both long-term and recent employment developments among the nation's black males, finding that, since the era of Civil Rights some five decades back, African-American men have suffered a serious decline in labor force attachment and participation. The report's key findings include: • Among the nation's black teens, fewer than 20%, age 16 to 19, were employed during 2003, an

employment rate just half that of white teens; • Among 20 to 24 year old black men, employment rates averaged just 57% during the past three years,

compared with an average of 80% employment in the late 1960s. The E/P (employment to population) ratio of young black men in 2003 lagged well behind the white male employment rate by nearly 20 percentage points;

• In 2002, a full quarter of African-American men ages 20 to 64 were not employed at any point during the year. The year-round joblessness rate for black adult males in 2002 was twice as high as that of white and Hispanic males;

• The year-round idleness rate for black men varies by age, educational attainment, and geographic location. Idleness rates in 2002 ranged from a low of 18% for those ages 35 to 44 to a high of nearly 42% for those 55 to 64. 44% of black men with no high school diploma were idle year-round versus 26% of high school graduates and only 13% of those with a bachelor's or higher degree.

• In every educational group, black males living in central cities were more likely to be idle year-round than their peers in the suburban segments of metropolitan areas.

http://www.research.neu.edu/research_news/business_economics/news/?id=15. Release date: 8.6. 2004


Health Children in poverty are:

• 1.5 to 3 times more likely to die in childhood

• 2.7 times more likely to have stunted growth

• 3 to 4 times more likely to have iron deficiency as preschoolers

• 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be partly or completely deaf

• 1.2 to 1.8 times more likely to be partly or completely blind

• about 2 times more likely to have serious physical or mental disabilities

• 2 to 3 times more likely to die from accidental injuries • 1.6 times more likely to catch pneumonia

-- Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. (2004, Feb.). Facts about homelessness in Connecticut. Wethersfield (CPC Plan.2005)

From the US Census 2006 Poverty Report Released August 28, 2007 • Both the percentage and the number of people without health insurance increased in 2006. The

percentage without health insurance increased from 15.3% in 2005 to 15.8% in 2006, and the number of uninsured increased from 44.8 million to 47 million.

• The percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance decreased to 59.7% in 2006,

from 60.2% in 2005. (Less well known is the fact that those who still receive employer-provided coverage are now paying a larger share of those insurance costs. -- The State of Working America: 2006/2007 )

• The percentage of people covered by government health programs decreased to 27% in 2006, from

27.3% in 2005. The percentage and the number of people covered by Medicaid were statistically unchanged at 12.9% and 38.3 million, respectively, in 2006.

• The percentage and the number of children under 18 years old without health insurance increased to

11.7% and 8.7 million in 2006 (from 10.9% and 8 million respectively, in 2005). With an uninsured rate in 2006 at 19.3%, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children.

• The uninsured rate and the number of uninsured in 2006 were not statistically different from 2005 for non-

Hispanic Whites (at 10.8% and 21.2 million). The percentage and the number of uninsured Blacks increased (from 19% and 7 million in 2005) to 20.5% and 7.6 million in 2006.

• The percentage and the number of uninsured Hispanics increased to 34.1% and 15.3 million in 2006.

WASHINGTON. Associated Press - Health care is expected to account for $1 of every $5 spent in the United States in another decade. That means a rise in out-of-pocket expenses, such as the copays for medicine, from about $850 this year to about $1,400 in 2016, a 5.3% annual increase. The cost of health insurance is projected to rise even more quickly during that same time — 6.4% annually. Over the coming decade, spending on health care will continue to outpace the overall economy. By the year 2016, it will total nearly $4 trillion, economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a report being released Wednesday. Today, the number is closer to $1 out of every $6, or $2 trillion. “What that indicates is a desire to purchase good health,” said John Poisal, deputy director of the government’s National Health Statistics Group.

-- Associated Press. Feb 21, 2007


Education Poverty Rate by Educational Attainment Failing to graduate from high school is about the surest ticket a person has to poverty. There are about 190 million people in the United States over the age of 25, and about 19 million are in poverty. Those without a high school diploma make up 15% of the 25-and-over age group, but 35% of those in poverty.

Still, more schooling is better, as employers pay higher salaries for those with greater skills, and is reflected in average poverty rates, which stair-step their way lower as people enter college and earn degrees. This pattern holds regardless of economic conditions, though the rates within a category can fluctuate considerably. For example, for people with some college but no four-year degree, poverty rates increased from 5.9% in 2001 to 7.7% in 2005.

--Fedgazette, Nov. 2006. http://www.minneapolisfed.org/pubs/fedgaz/06-11/smart.cfm?js=0

Poor students are:

• 9 test points lower in average IQ scores by age 5

• 11 to 25 percentiles lower on average achievement scores for ages 3 and older

• 1.3 times more likely to have learning disabilities

• 2.0 times more likely to have repeated a grade

• 3.4 times more likely to have been expelled • one-third less likely to attend college • one-half as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree • 11 times more likely than wealthy youths to

drop out of school. -- Federman, M., et al. (1996). What does it mean to be poor in America? Monthly Labor Review, 119, 3- 17; Children’s Defense Fund. (1994). Wasting America’s future. Boston: Beacon Press. (CPC Plan.2005)

Nationally, nearly three-quarters (73%) of children whose parents do not have a high school degree live in low-income families, compared with only 15% of children whose parents have at least some college education.

-- National Center for Children in Poverty (2004, Sept). The Effects of Parental Education on Income. NY, NY (CPC Plan.2005)


Nationally, 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, 17% receive food stamps, and 70% have no job or part-time job. -- National Institute for Literacy. (CPC Plan.2005) The national poverty rate among families headed by a person with less than a high school education is 28%, for those with some college education it is 9% and for those with at least a bachelor’s degree it is 4%.

--US Census 2006. ACS

“What It Takes to Make a Student,” by Paul Tough. The New York Times Magazine. November 26, 2006

• There has long been educational research proving that poor children fall behind rich and middle class children early and stay behind.

• The best predictors of a school’s achievement scores are the wealth and race of its student body: a public

school enrolling mostly well-off white kids has a 1 in 4 chance of earning consistently high test scores; a school that enrolls mostly poor minority kids has a 1 in 300 chance.

• University of Kansas research has probed the underlying causes for this divergence:

o Vocabulary growth differs sharply between classes and opens early o By age 3, children of parents who were professionals had vocabularies of about 1,100 words;

children whose parents were on welfare had vocabularies of about 525 words

o The average IQ among the professionals’ children was 117; the average IQ of welfare children was 79

o The child of each child’s vocabulary was correlated to one factor: the number of words the

parents spoke to the child: professional parents directed an average of 487 “utterances” to their children each hour; welfare children heard 178 utterances per hour

o There was a large difference by class in the number of “discouragements” a child heard

compared with encouragements: by age 3, professionals’ children heard about 500,000 encouragements and 80,000 discouragements; welfare children 75,000 encouragements and 200,000 discouragements

o The researchers found that language exposure in early childhood correlated strongly with IQ and

academic success later.

• Middle class parents raise their children differently that poor parents do, giving them many advantages in confidence in later life.

• Poor children can learn and succeed when they receive not the same education received by middle class

children, but an education that is far better. • In majority white schools, just 11% of teachers are in the lowest quartile of ability; in schools with almost

no white students, 88% of the teachers are in the worst quartile; at schools where more than 90% of the students are poor—where the most excellent teachers are needed the most—just 1% of teachers are in the highest quartile.

• “The evidence is now overwhelming that if you take an average low-income child and put him into an

average American public school, he will almost certainly come out poorly educated.”


Crime According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2006: Crime in the United States:

• An estimated 1,417,745 violent crimes occurred nationwide in 2006. • There were an estimated 473.5 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants. • When data for 2006 to 2005 were compared, the estimated volume of violent crime increased 2%. The 5-

year trend (2006 compared with 2002) indicated that violent crime decreased 0.4%. For the 10-year trend (2006 compared with 1997) violent crime fell 13%.

• Aggravated assault accounted for the majority of violent crimes, 61%. Robbery accounted for 32% and forcible rape accounted for 6.5% . Murder, the least committed violent offense, made up 1% of violent crimes in 2006. Table 1

• In 2006, firearms were used in 68% of the Nations murders, in 42% of the robbery offenses, and in 22% of the aggravated assaults. (Weapon data are not collected for forcible rape offenses.)

--Bureau of Justice Statistics. http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/offenses/violent_crime/index.html Poverty / Child Poverty Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity, states (2004-2005), U.S. (2005) United States Below Poverty in 2005 Below Poverty in 2006 Percentage difference All 12.6% 12.3% -.3% White 8.3% 8.2% -.1% Black 24.9% 24.3% -.7% Hispanic 21.8% 20.6% -1.1%

--US Census. 2006 Poverty Report


From the US Census 2006 Poverty Report released August 28, 2007

• The official poverty rate in 2006 was 12.3%, (36.5 million people), down .3% from 12.6% in 2005.

• The poverty rate for children under 18 years old is 17.4% (12.8 million children). Children represent 35% of the people in poverty and 25% of the total population.

o Percentage of people under 1.25% of the poverty level: 17% o Percentage of children under 18 under 1.25% of the poverty level: 23%

• Poverty rates in 2006 were statistically unchanged for non-Hispanic Whites (8 %), Blacks (24%), and

Asians (10%) from 2005. The poverty rate decreased for Hispanics (20.6% in 2006, down from 21.8% in 2005).

• The poverty rate in 2006 was lower than in 1959, the first year for which poverty estimates are available.

From the most recent trough in 2000, the rate rose for 4 consecutive years, from 11.3% in 2000 to 12.7% in 2004, and then declined to 12.3% in 2006—a rate not statistically different from those in 2002 and 2003 (12.1% and 12.5%, respectively). This translates to 36.5 million people in poverty.

• For related children under 18 living in families with a female householder with no husband present, 42%

were in poverty compared to 8% for married-couple families.

• For related children under 6 living in families with a female householder with no husband present, 52.7% were in poverty, over 5X the rate of their counterparts in married-couple families.

Poverty Levels from 1959 – 2004

• Minorities are more likely to be poor than whites: African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans all have poverty rates far greater than those of whites.

• Immigrants are poorer than natives. Foreign-born residents have a significantly higher poverty rate than

that of natives (17% vs. 12%) • Women are more likely to be poor than men: 14% for women compared to 11% for men.

-- Taken from the “From Poverty to Prosperity” Report produced by the

Center for American Progress Task Force on Poverty, April, 2007.


Children in Poverty

Percent of children under age 18 in low-income working families as a percent of all children in families: Source: Population Reference Bureau’s analysis of the 2005 American Community Survey.

Data Highlights • In 2005, 14.8 million, or one in five children, lived in one of 7.1 million low-income working families. This figure

has remained relatively stable since 2000. • In 2005, 16% of non-Hispanic whites, 27% of African Americans, and 37% of Hispanic children lived in low-

income working families. --The Annie E. Casey Foundation Percent of children in low-income working families, by race and Hispanic origin, 2005

Source: Population Reference Bureau’s analysis of the 2005 American Community Survey. Categories are not mutually exclusive

Data Highlights • Children of low-income working parents more often face obstacles to accessing the health care that they need

to survive. In 2004 there were 5.1 million low-income children in the U.S. who lacked health insurance. • Of the 14.8 million children in low-income working families, 11 million are under the age of 13 and 5 million

are under the age of six. These children need to be in child care while their parents earn their livings. Low-income working parents often work more than one job and work non-traditional hours, making quality, affordable care very difficult to find.

• Success in today’s economy requires more education than ever before, but higher education continues to be

inaccessible to many families. In 35% of low-income working families, at least one parent is without a high school degree, compared to 12% of working families with higher earnings. Only 42% of low-income working families have at least one parent with some post-secondary education, compared with 76% of families with better paying jobs.

--The Annie E. Casey Foundation. http://www.aecf.org/

In 2005, 35.1 million Americans lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households, 22.7 million adults and 12.4 million children. In 2005, 55.6% of food-insecure (low food security or very low food security) households participated in at least one of the three major Federal food assistance programs Food Stamp Program, The National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, an increase from 55.2% in 2004. --USDA: Household Food Security in the

U.S., 2005


Between 1999-2001, infant mortality rates declines by 19% for both white and Hispanic children, while rates increase by an astounding 56% for black children. -- Child Poverty Council Initial Plan, 1.2005 President Bush on Wednesday signed into law a five-year renewal of Head Start, the federal preschool program for poor children….The legislation raises the eligibility ceiling from 100% of the poverty level for a family of four, about $20,650, to 130%, or $26,845, while giving priority to the neediest children. It also sets a deadline of 2013 for half of all Head Start classroom teachers to have at least a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. --AP News. Dec 12, 2007 TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families)

• The average monthly number of TANF families was 2,027,600 in FY 2003. The estimated average

monthly number of TANF recipients was 1,249,000 adults and 3,737,000 children.

• In 2003, 56.4% of single mothers with children under 18 that had income below 200% of poverty were employed. Although the employment rate of those with children under 18 declined from 59.3% in 2002, it is still 5 percentage points higher than in 1996—a remarkable achievement, particularly because of the brief recession in 2001. Among single mothers with children under age six— a group particularly vulnerable to welfare dependency—employment rates are over 9 percentage points higher than in 1996.

• In FY 2003, 28% of adult recipients were working or engaged in work preparation activities, down slightly

from 30% in FY 2002. 75% of recipients who were working were doing so in paid employment; the remainder were involved in work experience, community service, and subsidized employment. State-reported data for welfare recipients show that the average monthly earnings of those employed increased in nominal dollars from $466 per month in FY 1996 to $647 in FY 2003, a 39% increase.

--TANF. 7th Annual Report to Congress. Dec. 2006. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/annualreport7/ar7index.htm

…………………………………………………………….……….


Connecticut: General Information THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT: Situated on the New England coastline, Connecticut was the 5th state in the Union, acquiring statehood on Jan. 9, 1788. It is officially called, The Constitution State.” Hartford is the capital city and M. Jodi Rell is the state Governor. There are 8 counties, 169 towns, 21 cities and 9 boroughs. Connecticut measures 5,018 square miles, which houses a population of 3.5 million. 49% of the population is male; 51% female. The median age is 39. Average household size is 2.5 persons and average family size is 3 persons. 23% of the population is under 18 years and 13% are 65 years and older. Racial characteristics : White: 80%; Black or African American: 9%; Hispanic: 11%. Of the population 25 and older, 88% have a high school degree or higher and 34% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 68% of the population is in the labor force. Connecticut ranks 3rd in the nation in median household income ($63,422), and 1st in the nation in median family income ($75,154). The per capita income is $34,048. -US Census 2006. American Community Survey Yet, despite these advantages, too many families and children in Connecticut are in poverty. In 2006, 8% of people were in poverty. 11% of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 6% of people 65 years old and over. 6% of all families and 21% of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level. –US Census, 2006 ACS Of all the state capitals across the country, Hartford is the poorest. – NY Times, 9.3.2007

Connecticut: Economic Household expenses (including food, housing, child care, transportation and health care) nearly double for a single adult when that adult begins raising an infant. -– Child Poverty Council Plan. 1.2005 Nearly one-quarter (24%) of Connecticut children live in families with an income less than 200% of the federal poverty line, which is about $37,000 for a family of four.

-- 2004 Connecticut KIDS COUNT Data Book: Economic Security (CPC Plan.2005)

In 2003, despite working full-time, full-year, 9% of Connecticut workers (105,000) earned less than $20,000 annually, and more than a quarter of a million workers earned less than $30,000 annually.

-- Hall, D., & Geballe, S. (2004, Sept.). The state of working Connecticut, 2004, 44. Data CONNECTions. New Haven: Connecticut Voices for Children; U.S. Bureau of the Census (2004), reported in Connecticut Voices for

Children. (2004, 8. 26). Too many working parents still struggling to make ends meet. Press release. New Haven: (CPC Plan.2005)

Percent of Married-Couple Families With Both Husband and Wife in the Labor Force: 2006 State Rank Percent Connecticut 14 58% US 53%

--US Census. 2006

Median Household Income (In 2006 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) State Rank Income Connecticut 3 $63,422 US $48,451

--US Census. 2006

Research indicates that the concerns of lower or moderate income Americans, racial and ethnic minorities, and legal immigrants are systematically less likely to be heard by government officials. -- American Political Science Association. (2004, June). Press Release on American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality. (CPC Plan.2005)


In the 2002 election, Connecticut’s cities with the three highest poverty rates produced the three lowest voter turnout rates. —Connecticut Secretary of the State website;

Pazniokas, M. (2002, Nov.23). In Hartford, fewer voters, less clout. Hartford Courant. (CPC Plan.2005)

Median Household income by race: Past 12 months, 2006 White- $67,852--- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino- $70,069--- Black or African American- $41,648 Hispanic or Latino Origin- $36,217 --U.S. Census Bureau, 2005,2006 American Community Survey Connecticut Leads the Nation in Multiple Measures of Income Inequality, by Joachim Hero Key Facts:

• Most recent Census data show that Connecticut and New York lead the nation in household income inequality, followed by Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.

• In addition to having the second-most unequal household income distribution in the country, Connecticut, out of all US states, has had the greatest growth in household income inequality over the past several decades.

• Out of 250 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) throughout the nation, MSAs in Connecticut occupied four of the top five spots for increased income inequality. Stamford-Norwalk, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and Danbury ranked 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively, for the highest growth of income inequality in the country.

• Connecticut’s high-income households—the top 20%—received over half (51.6%) of all the income in the state. The poorest 20% of the households in Connecticut had only 3.3% of all income in the state.

• Income inequality has grown in all but one of Connecticut’s eight counties. With the exception of Windham County, where household income inequality has decreased, every county in Connecticut has had an increase in household income inequality since 1990. Litchfield County has seen the largest growth in inequality. --http://www.ctkidslink.org/publications/econ07ginicoefficientct.pdf. (October 2007)

Connecticut: Jobs and Wages The 2005 unemployment rates in Connecticut among Hispanic (11.3%) and African- American (11%) workers were more than twice the rate of white workers (5.2%) --US Census, 2006 American Community Survey

- The State of Working Connecticut, Connecticut Voices for Children, Sept. 2007


Employment Subject Total In labor force Employed Unemployment ratePopulation 16 years and over 2,786,887 67.7% 63.3% 6.2%

16 to 19 years 197,895 49.5% 39.0% 21.0%20 to 24 years 221,481 76.7% 68.1% 10.4%25 to 44 years 953,472 83.6% 78.6% 5.5%45 to 54 years 551,480 84.4% 80.9% 4.1%55 to 64 years 392,094 69.9% 66.8% 4.4%65 to 74 years 225,872 29.3% 28.1% 4.1%75 years and over 244,593 6.5% 6.2% 4.0% RACE AND HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN One race N N N NWhite 2,273,924 66.9% 63.2% 5.2%Black or African American 246,247 70.4% 62.6% 11.0%American Indian and Alaska Native N N N NAsian 91,850 69.7% 67.2% 3.4%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander N N N NSome other race 134,052 74.1% 65.3% 11.9%

Two or more races 34,341 68.9% 58.6% 14.1%Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race) 278,124 70.1% 62.0% 11.3%White alone, not Hispanic or Latino 2,135,655 66.9% 63.3% 5.0% POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS Below poverty level 156,113 49.7% 35.8% 28.0% EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Population 25 to 64 years 1,897,046 81.0% 76.8% 4.9%

Less than high school graduate 164,933 65.1% 58.1% 10.7%High school graduate (includes equivalency) 542,167 79.0% 74.5% 5.6%Some college or associate's degree 496,382 82.9% 77.6% 5.8%Bachelor's degree or higher 693,564 85.1% 82.6% 2.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey Connecticut Average Hourly Current Employment Statistics :Average Hourly Earnings - 2006

INDUSTRY TITLE Statewide

Jan 2006

to Dec 2006

Dollar change

Annual Average

Earnings per year

Construction 22.43 $23.40 +$.97 $23.40 $48.672 Manufacturing 19.47 $20.25 +$.78 $19.78 $41,142 Durable Goods 20.01 $20.92 +$.91 $20.51 $42,660 Fabricated Metal 17.72 $18.90 +$1.18 $18.31 $38,084 Machinery Manufacturing 19.56 $20.20 +$.64 $20.06 $41, 725 Computers and Electronics 16.40 $17.41 +$1.01 $16.73 $34,798 Transportation Equipment 24.72 $25.71 +$.99 $25.10 $52,208 Nondurable Goods 18.07 $18.44 +$.37 $17.87 $38,099

--US Department of Labor. http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/ces/ahe_ct_2006.htm

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring postsecondary education will account for 42% of the total job growth between 2000 and 2010. However, the growth in the number of workers with postsecondary education over the next 20 years is expected to be only 19%, which is much lower than the 38% rate between 1980 and 2000. -- Strawn, J. (2004, Feb.). Why Congress should expand, not cut, access to long-term

training in TANF. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy. (CPC Plan.2005)

Job openings in Connecticut are heavily oriented toward low-wage jobs requiring little preparation. – Child Poverty Council Plan.1. 2005


--The State of Working Connecticut, Connecticut voices for Children. Sept.2007

Connecticut: Health The latest data from the US Census Bureau indicate that an estimated 68,000 Connecticut children under 18 were uninsured for the entire year in 2005. This number represents 8.2% of all Connecticut children. The uninsured rate was essentially unchanged from rates reported for Connecticut in recent years. An estimated 37,000 Connecticut children under 19 who lived in families with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level were uninsured. Virtually all these children are income-eligible for coverage in the HUSKY Program.

(February 2007) -- Mary Alice Lee, Ph.D. http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_341.html

A health insurance quote from Anthem showed that Connecticut individual coverage costs from $155 to $263 and family coverage from $477 to $702 per month, depending on the deductible, coinsurance and co-payment.

-- Liu, I.J., & Garcia, A-M. (Undated.) The high cost of being poor in Hartford, 10. Hartford: Making Connections in Hartford (Annie E. Casey Foundation). (CPC Plan.2005)

Health Insurance Coverage of Children 0-18 Living Near Poverty (100% - 199% FPL), states (2004-2005), U.S.

CT #

CT %

US #

US %

Employer 47,226 42% 5,943,215 38% Individual 455 0% 682,173 4% Medicaid 53,204 47% 6,010,396 39% Other Public 881 1% 250,706 2% Uninsured 11,140 10% 2,572,644 17% Total 112,906 100% 15,459,134 100%

-- Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on the Census Bureau’s March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Survey (CPS: Annual Social and Economic Supplements).

A national survey in 2001 found that half of the uninsured had problems paying for their medical care, and a significant portion of those had been contacted by collection agencies. The average amount of medical debt was about $9,000, ranging from less than $1,000 to more than $100,000. Such medical debt can become a lifetime obstacle to accumulating real assets or savings.

-- Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2003). The high cost of being poor. Baltimore, MD: Author (CPC Plan.2005)

Between 1999-2001, infant mortality rates declined by 19% for both white and Hispanic children, while rates increased by an astounding 56% for black children. ---Child Poverty Council Plan. 1.2005


Connecticut: Binge alcohol drinking among youths, by Age Group

Age Group 2002-2003 2003-2004 US 2003-2004

12 to 17 11% 12% 11%

18 to 25 48% 49% 41% kidscount.org

Connecticut is ranked 15th in the nation for alcohol related death. --- NBC News.9.5.07

Connecticut: Cigarette use in the past month, by Age Group

Age Group 2002-2003 2003-2004 US 2003-2004

12 to 17 13% 14% 12%

18 to 25 42% 41% 40% Connecticut: Marijuana use, by Age Group

Age Group 2002-2003 2003-2004 US 2003-2004

12 to 17 9% 9% 8%

18 to 25 24% 24% 17% --- www.kidscount.org

Connecticut: Housing Median Monthly Housing Costs for Owner-Occupied Housing Units With a Mortgage (Dollars): 2005

Median Monthly Housing Costs for Owner-Occupied Housing Units With a Mortgage (Dollars): 2006

State Rank Income Rank Income Change: 05-06 Connecticut 5 $1,718 6 $1,870 + $152 US $1,295 $1,402 + $107

--2005/ 2006 American Community Survey; US Census Median Monthly Housing Costs for Renter-Occupied Housing Units (Dollars): 2005

Median Monthly Housing Costs for Renter-Occupied Housing Units (Dollars): 2006

State Rank Income Rank Income Change: 05-06 Connecticut 9 $839 8 $886 + $47 US $728 $763 + $35

--2005/ 2006 American Community Survey; US Census

Percent of Mortgaged Owners Spending 30 Percent or More of Household Income on Selected Monthly Owner Costs: 2005

Percent of Mortgaged Owners Spending 30 Percent or More of Household Income on Selected Monthly Owner Costs: 2006

State Rank Percent Rank Percent Change: 05-06 Connecticut 14 35% 10 40% + 5% US 35% 37% + 2%


Percent of Renter-Occupied Units Spending 30 Percent or More of Household Income on Rent and Utilities: 2005

Percent of Renter-Occupied Units Spending 30 Percent or More of Household Income on Rent and Utilities: 2006

State Rank Percent Rank Percent Change: 05-06 Connecticut 17 46% 7 48% + 5% US 45% 46% + 1%



The home ownership rate in Connecticut is below the median (28th), and in particular, the gap in homeownership between white and non-white families is the 5th largest among all states. --Child Poverty Council Plan.1.2005 Of the estimated 33,000 Connecticut persons who experience homelessness in a 12-month period, 13,000 are children. -- Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. (2004, Feb.). Facts about

homelessness in Connecticut. Wethersfield: Author. (CPC Plan.2005) “Out of Reach,” the report prepared by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, concludes that for many families, full-time work does not provide enough income to afford a typical apartment:

• A Connecticut household needs to earn $42,480 to put a family into a modest two-bedroom apartment. • A single parent in Connecticut making only the minimum wage of $7.40 an hour would have to work 110

hours a week, or the equivalent of 2.8 full-time jobs, in order to afford an apartment. • The Stamford/Norwalk area is the first most costly rental market in the nation, with a “housing wage” of

$30.62 an hour. -- http://www.ct-housing.org/out_of_reach_2006.html The state of Connecticut recently raised the minimum wage to $7.65 per hour.

Nationally, white neighborhoods have, on average, five times as many supermarkets as predominantly black neighborhoods. The more supermarkets a neighborhood has, the more fruits and vegetables its residents eat.

---- End Hunger Connecticut! (2003). Making room at the table, 7. Hartford (CPC Plan.2005)

The National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks Connecticut as the sixth least affordable state in the nation. --End Hunger Connecticut! (2003). Making room at the table, 6. Hartford: Author. (CPC Plan.2005)

A Connecticut Dept. of Labor shows that more than half (321 of 630) of the state’s occupations do not, on average, provide an income sufficient to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

-- Connecticut Housing Coalition. Press Release: 12.26.2006

Connecticut: Poverty/ Child Poverty Latest census figures for Connecticut: Poverty Rate for the Past 12 Months: Individual-- 2006

• Percent below the poverty level: 8% • Percent below the poverty level: White—6% • Percent below the poverty level: Black/ African

American- 16% • Percent below the poverty level: Hispanic- 23% • Of people over 25 years old without a high

school degree—18%

• Of people over 25 years old with a high school degree—8%

• Of people over 25 years old with some college- 6%

• Of people over 25 years old with a Bachelor’s degree or higher—2%

-- US Census. 2006 American Community Survey

Poverty Status in the last 12 months for Families in Connecticut: 2006

• Percent below the poverty level: 6%- All families; 2%- Married couple families; 21%- Female householder, no husband present

• Black/ African American families below the poverty level: 14%- All families; 4%- Married couple families; 25%- Female householder, no husband present

• Hispanic: 21%- All families; 9%- Married couple families; 41%- Female householder, no husband present • Less than a high school graduate: 20%- All families; 9%- Married couple families; 41%- Female

householder, no husband present • High school graduate or GED: 8%- All families; 3%- Married couple families; 23%- Female

householder, no husband present • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 1%- All families; .7%- Married couple families; 7%- Female householder,

no husband present -----

• As the number of children in the family increases, the number of families in poverty increases • As the number of people in the family increases, the number of families in poverty increases • As the number of workers in the family increases, the number of families in poverty decreases

-- US Census. 2006 American Community Survey


Below Federal Poverty Level: 2006 State and County Individuals Families Connecticut 8% 6% Fairfield County 7% 5% Hartford County 10% 7% Litchfield County 6% 4% Middlesex County 7% 4% New Haven County 10% 8% New London County 6% 4% Tolland County 3% 5% Windham County 9% 6%

--US Census. 2006 ACS While only one-fourth of whites ever experience poverty in one of thirteen years, almost two-thirds of all African-Americans experience at least one year of poverty. Because African-Americans are much more likely to be poor for long periods of time, they are much more likely to suffer the cumulative effects of continuing poverty.

-- 95 Blank, R.M. (1997). It takes a nation, 22. New York: Russell Sage, (CPC Plan.2005) Connecticut Children in poverty (100%))

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

10% 11% 10% 12% 11% 18% Connecticut Children below 150% poverty

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

16% 17% 18% 19% 17% 29% Connecticut Children below 200% poverty

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

23% 24% 24% 25% 25% 40% Definition: The share of children under age 18 who live in families with incomes less than100, 150 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level, as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Connecticut Single-parent families with related children that are below poverty

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

23% 27% 28% 25% 25% 32% Connecticut Married-couple families with related children that are below poverty

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

3% 3% 2% 4% 3% 7% Connecticut Families with related children that are below poverty

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 US 2006

8% 11% 10% 10% 9% 15% -- www.kidscount. org


Connecticut Child Poverty Statistics: 2006 • Children Living in Poverty - 88,582 • Children Not Covered by Health Insurance at Any Time - 49,000 • Children’s Health Care Covered by Government Assistance - 217,000 • Children Reported Abused (2004) - 32,097 • 2 Year Olds Not Immunized - 7,740 (18.1%) • Child Abuse Deaths (2000-2005) - 51 • 3-4 Year Olds Not Enrolled in a nursery school, pre-school, or pre-kindergarten education program-

36,472 (43.0%) • % of 4th Graders Scoring below Basic Reading Levels (2007) - 27

--http://www.everychildmatters.org/site/States-Connecticut.html The poverty rate for Latino children under 18 in Connecticut was 31% and 25% for African-American children under 18. The poverty rate for White children under 18 was 4.2%.

--- Provided by Mary Johnson of Connecticut Department of Correction. (CPC Plan.2005)

Latino children are seven times more likely to live in poverty than White, non-Hispanic youth. African-American children are six times more likely. --Child Poverty Council Plan. 1.2005 Since 1990, the proportion of Connecticut children living below 200% of the FPL has ranged between about one in four of all Connecticut children to more than one in three children. This fluctuation has occurred in spite of improvements in the economy overall. --Child Poverty Council Plan. 1.2005 Across the state, Connecticut’s largest cities have 54% of the poor and low-income children, Bridgeport, Hartford,. Waterbury and New Haven with Hartford having the sixth highest poverty rate in the country for a city its size.

--CAFCA Annual Report, 2007

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, reported in Hall, D., & Geballe, S. (2004, Sept.). The state of working Connecticut, 2004, 47. Data CONNECTions. New Haven: Connecticut Voices for Children.

Connecticut State Child Poverty Statistics, Individuals: US Census. 2006 / 2005 / 2004 All Ages 2006

% Under 18 2006 % All Ages

2005 % Under 18 2005 % All Ages

2004 % Under 18 2004 %

280,108 8.3 88,582 11% 281,408 8.3% 94,909 11.6% 257,229 7.6 86.736

10.5

-- U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey Percent of Children Under 18 Years Below Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months :2005 Rank State Percent United States 18% 49 Connecticut 11%

-- U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey


Future costs of child poverty:

Each year that a child spends in poverty results in a cost of $11,800 in lost future productivity over his or her working life. - Children’s Defense Fund Action Council. (2004). A nation and century defining time:

Where is America going?, 39. Washington, DC. (CPC Plan.2005) Since 88,600 (10.8%- year:2003) of Connecticut’s children live in poverty, the Connecticut labor force is projected to lose over $1 billion in future productive capacity for every year that this number of Connecticut children live in poverty. Conversely, ending a year of child poverty in Connecticut is projected to save $1 billion. -- Connecticut Commission on Children calculation based on CDF projection and U.S. Bureau of the Census data.

2003 figures for Connecticut population and percentage of children in poverty. (CPC Plan.2005) A glance at taxpayers’ bill for poverty-related social services: Food Stamp Program (DSS) - $234,733 Healthy Start (DSS) - $1,200,000 HUSKY A (DSS) - $382,000,000 HUSKY B (DSS) - $8,000, 000 Child Day Care (DSS) - $6,900,088 Care 4 Kids (DSS) - $31,300,000 Supportive Housing for Families (DCF) - $3,500,000 DMHAS Prevention Programs - $970,546 Birth to Three (DMR) - $22,652, 724

Nurturing Families Network (CTF) - $5,500,000 National School Lunch and Milk (SDE) - $2,354, 000 School Breakfast (SDE) - $1,481,815 School Readiness (SDE) - $44,576,500 School Readiness-Severe Need Schools (SDE) - $4,248,548 Early Reading Success (SDE) - $21,460,287 Head Start (SDE) - $4,473, 000

--Estimated FY 2005 projected costs for selected Connecticut programs (from the Child Poverty Council inventory–draft version of 9/1/04) – state-only costs:

Annual cost per family/case of selected Connecticut social services.

Annualized cost of Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program (per case) = $5,172 Average annual HUSKY cost for a TFA family - $4,720 Average annual food stamp cost per family - $1,920 (estimated) Average annualized child care subsidy cost per TFA family - $7,270

-- Connecticut Department of Social Services. (2004, Aug. 17). E-mail from Dawn Homer-Bouthiette to Connecticut Commission on Children for Child Poverty Council report. (CPC Plan.2005)

The lifetime costs for an individual who becomes a career criminal, becomes a heavy drug user and drops out of school can exceed $1 million per person. -- Cohen, M. (1998). The monetary value of saving a

high-risk youth. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 14 (5-33). Cited in Bruner, 40. (CPC Plan.2005). The average annual cost to care for one youth at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS) is officially $282,000 ($774 per day). In contrast, the University of Connecticut undergraduate tuition, fees, room and board for the 2003-2004 school year total $13,710 for in-state students at the Storrs campus.

-- University of Connecticut. (Website as of Aug. 13, 2004). http://www.bursar.uconn.edu/forms/Tuition_FeesFY04_Undergrad.html . (CPC Plan.2005).

Connecticut spends more than twice as much on average on a prisoner as it does on a public school student. In 1997-1998, Connecticut spent $8,904 per pupil, compared with $21,677 per inmate.

-- Children’s Defense Fund. (2003). What you need to know and do to truly leave no child behind, 44. Washington, DC: Author. . (CPC Plan.2005).

In FY 2003-2004, Connecticut’s average daily expenditure per inmate was $76.11.

-- Connecticut Department of Correction. (2004). Average daily inmate expenditures. (CPC Plan.2005). In the Spring of 2004, the Connecticut legislature enacted Public Act 04-238 establishing a Child Poverty Council. The Council is charged with recommending strategies to reduce child poverty in the State of Connecticut by 50% within ten years. -- Child Poverty Council Plan.1. 2005


Connecticut: Education School/District Characteristics >> Number of school districts: 166 >> Number of schools: 1,111 >> Number of charter schools: 14 >> Per-pupil expenditures: $$11,711 (not incl. land, buildings, debt)

Student Characteristics >> Number enrolled: 576,575 >> Cumulative drop out rate: 7% >> In special education: 12% 11.6% >> Percent eligible for free/reduced lunch: 27%

Racial/Ethnic Background >> White: 67% >> Black: 14% >> Hispanic: 15 >> Asian/Pacific Islander: 4%

Connecticut Dept. of Educationhttp://www.everychildmatters.org/site/States-

Connecticut.html

The Educational Attainment of People in Connecticut in 2006 Graduate or professional degree 14%

Bachelor's degree 19% Associate's degree 7%

Some college, no degree 17% High school diploma or equivalency 30%

Less than high school diploma 12%

While 96% of four-year-olds in Connecticut’s wealthiest communities attend preschool, that figure drops to 56% in the poorer communities in the state, including Bridgeport, Hartford, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Waterbury and Windham. This means that the children most in need of a high-quality preschool environment are also the least likely to attend preschool. In fact, the state recently surveyed parents in 19 high-poverty jurisdictions and reported that about 8,800 three- and four-year olds who would likely attend a center-based preschool program do not now have access to one.

-- http://www.conncan.org/matriarch/documents/ConnCAN_PolicyReport_GreatSchoolsforAll.pdf

Poverty puts children at a greater risk of falling behind in school than does living in a single parent home or being born to teenage parents. -U.S. Department of Education. Cited in Sherman, A. (1997.) Poverty matters,

1. Children’s Defense Fund. (CPC Plan.2005). “In state prisons, inmates read at 3rd grade levels, while in society, 43% of people with the lowest level of literacy are in poverty”, said Elaine Zimmerman, executive director of the Connecticut Commission on Children. But there is good news, too, she said. “Research indicates that 95% of children can learn to read; the real problem is changing how things are done, not that no one knows what to do”. –Taken from the Hartford Courant article:

Educators Address State’s Vast Reading Gap, reported by Arielle Leven Becker .11.30.2007 Over 340,000 adults cannot read well enough to understand medicine labels, fill out a job application, or read to their children. Illiteracy is inter-generational. Children of functionally illiterate adults are twice as likely as their peers to become functionally illiterate as their peers of literate parents.—Child Poverty Council Plan. 1.2005 In 2002-2003, for the first time, Connecticut ranked among the ten worst states in the nation in providing a free or reduced price breakfast for those who are eligible. Connecticut also ranked third to last among schools that participate in both the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Connecticut was at 49.8%, ranking it 49th in the nation. -- Food Research Action Center. Report released Nov. 6, 2003. Cited in

End Hunger Connecticut! (2003, Nov. 6). Connecticut among ten worst states in nation in providing school breakfast to low income children. (CPC Plan.2005).


Connecticut ranks among the best states in the nation when it comes to the overall level of elementary student achievement in our public schools, and in the middle of the pack when it comes to middle and high school student achievement. Second, Connecticut scores virtually dead-last in terms of the gap in the educational performance between our state’s low-income and minority students and their white, middle-class peers.

-- ConnCAN Research Report: The State of Connecticut Public Education: A 2006 Report Card for Elementary and Middle Schools. http://www.conncan.org

Connecticut: Educational Attainment

Subject Total Male FemalePopulation 18 to 24 years 319,432 163,921 155,511 ,

Less than high school graduate 13% 15% 10%High school graduate (includes equivalency) 34% 36% 31%Some college or associate's degree 41% 38% 44%Bachelor's degree or higher 13% 11% 15% POVERTY RATE FOR THE POPULATION 25 YEARS AND OVER FOR WHOM POVERTY STATUS IS DETERMINED BY EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT LEVEL Less than high school graduate 18% 16% 21%High school graduate (includes equivalency) 8% 6% 10%Some college or associate's degree 6% 5% 7%Bachelor's degree 3% 2% 3%Graduate or professional degree 2% 2% 3%

MEDIAN EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2005 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS) Population 25 years and over with earnings $40,673 $49,013 $32,359

Less than high school graduate 22,724 27,476 18,952High school graduate (includes equivalency) 31,125 36,991 25,602Some college or associate's degree 37,754 46,620 31,460Bachelor's degree 52,230 66,257 41,966Graduate or professional degree 68,004 86,620 54,166

--2006 American Community Survey Connecticut No Child Left Behind (NCLB) State Report: 2005-06 School Year CMT (Connecticut Mastery Test Two Year Trend Data: % At or Above Proficient Subject Grade 4 Grade 8 2004—05 2005-06 2004—05 2005-06 Mathematics 79% 80% 76% 79% Reading 68% 72% 76% 77%

--www.csde.state.ct.us/public/cedar/districts/index.htm

Connecticut Schools: Grade 4 2006-2007

Grade 4 by Ethnicity 2006-2007

Grade 4 on FRL % At/ above goal % At/ above proficient

% At/ above goal

% At/ above

proficient

African- American

Hispanic White African- American

Hispanic White

Math 35% 61% 33% 36% 74% 59% 61% 90%

Reading 28% 44% 30% 28% 70% 46% 42% 82%

Percentage rounded to nearest whole number --www.cmtreports.com


Connecticut Schools: Grade 8 Percentage rounded to nearest whole number 2006-2007

Grade 4 by Ethnicity 2006-2007

Grade 4 on FRL % At/ above goal % At/ above proficient

% At/ above goal

% At/ above

proficient

African- American


Hispanic White

Math 30% 59% 28% 30% 73% 57% 57% 90%

Reading 38% 52% 38% 37% 78% 53% 50% 86% Note: At or Above Goal: Goal is a standard set by Connecticut state educators regarding how they expect students to score. At or Above Proficiency: Standards aligned with the No Child Left Behind Program. Connecticut has 5 standards of scoring: Advanced= 5; Goal=4; Proficient=3; Basic=2; Remedial=1. --www.cmtreports.com The high school diploma represents a

basic certification of knowledge and skills. The table shows the probability that a student in the ninth grade will complete high school on time with a regular diploma.

-- Education Watch: Key Education Facts and Figures. Achievement,

Attainment and Opportunity. http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/

summaries2006/Connecticut.pdf

Graduation rate for Connecticut schools was 91% for 2006. The Department of Education does not disaggregate the data by ethnicity for graduates. -- Connecticut Department of Education Affordability Gaps, 2005: College costs often discourage students with limited means from seeking further education. States can lessen this problem by targeting their aid dollars to low-income students and by providing affordable colleges within the reach of low-income families.

-- Education Watch: Key Education Facts and Figures. Achievement, Attainment and Opportunity. http://www2.edtrust.org/edtrust/summaries2006/Connecticut.pdf

High school dropouts ages 16-19 in Connecticut are twice as likely to be African Americans (11%) than non-Hispanic whites (4.5%) (2000 Census); they are nearly five times more likely to be Latino (21%). -- Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2003). African-American children. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation.

(2003). Latino children. Baltimore: Author. 2000 Census data. (CPC Plan.2005). African American teens ages 16-19 (12.6%) are three times more likely not to be in school or working than non-Hispanic white teens (4%); Latino teens (17.5%) are four times more likely. -- Annie E. Casey Foundation.

(2003). African-American children. Baltimore: Author; Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2003). Latino children. Baltimore: Author. 2000 Census data. (CPC Plan.2005).

Connecticut: Crime CONNECTICUT’S PRISON POPULATION PROJECTIONS THROUGH 2012: CONCLUSION: The previous 5 year trend suggests that the prison population will remain stable if current practices remain in place. Based on the 20 year trend, however, the prison population may increase well beyond current Department of Correction capacity. The State of Connecticut’s prison population steadily increased an average of 5% per year from 1985 to 2003 and remained relatively stable from 2004 to 2007. —Connecticut State Government http://www.ct.gov/opm/LIB/opm/CJPPD/CjResearch/PopulationForecast/PopulationForecastReport2007.pdf

African American 61%

Asian N/A

Latino 52%

Native American 26%

White 85%

Overall 79%


Minorities and men are more likely to be incarcerated. The vast majority (90%) of inmates were male. Almost three-quarters (74%) of were minorities: 45% were African American, 28% Hispanic, and 1% American Indian or Asian. The racial breakdown was consistent among male and female inmates. -- Connecticut Department of Correction website. http://www.cga.ct.gov/pri/archives/2001ricreportchap3.htm Connecticut Persons residing in juvenile detention and correctional facilities (Rate per 100,000)

1997 1999 2001 2003 US 2003

260 280 215 210 307 -- www.kidscount.org

In a 2006 study conducted by the Central Connecticut State University’s Institute for the Study of Crime and Justice, the reconviction rate for released prisoners was 39%.

-- Connecticut Department of Corrections website: http://www.ct.gov/doc/site/default.asp A child whose father is incarcerated is five to seven times more likely to be incarcerated later in life.

-- Provided by Mary Johnson of Connecticut Department of Correction. (CPC Plan.2005) About 70% of Connecticut’s prisoners are people of color and almost half of them come from just four cities—Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Waterbury. -- Christian Conference of Connecticut. (2001.) Jubilee

justice and reconciliation. < http://www.christconn.org/psrestorative.htm(CPC Plan.2005)

Connecticut: Welfare MOE (Maintenance of Effort )SUMMARY Program Name--- * Includes administrative and information & technology prorated expenditures

MOE Expenditures Families Served Cost per Family

Temporary Family Assistance $98,555,189* 19,527 5,047 Two-Parent Temporary Family Assistance $26,537,112* 3,972 7,185 Transitionary Rental Assistance $ 553,265 152 3,640 Temporary Rent Subsidy Program $ 791,597 40 19,790 Safety Net Services & Safety Net Basic Needs $ 1,506,169 135 11,157 Non-Citizens’ Temporary Family Assistance $ 691,113 61 11,330 State Funded Medicaid for Non-Citizens $ 8,603,682 2,197 3,916 Jobs First Employment Services $17,181,123 15,728 1,092 School Readiness Program $44,443,895 6,542 6,793 Child Care Assistance – Employed Ind. $18,635,159* 2,404 7,752 Child Care Assistance - Unemployed Ind. $ 978,437* 129 7585 Women In Transition $ 299,688 40 7,492 Hispanic Human Resources Development $ 142,750 1,278 112 TOTAL MOE EXPENDITURES $218,919,179 52,205 4,193

--Annual Report on State TANF and MOE Programs for Connecticut - 2005

TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES - CLOSED CASE PERCENT DISTRIBUTION OF TANF CLOSED-CASE FAMILIES BY REASON FOR CLOSURE: 10.04-9.05 REASON FOR CLOSURE State Total

Fami-lies

Employ- ment

Mar- riage

Fed. Time Limit

CT. Time Limit

Work Related Sanction

Other Sanction

State Policy

Fail To Co- oper- ate

Trans- Fer To MOE

Tribal Prog.

Volun- tary

Other

CT 15,614 15.2 0.0 0.0 21.9 2.3 3.8 13.3 13.0 12.9 0.0 8.2 9.4

-- http://www.acf.hhs.gov//programs/ofa/character/FY2005/tab46.htm Number of families receiving TANF support in Connecticut through December, 2006: 17,418. Includes over 25,000 children. --http://www.acf.hhs.gov//programs/ofa/caseload/2006/tanf_family.htm (4.2007).

(CPC Plan.2005)


New Opportunities, Inc. -- Poverty Data for Meriden New Opportunities, Inc., is the community action agency for the City of Meriden and surrounding communities. A total of 27 towns (Barkhamsted, Beacon Falls, Berlin, Bethlehem, Colebrook, Cheshire, Goshen, Hartland, Harwinton, Litchfield, Meriden, Middlebury, Morris, Naugatuck, New Hartford, Norfolk, Prospect, Southbury, Southington, Thomaston, Torrington, Wallingford, Waterbury, Watertown, Winchester, Wolcott, and Woodbury) encompass the Agency designated community action agency catchment area. Additionally, some of the programs sponsored by the Agency cover additional communities and regions based on grant/program requirements. New Opportunities, Inc. administers social service programs targeted for low-income and elderly communities. The agency's mission is to improve the quality of life for economically disadvantaged individuals by providing the necessary resources to increase their standard of living, foster self-improvement, maximize self-empowerment and increase economic self-sufficiency. Over 55 social service programs are administered by the Agency in the general areas of: Energy Assistance/Weatherization, Youth Development and Training, Drug/Alcohol Prevention, Nutrition/Food Assistance Programs, HIV/AIDS Residential, Case Management, Transportation, and Housing Services, Child Welfare and Family Services, Early Childhood Programs, Elder Services, Ex-offender Programs, and Homeless Shelter. Meriden: Overview Meriden was originally part of Wallingford. It was granted a separate meetinghouse in 1727, became a town in 1806, and incorporated as a city in 1867. It was named for the town of Meriden, West Midlands, England. The oldest house in town still standing, built by Solomon Goffe in 1711, is now a museum, the Solomon Goffe House. In the 1800s, Meriden earned the nickname “Silver City,” due to the large number of cutlery and related products which were manufactured here by companies such as International Silver and Meriden Cutlery. Meriden: Demographics Demographics: 2006 Meriden United States Population 59,468 299,398,484 >> Male 49% 49% >> Female 51% 51% Median age 38 years 36years Number of Households 23,355 71,787,347 Families below poverty level 9% 10% Individual below poverty level 11% 13% Since the 2000 census, the Meriden population as a whole has increased by 1224 people.

--US Census. 2006 ACS for US figures; CERC Town Profile.2007 for Meriden figures Population Race/Ethnicity

Meriden: Percentage US Percentage

White 77% 74%

African American 7% 12%

Asian 2% 4%

Hispanic or Latino 26% 15% --US Census. 2006 ACS for US figures; CERC Town Profile. 2007 for Meriden figures.


Meriden: Economic Estimated median household income in 2005: $47,400 (it was $43,237 in 2000) Meriden $47,400 Connecticut: $60,941

http://www.city-data.com/city/Meriden-Connecticut.html

Income Distribution in 1999 of Households and Families—2000 US Census (latest breakdown available) <<< Percentages rounded to closest whole number>>>

Families

Subject

Total Households

TotalFamilies

Married-couple

families

Female householder,

no husband Nonfamily

householdsTotal 22,958 15,087 10,880 3,263 7,871

PERCENT DISTRIBUTION Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Less than $10,000 9% 6% 3% 16% 18%$10,000 to $14,999 6% 4% 2% 9% 12%$15,000 to $24,999 12% 11% 7% 23% 17%$25,000 to $34,999 12% 11% 9% 16% 15%$35,000 to $49,999 17% 16% 15% 16% 19%$50,000 to $74,999 21% 25% 28% 12% 12%$75,000 to $99,999 12% 16% 20% 5% 4%$100,000 to $149,999 8% 10% 13% 2% 2%$150,000 to $199,999 1% 2% 2% 1% 0%$200,000 or more 1% 1% 2% 0% 0%

According to the Consumer Expenditure Comparison Report, the 2004 Average Household Annual Expenditures within a 10 minute drive from Main Street, Meriden was $51,236, with household income listed at $55,694. A detailed breakdown of expenses is located at this link: http://www.meridenbiz.com/FileManager/customer-files/76-Drivetime-Consumer-Expend.pdf -- CERC Consumer Expenditure Comparison Report. 1.2005 Meriden: Jobs and Wages Top five businesses in terms of revenue (2004): 1. Meriden Square, 2. Connecticut Light and Power, 3. Meriden Square Partnership, 4. Radio Frequency Systems, 5.Yankee Gas. --CERC Town Profile.2007 Top five employment sectors (2005): 1. Services; 2. Trade; 3. Manufacturing; 4. Transportation and Utilities; 5. Construction and Mining. --CERC Top five employers (2006): 1. SBC/SNET, 2. MidState Medical Center, 3.TI Automotive, 4. Hunters Ambulance, 5. Cuno, Inc. --CERC

-- Dept. of Labor, Office of Research, April 2006 --New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan

Employment in 2006 Meriden In the labor force 30,853 >> Employed 29,383 >> Unemployed 1,470 >> Unemployment rate 4.8


Note: income in this analysis could be from other sources than earnings. Even so, there is not enough money available to rent a two- bedroom apartment. See “Out of Reach”in the Housing section.

Income figure from Town Profiles.--New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan Meriden: Health HUSKY A—January, 2004 City Population <19 # Children Enrollees # Children on HUSKY A Meriden 15,743 6,389 41%

--2004 Connecticut KIDS COUNT Data Book: Family Economic Security The following data is taken from the New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan Divorce Rate: The Census 2000 reports that there are 3,479 families in Meriden with a female head of household with no husband present. This is 15.2% of the total families in Meriden and places the town 3.1% higher than the State of Connecticut average of 12.1%. The divorce rate in Meriden rose from 10% to 11% from 1990 to 2000. This percentage ranked Meriden 142nd out of the 169 cities and towns in Connecticut in terms of highest divorce rates. This percentage was 1.7% higher than the State of Connecticut average of 9.3%. Teen Pregnancy: According to a study conducted by the University of Arkansas, it was found that young women are more likely to become pregnant if they have low educational expectations and are not confident that they will graduate from High School.1 The study defines “internal poverty” as a person’s lack of internal resources such as attitudes and beliefs, which frames an individual’s expectations for success with many life options. This “internal poverty” is linked to an increased likelihood of teen pregnancy.2 In the study, future teen mothers exhibited an external placement of control, meaning they believed their lives were not controlled by themselves but by luck, fate, or powerful people.3 During 2003 there was a total of 83 births in Meriden of teenage mothers 19 and younger placing Meriden as the 2nd highest in the South Central Workforce Investment Area (Connecticut Department of Labor Workforce Investment Planning 2005).

NEW OPPORTUNITIES, INC. PRIMARY TOWNS

% BIRTHS TO TEEN MOTHERS (18 and younger)

% Very low BIRTHWEIGHT

%

Low BIRTHWEIGHT

% NONADEQUATE PRENATAL CARE

FETAL DEATHS

INFANT DEATHS

MERIDEN 3.0 1.1 8.2 27.2 9 5

The high rate of teenage pregnancies can also be related to the high incidence of infant death. This is the result of the tendency of teenage pregnancies for being high risk, resulting in low birth rates and premature infants. According to State of CT Provisional Vital Statistics 2003 the City of Meriden had a low birth weight rate of 8.2% compared with the State of Connecticut average of 7.6%. 27% of the mothers had non-adequate prenatal care; there were 9 fetal deaths and 5 infant deaths (an increase of 4 and 1 respectively from 2001). HIV/AIDS: According to the 2006 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Supplemental Report CDC, the State of Connecticut reported 9,871 persons living with HIV/AIDS. The racial composition of persons living with HIV/AIDS according to the State of Connecticut in 2006 is as follows: 35% white; 31% black; 32% Hispanic. As of December 2006, there were 181 accumulative reported cases of AIDS in Meriden, which was a decrease of 22 cases from 2005. The demographic breakdown of the current AIDS population in Meriden reflects the following: 37% White, 13% Black,

1 Coles, Clifton. “Teen Pregnancy and ‘Internal Poverty.’” The Futurist. January-February 2005. p.10. 2 Ibid 3 Ibid

Income analysis: Meriden Average per capita income $24,877 >>> Equals income per month $2073 >>> Equals income per week $482 >>> Equals income per hour at 40 hours $12.05


and 50% Hispanic, and 1% Other. The leading mode of transmission is injection drug use at 35% followed by heterosexual contact at 26%. During the year 2006 34% of the reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Connecticut were reported in females, a 6% increase from 2005. As of 2004, nationally only 13% of AIDS cases are women. The racial composition includes, 35% Caucasian, 33% African American, 32% Hispanic and 0.6% other (Connecticut AIDS Surveillance Program Report December 2004). Alcohol and Drug Abuse: As of FY 2005, The State of CT Dept. Mental Health and Addiction Services reported that a total of 39,048 alcohol and drug abusers were served by licensed treatment programs. This showed an 8% increase from 2003. During the fiscal year 2005, Meriden served 1,037 clients placing Meriden #2 in the South Central (WIA). Mental Retardation: As of June 2005 there was a total of 14,943 active mental retardation clients in the State of Connecticut. The town of Meriden has 370 active mental retardation clients as of June 2005. This places the town of Meriden 2nd in the South Central Regional Workforce Investment area in terms of number of clients. Meriden: Elderly According to the November 2005 Town Profile, there are 8,112 elderly persons age 65 and over living within the town of Meriden. This is a 1% decrease from the 2000 census. Similar to Waterbury, Meriden also has the same percentage of elderly as the State of Connecticut average of 14%. In Meriden, of the 6,306 people determined to be living in poverty, 578 were adults over the age of 65. --New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan The Meriden Senior Community Center is a 32,000 square foot air conditioned, handicapped accessible, municipal building located in the heart of downtown Meriden. The Senior Center is a hub for activities and services for older people, and a visible symbol of Meriden’s concern about its older residents. As a multipurpose senior center, it is a community facility in which older people can meet with one another to fulfill many of their social, physical, emotional and intellectual needs

http://www.cityofmeriden.org Meriden: Housing According to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, in 2006, there were 817 house sales recorded in Meriden, with a median price of $201,000. This is an $82,000 increase from the US Censes 1999 figure of $119,000. Here’s a distribution of house sales:

House Price Number of Sales Less than $100,000 37 $100,000 - $199,000 347 $200,000 - $299,000 382 $300,000 - $399,000 45 $400,000 or more 6

--CERC Town Profile, 2006

According to Census 2000 data there are 24,632 rental and homeownership units in Meriden, and 7% are vacant units. The average number of vacant housing units statewide is 6%. In the town of Meriden the percentage of owner occupied housing units is 60% while renter occupied units is 40%. This is below the State of Connecticut average, which shows 67% owner occupied and 33% renter occupied.

--New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan


A report entitled “Out of Reach” prepared by the National Low Income Housing Coalition concluded that for many families full time work does not provide enough income to afford a typical apartment. The Housing wage in Connecticut is $20.42 up $1.12 from 2005. This is the amount that a worker would have to earn per hour in order to be able to work 40 hours per week and afford a two-bedroom unit at the Fair Market Area rent cost. On average in Connecticut, someone earning the state minimum wage of $7.40 an hour would have to work 110 hours a week – 2 ¾ full-time jobs in order to afford a two-bedroom rental. This far exceeds the threshold number of 30% recognized by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

In the town of Meriden, the housing wage is $20.48/hr to afford a two-bedroom apartment while working only 40 hours per week. At the $20.48/hr wage, a worker’s annual salary for 40 hrs/wk would be $42,600. In Meriden, for 2006, the household income for all renters is $34,902, which is much lower than the $42,600 needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment. At minimum wage, renters must work 111 hours/week to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in the town of Meriden, or hold 2.8 jobs. In order to afford these rents, residents of Meriden on average devote 46 to 56% of their annual income to rent. This far exceeds the threshold number of 30% recognized by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

-- “Out of Reach”Report.2006.From --New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan Note: the minimum wage has since been raised in the state of Connecticut to $7.65/hr.

Meriden: Education

The Educational Attainment of People in Meriden, CT: 2000 Master’s or higher 6% Bachelor's degree 11%

Associate's degree 7% Some college, no degree 19%

High school diploma or equivalency 35% Less than high school diploma 22%

Percent of people 25 years and over

• In 2000, 77% of the 25 years and older population had a high school degree or higher. • 17% had a bachelor’s degree of higher. --US Census, 2000

Meriden School District: 2005-2006

• Meriden has 12 public schools and 6 non-public schools. • Percentage of students eligible for FRL in Meriden District, year: 2005-06: 57%; for the state: 27% • Number of K-12 students with non-English home language: 28%; for the state: 13%. • % of kindergarten students who attended preschool, nursery school, or Head Start: 86% (compared to

54% in 2000); for the state: 80% • District percent poverty: 57% • District percent minority: 56%

Ethnicity: • Asian: 2% • African American: 13% • Hispanic: 40% • White: 44% • Total minorities for 2005-06: 56%, compared to 46% in 2000-01. -- Connecticut Department of Education

The Meriden School District has been tagged by NCLB as “Not Achieved Adequate Yearly Progress: 2005 – 2006 (latest report available). Additionally, the district is identified as “In Need of Improvement,” which means it has not achieved the “Adequate Yearly Progress” status for at least the last two years. Mary Cortright is the Superintendent. -- Connecticut Department of Education


Meriden Schools: Achievement Gap Meriden Schools: Grade 4 (all % rounded to nearest whole number)

2006-2007 Grade 4 by Ethnicity

2006-2007 Grade 4 on FRL

% At/ above goal % At/ above proficient % At/

above goal

% At/ above

proficient

African- American


Hispanic White

Math 36% 58% 32% 35% 58% 55% 56% 79% Reading 24% 38% 28% 22% 50% 42% 36% 65%

Note: At or Above Goal: Goal is a standard set by Connecticut state educators regarding how they expect students to score. At or Above Proficiency: Standards aligned with the No Child Left Behind Program. Connecticut has 5 standards of scoring: Advanced= 5; Goal=4; Proficient=3; Basic=2; Remedial=1 --- www.cmtreports.org Meriden Schools: Grade 8

2006-2007 Grade 8 by Ethnicity

2006-2007 Grade 8 on FRL

% At/ above goal % At/ above proficient % At/

above goal

% At/ above

proficient

African- American


Hispanic White

Math 23% 50% 19% 21% 53% 42% 46% 80% Reading 33% 46% 27% 30% 65% 39% 43% 76%

--- www.cmtreports.org

District Data District

Meriden Connecticut

2006 Graduation Rate 91% 91% Cumulative 4- year drop out rate 7% 7% Expenditures per pupil: elementary and middle school $8,377 $9,062 Expenditures per pupil: HS $8,550 $9,640

-- Connecticut Department of Education Are the graduation rates for real? Here’s a comparison done in 2007 for school year 2004: Connecticut Graduation Rates Analysis June 2007 District 2004 CT‐SDE 2004 Education Week

Graduation Rate Graduation Rate Gap

Meriden 86% 67% 19 points http://www.conncan.org/matriarch/documents/ConnCAN_Grad_Rates_Comparison%281%29.pdf

Education Week’s Education Research Center calculates graduation rates using the Cumulative Promotion Index (CPI) method. The CPI represents graduating from high school as a process rather than a single event. Specifically, it captures the four key steps a student must take in order to graduate—three grade‐to‐grade promotions (9 to 10,10 to 11, and 11 to 12) and ultimately earning a diploma (grade 12 to graduation). The most recent year available is for the 2004 graduating class. By multiplying grade‐specific promotion ratios together, the CPI estimates the likelihood that a ninth grader will complete high school on time with a regular diploma, given the schooling conditions prevailing during a particular school year. The CPI counts only students receiving standard high school diplomas as graduates, following the definition of a graduate adopted by the No Child Left Behind Act. Graduation rates and other indictors presented in this report are created using data from the Common Core of Data (available online at nces.ed.gov/ccd). For more information, visit: maps.edweek.org. Quality of Education :2006

District

% of classes taught by highly qualified teachers

% of classes taught by not- highly qualified teachers

Professional staff with Master’s Degree or above

% of teachers with 2 years of less of experience

Average class size: K-12

# of students per teacher

Meriden 99% 1% 72% 17% 20 students 14


In the 2005 -06 school year, 30% of students in the Meriden district passed all 4 Physical Fitness Tests, compared to 36% for the state. — Meriden School District, Strategic School Profile. 2005-2006 Meriden: Poverty / Child Poverty Per capita income for Meriden residents in 2002 was $24,877, 37% lower than the overall State of Connecticut rate. The disturbing trend for the town of Meriden is that the poverty level has increased by 3.7% from 1990 to 2000. This number is more alarming due to the fact that the overall population in the town of Meriden decreased by 2.1% from 1990. Meriden ranks 158th out of 169 towns in Connecticut in terms of the poverty rate. The town experienced an 8% decrease in net income from 1990 to 2000, which ranked the town as part of the top ten highest decreases for net income in the State of Connecticut over the past decade.

--New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan Poverty Rates Meriden: 1999 (latest Census data available)

People age 65 and over 8% Related children under 18 years 18%

All families 9% Female householder families 26%

Percent below poverty level --US Census:2000 Poverty Status of Individuals in 1999: Poverty Level Number of individuals Percent of 2000 population (57,083) 50% of poverty level 3172 .6% 125% of poverty level 8466 15% 150% of poverty level 10,535 18% 185% of poverty level 13,686 24% 200% of poverty level 15,810 28%

--US Census:2000 Characteristics of Families in Poverty

45-5040-4535-4025-30 30-3520-2515-2010-155-100-5%

All Families

> Families w/ children

Married couples

> Married w/children

Female HH no spouse

> Female w/ children

Meriden: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months— 2000 Census

9%

14%

3%

5%

34%

Subject: Families

26%


Comparison between households working and working full time:

45-5040-4535-4025-30 30-3520-2515-205-100-5%

All Families

Married couples

Meriden : Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months— 2000 CensusFamilies: Householder Worked

2%

Female HH no spouse

Subject: HH worked 10-15

6%

20%

45-5040-4535-4025-30 30-3520-2515-205-100-5%

All Families

Married couples

Meriden: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months— 2000 CensusHouseholder Worked Full Time, Year-Round Past 12 Months

2%

1%

5% Female HH no spouse

HH worked full time 10-15

From the New Opportunities 2008 Community Action Plan: TANF: Another indicator of poverty is the number of persons who are currently receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Within the last year, there have decreases in the number of persons receiving TANF. The Connecticut Labor Department has reported the following number of TANF recipients for the primary towns served by New Opportunities, Inc. during 2005: Meriden- 1,474. The town of Meriden ranked #2 in the South Central Regional WIA. Medicade: In the South Central Regional WIA, Meriden ranked #2 in terms of increases of Medicaid recipients with 169 for a total of 11,391. Food Stamps: In Meriden there were 5,808 recipients of food stamps (an increase since 2003) placing Meriden 2nd in terms of cases and recipients in it’s workforce investment area. Homeless: In the State of Connecticut between October 2005 and September 2006 a total of 14,663 non-duplicated clients received emergency shelter services. Of these clients there was a total of 2,328 children who used emergency shelters. In the town of Meriden during the same time period 756 non-duplicated clients were served including 127 children. These numbers rank Meriden 6th highest in the State in terms of clients served.

(Department of Social Services Shelter Report for FY 2006) Meriden: Crime

City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime)

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Meriden 312 215 247 268 258 295 288 295 - www.citi-data.com

Population Violent crime Property crime Burglary Theft Meriden 59,560 222 2,111 433 1,463

-- www,.fbi.gov: Table 8: Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by city and state. 2005


Community Needs Assessment Results of a Needs Assessment survey of public officials (Mayor or designee) conducted by New Opportunities in 2006. 26 towns were represented in the survey. This represents the first part of a plan to then survey New Opportunity recipients of services and compare those results with this survey. Note: Not all town representatives answered all questions. Top 5 Greatly Needed Resources in the Community 1. Affordable Housing 58% 2. Dental Care 46% 2. Energy/ Fuel Assistance 27% 4. Transportation 23% 5. Alcohol- abuse/ drug prevention 23% Top 5 Moderately Needed Resources 1. Youth Employment Programs 69% 2. Access to Health Care 42% 3. Assistance for Handicapped 42% 4. Transportation 39% 5. Employment 31% Top 3 Barriers Preventing your Family from Receiving Services 1. Reluctant to Ask for Help 42% 2. Don’t Know where Services Are 35% 3. Not Aware of Existing Services 35% Top 5 Greatest Challenges Families Face in Your Community 1. Affordable Housing 73% 2. Affordable health Care 35% 3. Transportation 31% 4. Employment 27% 5. Eldercare 27% Top 5 Community Strengths 1. Recreation for Youth and Families 73% 2. Education 65% 3. Church and Religious Involvement 50% 4. Support for Families 39% 5. Safety 35% Meriden Greatly Needed Moderately Needed Barriers to

Receiving Services

Challenges That Families Face

Community Strengths

Affordable Housing, Alcohol-abuse/drug prevention, Assistance with Job Search, Affordable Dental Care, Employment, Energy Fuel Assistance, Job Training, Mental Health Counseling, Mentoring for youth, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Access to Health Care, After school childcare, Before School child Care, Budget/credit counseling, ESL, Foster Care, Furniture Consignment, Legal Aid, Literacy Programs, Prevention of Child and Domestic Abuse, Substance Abuse Treatment, Teen Pregnancy Counseling, Transportation, Youth Employment

Don’t qualify for services, Wait lists too long, Staff doesn’t speak our families language

Single Parent Families with challenges, Physical Health – obesity in children, Mental Health – affordable insurance

Recreation, Church/ Religious Involvement, Education


605331278

251351203

7. Gendera. Male 23141 a. One 2413b. Female 36949 b. Two 681TOTAL* 60090 c. Three 679

8. Age d. Four 458a. 0-5 2063 e. Five 257b. 6-11 865 f. Six 97c. 12-17 2898 g. Seven 10d. 18-23 824 h. Eight or More 309e. 24-44 2628 TOTAL*** 4904f. 45-54 3795g. 55-69 977 26539h. 70+ 2187 284TOTAL* 16237 b. No Income 39

9. Ethnicity/Race c. TANF 638a. Black/Not Hispanic 9838 d. SSI 1237b. White/Not Hispanic 31517 e. Social Security 11012c. Hispanic Origin 16072 f. Pension 3250d. Native American/Alaskan 126 g. General Assistance 11130e. Asian/Pacific Islander 302 h. Unemployment Insurance 527f. Other 987 i. Employment + other sources 116TOTAL* 58842 j. Employment only 1065

10. Education k. Other 295a. 0-8 1450b. 9-12/non graduates 4533c. high school grad/GE 9465d. 12+ some post secondary 2066 15. Level of Family Incomee. 2 or 4 yr college graduate 1231 a. Up to 50% 6430TOTAL** 18745 b. 51% - 75% 2243

11. Other Characteristics c. 76% - 100% 1494# of per # surveyed d. 101% - 125% 4104

a. Health Insurance 4671 654 e. 126% -150% 4220b. Disabled 471 654 f. 151% and over 2770

12. Family Type TOTAL*** 21261a. Single parent/female 6595 16. Housingb. Single parent/male 433 a. Own 7399c. Two-parent household 3117 b. Rent 13859d. Single person 7948 c. Homeless 76e. Two adults/no children 1866 d. Other 1105f. Other 905 TOTAL*** 22439TOTAL*** 20864

# of Families***# of Families***

# of Persons*

# of persons 24+**

# of Families***

# of Persons *

14. Source of Family Income # of Familiesa. Unduplicated # of Families

one or more source of income ***

# of Persons* 13. Family Size # of Families***

# of Persons*

3. Total Unduplicated number of persons about whom one or more characteristics were obtained4. Total unduplicated # of persons about whom no characteristics were obtained5. Total unduplicated number of families about whom one or more characteristics were obtained6. Total unduplicated # of families about whom no characteristics were obtained

Part I: Section G: Client Characteristics

1. Name of Agency Reporting New Opportunities 2. Total resources in agency reporting, including CSBG

M o u n t a i n C o n s u l t i n g 928.443.8627

Documents

Poverty Data Report Meriden, CT. - New Opportunities Inc · 2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines Persons in Family or Household 48 Contiguous ... • entrepreneurial • understands and engaged