PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Poverty grows in suburbs, but social services don't keep up

2010-10-07
(Press-News.org) VIDEO: University of Chicago Professor Scott Allard talks about the problems the poor face in getting help in the suburbs.
Click here for more information.

Poverty has grown in America's suburbs during the recent economic downturn, but poor people in many suburban communities are finding it hard to get the help they need, a report by University of Chicago researchers shows.

"Many suburbs have seen significant expansion in the number of poor persons over the last several years, yet few of the suburban communities have a social services infrastructure in place to address the challenges this increased poverty poses," said Scott Allard, Associate Professor in the School of Social Service Administration at the University.

Allard and Benjamin Roth, a graduate student at SSA, are the authors of a report, "Suburbs in Need: Rising Suburban Poverty and Challenges for Suburban Safety Nets," prepared for the Brookings Institution, to be released Thursday, Oct. 7. For the study, the researchers examined census data, records from the Internal Revenue Service and interviewed representatives of social service agencies in suburban Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

The authors focused on these specific metropolitan areas because they provide a diverse set of suburban communities with different levels of poverty and social service support. Focusing on three metro areas also allowed the authors to follow a large set of nonprofit service providers over the course of a year. The experiences of low-income people in the suburbs of these three metro areas are quite similar to the experiences of low-income people in other suburban areas across the country, Allard said.

The study is one of the first comprehensive looks at suburban safety nets and poverty during the recession. The majority of poverty research focuses on concentrated urban poverty.

Poverty rates remain higher in urban areas than suburban areas (18.2 percent versus 9.5 percent), but the number of poor in the suburbs has grown considerably as the overall population of the suburbs grows.

Poverty rates also grew quickly in the suburbs of the largest metropolitan areas during the 2000s, and by 2008, the number of suburban poor exceeded the number of city poor in the largest metro areas by 1.5 million. The report found that several suburban counties outside Chicago experienced more than 30 percent increases in the number of poor residents from 2000 to 2008, as did portions of counties in suburban Maryland and northern Virginia.

As in the city, poverty also is concentrated in certain areas of the suburbs, with some communities having high concentrations of poverty while nearby communities are more affluent. Suburbs also vary greatly in their number of immigrants and minority populations. For example, while several suburban Los Angeles municipalities are predominantly Hispanic and a handful of Chicago suburbs have sizeable Hispanic populations, many Washington, D.C. suburbs have substantial black and Asian populations as well.

Although the collapse of the housing market and high unemployment are driving demand for help, many of the people seeking assistance have jobs. They are among the working poor who have seen their hours and earnings cut in the last few years. "Forty-five percent of providers report substantial increases in the number of clients coming from households where one or both adults are working but cannot earn enough to make ends meet," Allard said.

The researchers also found that a major impact of the ¬Great Recession has been an increase in the number of people coming, for the first time, to seek help from social service agencies. "Almost three-quarters of suburban nonprofits are seeing more clients with no previous connection to safety net programs," Allard said.

The social service agencies, which provide emergency food and housing relief, job training, help with health care and other assistance to low-income populations, were often not well-positioned to respond to the increase in poverty, the report showed.

"Suburban safety nets rely on relatively few social service organizations, and those few organizations tend to stretch operations across much larger service delivery areas than their urban counterparts," Allard said. The study found that 60 percent of the agencies administered programs in more than one community, which led to fragmentation in the services that agencies could provide because they had to deal with different sets of municipal leaders.

The study also found great variation in the number of social service agencies for given populations of poor people. In suburban Chicago, Evanston had one social service agency per 344 poor residents in the community, while nearby Skokie had one social service agency per 1,299 poor residents.

A major problem for social service providers has been low funding, and that will continue as the economy slowly recovers. Both California and Illinois have massive deficits that limit the prospect for state support of social service agencies. Additionally, philanthropic support has declined, Allard said.

"Almost half of suburban nonprofits surveyed reported a loss in a key revenue source last year, with more funding cuts anticipated in the year to come. Nearly 30 percent nonprofits have laid off full-time and part-time staff," Allard said. As a result, the poor are put on waiting lists for the help they need.

Despite such challenges, the work of nonprofits serving the poor in the suburbs is needed now more than before, and deserves support, Allard said.

"As is true for cities and rural places, the nonprofit social service sector in suburbs can help these communities alleviate the worst economic and social impacts of the current downturn and future increases in poverty," Allard said.

"Promoting stronger region-wide providers and better engaging charitable foundations in metropolitan safety net planning represent important strategies for strengthening suburban social services infrastructure."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Study links large waist size to higher diabetes rates among Americans

2010-10-07
A higher rate of diabetes seen among adult Americans when compared to peers in England is explained primarily by a larger waist size rather than conventional risk factors such as obesity, according to a new study by researchers from the RAND Corporation, University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London. Researchers say the findings offer more evidence that accumulating fat around the mid-section poses a health risk and suggests that studies of diabetes risk should emphasize waist size along with traditional risk factors. "Americans carry more ...

Americans' life expectancy continues to fall behind other countries'

2010-10-07
New York, NY, October 7, 2010—The United States continues to lag behind other nations when it comes to gains in life expectancy, and commonly cited causes for our poor performance—obesity, smoking, traffic fatalities, and homicide—are not to blame, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study published today as a Health Affairs Web First. The study, by Peter Muennig and Sherry Glied at Columbia University, looked at health spending; behavioral risk factors like obesity and smoking; and 15-year survival rates for men and women ages 45 and 65 in the U.S. and 12 other ...

On September 23, 2010 DVDLink.ca Shipped Its 300,000 Disc

2010-10-07
G.Sran is pleased to announce the http://www.DVDLink.ca shipped its 300,000 disc on September 23, 2010. The phenomenal popularity and growth of DVDLink since its inception in 2008, has made it one of the largest online Movies and Games rental providers in Canada. When interviewed Mr. G.Sran stated, "I am extremely proud that we have shipped 300,000 discs today! DVDLink.ca serves over 11,000 customers all over Canada. I want to thank our 11,000+ and growing customers for making us one of the top rental company in Canada. Our goal remains focused on the needs and desires ...

What is Roxy Offering for Spring- 2011?

2010-10-07
Roxy, today is a way of life for many. The brand has always been associated with surf culture. This year, we saw Roxy take advantage of its successful surfing clothes and come up with a number of products that included flip flops and even bed linen. The fall/winter collection also saw the latest in hoodies and sweaters. Their clothes as we all know range from the basic surf wear for sport and style to even vintage inspired sport wear. "This year's surf expo was a huge success. We're super excited about the upcoming surf clothing lines for 2011. The Roxy clothing ( http://www.ripyard.com/m-11-roxy.aspx ...

Australia Online Pet Store to Launch New Designs of Dog Kennel, Rabbit Hutch and Chicken Coop

2010-10-07
As part of its commitment to providing high quality yet affordable pet products, Petitude, the FUN and VALUE online pet store is off to launch fresh selections of dog kennels, rabbit hutches and chicken coops that Australia-based pet owners will surely love. One of the best ways that pet owners can show their love to their pets is to provide them the best shelter. For dog owners, being able to find the most comfortable and secured dog kennel for their precious pooch is a must. Not only can they ensure the safety of their dog buddy but they can also make their "best friend" ...

New Mirror Invention Revolutionizes Safe Driving

2010-10-07
Maxi View, the world's best blind spot mirror offers a solution to a problem we all face; the dangerous blind spot. Maxi View Mirrors, as featured on QVC, experienced rave reviews and over 1 million dollars in mirror sales! Maxi View Mirrors dramatically increase driving safety to fleets, passenger cars, SUV's, trucks, and motorcycles. More than 400,000 vehicle accidents occur each year due to vehicle blind spot related mishaps. Lane change accidents damage more than 800,000 vehicles and injure or kill more than 160,000 people each and every year! Maxi View Mirrors ...

InSomnis Enterprises announces the launch of the Infinity Windows of Long Islands new state-of-the-art CMS driven website.

2010-10-07
InSomnis Enterprises today unveiled the newly designed CMS driven infinityli.com. Infinity Windows of Long Island provides state-of the-art replacement windows, doors, siding and expert installation. They offer top quality products that make homes more energy efficient. Serving all of Long Island, New York and New York City they are the premier replacement window, door and siding contractor. Infinity Windows of Long Island came to InSomnis looking for an updated, clean and stylish redesign of their existing site, as well as a complete restructuring of their content and ...

Homeschool Best Option for More and More Families With Special Needs Children

2010-10-07
Do a little research about the reasons so many parents with special needs children are choosing to educate their children at home, and you'll discover that most are doing so out of a sense of desperation rather than religious convictions or the pursuit of higher academic achievement. "Parents of children with special needs often turn to homeschooling only as a last resort," according to Lisa Rivero, author of The Homeschooling Option: How to Decide When It's Right for Your Family. And the popularity of this trend is not limited to families with disabled kids; parents ...

Illini Prosthetics Bring Upper Limb Prosthetics to Amputees Around the world

2010-10-07
Amputees from around the world have lost limbs to accidents and disease but do not have access to the upper extremity prosthetic devices that could help restore functionality to their lives. In addition to funding concerns, it is difficult to transport prosthetic devices to third world countries. A group of engineering students at the University of Illinois is working to remedy this. The mission of Illini Prosthetics is to provide affordable prosthetic arms to amputees in the developing world. Originally a group of independent students, Illini Prosthetics has evolved ...

SINFULLY THEATRICAL FASHION SHOW INVADES COLUMBUS

2010-10-07
Lauren Luna launches "The Se7en Deadly Sins" official runway event displaying a series of tantalizing fashion pumps originated from The Worlds Seven Deadly Sins. The one of-a-kind, star-studded fashion show brings together on the runway, Lauren Luna LTD in conjunction with The Columbus College Of Art and Design. Proven to be an eclectic showcase of upscale designs. Made possible by Utrecht Art Supplies, including sponsors such as WS2, Phia Salon, The Perfect Image PR and Sugar Ray, in benefit to raise 5000.00 for The Simon Kent Council and Boys Scouts Of America. The ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Study outlines key role of national and EU policy to control emissions from German hydrogen economy

Beloved Disney classics convey an idealized image of fatherhood

Sensitive ceramics for soft robotics

Trends in hospitalizations and liver transplants associated with alcohol-induced liver disease

Spinal cord stimulation vs medical management for chronic back and leg pain

Engineered receptors help the immune system home in on cancer

How conflicting memories of sex and starvation compete to drive behavior

Scientists discover ‘entirely unanticipated’ role of protein netrin1 in spinal cord development

Novel SOURCE study examining development of early COPD in ages 30 to 55

NRL completes development of robotics capable of servicing satellites, enabling resilience for the U.S. space infrastructure

Clinical trial shows positive results for potential treatment to combat a challenging rare disease

New research shows relationship between heart shape and risk of cardiovascular disease

Increase in crisis coverage, but not the number of crisis news events

New study provides first evidence of African children with severe malaria experiencing partial resistance to world’s most powerful malaria drug

Texting abbreviations makes senders seem insincere, study finds

Living microbes discovered in Earth’s driest desert

Artemisinin partial resistance in Ugandan children with complicated malaria

When is a hole not a hole? Researchers investigate the mystery of 'latent pores'

ETRI, demonstration of 8-photon qubit chip for quantum computation

Remote telemedicine tool found highly accurate in diagnosing melanoma

New roles in infectious process for molecule that inhibits flu

Transforming anion exchange membranes in water electrolysis for green hydrogen production

AI method can spot potential disease faster, better than humans

A development by Graz University of Technology makes concreting more reliable, safer and more economical

Pinpointing hydrogen isotopes in titanium hydride nanofilms

Political abuse on X is a global, widespread, and cross-partisan phenomenon, suggests new study

Reintroduction of resistant frogs facilitates landscape-scale recovery in the presence of a lethal fungal disease

Scientists compile library for evaluating exoplanet water

Updated first aid guidelines enhance care for opioid overdose, bleeding, other emergencies

Revolutionizing biology education: Scientists film ‘giant’ mimivirus in action

[Press-News.org] Poverty grows in suburbs, but social services don't keep up