Briefassessmentfindings (filename)
Key Findings
2014 Community Needs Assessment
Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority
February 5, 2015
Introduction
Between July and October 2014, Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority (DCEA) conducted a comprehensive assessment of the needs of low-income residents in its service area and of the overall needs and assets of the communities served. Participants in the survey included community residents and DCEA’s clients, program staff, partners, and board of directors. The assessment covered all counties in DCEA’s service area. Tennessee counties served by DCEA’s Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) programs are Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Monroe, and Sevier. Non-CSBG counties in Tennessee are Anderson, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Morgan, Overton, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, Washington, and White. Non-CSBG counties in Kentucky are Harlan and Bell. A complete assessment report describing the needs of the communities in detail is available. The section which follows summarizes the causes and conditions of poverty in DCEA’s service area and key findings of the community assessment.
Top Needs
Top needs identified by program staff, DCEA’s partners, the community at large, DCEA’s clients, and DCEA’s board members are listed on the following pages.
Top Needs Identified by Participants in the Assessment Process
DCEA Program Staff / PartnersJobs that match the skills of low-income clients
Full-time, year-round jobs
Job training for youth and adults in high demand occupations, with a focus on “soft” employability and workplace skills
Affordable housing, including improved accessibility features in senior housing
Convenient transportation to educational/training programs and work
Help with gas costs and vehicle repairs
Additional affordable child care, especially for infants and toddlers
More efficient, effective information and referral services
Mental health and substance abuse treatment, including in-patient programs
Financial management education
Life skills, character development education/motivation to be self-sufficient
Additional English Language Learner programs
Writing skills instruction for youth and adults
Additional afterschool programs in middle and high schools / Substance abuse treatment programs
Transportation
Adult education
Jobs paying family supporting wages
Jobs suitable for the educational and skill levels of low-income residents
Improved workplace skills
Financial literacy/money management education
Programs that teach people to become self-sufficient (habits, ways of thinking, problem solving, goal setting and planning)
Top Needs, continued
Community-at-Large / ClientsAffordable health insurance
Jobs paying family supporting wages and offering benefits, including paid sick leave
Help with home energy costs
Affordable housing for families and seniors
Job training programs for adults and youth
Teen pregnancy prevention programs
Meal delivery for homebound seniors
Programs that feed infants, children, and youth
Substance abuse treatment programs
Child care for infants and toddlers
Money management programs for children, youth, and adults
Programs that teach people to become self-sufficient
Public transportation operating more hours of the day
Help paying for homes
Crisis services
Advice about enrolling in postsecondary education / Affordable dental care
Affordable medical care
Affordable housing
Help with home energy costs
Food assistance
Mortgage/rental assistance
Help finding a job
Basic education (Adult Basic Education, GED/HiSET, English as a Second Language)
More preschool education options
Help paying for gas
Help enrolling in college or technical school
Top Needs, continued
Board MembersAttracting more employers to the counties
Jobs paying family supporting wages
Convenient, reliable transportation for the elderly
Job training/placement programs for low-income youth and adults
Programs to help at-risk youth complete high school and enroll in postsecondary education and/or obtain a job
Parenting skills programs
Substance abuse prevention and treatment services
Helping current employers create jobs
Teaching people how to become self-sufficient
Teen pregnancy prevention programs
Career preparation programs in elementary, middle, and high school
Programs to help ex-juvenile offenders complete their education, make restitution, and obtain jobs
Programs that help ex-adult offenders become good citizens
Affordable housing for families and seniors
More and better transportation options
Programs to improve adult literacy and numeracy leading to a GED or HiSET credential
Root Causes of Poverty in DCEA’s Communities
Root causes of poverty in the communities served were identified as employment-related (lack of employment, less than full-time year-round employment, mismatch of residents’ skills with skills required by employers); education-related (low educational attainment levels and poor literacy or numeracy skills regardless of educational level attained, lack of knowledge about educational opportunities and financial aid, inadequate academic preparation for college, inability to juggle work and school, lack of social/emotional skills required for success in college); income-related (lack of jobs paying enough to support a family, lack of income from any source that is sufficient to meet the basic needs of life, inability to manage money wisely);andpersonalbarriersto self-sufficiency (substance abuse, mental health challenges, disability, poor attitudes toward work, lack of workplace and life skills, teen pregnancy, lack of child care and transportation, poor parenting skills, ex-offender status, poverty in childhood).
Population: The population of the CSBG counties is 308,881. All counties experienced population growth from 2000 to 2013, with Sevier County reporting the largest growth (28%) and Cocke County the lowest (6%). The population of the non-CSBG counties is 1,713,220. All non-CSBG counties with the exception of three experienced population growth. Growth ranged from a low of 3% in Unicoi County, Tennessee to a high of 17% in Putnam County, Tennessee. Harlan County, Kentucky had the largest population loss (-12.7%). The other counties that lost population were Bell County, Kentucky (-5%) and Hancock County, Tennessee (-.72%). Population loss stems from a decline in major employers, such as the mining industry in Kentucky. Some of the population gains in Putnam County are the result of job growth in the automotive parts manufacturing industry.
Race and Ethnicity
Race/Ethnic Group / CSBG Counties / Non-CSBG CountiesWhite / 95.52% / 93.08%
Black / 2% / 4.18%
Other races combined / 2.48% / 2.75%
Mixed race / 1.62% / 1.51%
Hispanic / 4.5% / 2.3%
Poverty: In the CSBG counties, an estimated 57,987 persons live below the poverty level. In the non-CSBG counties, 331,260 persons live in poverty.
Increase in Poverty: Between 2010 and 2013, poverty in the CSBG counties increased by 4.5%, while in the non-CSBG counties, the rate increased by 5.7%.
Hispanic Population: The Hispanic population is growing in all counties. In 2011, 16,495 persons of Hispanic origin lived in the CSBG counties. The two counties with the largest Hispanic population are Hamblen (6,911) and Sevier (4,880). In the non-CSBG counties, the Hispanic population totaled 51,586. Knox County has the largest Hispanic population (16,824).
Poverty Rates: Age, Gender, Race/Ethnicity in the Counties ServedAge / CSBG / Non-CSBG / United States
All ages / 18.8% / 19.8% / 15.8%
0-17 / 29.6% / 26.9% / 22.2%
0-4 / 33.8% / 33.4% / 25.9%
5-17 / 27% / 24.6% / 20.8%
18-24 / 27% / 30% / 19%
65/older / 10.8% / 10.3% / 9.4%
Gender / 17.03% male
20.1% female / 17.5% male
20.12% female / 14.1% male
16.6% female
Race / 27.4% Black
18.21% White / 32.95% Black
17.88% White / 27.1% Black
12.5% White
Ethnicity Hispanic / 35.7% / 40.73% / 24.7%
Poverty Rates for Female Heads of Households (No Husband Present): CSBG Counties: 42%. Non-CSBG Counties: 44%. U.S. 52%.
CSBG Counties: Cocke County has the highest poverty rate in the CSBG Counties (24.7%). Sevier County has the lowest (16.5%). Cocke County’s children are the poorest – 41.1% live in poverty. Jefferson County has the lowest childhood poverty rate (26.5%). Cocke County has the highest poverty rate for youth ages 18-24 (34%). Monroe County has the lowest youth poverty rate (20%). Cocke County has the highest poverty rate for seniors (14.4%); Sevier County has the lowest (8.6%). Hispanics in Cocke County have the highest poverty rate (39.7%). Grainger County has the lowest rate for Hispanics (15.6%). Jefferson County has the highest poverty rate for Black/African-Americans (43.1%). Monroe County has the lowest (17.1%). The highest percentage of female headed households are in Hamblen County (51.3%); the lowest in Monroe County (26.4%).
Non-CSBG Counties: Bell County, Kentucky has the highest poverty rate in the non-CSBG Counties (35.7%). Blount County, Tennessee has the lowest (13.7%). Bell County’s children are the poorest – 35.7% live in poverty. Loudon County, Tennessee has the lowest childhood poverty rate (14.2%). Harlan County, Kentucky has the highest poverty rate for youth ages 18-24 (51%). Rhea, Roane, and Blount in Tennessee have the lowest youth poverty rates (19%). Hancock County, Tennessee has the highest poverty rate for seniors (30.8%); Loudon County, Tennessee has the lowest (6.4%). Hispanics in Hancock County, Tennessee have the highest poverty rate (100%). Campbell County, Tennessee has the lowest (18.78%). Polk County, Tennessee has the highest poverty rate for Black/African-Americans (91%). Union County, Tennessee has the lowest (0%). The highest percentage of female headed households are in Rhea County, Tennessee (55.8%); the lowest in Loudon County, Tennessee (32%).
Employment
Unemployment rates in CSBG and non-CSBG counties are consistently higher than the national rate. In September 2014, 6.9% of the labor force in the CSBG Counties and 6.4% in the non-CSBG counties were unemployed, compared to 5.8% in the U.S. In the service counties many low-skilled workers with only a high school credential are employed in the retail trade and manufacturing industries. For the most part, wages in the service counties are lower than the state average for the same industry. For example, retail trade employees in Grainger County earn on average $21,118 per year, while retail workers in other parts of Tennessee earn $27,692. In Hamblen County, manufacturing workers earn an average of $44,157 a year. Manufacturing workers in other counties in the state earn $52,915. Many employers are reluctant to hire ex-offenders and people with disabilities.
Education
In DCEA’s service area, over 52% of jobs in the future will require at least some postsecondary education. A two or four-year college degree has the potential to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Currently only 7.8% of adults in DCEA’s CSBG counties have a bachelor’s degree (compared to 15.2% in Tennessee), while 5.9% have an associate’s degree (compared to 6.2% in Tennessee). 13.8% of adults in non-CSBG counties have a bachelor’s degree (compared to 12.5% in Kentucky and 15.2% in Tennessee). 6.7% have an associate’s degree (compared to 6.9% in Kentucky and 6.2% in Tennessee). Increasingly, certificate or apprenticeship programs requiring less than two years of postsecondary training are viewed as pathways out of poverty provided that the training is directly connected to placement in a high demand occupation in the local area. Statistical information from the states’ educational agencies reveal that the majority of low income high school graduates are inadequately prepared for college. A little over one-fifth of adults age 25 and older in the service counties have not earned a high school diploma or equivalent credential.
Income
DCEA clients who work earn the minimum wage ($7.25/hour) or little more than the minimum wage. Family-supporting wages are the hourly wages families need to be able to pay for basic food, child care, medical and dental care, housing, transportation, and other household expenses without receiving public benefits. The required annual income and hourly wage for a family with two adults (one adult is presumed to be working) and one child in CSBG and non-CSBG counties ranges from $16.00 an hour to a little over $17 an hour (MIT,Living WageCalculator, 2014). Seniors living only on Social Security or Supplemental Security Income need safe, affordable housing that is kept in good repair and convenient transportation to medical and community services.
Food Insecurity
Assessments reveal that many low-income seniors and children are food insecure. Poor seniors need improved access to food assistance programs, including home-delivered meals or congregate meal programs. Hungry children need year-round access to nutritious meals. Low-income parents need to acquire budgeting, nutrition education, and healthy meals preparation skills. Both seniors and low-income families with children need to make more effective use of all sources of food assistance.
Housing
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, rental housing (at fair market rates) in DCEA’s service area is not affordable to people with low incomes. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency reports a severe shortage of public and other government-assisted rental housing in all of DCEA’s service counties in Tennessee.
Personal Barriers to Self-Sufficiency
Welfare to work programs have long acknowledged the role personal barriers play in impeding gainful employment by low-income individuals. DCEA’s assessments of program staff, partners, clients, community members, and board members identified various personal barriers to employment and self-sufficiency, including substance abuse, mental health challenges, disability, absence of a strong work ethic, deficient interpersonal skills required for success at work, lack of affordable child care, teen pregnancy, poor life and/or parenting skills, lack of transportation, and ex-offender status. Some personal barriers may stem from the experience of childhood poverty.
Early Poverty
Assessment results confirm that early poverty is often a predictor for life-long economic disadvantage. Early poverty is a severe problem in DCEA’s service area, with 29.8% of children in CSBG counties and 26.3% of children in non-CSBG counties living in poverty. In the U.S., the childhood poverty rate is 22.6%. Early poverty is also associated with other adverse circumstances, such as exposure to violence, parental substance abuse and mental illness, and child abuse, which can lead to high levels of toxic stress in children and subsequent lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and mental and physical health. Childhood poverty is strongly associated with teen parenthood.
Disability
A little over half of clients served by DCEA report having a disability. The following table reveals that people with a disability in the CSBG counties have much lower workforce participation rates and much higher poverty rates than people without a disability.
People with Disabilities Age 16 and Older: Work and Poverty
Area / With a Disability / No DisabilityCounty / Poverty Rate / % Not in Labor Force / Poverty Rate / % Not in labor Force
Cocke / 32.7% / 77.4% / 19.1% / 33.4%
Hamblen / 23% / 79.6% / 16.5% / 29.7%
Jefferson / 25.6% / 70.2% / 13.5% / 30.8%
Monroe / 25.7% / 79.2% / 14.4% / 35.1%
Sevier / 20.3% / 67.5% / 10.6% / 24.9%
Source: ACS, 2009-2013. Note: ACS data for Grainger County is not available for this topic.
In the six CSBG counties, an estimated 4,649 individuals between the ages of 18 and 34 have one or more disabilities. In the non-CSBG counties, 27,359 persons age 18 to 34 report at least one disability. Because having a disability frequently results in a lack of employment and poverty, children of parents with a disability face multiple obstacles to their own self-sufficiency as they grow up.
Services That Are Essential for Employment of Low-Income Workers
Safe, reliable, affordable, and convenient child care and transportation options are needed to help move low-income individuals to work. The overwhelming majority of DCEA program staff identified a need for additional licensed child care slots, with a focus on infant and toddler care, and for increases in state/federal child care subsidies for low-income working parents. All program staff identified a need to expand current transportation options (reimbursement for fuel costs, federally subsidized rural public transit service) to include affordable services offered seven days a week, on holidays, and during expanded hours each day of the week to accommodate the schedules of shift workers. Affordable, easily accessible medical and dental care were identified as top needs. All counties in DCEA’s service area lack an adequate supply of dentists and primary care physicians (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, County Health Rankings, 2014).
Basic Needs Come First
Assessment results reveal that basic needs must be met to enable individuals and families to begin the journey to self-sufficiency. Low-income individuals need to be able to put nutritious food on the table; to have a reliable source of transportation to work, school, and necessary services; and to possess sound emotional and physical health with reliable access to medical and dental care and to mental health and substance abuse treatment services. When these needs are met, low-income clients are better prepared to take advantage of the educational, employment, and personal development opportunities that will lead to family stability and permanent self-sufficiency.
Building on Strengths in the Community and Within DCEA
Partners in the Communities: The assessment identified key service providers for low-income residents working toward self-sufficiency. DCEA partners with a comprehensive range of service providers in all counties, including employment and job training providers (Workforce Investment Act Career Centers); transportation providers (the Human Resource Agencies); educational institutions (K-12, community colleges, four-year colleges, postsecondary vocational/technical educational institutions, and adult education); medical, social services, and other providers in the Aging Network; basic needs providers (agencies and organizations delivering welfare to work services, food assistance, children’s services, mental health/substance abuse treatment, services for those with special needs, medical and dental health prevention and treatment services, and public and assisted housing); economic development agencies; and employers. All programs and board members identified faith-based organizations, other anti-poverty organizations, and community-based and business organizations as key assets in addressing basic needs, reducing poverty, and expanding economic and educational opportunities for low-income residents in the service area. All stakeholders recognized the need to help prepare unemployed or underemployed residents for jobs that are in high demand in the service area.