Increasing sub-urban poverty strains local resources

Outlying counties affected

Jon Boyd, Oct 25, 10.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Houston area may be following the nationwide trend of increasing poverty rates in the suburbs, according to a story by Renee C. Lee of the Houston Chronicle. Social assistance agencies in outlying Houston-area counties such as Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Montgomery are receiving more calls than previous years, and some lack the resources to keep pace with demand, the Chronicle story says:

A year ago, Montgomery County Emergency Assistance went from three to five phone lines to handle a surge of calls from people needing help with rent, utilities and food. Still, more than 3,000 calls a day never get through because the lines stay busy.

Of the hundreds of callers who can get through each day, only 30 get an appointment with a case worker.

“We can only help 1 percent of those calls,” said executive director David Hwa. “It’s a direct reflection of the community need and what’s not being met because I don’t have enough resources.”

The Conroe social service agency, like many nonprofits in Houston’s outlying areas, is feeling strained as more people in the suburbs fall into poverty. Some agencies in Montgomery, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Galveston counties have seen the number of clients nearly double over the past year, and they continue to climb, agency workers said.

“We’re overwhelmed,” Hwa said.

Many of the people pouring into the nonprofits are single mothers, grandparents caring for their grandchildren and families with children, agency workers said. A growing number are first-time clients whose finances are stretched to the limit. Some are employed, but reduced wages or hours have made it impossible to make ends meet. Others have lost their jobs and have survived for months on savings or unemployment benefits until the money ran out.

The trend is happening elsewhere across the country, including the Chicago and Washington, D.C., areas. Since 2008, poverty rates have increased at a faster pace in the suburbs and rural communities than in large cities, according to a recent study by the Brookings Institution, a public policy group based in Washington. And many outlying areas don’t have adequate resources to meet the burgeoning need, the report said.

That’s partly because of the explosive growth of the suburbs over the past decade as people left the cities for cheaper housing, better schools and safer neighborhoods. Many suburbs experienced a steady increase in poverty during that time. But the current recession, with its vast job losses, has pushed poverty numbers even higher, creating challenges for nonprofits, the report said.

Fewer places to turn
Outlying areas generally have a smaller safety net of social service agencies than cities, so people have fewer places to turn for help. Also, many suburban agencies cover a larger geographical area than their urban counterparts, which means access can be a problem for some.

None of the social service agencies in counties surrounding Houston interviewed has had to reduce services or cut staff, but funding is a major concern as federal and state grants dry up and donations decline.

Montgomery County Emergency Assistance is fortunate to have seen its annual budget for direct assistance increase over the last two years from $800,000 to $2.3 million, enabling it to serve more people. But Hwa said he fears the budget may shrink next year if a grant designated to help low-income seniors and disabled people is cut.

Helping Hands, which serves communities in west Fort Bend County, always has relied solely on local donations to feed and clothe the needy, said executive director Nancy Brown. Seeking financial support is a never-ending task that has become more difficult because everyone is hurting, she said.

The nonprofit helps residents of Richmond, Kendleton and Rosenberg. About 90 percent of its clients live below the federal poverty rate, she said. The poverty rate for a family of four is an annual income of $22,050.
The percentage of people living below the poverty level in Fort Bend County improved slightly from 2008 to 2009, according to the one-year counts by the U.S. Census. However, the Houston area felt the recession’s sting much later than other U.S. areas, and social service agencies in Fort Bend report that 2010 is looking worse.