POVERTY IN SPOKANE:
1980 AND 1990 CENSUS DATA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

by

Edward F. Vacha

Professor
Department of Sociology
Gonzaga University

June B. Shapiro

Director
Human Services Department
City of Spokane

Kimberly McCollim

Student Intern
Human Services Department
City of Spokane

January, 1994

INTRODUCTION

This report is about poverty in Spokane as revealed by the 1990 Census. We examine changes in poverty that occurred between 1980 and 1990, we compare poverty in the City of Spokane to poverty in the County of Spokane, and we compare Spokane's extreme poverty and high-poverty census tracts to those that have average or below average rates of poverty.

The Definition of Poverty

The federal government computes the poverty line from an estimate of the amount of monthly income an individual or family needs to meet their most basic needs for survival. Basic needs are defined as shelter, sufficient food for survival and nutrition, and clothes to provide warmth and decency. The poverty line varies depending on the size of the family. In 1993 it was $581 per month for a person living alone, and $1,196 per month for a family of four.

The Increase in Poverty from 1980 to 1990

In the decade between the 1980 and 1990 Censuses, the population of the City of Spokane increased only 2.5 %, but the population of those living below the poverty line increased 28%. The increase in the rate of poverty was particularly high among single female heads of households with children. Over-all, the number of persons living below the poverty line increased by almost 6,500 during the decade, and the number of children living in poverty increased by almost 2,000 during the same period. The percentage of persons living at or below the poverty level increased from 14% of the population to 17%.

Comparison of Poverty In the City and County of Spokane

Poverty is concentrating in the City of Spokane at a faster rate than in the rest of the county, perhaps because increased numbers of more affluent people are moving to the suburbs. Poverty rates for adults, families, children and the elderly were much higher in the city than in the rest of the county. The poverty rates for each of these groups in the city was almost double the poverty rates for the same groups As a result, 61% of all Spokane County poverty families with children under 18 and 68% of all Spokane County poverty households with children under 18 headed by single females (two of the poverty groups that are the most likely to require and receive assistance) reside within the city limits.

Poverty and Race in Spokane

Contrary to popular stereotypes, almost all Spokane residents below the poverty line are white. Over 90% of Spokane residents are white, and about 86% of Spokane residents living below the poverty line are white.

On the other hand, Spokane's blacks, Native Americans and Asians are much more likely to be poor than are whites. Over a third of the Native Americans living in Spokane are poor, just under a third of all Spokane's Asians are poor, and about a fourth of the blacks living in Spokane are poor. Furthermore, Spokane's minority population appears to be increasing much faster than the white population. While the white population of Spokane grew only 1. 3 % between 1980 and 1990, the nonwhite population grew 22%. The Hispanic population increased by 43 %.

COMPARISON OF POVERTY AND NON-POVERTY CENSUS TRACTS

The Social Significance of Concentration of Poverty

Two-thirds of Spokane's poor live in less than half of the 54 Spokane census tracts. Recent research suggests that high concentrations of the poor into "poverty tracts" have particularly negative effects on communities. Many of the negative consequences of poverty--for example, high crime rates and crime victimization, school failure, and teenage pregnancy--appear to be exacerbated when the proportion of residents living below the poverty line is high. That is, poor people with many poor neighbors appear to have more social problems than poor people with fewer poor neighbors.

The Spread of Extreme Poverty and High Poverty Tracts

Spokane is divided into 54 census tracts. In 1980 four tracts had poverty rates above 40% ("extreme poverty tracts") and 12 had poverty rates between 20% and 40% ("high poverty tracts"). By 1990, the number of extreme poverty tracts had increased to six, and the number of high poverty tracts increased to 19. Clearly, concentrations of poverty have become more widespread in Spokane. As is the case in most cities, the extreme poverty tracts are clustered around the central portions of the city, and they are bordered primarily by high poverty tracts. The high poverty tracts are scattered throughout the city. Only the south side and the northwest corner of Spokane have no high poverty tracts. Some of the high poverty tracts have poverty rates just under 40%. For example Tract 38 and Tract 30 have poverty rates over 38%. Both of these tracts border the cluster of extreme poverty tracts, and they are particularly likely locations for the spread of extreme poverty in the future.

This spread of concentrations of poverty affects the community in a number of ways. The spread of areas of concentrated poverty makes it more difficult for social service agencies to serve the poor because they must reach a more widely scattered population, and it makes it more difficult for the poor to take advantage of programs because they lack adequate transportation. The spread of these areas of concentrated poverty also impacts the quality of life in the city because poverty areas often become unsafe and unsightly.

Adults Living in Poverty and Nonpoverty Tracts

In 1990, there were over 17,000 adults living below the poverty line in Spokane. Almost half of the adults living in the six extreme poverty tracts were below the poverty line, and a fourth of the adults living in the high poverty tracts were below the poverty line. In contrast, less than one out of 10 adults living in nonpoverty tracts were below the poverty line.

Disability and poverty. The proportion of residents in extreme poverty tracts who are disabled and unable to work is about six times that found in nonpoverty tracts, and it is twice as high in high poverty tracts. Similarly, the proportion of residents who have limited mobility and/or difficulty in caring for themselves is three times higher in extreme poverty tracts than nonpoverty tracts. These data suggest that efforts to reduce poverty in poverty tracts must include services for the disabled and handicapped.

The Elderly Living in Poverty and Nonpoverty Tracts

One of the greatest successes of the war on poverty was the reduction of the number of elderly persons living in poverty. In 1967, 39% of the poor were persons over 65, but by 1987 only 22% of the poor were over 65. Despite these gains, the elderly poor are of particular concern. Many are isolated, a substantial number are handicapped and/or have limited mobility, and many must devote a disproportionate share of their limited income to medical costs. Elderly women outnumber elderly men by a ratio of over two to one because their life expectancy is so much greater. As a result, services for the elderly poor must place heavy emphasis on women's needs.

The elderly living in nonpoverty tracts are mostly above the poverty line, but almost half of those living in the six extreme poverty tracts are poor. Furthermore, the elderly living in extreme poverty tracts have a wide range of special problems and needs. One out of four have a mobility limitation and one out of five require help in caring for themselves. Two-thirds of the elderly in extreme poverty tracts live alone. The elderly living in nonpoverty tracts present a much different picture--they are much less likely to have a mobility limitation, a self care limitation, or to live alone. In short, while the elderly as a group are much less likely to be poor, those who are poor and/or are living in extreme poverty neighborhoods have high levels of need.

Children in Poverty

While children under 18 represent only 10% of the population of extreme poverty tracts, almost 60% of them are poor. Young children are particularly likely to be poor because young families, especially families headed by young single women are particularly likely to be poor. Preschool and elementary school age children have higher rates of poverty than either the elderly or adults under 65.

However, the majority of children living in poverty do not live in the six extreme poverty tracts. Of the nearly 9,000 children below the poverty line in Spokane, 355 (4%) lived in extreme poverty tracts, 5,611 (62%) lived in high poverty tracts, and 3,032 (34%) lived in nonpoverty tracts. Unlike poor adults, poor children are widely scattered throughout the city. Furthermore, there are six additional tracts in which 40% or more of the children under 18 (but not other age groups) were living below the poverty line.

Poor children who live in areas with high percentages of children below the poverty line may require special attention because poor children living in areas of concentrated poverty appear to have more social, personal and educational problems than equally poor children living in areas with lower poverty rates. But the data also suggest that social service and educational programs that target children living in poverty must be highly dispersed. Poverty is associated with school failure and social problems among all poor children. Concentrating these programs only in poverty areas will make them unavailable or difficult to attend for over a third of the children living below the poverty line who reside in nonpoverty tracts.

Families in Poverty

Almost three fifths of the families with children under 5 living in these tracts are poor. However, only five percent of Spokane's impoverished families live in the extreme poverty tracts; almost 60% live in the high poverty tracts and 35% live in the nonpoverty tracts.

The high rate of poverty among families with children is especially startling because families with children are the most likely to receive public assistance and other forms of aid for the poor. Despite their greater eligibility for assistance, many families remain below the poverty line. Clearly income assistance available to these families is too limited to keep many from falling below the poverty line.

Housing in Poverty and Nonpoverty Tracts

Most housing in extreme poverty and high poverty tracts is renter occupied. As a result, people living in these tracts are much more vulnerable to changes in the housing market and declining vacancy rates. Furthermore, a large proportion of these renters devote too much of their income to housing costs.

One characteristic of the poverty tracts is that residents are highly transient. Almost half of those living in extreme poverty tracts and about a third of those living in high poverty tracts moved during the previous year. High rates of residential mobility are associated with many social pathologies ranging from high rates of school failure and dropping out to high crime rates.

Three fifths of the residents of extreme poverty tracts do not own an automobile. Because many of the poor are elderly, disabled or burdened with young children, moving about the community can be very difficult.

CONCLUSION

The rate of poverty in Spokane is high, and it appears to be increasing. Furthermore, Spokane has six census tracts with at least 40% poverty and 25 with more than 20% poverty. These poverty tracts are particularly troublesome because the available research evidence suggests that poverty becomes self perpetuating when rates of poverty in a neighborhood are high. Many groups living in these poverty tracts--including the elderly, children and families--have high levels of need, and the range of needs that must be met is very broad. Numerous programs are needed in these tracts, and given the transportation limitations of many of those living below the poverty line, these programs must be available in the neighborhoods of those who need them. Furthermore, poverty is growing in these tracts, especially the high poverty tracts. Many new pockets of concentrated poverty have appeared in the last decade. As a result, there is a need for expansion of programs and services for the poor into new parts of the city.

Two trends--the concentration of the poor into extreme poverty tracts and the spread of high rates of poverty to new neighborhoods--create a dilemma for social service agencies. Should social service agencies focus their activities and locate their programs in the areas with the highest concentrations of poverty? Failure to do so may result in increasing poverty and misery because poverty appears to be self perpetuating when it is highly concentrated. On the other hand, can we afford to ignore the large number of poor people scattered throughout the community, especially the 20% to 39% poverty tracts? Failure to meet the needs of the growing number of poor in these tracts would leave the majority of Spokane's poor, including most children living in poverty, without access to the programs and services they need.

Finally, how can the city continue to meet the needs of the poor if the proportion of residents who are poor continues to grow at such a rapid rate? While we must expand our efforts to meet the needs of the poor, we must also continue to work to make Spokane more attractive to our more fortunate residents. Failure to attract and retain middle income city residents could further increase the concentration of poverty.