2015 Community Assessment Report

Transcription

Columbia Opportunities, Inc.
Community Assessment
540 Columbia Street
Hudson, NY 12534
Telephone: (518) 828-4611
www.columbiaopportunities.org
2015 - 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ........................................................................................... 3
GREATEST NEED & CONCERN AREAS ...................................................................................... 4
ABOUT COLUMBIA OPPORTUNITIES, INC. .............................................................................. 5
ABOUT COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK ................................................................................ 7
POPULATION PROFILE ........................................................................................................... 8
POVERTY ............................................................................................................................. 14
EMPLOYMENT ..................................................................................................................... 24
EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................... 30
HOUSING ............................................................................................................................ 34
INCOME .............................................................................................................................. 39
NUTRITION .......................................................................................................................... 44
HEALTH CARE ...................................................................................................................... 47
CRIME ................................................................................................................................. 52
COMMUNITY RESOURCES .................................................................................................... 53
NYS COMMUNITY ACTION ASSOCIATION 2015 POVERTY REPORT ........................................ 56
NYS COMMUNITY ACTION ASSOCIATION 2015 POVERTY GUIDELINES .................................. 58
2
Introduction and Overview
Columbia Opportunities, Incorporated (COI) as the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funded
Community Action Agency (CAA) and the Head Start grantee for Columbia County, NY is required to
complete a comprehensive Community Assessment every three years. This report is COI’s full
Community Assessment for 2015-2018.
The Program Committee for the COI Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the Community
Assessment. After determining the best way to proceed with the report, the Program Committee
formed a Community Assessment Team that included committee members, a representative of the
Head Start Policy Council, COI program staff and “Community Advisors” to assist in the collection and
analysis of survey data. Community Assessment Team members included:
COI Board of Directors
Berne Bendel
Carol Friedman
Terri Mayhew (Head Start Policy Council
Representative)
Barbara Sagal
Community Advisors
Joyce Lapenn
Barbara Heimroth Johnson
Kelly Sackett
COI Staff
Cynthia Andrus, Head Start Director
Sophia Becker, Hudson Family Literacy Director
Annemarie Friebe, Weatherization Program
Coordinator
Tina Sharpe, COI Executive Director
Juliette Tomlinson, Head Start
Family Community Partnership Manager
This report is a compilation of both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data was derived from
a series of community focus groups conducted during the months of August and September, 2015. A
total of 5 focus groups were held with 77 attendees including COI customers, board members, staff,
Head Start Policy Council members, and community members. Additional data included information
derived from COI program reports including Community Services Block Grant Program Progress Reports
and Head Start Program Information Reports.
Quantitative data includes statistics and information obtained from a variety of sources, including:
 Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation – Early Childhood Development Mapping Report
 Child Care Connections of Columbia & Greene Counties - 2014 Community Assessment
 Columbia County Community Health Assessment & Improvement Plan 2014-2017
 Columbia Greene Housing Coalition Continuum of Care 2015 Point In Time Study
 Dyson Foundation/Marist College 2012 “Many Voices, One Valley- Making Ends Meet Report.”
 Feeding America Website (Map the Gap)
 National Low Income Housing Coalition
 New York State Community Action Association Community Assessment Tool
 New York State Community Action Association 2015 Poverty Report
 New York State Department of Education
 New York State Department of Health
 New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance
 New York State Statistical Yearbook
 The Self-Sufficiency Standard for New York State 2010
 U.S. Census Bureau
3
The 2015 Community Assessment identifies and explores the opportunities and challenges facing
Columbia County residents with limited or low income.
The key study objectives include the following:
 Identify the current causes and conditions of poverty in our community including social,
emotional, economic and educational
 Identify community resources
 Develop a report that will guide future decisions about COI program design, development,
retention, evaluation, and expansion
 Issue a report that can be used by community partners, planners, and leaders to better
understand the issue of poverty in Columbia County, NY
Greatest Need & Concern Areas
The 2015 Community Assessment found the greatest need and concern in the following areas (listed
alphabetically not in rank order):






Early childhood development opportunities & child care
Employment and job training opportunities
Health care services – especially dental and mental health services for children
Housing Affordability
Nutrition and hunger services
Transportation
4
About Columbia Opportunities, Inc.
Columbia Opportunities, Inc. (COI) is the private, not-for-profit Community Action Agency that has been
serving the residents of Columbia County since 1978. With a mission to help solve poverty related
problems in our community, COI’s goal is to enable families to attain the skills, knowledge, and
opportunities they need to become self-reliant. COI offers training, education, counseling, housing
services, healthcare, advocacy, emergency assistance and support to over 1300 local families each year.
These programs have a measurable impact on the causes and conditions of poverty in our community.
Asset Development
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make
$54,000 per year or less, people with disabilities, senior citizens and limited English speaking taxpayers
who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic
income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. VITA ensures that
customers receive all the tax credits they are eligible for. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is an
earnings supplement available through the income tax system that offsets payroll taxes and supports
low and moderate income workers raising children. It has grown to be the nation’s largest federal antipoverty program. The EITC has significant benefits for taxpayers and the community. These include
encouragement of work, reduction of poverty, and boosting of local economic activity.
Emergency Assistance
The Community Services Program offers emergency interventions for food and shelter needs, problem
solving for income and family issues, and advocacy to insure that individuals and families have access to
all available and necessary services. COI offers financial assistance for a variety of emergency needs in
partnership with the Berkshire Taconic Foundation Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund and the Hudson River
Bank & Trust Foundation Supplemental Energy Assistance Program. In addition COI is helping to close
the “digital divide” between rich and poor. Community Services customers have access to a variety of
information technology resources from basic telephone to internet access. This enables customers to
search for housing and employment, apply for mainstream benefits, manage their income, and even file
their own income tax returns.
Housing & Energy Services
COI is an alternate certifier for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This
program helps individuals and families with the high cost of heating their homes. According to the
Campaign for Home Energy Assistance, LIHEAP has evolved into a widely supported program that
delivers critical short-term aid to our most vulnerable neighbors. LIHEAP is an essential resource for the
country’s most underserved populations, including the working poor, those making the difficult
transition from welfare to work, disabled persons, elderly persons and families with young children.
Unfortunately it only covers a fraction of the need. COI also serves as an intake site for emergency
assistance offered by area utility companies in partnership with HeartShare NY.
COI’s Housing Choice Voucher Program provides ongoing help with monthly rent payments. This
federally funded program assists very low-income families, elderly people, and people with disabilities
to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. Since housing assistance is provided
on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including singlefamily homes and apartments. Vouchers are designed to bridge the difference between 30% of a
tenant’s income and the fair market rental of an appropriate housing unit. However as rents in the area
continue to rise; this voucher program cannot keep up. The program has a long waiting list and is
currently serving individuals and families who applied in 2009.
5
The Weatherization Program provides energy audits to homeowners and renters, in order to find the
best way to make their homes more energy efficient. Energy conservations measures such as
refrigerator replacements, furnace repair or replacement, insulation, and air sealing are installed to
make residences safe, comfortable and less expensive to heat. Individuals and families with low
incomes typically spend well over 20% of their total annual income on energy costs. During the heating
season these families frequently cut back on other necessities to cover this expense. Weatherization
provides a long-term solution for customers, helping to protect them from rising energy costs.
Preparing Individuals, Families, and Children for Success
Head Start is an early childhood development program designed to meet the needs of preschool age
children and their families. Services are provided in classroom and home based settings throughout
Columbia County. Since its inception, Head Start has taken a comprehensive approach to providing
high-quality early education. The program focuses on the whole child, recognizing the importance of
social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Head Start children receive medical and
developmental screenings and subsequent treatment for identified concerns. Their families receive
parenting education, health education and support services that connect them to education, jobs and
other community resources. Current research tells us that this full array of services is what early
education programs should offer to have a positive effect on vulnerable children. COI’s Head Start
Program offers safe and free child development opportunities in high need communities throughout
Columbia County.
Through a partnership with the Hudson City School District, the Hudson Family Literacy Program offers
a range of literacy services and supports to individuals and families. This program is designed to support
and guide the adult and child learner in meeting their educational and vocational goals while helping to
develop the home and community as a learning environment for everyone. The Family Literacy program
is driven by a comprehensive, holistic approach to education where parents and children learn and grow
together. Family Literacy programs address the literacy strengths and needs of the family while
promoting adult involvement in children's education and recognizing adults as a powerful influence on
their children's academic success.
Community Partnerships
COI maintains both formal and informal partnerships with different public and private organizations to
achieve family, agency and community outcomes. The Columbia Greene Housing Coalition Continuum
of Care Program is a significant community collaboration that was spearheaded by Columbia
Opportunities, Inc. in 2002. This initiative has been responsible for the creation of several permanent
supportive housing opportunities for residents of Columbia and Greene Counties who had been
homeless.
6
About Columbia County, New York
Geographic Summary
Columbia County is located between the Capital District and the Hudson Valley, with the Hudson River
to the west, the Massachusetts border to the east, Dutchess County to the south, and Rensselaer
County to the north. Columbia County is a rural community and covers an area of 688 square miles.
The county has eighteen towns (Ancram, Austerlitz, Canaan, Chatham, Claverack, Clermont, Copake,
Gallatin, Germantown, Ghent, Greenport, Hillsdale, Kinderhook, Livingston, New Lebanon, Stockport,
Stuyvesant, and Taghkanic) four villages (Chatham, Kinderhook, Philmont, and Valatie) and one small
city, the City of Hudson. The County’s population is well dispersed with only a few population centers
that exceed 10% of the total population. These areas include the Town of Kinderhook, City of Hudson,
and Town of Claverack.
Governing Structure
Columbia County is governed by a County Board of Supervisors elected by respective towns and wards
in the City of Hudson. Each supervisor receives a weighted vote which is based on the population of the
town or ward represented. The City of Hudson, situated on the Hudson River, the western border of the
county, is the only city in the county and is the county seat.
Current Economic Conditions and Development
Agriculture
Columbia County has vast regions of open space that traditionally had been utilized for dairy, vegetable
and fruit farms. The economic viability of farming had declined over the past half century due to the
high cost of land and the shrinking opportunity to obtain credit. There is, however, a growing
movement to attract young people back to farming. The current interest in local "farm-to-table" is a
catalyst for the revitalization of farming. According to the Columbia Economic Development Council,
agribusiness has been identified as a priority in the regional economy and continues to experience
economic growth in Columbia County. From 2002 to 2007, there was an 11% increase in the number of
farms, bringing the number to 557. The natural resources and infrastructure of Columbia County
already exists to support new initiatives in this field.
Service Industry
Major providers of community services and employment include Columbia Memorial Hospital,
Columbia-Greene Community College, Coarc, the state of New York, Columbia County government, local
school districts and nursing homes. Together these are the major employers in Columbia County.
Tourism
Tourism remains one of Columbia County's and New York State’s growth industries. Local government
and the private sector continue to explore ways to attract more tourists to the county. While there was
a dip in the number of tourists in 2009 at the height of the recession, Columbia County’s decrease was
still only half of the decline experienced in nearby counties.
7
Population Profile
The population of Columbia County has been relatively stable for the past 20 years. The following table
shows the population changes in Columbia County from 2000 to 2010. However there has been a
downward shift in the number of working adults of childbearing years, a decline which began in the
early 1990s. The closing of manufacturing plants, job loss and displacement by second home owners are
contributing factors. This is a trend found throughout upstate New York.
Table 1. Population Change 2000 - 2013
Census 2000
ACS 2009-2013
Population Change
Population
Population
% Change
Columbia
63,094
62,674
-420
-0.67
Statewide
18,976,457
19,487,052
510,595
2.69
Source: United States Census Bureau, Population Division, Census 2010. Release Date: February 2011 and United States Census
Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014. The 2013 American Community Survey 5-year data is
a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
The City of Hudson is among the most populated municipalities, but had lost one third of its population
between 1950 and 1980. Since 1990, when the population was 8,034, it has continued to decline,
reaching 6,713 by 2010. The 2010 census revealed that Canaan, Claverack, New Lebanon and Stuyvesant
also lost more than 5 percent of their residents since 2000. In contrast, Austerlitz, Clermont, Copake,
Gallatin, Hillsdale and especially Taghkanic grew by more than 10 percent in the number of year-round
residents.
Age and Gender Demographics
The ACS 2009-2013 5 year population estimates indicate the female population comprised 50.05% of
Columbia County, while the male population represented 49.95%. The population by age in Columbia
County is illustrated in the following graph.
8
Children under the age of 5
According to the 2010 Census, there were 2,902 children under age 5 in Columbia County, representing
4.6 percent of the population. This represents a substantial drop from the 2000 Census, when there
were 3,357 young children or 5.3% of the population.
Adults over the age of 65
Columbia County has a high percentage of people age 65 and older (18.2%, compared to the state
percentage of 13.5%), and people age 85 and older (2.5% compared to the state percentage of 2.0%)
The county’s median age of 45.3 is higher than the state’s median age of 38.0.
Veterans, Age and Gender Demographics
Table 2 shows the number of veterans living in Columbia County. 10.57 percent of the adult population
in the county are veterans. This is higher than the statewide average of 6.01 percent and national
average of 8.99%.
Table 2. Age and Gender Demographics of Veterans, 2009 - 2013
Veterans
Percent of Population over 18 by Gender
Total
Males
Females
Total
Males
Females
Columbia
5,317
4,887
430
10.57
19.58
1.70
Statewide
912,499
861,084
51,415
6.01
11.92
0.65
21,263,780
19,709,452
1,554,327
8.99
17.21
1.27
Nationwide
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014. The 2013 American Community
Survey 5-year data is an average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
Race/Ethnicity Demographics
Population by race and gender within Columbia County is shown in Table 3. According to the American
Community Survey 5 year averages, the county population was 91.07% white, 4.26% black, and 1.80%
other races combined. Persons identifying themselves as mixed race made up 2.87% of the population.
The City of Hudson had the highest proportions of African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians.
9
Table 3. Population By Race, 2009 - 2013
Black
American
Asian
Indian
White
M
F
M
F
M
F
M
Native
Hawaiian
F
M
Mixed Race
F
M
F
Ancram
764
650
24
12
0
0
13
0
0
0
16
7
Austerlitz
629
747
19
5
0
0
11
12
0
0
0
0
Canaan
783
710
85
5
0
0
28
7
0
0
29
36
Chatham
1,943
2,020
16
12
0
0
37
1
0
0
55
20
Claverack
2,757
2,689
114
6
27
4
0
3
0
0
160
179
Clermont
905
921
9
0
0
0
11
24
0
0
26
31
Copake
1,761
1,700
18
0
0
0
11
0
0
0
11
3
Gallatin
799
951
5
0
0
0
0
8
0
0
18
26
Germantown
854
1,066
0
14
0
2
0
2
0
0
29
37
Ghent
2,706
2,327
89
87
0
0
54
37
0
0
17
13
Greenport
1,760
1,803
131
70
0
0
79
59
0
0
134
83
Hillsdale
907
795
91
81
0
0
8
4
0
0
5
20
Hudson-N
962
1,149
331
461
24
28
107
111
0
0
132
246
Hudson-S
1,206
1,058
398
146
9
0
8
58
38
0
84
42
Kinderhook - N
1,028
1,124
7
22
1
2
14
0
0
0
28
17
Kinderhook - S
2,890
3,001
66
47
0
0
45
59
0
0
37
29
Livingston
1,701
1,691
33
75
0
0
5
29
0
0
24
52
New Lebanon
1,075
1,085
24
45
0
0
44
69
0
0
29
24
Stockport
1,396
1,356
22
17
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Stuyvesant
892
1,027
60
10
0
0
11
4
0
0
37
43
Taghkanic
606
566
1
0
0
0
6
6
0
0
2
4
Columbia
28,324
28,436
1,543
1,115
61
36
492
493
38
0
874
912
Statewide
6,244,223
6,535,103 1,404,656 1,637,496
36,280
36,460
711,026
768,300
3,512
3,853
250,960
259,469
Survey 5-year data is a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
Data on public elementary school enrollment often more accurately reflects the current racial and
ethnic composition of children in each part of the county. The general population census reflects all age
groups and includes “group quarters,” such as nursing homes and correctional facilities. Based on the
information in Table 4, there are higher proportions of African Americans, Hispanics and Asians in the
schools than in the population as a whole.
10
Table 4. Race and Ethnic Composition
Columbia County, NY Public Schools
PreK-12 2014-15 School Year
School
District
White
Black
980
%
87%
Germantown
489
Hudson
Hispanic
Asian,
Pacific
Islander
11
%
1%
American
Indian
0
28
%
2%
56
%
5%
88%
4
1%
39
7%
6
1%
821
47%
400
23%
231
11%
186
1719
92%
44
2%
59
3%
376
93%
10
2%
8
Taconic Hills
1172
85%
30
2%
Total
5557
79%
516
7%
Chatham
Kinderhook
New Lebanon
%
0
Multiracial
48
%
4%
0
0
16
3%
11%
1
0%
121
7%
26
1%
0
0
11
1%
2%
5
1%
0
0
4
1%
109
8%
8
1%
4
0%
54
4%
502
7%
242
3%
5
<1%
254
4%
Source: NYS Department of Education Report Card – 2014-15
Citizenship Status
Table 5 shows the numbers and percent of population by citizenship status for Columbia County. The
county has a total of 1,654 non-Citizens, or 2.64 percent of the total population of 62,674 persons, in
contrast to the New York average of 10.49 percent of the population and the national average of 7.11
percent non-Citizens living in the United States.
Table 5. Citizenship Status, 2009 – 2013
Population Count
Native
Born in a
US
Territory
Born
Abroad to
US Citizens
By Percent
Naturalized
Non-Citizen
Columbia
58,389
198
527
1,906
Statewide
14,699,492
312,716
160,142
2,270,762
2,043,941
266,837,152 1,773,094 2,584,452
18,206,896
22,135,004
Nationwide
Native
1,654 95.69
Born in a
US
Territory
Born
Abroad
to US
Citizens
Naturalized
0.32
0.86
3.12
2.64
84.27
1.79
0.92
13.02
10.49
92.20
0.61
0.89
6.29
7.11
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014.
Communities with higher than average percentage of non-citizens include: Hillsdale, the City Hudson,
Copake, Livingston, and Claverack. Communities with a higher than average numbers of non-citizens
include: Hudson, Copake, Hillsdale, Livingston, and Claverack.
11
Non-Citizen
Table 5a. Citizenship Status, 2009 - 2013
Population Count
Native
Born in a
Born
Naturalized
US
Abroad to
Territory
US
Citizens
NonCitizen
Native
By Percent
Born in a
US
Territory
Born Naturalized Non-Citizen
Abroad
to US
Citizens
Ancram
1,422
0
12
16
54
98.07
0.00
0.83
1.10
3.59
Austerlitz
1,333
2
20
41
27
95.49
0.14
1.43
2.94
1.90
Canaan
1,647
6
12
21
18
97.69
0.36
0.71
1.25
1.06
Chatham
3,865
10
21
141
67
95.74
0.25
0.52
3.49
1.63
Claverack
5,565
16
83
208
124
94.77
0.27
1.41
3.54
2.07
Clermont
1,825
0
6
74
28
95.80
0.00
0.31
3.88
1.45
Copake
3,295
0
35
57
195
97.28
0.00
1.03
1.68
5.44
Gallatin
1,713
0
3
81
10
95.33
0.00
0.17
4.51
0.55
Germantown
1,895
5
27
42
35
96.24
0.25
1.37
2.13
1.75
Ghent
4,947
0
105
210
90
94.01
0.00
2.00
3.99
1.68
Greenport
3,896
10
8
148
57
95.91
0.25
0.20
3.64
1.38
Hillsdale
1,648
0
12
76
177
94.93
0.00
0.69
4.38
9.25
Hudson-N
3,144
54
18
187
220
92.39
1.59
0.53
5.50
6.07
Hudson-S
2,770
57
11
103
122
94.19
1.94
0.37
3.50
3.98
Kinderhook - N
2,087
0
14
101
41
94.78
0.00
0.64
4.59
1.83
Kinderhook - S
5,973
36
23
108
69
97.28
0.59
0.37
1.76
1.11
Livingston
3,293
0
63
114
149
94.90
0.00
1.82
3.29
4.12
New Lebanon
2,198
0
3
117
84
94.82
0.00
0.13
5.05
3.50
Stockport
2,740
0
22
17
13
98.60
0.00
0.79
0.61
0.47
Stuyvesant
2,012
0
12
0
67
99.41
0.00
0.59
0.00
3.20
Taghkanic
1,121
2
17
44
7
94.68
0.17
1.44
3.72
0.59
Columbia
58,389
198
527
1,906 1,654
93.16
0.32
0.84
3.04
2.64
Statewide
14,699,492
312,716
160,142
2,270,762 2,043,9
41
84.27
1.79
0.92
13.02
10.49
266,837,152 1,773,094 2,584,452
18,206,896 22,135,
004
92.20
0.61
0.89
6.29
7.11
Nationwide
Language
According to the United States Census Bureau Quick Facts, 7% of the population in Columbia County
speaks a language other than English in their home; this is in contrast to 30.2% in New York State, and
20.9% in the United States. According to NYS School Report Cards for area public schools, 4% or 249
enrolled students are identified as Limited English Proficient. The Hudson City School District has the
12
highest number and percentage of students (132/8%) followed by Ichabod Crane (74/4%) and then
Germantown (11/2%). Chatham and Taconic Hills School Districts report that only 1% of their student
enrollments are Limited English Proficient, New Lebanon reports none.
COI Head Start enrollment data indicates that 86% of enrolled families speak English as their primary
language. Eleven percent speak Spanish and 3% speak a Middle Eastern or Asian language.
Households
The change in number of households within Columbia County from 2000 - 2013 is shown in Table 6. The
number of households increased by 484, or 1.95% as reported in the ACS 2013 estimates. This compares
to a statewide increase of 2.52%.
Table 6. Change in Number of Households, 2000 - 2013
Total Households,
Total Households, Change in Households
2000
2008-2013
% Change in
Households
Columbia
24,796
25,280
484
1.95
Statewide
7,056,860
7,234,743
177,883
2.52
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 1, 2000 and U.S. Census Bureau, American
Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014. The 2013 American Community Survey 5-year data is a 5-year average
of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
Families
Between 2008 and 2013, Columbia County had 25,280 households or families according to the American
Community Survey, with an average of 3.5 persons per household. Of these, an estimated 16,228 are
families, 6,630 of which have children under 18 years old. Of that number 76% of the families with
children under 18 are married couples, 17% are female headed with no spouse present, and 7% are
headed by a man with no spouse present. Nearly 670 grandparents live with their own grandchildren
under age 18. Forty percent of them are responsible for their grandchildren.
More than three-quarters of the estimated 9,000 “non-family households” live alone. Of these, nearly
two-fifths are single individuals over the age of 65.
13
Community Concern: The issue of poverty was raised as a concern at one or more community focus groups. It
was also noted that poverty rates can be misleading, especially when looking at less populated communities.
Poverty
According to updated information provided by the NYS Community Action Association poverty estimates
show a total of 7,155 persons living at or below the poverty line in the county. The county poverty rate
is estimated at 11.8%. This is a 3% increase in the poverty rate since initial 2013 estimates.
Table 7. Poverty, 2013
All Ages
Age 0-17
Number of
Persons
Columbia
Poverty Rate
7,155
Number of
Persons
11.8
Age 5-17
Poverty Rate
2,032
17.9
Number of
Persons
Poverty Rate
1,395
16.2
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2013. Estimates for 2013 were released in
December2014.
Poverty Rate (ACS)
Table 6 shows the total 2013 population estimates for all persons living in poverty in Columbia County.
According to the American Community Survey 5 year averages, an average of 9.79 percent of all persons
lived in poverty during the 2013 calendar year. The poverty rate for all persons living in Columbia County
is less than the statewide average of 15.3 percent. This rate is lower than reported in Table 8.
Table 8. Poverty Rate (ACS), 2009 – 2013
Poverty Rate for All Persons
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Columbia
60,363
5,911
9.79
Statewide
18,975,362
2,903,982
15.30
303,692,064
46,663,432
15.37
Nationwide
The City of Hudson has both the highest poverty rate for all persons and the largest number of individual
people living in poverty as compared to other municipalities in Columbia County. Other towns with
higher than average poverty rates include: Taghkanic, Clermont, Ancram, Copake, and Livingston.
Towns with a higher number of individuals living in poverty than average include: Claverack, Copake,
Copake, Livingston, Ghent, Greenport, and Kinderhook. Table 8a reveals poverty rates by census tract.
14
Table 8a. Poverty Rate (ACS), 2009 - 2013
Poverty Rate for All Persons
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Ancram
1,493
198
13.26
Austerlitz
1,423
115
8.08
Canaan
1,504
106
7.05
Chatham
3,990
224
5.61
Claverack
5,691
494
8.68
Clermont
1,928
265
13.74
Copake
3,568
471
13.20
Gallatin
1,767
88
4.98
Germantown
1,997
96
4.81
Ghent
5,120
376
7.34
Greenport
4,006
364
9.09
Hillsdale
1,913
142
7.42
Hudson-N
3,533
947
26.80
Hudson-S
2,593
474
18.28
Kinderhook - N
2,230
35
1.57
Kinderhook - S
5,838
322
5.52
Livingston
3,363
416
12.37
New Lebanon
2,366
174
7.35
Stockport
2,772
238
8.59
Stuyvesant
2,091
184
8.80
Taghkanic
1,177
182
15.46
Columbia
60,363
5,911
9.79
Statewide
18,975,362
2,903,982
15.30
303,692,064
46,663,432
15.37
Nationwide
15
Households in Poverty
Table 9 shows the number and percentage of households in poverty in Columbia County. In 2013, it is
estimated that there were 2,353 households, or 9.31 percent, living in poverty within the county,
compared to a statewide average of 14.49 percent and national average of 14.20%.
Table 9. Households in Poverty, 2009 - 2013
Total Households,
Households in Poverty,
2009/2013
2009/2013
% Households in Poverty,
2009/2013
Columbia
25,280
2,353
9.31
Statewide
7,234,743
1,048,297
14.49
115,610,216
16,415,984
14.20
Nationwide
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014. The 2013 American
Community Survey 5-year data is a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
The City of Hudson has the highest percentage and number of households living at or below the poverty
level. Other communities with higher than average poverty rates include the towns of: Stuyvesant,
Taghkanic, Ghent, Austerlitiz, Greenport, Claverack, and Ancram. Other communities with higher than
average number of households living in poverty include: Claverack, Ghent, and Greenport.
Table 9a. Households in Poverty, 2009 - 2013
Total Households,
2009/2013
2009/2013
2009/2013
Ancram
638
60
9.40
Austerlitz
594
60
10.10
Canaan
616
25
4.06
Chatham
1,790
99
5.53
Claverack
2,469
233
9.44
Clermont
712
60
8.43
Copake
1,343
105
7.82
Gallatin
737
34
4.61
Germantown
847
50
5.90
Ghent
2,010
207
10.30
Greenport
1,870
178
9.52
716
64
8.94
Hudson-N
1,528
421
27.55
Hudson-S
1,409
247
17.53
Kinderhook - N
1,004
20
1.99
Kinderhook - S
2,216
104
4.69
Livingston
1,285
86
6.69
New Lebanon
1,034
76
7.35
Hillsdale
16
Table 9a. Continued
Total Households,
2009/2013
Stockport
2009/2013
2009/2013
1,147
78
6.80
Stuyvesant
837
95
11.35
Taghkanic
478
51
10.67
Columbia
25,280
2,353
9.31
Statewide
7,234,743
1,048,297
14.49
115,610,216
16,415,984
14.20
Nationwide
The 2013 American Community Survey 5-year data is a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
Households in Poverty by Family Type
In 2013, it is estimated that there were 2,353 Columbia County households living in poverty. Table 10
shows the number of households in poverty by household type. In 2013, it is estimated that 3.91
percent of all households were living in poverty within the county, compared to a statewide average of
7.52 percent and the national average of 7.5 percent.
Table 10. Households in Poverty by Family Type, 2009 - 2013
Total
Households in Poverty
Households,
Overall
Married Couples
Male
2009-2013
Householder
Female
Householder
Columbia
16,228
2,353
989
273
108
Statewide
4,637,549
1,048,297
544,050
189,858
54,297
76,744,360
16,415,984
8,666,630
3,148,540
923,063
Nationwide
Poverty Rate Change, 2000 – 2013
Poverty rate change in Columbia County from 2000 to 2013 is shown in Table 11. According to the U.S.
Census, the poverty rate for the county increased by 2.1%, compared to a statewide increase of 2.8%.
Table 11. Change in Poverty Rate, 2000 – 2013
Persons in
Poverty Rate,
Persons in
Poverty Rate,
Poverty, 2000
2000
Poverty, 2013
2013
Change in Poverty
Rate, 2000 - 2013
Columbia
5,949
9.7
7,155
11.8
2.1
Statewide
2,466,704
13.2
3,068,227
16.0
2.8
31,581,086
11.3
48,810,868
15.8
4.5
Nationwide
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), 2013.
17
Child (0-17) Poverty Rate Change, 2000 - 2013
The poverty rate change for all children in Columbia County from 2000 to 2013 is shown in Table 12.
According to the U.S. Census, the child poverty rate for the area increased by 3.4%, compared to a
statewide increase of 3.8%.
Table 12. Change in Childhood (0-17) Poverty Rate, 2000 – 2013
Children in
Poverty Rate,
Children in
Poverty Rate,
Poverty, 2000
2000
Poverty, 2013
2013
Change in Poverty
Rate, 2000 - 2013
Columbia
2,074
14.5
2,032
17.9
3.4
Statewide
873,085
19.1
956,127
22.9
3.8
11,587,118
16.2
16,086,960
22.2
6.0
Nationwide
Child (0-17) Poverty Rate (ACS)
Table 13 shows the total population estimates for all children and children living in poverty for Columbia
County. According to the American Community Survey 5 year averages, an average of 12.71 percent of
area children lived in a state of poverty during the 2013 calendar year. Despite this increase, the poverty
rate for children living in Columbia County is less than the statewide average of 21.67 percent. Again,
these rates are lower than reported above.
Table 13. American Community Survey, Child (0-17) Poverty Rate, 2009 – 2013
Children, Ages 0 - 17 years
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Columbia
11,771
1,496
12.71
Statewide
4,224,746
915,655
21.67
72,748,616
15,701,799
21.58
Nationwide
Based on these 5 year projections, communities with higher than average child poverty rates include:
Taghkanic, the City of Hudson, Ancram, Stockport, Clermont, Copake, and Livingston. Communities with
higher than average numbers of children living at or below the poverty level include: the City of
Hudson, Stockport, Copake, Ghent, Claverack, Livingston, Taghkanic, Clermont, and Greenport.
18
Table 13a. American Community Survey, Child (0-17) Poverty Rate, 2009 - 2013
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Ancram
213
69
32.39
Austerlitz
287
31
10.80
Canaan
287
23
8.01
Chatham
662
32
4.83
Claverack
994
83
8.35
Clermont
435
73
16.78
Copake
590
97
16.44
Gallatin
249
4
1.61
Germantown
418
15
3.59
1,039
90
8.66
Greenport
651
73
11.21
Hillsdale
355
39
10.99
Hudson-N
1,042
359
34.45
Hudson-S
441
113
25.62
Kinderhook - N
418
2
0.48
Kinderhook - S
1,492
59
3.95
Livingston
617
82
13.29
New Lebanon
509
41
8.06
Stockport
443
103
23.25
Stuyvesant
426
31
7.28
Taghkanic
203
77
37.93
Columbia
11,771
1,496
12.71
Statewide
4,224,746
915,655
21.67
72,748,616
15,701,799
21.58
Ghent
Nationwide
19
Child (0-4) Poverty Rate Change, 2000 - 2013
The poverty rate change for children under five years of age in Columbia County from 2000 to 2013 is
shown in Table 14. According to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate for children under age 5 increased by
4.9%, compared to a statewide increase of 3.7%.
Table 14. Poverty Rate Change for Children under Five, 2000 - 2013
Children 0-4 in
Poverty Rate,
Children 0-4 in
Poverty Rate,
Poverty, 2000
2000
Poverty, 2013
2013
Change in Poverty
Rate, 2000 - 2013
Columbia
628
18.3
637
23.2
4.9
Statewide
267,704
21.2
289,572
24.9
3.7
4,050,543
20.3
5,128,728
25.9
5.6
Nationwide
Child (0-4) Poverty Rate (ACS)
Table 15 shows the total population estimates for children and children in poverty for Columbia County.
According to the American Community Survey 5 year averages, an average of 16.16 percent of children
lived in a state of poverty during the 2013 calendar year. The poverty rate for children living in Columbia
County is less than the statewide average of 24.04 percent. Again, these rates are lower than reported
above.
Table 15. American Community Survey, Child (0-4) Poverty Rate, 2009 - 2013
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Columbia
2,717
439
16.16
Statewide
1,144,996
275,271
24.04
19,743,544
4,881,767
24.73
Nationwide
Based on these estimates, communities with higher than average poverty rates for children under the
age of 5 include: Greenport, Taghkanic, Hudson, Ancram, Stuyvesant, Hillsdale, and Stockport.
Communities with higher than average number of young children (age 5 or younger) includes: the City
of Hudson, Greenport, Claverack, Taghkanic, Stuyvesant, and Copake.
20
Table 15a. American Community Survey, Child (0-4) Poverty Rate, 2009 - 2013
Total Population
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Ancram
26
8
30.77
Austerlitz
69
10
14.49
Canaan
49
8
16.33
Chatham
107
5
4.67
Claverack
320
26
8.13
Clermont
119
12
10.08
Copake
149
22
14.77
Gallatin
72
0
0.00
Germantown
135
15
11.11
Ghent
190
7
3.68
Greenport
79
47
59.49
Hillsdale
56
12
21.43
Hudson-N
315
128
40.63
Hudson-S
227
51
22.47
Kinderhook - N
128
0
0.00
Kinderhook - S
257
4
1.56
Livingston
160
13
8.13
New Lebanon
41
6
14.63
Stockport
90
19
21.11
Stuyvesant
82
22
26.83
Taghkanic
46
24
52.17
Columbia
2,717
439
16.16
Statewide
1,144,996
275,271
24.04
19,743,544
4,881,767
24.73
Nationwide
21
Seniors (age 65 or older) in Poverty (ACS)
Poverty rates for senior citizens, including data from the American Community Survey for the 2009 to
2013 period, are shown in Table 14. In 2013, it was estimated that there were 571 seniors, or 5.22
percent, living in poverty within the county. According to updated information from the NYS
Community Action Association’s Poverty Report, the number of Columbia County seniors living in
poverty has increased by more than 67% in the last 3 years.
Table 16. Seniors in Poverty, 2009 – 2013
Seniors, 2009/2013
Seniors in Poverty,
2009/2013
Senior Poverty Rate,
2009/2013
Columbia
10,930
571
5.22
Statewide
2,595,107
293,920
11.33
40,544,640
3,793,577
9.36
Nationwide
Communities with higher than average poverty rates for seniors include: the City of Hudson, Ancram,
Austerlitz, Copake, Clermont, Greenport, and Claverack. Communities with higher than average number
of seniors living in poverty includes: the City of Hudson, Copake, Claverack, Greenport, Ancram,
Kinderhook, and Ghent.
Table 16a. Columbia County Seniors (age 65 or older) in Poverty, 2009 - 2013
Seniors, 2009/2013
Seniors in Poverty,
2009/2013
2009/2013
Ancram
310
40
12.90
Austerlitz
224
24
10.71
Canaan
298
3
1.01
Chatham
755
16
2.12
Claverack
1,278
75
5.87
Clermont
201
17
8.46
Copake
878
75
8.54
Gallatin
332
13
3.92
Germantown
435
0
0.00
Ghent
949
29
3.06
Greenport
873
60
6.87
Hillsdale
365
3
0.82
Hudson-N
313
90
28.75
Hudson-S
425
51
12.00
Kinderhook - N
319
3
0.94
Kinderhook - S
916
36
3.93
22
Seniors, 2009/2013
Seniors in Poverty,
2009/2013
2009/2013
Livingston
525
14
2.67
New Lebanon
444
0
0.00
Stockport
519
6
1.16
Stuyvesant
264
9
3.41
Taghkanic
307
7
2.28
Columbia
10,930
571
5.22
Statewide
2,595,107
293,920
11.33
Nationwide
40,544,640
3,793,577
9.36
23
Community Concern: Participants at all of the focus groups expressed concerns about limited employment
opportunities and the lack of jobs that paid a living wage. They also noted that improvements in employment
supports such as job training, transportation and child care are needed.
Employment
Current Unemployment
Unemployment rates are among the most closely watched “vital signs” by analysts seeking clues to the
health of the economy. Unfortunately, this important economic statistic is often misunderstood. Of
particular interest are “underemployed” workers whose circumstances are not fully captured by labor
market statistics published each month.
Labor force, employment, and unemployment data for Columbia County is provided in Table 17. Overall,
the county experienced an average 3.6% unemployment rate in August 2015, compared to a statewide
rate of 5.0%.
Table 17. Employment/Unemployment Information, August 2015
Labor Force
Employment
Unemployment
Unemployment Rate
Columbia
32,343
31,165
1,178
3.6
Statewide
9,696,742
9,212,040
484,702
5.0
158,517,517
150,215,269
8,302,248
5.2
Nationwide
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, September 30, 2015.
Five Year Unemployment Rate
Unemployment change within Columbia County from August 2011 to August 2015 is shown in the table
below. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment for this five year period fell from 6.7
percent to 3.6 percent, compared to a statewide decrease from 8.2 percent to 5.0 percent.
Table 18. Five Year Unemployment Rate, August 2011 - August 2015
August 2011
August 2012
August 2013
August 2014
August 2015
Columbia
6.7
6.8
5.5
4.3
3.6
Statewide
8.2
8.5
7.6
6.1
5.0
Nationwide
9.1
8.2
7.4
6.3
5.2
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, September 30, 2015.
Employment: Employment Wages
Table 19 shows the private sector employment, payrolls, and average weekly wages of employees that
are covered by Unemployment Insurance for the years 2002, 2007, and 2012.
Table 19. Wages from Employment, 2002, 2007, and 2012
Average Employment
Total Payroll ($millions)
Average Weekly Wage ($)
2002
2007
2012
2002
2007
2012
Columbia
16,113
16,383
15,943
442
530
576
Statewide
6,848,949
7,118,523
7,181,910
322,110
437,467
459,688
2002
2007
$527.28 $621.89
$694.76
$904.43 $1,181.82 $1,230.89
Source: 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook, Private Sector Employment, Payrolls, and Average Weekly Wages of
Employees Covered by Unemployment Insurance, NYS by County: 2001, 2006, and 2011, Rockefeller Institute, University at
24
2012
Albany, State University of New York.
Employment: High School Graduates
Table 20 shows the number of public high school graduates in the county for the 2013/2014 academic
year.
Table 20. High School Graduates
Graduates
Graduate Rate (%)
Total
Male
Female
Total
Male
Female
Columbia
524
283
241
82
79
86
Statewide
161,986
79,514
82,472
76
73
80
Source: Data supplied by The New York State Education Department's Public High School Graduation Rate for the 2013/2014
school year.
Table 21. Employment: Regional Top Employers
10 Largest Private Sector Employers in the Capital Region (Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga,
Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties)
Albany Medical Center Hospital
Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp.
Ellis Hospital
General Electric Co.
Glens Falls Hospital
Hannaford Supermarkets *
Price Chopper*
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
St. Peter's Hospital
Walmart*
Employers with an * have work sites located in Columbia County.
Table 22. Employment: Economic Development Agencies
Agency Name
Areas Served
Center for Economic Growth
Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery,
Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie,
Warren, and Washington Counties
Choose Columbia (Columbia Economic Development
Corporation)
Columbia County, NY
Hillsdale Economic & Community Development Corporation
Town of Hillsdale, NY
Hudson Development Corporation
City of Hudson, NY
New Lebanon Economic Development Committee/Lebanon
Valley Heritage Center
Town of New Lebanon, NY
VERA (Valatie Economic Development Association)
Town of Valatie, NY
Source: Columbia County Chamber of Commerce
25
Community Concern: Participants at each of the five community focus groups identified the lack of
affordable, high quality child care as a concern.
Employment: Child Care
In their 2014 Community Assessment, Child Care Connections of Columbia and Greene Counties, the
local child care resource and referral agency, reports that there are not enough child care slots, quality
child care, or child care subsidies to meet the needs of working parents in Columbia County.
The following table prepared by Child Care Connections shows the number of children in need of child
care and the number of regulated slots available by town. Seven out of 18 communities have no
licensed child care available at all.
Towns
Ancram
Austerlitz
Canaan
Chatham
Claverack
Clermont
Copake
Gallatin
Germantown
Ghent
Greenport (includes Hudson)
Hillsdale
Kinderhook
Livingston
New Lebanon
Stockport
Stuyvesant
Taghkanic
Total
Table 23. Demand for Child Care
# of Children in need 0-5 Child Care
of Child Care
Slots
126
0
112
0
156
0
387
47
574
24
204
24
276
0
128
0
189
24
514
36
819
378
169
24
800
151
297
6
228
0
314
0
235
40
85
0
5613
754
School Age
Slots
0
0
0
96
2
8
0
0
93
10
408
6
148
2
45
0
4
0
822
% of Need Met
0%
0%
0%
37%
5%
16%
0%
0%
62%
9%
96%
16%
37%
3%
20%
0%
19%
0%
28%
Sources: Family of Woodstock, Inc. 2011 Needs Assessment; Columbia Opportunities, Inc., Community Assessment (2013);
Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood Needs Assessment (2012); New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
The Columbia County Department of Social Services does help income eligible families pay for child care.
Families must have income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines in order to be considered
for assistance. In 2013 DSS provided subsidies for an average of 157 families with approximately 460
children, per month. There is a waiting list for families needing financial assistance with child care.
Several local child care centers are unwilling to accept direct payment from Columbia County due to the
delay in receiving payments.
26
Community Concern: Participants at each of the community focus groups expressed concerns about the lack of
employment opportunities that paid a wage high enough to cover the cost of living in Columbia County. It was
noted that many individuals have to work more than one job to make ends meet.
Employment: Wages
Average weekly wages for Columbia County during the 3rd quarter of 2014, are provided in table below.
County
Table 24. Weekly Wages, Third Quarter (July –September) 2014
Total
Average
Federal
Average
State/Local
Average
Private
Average
Employees Weekly Employees
Federal
Employees State/Local Employees Private
Wage ($)
Government
Government
Weekly
Weekly Wage
Weekly
Wage ($)
($)
Wage ($)
Columbia
22,147
693
165
1,028
4,253
938.5
17,729
667
Statewide
8,902,062
1,145
113,596
1,512
1,249,761
1,102.0
7,538,705
1,152
Nationwide 137,724,117
949
2,731,870
1,541
18,428,727
961.0 116,563,520
940
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Employment: Self-Sufficiency Standard - 2010
The Self-Sufficiency Standard for New York State 2010 provides a detailed measure of what it takes to
make ends meet in Columbia County, NY without public or private assistance. The Self-Sufficiency
Standard is based on the costs of six basic needs for working families: housing, child care, food, health
care, transportation, and miscellaneous items as well as the cost of taxes and the impact of tax credits.
Table 25. Self-Sufficiency Standard for Columbia County, NY 2010
Monthly Costs
Adult
Adult +
Preschooler
Housing
737
869
Child Care
0
843
Food
236
358
Transportation
270
277
Health Care
150
363
Miscellaneous
139
271
Taxes
322
582
Earned Income Credit
0
0
Dependent Care Credit
0
-55
Child Tax Credit
0
-83
Making Work Pay Credit
-33
-33
COLUMBIA COUNTY, NY SELF SUFFICIENCY WAGE
Hourly
$10.35
$19.26
Monthly
Annual
$1,821
$21,857
$3,391
$40,486
Adult +
Infant &
Preschooler
869
1580
469
277
378
357
825
0
-100
-167
-33
$25.31
4,455
53,464
Adult +
Preschooler
& School-Age
869
1337
536
277
388
341
681
0
-100
-167
-33
$23.46
$4,129
$49,545
Source: The Self-Sufficiency Standard for New York State 2010 by Diana M. Pearce, PhD
27
2 Adults + Infant
& Preschooler
869
1580
673
532
451
411
909
0
-100
-167
-67
2 Adults+
Preschooler,
School-age
869
1337
737
532
461
394
760
0
-100
-167
-67
$14.46
$13.51
per adult
per adult
$5,091
$61,095
$4,756
$57,069
Community Concern: Participants at all of the community focus groups expressed concerns about the lack of
public transportation to support employment, education, and vocational training opportunities. While many had
managed to acquire a car; the cost of the vehicle was a real strain on their budget. Those without personal
vehicles relied on family, friends, carpooling and limited public transportation services.
Employment: Motor Vehicle Registrations
Table 26 shows the number of registrations in 2010 by vehicle type for the county.
County
Table 26. Motor Vehicle Registrations, 2010
All Registered
Passenger
Commercial
Motorcycles
Vehicles
Vehicles
Vehicles
Mopeds
Columbia
58,618
45,698
6,322
2,675
107
Statewide
10,611,259
8,988,666
795,609
339,455
12,148
Source: 2013 New York State Statistical Yearbook, Motor Vehicle Registrations in Force by Type of Vehicle, NYS by County of
Residence: 2010, Rockefeller Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York.
Employment: Commuter Travel Patterns
According to the Dyson Foundation Making Ends Meet Study, nearly three out of four Columbia County
residents (72%), report the cost of gasoline puts a considerable strain on their household budget. This
includes 38% of all residents who describe the cost of gasoline as a major stress on their finances and
another 34% who report it places a good deal of difficulty on their household budget.
According to their website, Bankrate.com is a leading aggregator of financial rate information. They
analyzed the cost of gasoline, repairs and insurance in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Labor
and parts data were provided by CarMD.com, while gas spending was calculated with statistics from
GasBuddy.com and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Insurance costs were compiled from
National Association of Insurance Commissioners statistics. According to these estimates, it costs the
average New Yorker $365 for repairs, $1196 for insurance, and $713 per year for gasoline, for a total
annual cost of $2273. This average monthly cost of $189 would strain the budget of most individuals
and families with low incomes and does not include the price of purchasing a car.
Table 27 shows the method of transportation workers used to travel to work for Columbia County. Of
the 29,253 workers in the county, 85.91 percent, or 25,132 workers used private automobiles to travel
to work. Of these, 78.42 percent drove to work alone while 7.49 percent carpooled. 2.53 percent of all
workers reported that they used some form of public transportation, while 4.29 percent (or 1,254
workers) used some other means including walking, bicycles, and taxicabs to travel to work.
Table 27. Method of Transportation to Work, 2009 - 2013
Method of Transportation to Work (Percent)
Workers 16
Drive
Carpool
Public
Bicycle /
Taxi /
and Up
Alone
Transportation
Walk
Other
Work at
Home
Columbia
29,253
78.42
7.49
2.53
3.60
0.68
7.27
Statewide
8,870,713
53.81
6.98
27.04
6.94
1.32
3.91
139,786,640
76.35
9.75
5.01
3.38
1.19
4.33
Nationwide
28
Employment: Travel Time to Work
Travel times for workers who do not work at home is shown in Table 28 for Columbia County. The
median commute time for the county of 23.84 minutes is shorter than the statewide median commute
time of 30.38 minutes.
Table 28. Travel Time to Work, 2009 - 2013
Workers 16
Travel Time to Work in minutes (Percent of Workers)
and Up
Less than 10
10 to 30
30 to 60
More than 60
Average
Commute
Time (mins)
Columbia
29,253
18.53
46.72
27.37
7.38
23.84
Statewide
8,870,713
10.54
41.26
31.99
16.20
30.38
139,786,640
13.48
50.76
27.64
8.12
24.42
Nationwide
Employment: Public Transportation
Columbia County government offers limited public transportation through a contract with Johnston &
Pulcher, Inc. Bus services include a daily shuttle bus that runs between the City of Hudson and the Town
of Greenport, a Hudson/Albany Commuter Bus Service, and a Southern County Bus Schedule. The
Hudson/ Greenport Shuttle service and the Hudson/Albany Commuter Bus do meet the transportation
needs of some commuters. Amtrak provides train service both north and south of the Hudson, NY train
station. The train schedule and fair structure enables some full and part time residents to commute to
work on the northeast Adirondack train line.
29
Community Concern: Participants at all of the focus groups expressed concerns about the lack of high quality
early childhood development and school readiness opportunities for their children. For many the eligibility
restrictions, cost, location, hours and the lack of transportation make it difficult to utilize the available
resources.
Education
Early Childhood Development Opportunities
Early Childhood development programs in Columbia County are provided by a network of licensed day
care centers, nursery schools, universal pre-kindergarten programs offered by local school districts, and
COI Head Start. Local libraries, community centers and the Hudson Opera House offer special
programming for preschoolers throughout the year. According to Child Care Connections of Columbia
and Greene Counties there are thirteen “regulated” or licensed early childhood daycare centers
throughout the county; nearly half are COI Head Start centers. COI Head Start serves the largest number
of preschool children as compared to other day care and pre-kindergarten programs. Most
opportunities are found in the Greater Hudson and Kinderhook areas. There are few organized
programs for young children in the rest of the county. Seven out of eighteen towns have no regulated
child care services at all. These same communities have few or no preschool or nursery school
programs either.
The following information regarding Early Childhood Development opportunities was derived from a
mapping study conducted by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the 2015 COI Head Start
Community Assessment update.
Columbia Opportunities, Inc. provides center-based Head Start services at 5 locations and 7 classrooms
in Columbia County with the capacity to serve 146 children. COI offers a full “school day” schedule five
days per week and a combination home/center based option three days per week with monthly home
visits. Head Start centers are strategically located in communities with the greatest needs. There are no
tuition or fees for the Head Start program.
The Chatham Central School District has a full day pre-kindergarten class with a 15 student capacity; the
school provides transportation for these students who have “deficits in school readiness and/or family
barriers that limit access to other preschool programs.” (CCSD website) The district receives no state
pre-k funding for this program. COI Head Start established one of their first Head Start classrooms in
the Mary E. Dardess Elementary School in 1994. The program serves 17 children in one classroom. No
transportation services are provided. There is no charge for these programs.
The Columbia Greene Community College Day Care Center offers a program designed to stimulate
cognitive development, as well as social/ emotional growth. The center is available to children ranging in
age from 3 to 5 years. While the center is available to all college and college related personnel, as well as
the community when space is available, first priority is given to the children of CGCC students. The
center accommodates the children while their parents are attending classes, pursuing a college related
activity or working. The center charges a modest fee for this program.
Family Resource Centers of Columbia County offers, parents, guardians, and those caring for young
children support, parenting workshops, and supervised playgroups in Hudson, North Chatham,
Chatham, and Germantown. Each Family Resource Center has trained childcare staff, snacks for adults
30
and kids, and peer support programs for adults. The centers and playgroups are open to all without
charge and meet once or twice per week during the school year according to location.
In 2015 the Germantown Central School District opened two Universal Pre-Kindergarten classrooms
that are full day, with transportation provided. They have a capacity to serve 38 children. There is no
charge for this program.
Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School offers tuition based programs that include a Nursery program, a halfday Kindergarten, and extended day child care. They also offer parent/child and family support services
and activities.
As of 2015, the Hudson City School District has one Targeted Pre-K classroom serving 18 children in
conjunction with QUESTAR III and one Universal Pre-K Classroom that enrolls 36 students in two half-day
sessions. Three additional students are served in a COI Head Start classroom located in the primary
building, for a total of 39 students. COI Head Start has 4 classrooms in the City of Hudson two serving
17 and two serving 18 children. Transportation is not available for the Head Start or Pre-K classrooms.
The COI Hudson Family Literacy Program provides child care and Early Childhood enrichment activities
to the children of enrolled families. The program serves infants, toddlers, and pre-school age children.
As a result of funding limitations, these services are only provided once per week. With private
foundation support, summer activities have been offered in the past.
The Ichabod Crane School District offers a Targeted Pre-kindergarten program that serves six (6)
children with disabilities in a shared QUESTAR III classroom that has a total enrollment of 30. The TPK
children are full day and are bused to school while the UPK students attend half-day sessions and are
transported by family. TPK students receive services through a contract with Advanced Therapy, P.L.L.C.
Oversight and staffing is provided by Questar III. COI Head Start has a center in the Village of Valatie,
providing 3 full days of early childhood programming and monthly home visits for 17 children. No
transportation is provided for the Head Start children. There is no charge for these programs.
New Lebanon Central School District had a Targeted Pre-K program serving 18 children, also in
conjunction with QUESTAR III; however it closed in June of 2015 due to the lack of eligible children.
These slots were transferred to the Hudson City School District as of September, 2015.
The Taconic Hills Central School District offers a full day program and provides transportation to
children that will be four by December 1st of the given year. There are three classrooms with 18 students
each and four additional students in a Head Start classroom located in the elementary building, for a
total of 58 students. COI Head Start has a full day classroom in the elementary school building serving
18 children (four are dually enrolled in the UPK program) and another full day classroom in the Village of
Philmont serving 17 children. Transportation is not available to children enrolled in the Philmont Center.
There is no charge for these programs.
Education: School Enrollment
Columbia County residents are largely served by 6 public schools and 5 private schools. Children living in
the northern and southern most portions of Columbia County may also be enrolled in school districts
located in neighboring counties. The following table shows the total public school enrollment in the
county for the 2013/2014 school year.
31
Table 29. Public School Enrollment, 2013/2014
Total Enrollment Male Enrollment
Percent Male
Female
Enrollment
Percent Female
Columbia
7,300
3,807
52.15
3,493
47.85
County
7,300
3,807
52.15
3,493
47.85
2,652,283
1,359,112
51.24
1,293,171
48.76
Statewide
Source: Data supplied by The New York State Education Department's Public School Enrollment Data for the 2013/2014 school
year.
Education: High School Dropouts
Table 30 shows the number of Public High School dropouts in the Columbia County for the 2013/2014
academic years.
Table 30. High School Dropout Rates
Dropouts
Total
Male
Female
Dropout Rate (%)
Total
Male
Female
Columbia
53
28
25
8
8
9
Statewide
15,207
8,565
6,642
7
8
6
school year.
Education: High School Graduates
Table 31 shows the number of Public High School Graduates in the county for the 2013/2014 academic
years.
Table 31. High School Graduates
Number of Graduates
Total
Male
Female
Graduate Rate (%)
Total
Male
Female
Columbia
524
283
241
82%
79%
86%
Statewide
161,986
79,514
82,472
76%
73%
80%
school year.
Education: Educational Attainment
32
Table 32 shows the distribution of educational attainment levels in the Columbia County. Educational
attainment is calculated for persons over 25, and is an average for the period from 2009 to 2013.
Table 32. Percent Attaining Educational Levels, 2009 – 2013
Over Age
Education Level for Persons over 25
18 with
No High
High
Some
Associates Bachelors
No High
School
School
College
School
Diploma
Only
Diploma
Graduate or
Professional
Columbia
13.73
12.82
30.20
17.41
11.38
14.60
13.59
Statewide
14.76
14.84
27.15
16.38
8.43
18.86
14.35
Nationwide
14.20
13.98
28.12
21.25
7.81
18.05
10.79
Education: Veterans - Educational Attainment
Table 33. contrasts the distribution of educational attainment levels between veterans and non-veterans
in Columbia County. Educational attainment is calculated for persons over 25, and is an average for the
period from 2009 to 2013.
Table 33. Percent Attaining Educational Levels for Veterans and Non-Veterans, 2009 – 2013
Veterans
Non-Veterans
% No
Diploma
% High
School
Diploma
% Some
College
%
Bachelors
or Higher
% No
Diploma
% High
School
Diploma
% Some
College
%
Bachelors
or Higher
Columbia
9.10
34.75
33.05
23.10
13.31
29.60
28.23
28.85
Statewide
8.76
33.32
32.47
25.44
15.31
26.70
24.21
33.78
Nationwide
7.73
29.53
36.42
26.32
14.74
28.01
28.15
29.11
Education: Adult Literacy
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produces estimates for adult literacy based on
educational attainment, poverty, and other factors in each county.
Table 34. Persons Lacking Basic Prose Literacy Skills, 2003
Estimated Population over 16
Percent Lacking Literacy Skills
Columbia
50,118
11%
Statewide
15,058,111
22%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, State and
County Estimates of Low Literacy, 2003.
33
Community Concern: The lack of safe and affordable housing was a community concern identified by participants
at each of the community focus groups. These concerns applied to rental units as well as those occupied by home
owners. For many participants the cost of home ownership was simply out of reach.
Housing
According to the Dyson Foundation “Making Ends Meet Study”, 64% of Columbia County residents
expressed concern about the strain utility costs place on their finances. Twenty-three percent report
paying their heat and electric bills inflicts a great deal of stress on their household budget, and another
41% encounter a good deal of difficulty paying these bills.
Also according to this report, a notable portion of Columbia County residents are financially challenged
to meet their monthly rent or mortgage payment. Forty-three percent of residents say this expense
poses a great deal or a good amount of strain on their family budget. Paying for property taxes is
another major expense for more than seven in ten Columbia County homeowners. Seventy-one percent
of homeowners in the county feel pressure to meet their property tax obligations. This includes 34%
who say these expenses strain their monthly budgets a great deal.
Housing Units
The number of housing units within Columbia County in July of each year from 2004-2014 is shown in
Table 35. According to the U.S. Census, there were a total of 32,838 housing units in the county in 2014,
an increase of 1,438 or 4.58% since 2004 compared to a 3.81% increase statewide.
July
2004
Columbia
Statewide
Nationwide
31,400
July
2005
31,755
July
2006
32,081
Table 35. 2004 - 2014 Housing Units
July
July
July
July
2007
2008
2009
2010
32,406
32,612
32,715
32,783
July
2011
32,764
July
2012
32,743
July
2013
July
2014
32,766
32,838
7,870,881
7,916,683
7,970,267
8,015,248
8,059,465
8,101,349
8,113,177
8,133,629
8,153,981
8,170,903
8,191,040
128,758,958
130,872,915
132,894,778
134,764,927
136,159,359
137,014,358
131,797,695
132,172,145
132,584,625
133,190,257
133,957,180
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Housing Unit Estimates for Counties: April 1, 2004 to July 1, 2014, Release Date
May, 2015.
Housing Age
Total housing units, median year built and median age in 2013 for Columbia County are shown in table
below. The majority of Columbia County housing units were constructed before 1980, with nearly half
build before 1960. Before 1970, aluminum wiring and lead paint were used in homes, posing serious
safety and health risks to residents. In addition, the discovery of asbestos in these older homes also puts
residents in danger. Older housing stock is more likely to be substandard and less affordable, due to high
energy and home repair costs. Not only are they typically expensive to maintain, but homes built prior
to 1970 are also more likely to pose health and safety risks for residents due to deteriorating,
substandard conditions.
34
Table 36. Median Housing Unit Age, 2009 - 2013 by Census Tract
Census Tract
Housing Units Median
Housing Units Built
Percent Units Built
Where Year
Year
Newer than Built 1980 Built 1960 Built pre Newer Built 1980 Built 1960 Built pre
Built is
built
2000
to 1999
to 1979
1960
than 2000 to 1999
to 1979
1960
Known
Ancram
1,014
1971
134
241
267
372
13.21
23.77
26.33
36.69
Austerlitz
1,003
1974
130
240
270
363
12.96
23.93
26.92
36.19
Canaan
1,109
1957
115
243
177
574
10.37
21.91
15.96
51.76
Chatham
2,365
1951
205
498
406
1,256
8.67
21.06
17.17
53.11
Claverack
3,070
1954
212
465
756
1,637
6.91
15.15
24.63
53.32
Clermont
843
1976
196
187
155
305
23.25
22.18
18.39
36.18
Copake
2,368
1967
189
495
796
888
7.98
20.90
33.61
37.50
Gallatin
1,044
1968
122
206
305
411
11.69
19.73
29.21
39.37
Germantown
1,068
1953
86
224
147
611
8.05
20.97
13.76
57.21
Ghent
2,343
1958
162
588
384
1,209
6.91
25.10
16.39
51.60
Greenport
2,056
1972
49
716
538
753
2.38
34.82
26.17
36.62
Hillsdale
1,218
1958
95
299
181
643
7.80
24.55
14.86
52.79
Hudson-N
1,796
1939
144
144
247
1,261
8.02
8.02
13.75
70.21
Hudson-S
1,746
1939
9
38
300
1,399
0.52
2.18
17.18
80.13
Kinderhook - N
1,158
1964
77
232
317
532
6.65
20.03
27.37
45.94
Kinderhook - S
2,549
1972
264
523
954
808
10.36
20.52
37.43
31.70
Livingston
1,568
1977
317
425
277
549
20.22
27.10
17.67
35.01
New Lebanon
1,295
1957
104
191
324
676
8.03
14.75
25.02
52.20
Stockport
1,324
1951
22
218
347
737
1.66
16.47
26.21
55.66
960
1970
74
182
314
390
7.71
18.96
32.71
40.63
Taghkanic
811
1973
56
255
202
298
6.91
31.44
24.91
36.74
Columbia
32,708
1962
2,762
6,610
7,664
15,672
8.44
20.21
23.43
47.91
Statewide
8,113,270
1955
553,505 1,098,389 1,823,921 4,637,455
6.82
13.54
22.48
57.16
132,057,808
1976
20,157,260 36,735,368 35,676,692 39,488,480
15.26
27.82
27.02
29.90
Stuyvesant
Nationwide
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014. The 2013 American Community Survey 5-year
data is a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013.
Fair Market Rent
Fair market monthly rent for 0-4 bedrooms for Columbia County is shown in Table 37. The average rent
for 2-bedroom units in the county was $923 in the 2015 fiscal year, compared to a statewide average of
$940.
Table 37. Fair Market Rents, 2015
Fair Market Rent (Monthly $) for
0 Bedrooms
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
Four Bedrooms
Columbia
738
743
923
1,196
1,535
Statewide
684
761
940
1,227
1,368
Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2014 Report. This report is based on Housing and Urban Development's (HUD)
Annal Fair Market Rent Documentation System. Report published 2015.
35
Affordability
The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports each year on the amount of money a household
must earn in order to afford a rental unit based on Fair Market Rents in the area and an accepted limit
of 30% of income for housing costs. Affordable housing units are not necessarily located where lowincome families need or want to live.
Table 38. Hourly Wage Needed to Afford a Fair Market Rent, 2014
Average
Hourly Wage ($) needed for
Renter Hourly 0 Bedrooms
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms 3 Bedrooms
Wage ($)*
4 Bedrooms
Columbia
10.67
13.79
13.87
17.23
22.33
28.65
Statewide
21.81
19.23
20.71
24.87
32.02
35.89
Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2014 Report.
Vacancy Rates
The U.S. Census Bureau provides vacancy data based on American Community Survey 5-year estimates
(2009 - 2013). Vacancy rates for Columbia County are reported in Table 39.
Vacant non-rental housing totals 767 units and includes those for sale only and sold but not occupied.
For the county, there is a non-rental housing vacancy rate of 2.34 %, in comparison to the New York rate
of 1.31 % and the national rate of 1.73 %.
Vacant rental housing totals 558 units and includes those for rent and rented but not occupied. For the
county, that is a rental housing vacancy rate of 1.71%, in comparison to the New York rate of 2.44% and
the national rate of 2.9 %.
Vacant other housing totals 6,103 units and includes those used for seasonal, recreational, or occasional
use, as well as units used for migrant workers. For the county, there is an “other” housing vacancy rate
of 18.66 %, in comparison to the New York rate of 7.08 % and the national rate of 7.82 %.
County
Table 39. Vacancies, 2009 – 2013
Total Housing Vacant Non- Vacant NonVacant
Vacant
Vacant Other Vacant Other
Units
Rental
Rental Rate
Rental
Rental Rate
Rate
Columbia
32,708
767
2.34
558
1.71
6,103
18.66
Statewide
8,113,270
106,629
1.31
197,685
2.44
574,213
7.08
132,057,808
2,290,610
1.73
3,830,007
2.90
10,326,971
7.82
Nationwide
Source: United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2013 Data Release, December 2014.
36
Homeowners
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were 17,504 owner occupied homes in Columbia County in
2000, and 18,301 owner occupied homes in the county for the 5 year estimated period from 2009 2013.
Table 40. Owner Occupied Homes, 2000 – 2013
Homes, 2000
County
Homes, 2013
Columbia
17,504
18,301
Statewide
3,739,166
3,923,505
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 1, 2000; U.S. Census Bureau, American
Overcrowded Housing
Occupied housing units, overcrowded housing units, and percent overcrowded for 2000 and 2013 are
provided for Columbia County in Table 41. The average for the county is 1.33%.
County
Table 41. Overcrowded Housing Units
Occupied
Overcrowded
Percent
Occupied
Overcrowded
Housing Units, Housing Units, Overcrowded, Housing Units, Housing Units,
2000
2000
2000
2009/2013
2009/2013
Percent
Overcrowded,
2009/2013
Columbia
24,796
24
0.10
23,835
318
1.33
Statewide
7,056,860
92,454
1.31
5,098,017
349,049
6.85
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3, 2000.;U.S. Census Bureau, American
Unsafe, Unsanitary Homes
The number and percentage of county occupied housing units without plumbing are shown in Table 42.
U.S. Census data shows 74 housing units in the county were without plumbing in 2000 and ACS five year
estimates show 61 housing units in the county were without plumbing in 2013.
County
Table 42. Housing Units without Plumbing, 2000 and 2009 - 2013
Occupied
Housing Units
Percent
Occupied
Housing Units
Housing Units,
without
without
Housing Units,
without
2000
Plumbing, 2000 Plumbing, 2000 2009-2013
Plumbing,
2009-2013
Percent
without
Plumbing,
2009-2013
Columbia
24,796
74
0.24
25,280
61
0.24
Statewide
7,056,860
58,418
0.76
7,234,743
39,679
0.55
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Summary File 3, 2000.;U.S. Census Bureau, American
37
Community Concern: Homelessness was identified as a concern at one or more of the community focus groups.
The lack of emergency shelters for individuals and families as well as lack of permanent supportive housing
options were cited as areas needing improvement.
Homelessness
The Columbia Greene Housing Coalition is the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of
Care (CoC) Planning Group for Columbia and Greene Counties. Each year they conduct a Point In Time
count to identify the number of individuals and families who are homeless. When completing this
count, the CoC must use HUD’s definition of “literally” homeless that does not include people who are
“doubled up” or go from place to another each night to stay off the streets. The following chart shows
the results of the 2015 Point In Time Count.
Table 43. Columbia Greene Continuum of Care Point In Time Count-2015
Sheltered
Total Households and Persons
Emergency
Unsheltered
Total
Transitional
Total Number of Households
56
2
2
60
Total Number of Persons
91
4
2
97
Number of Children (under age 18)
32
2
0
34
9
0
0
9
50
2
2
54
Number of Persons (18 to 24)
Number of Persons (over age 24)
In addition to estimating the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness, the CoC
completes an annual Housing Inventory Count. By comparing the numbers of people who are homeless
with the available inventory of housing, the CoC is able to estimate the unmet needs for homeless
housing as seen in the table below. Currently the only emergency shelter beds available are for victims
of domestic violence. In both Columbia and Greene Counties area motels are used to provide
emergency shelter to all others. This practice is considered both expensive and unresponsive to the
needs of those being housed, especially families with children.
Table 44. Unmet Need for Homeless Housing - 2015
Households with
Adult Only
Child Only
Children
Households
Households
Beds
Emergency
Shelter
Transitional
Housing
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Units
Beds
Beds
All Households
Total Year
Round
Beds
Units
Overflow
Beds
21
6
8
0
0
29
15
17
4
14
8
4
39
0
24
8
50
0
0
74
0
38
Income
Income Levels
Three common measures of income are Median Household Income, Per Capita Income, and Average
Income based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates. All three measures are shown for Columbia County in
Table 45. The average income for earners in this county is $44,339.26. The Census Bureau defines an
earner as someone age 15 and older that receives any form of income, whether it is wages, salaries,
benefits, or some other type of income. The average Columbia County median income per household is
$57,336.
Table 45. Income Levels by County, 2009 - 2013
Median Household Income,
2013
Per Capita Income, 2013
Average Income Per Earner,
2013
Columbia
57,336
33,613
44,339
Statewide
58,003
32,382
46,450
Nationwide
53,046
28,155
40,683
Table 45a shows all three income measures for each town and city in Columbia County. Communities
with the lowest median incomes include: the City of Hudson and the towns of Greenport, Claverack,
Livingston, and New Lebanon.
Communities with lower than average per capita income include: the City of Hudson and the towns of
Stockport, Livingston, Taghkanic, Greenport, Gallatin, Stuyvesant, and Clermont.
Communities with lower than average income per earner include: the City of Hudson and the towns of
Stockport, Livingston, Greenport, Gallatin, Stuyvesant, Ancram, Taghkanic, New Lebanon, and
Germantown.
39
Census Tract
Table 45a. Income Levels by Municipality, 2009 - 2013
Median Household Income, Per Capita Income, 2013
2013
Average Income Per Earner,
2013
Ancram
62,045
32,716
39,302
Austerlitz
72,500
43,847
58,862
Canaan
74,167
34,631
47,399
Chatham
78,885
49,224
63,929
Claverack
51,329
35,500
46,083
Clermont
63,276
31,966
47,641
Copake
66,062
40,494
52,044
Gallatin
65,230
29,502
37,227
Germantown
60,917
32,412
43,769
Ghent
60,250
36,267
46,716
Greenport
44,401
28,820
36,549
Hillsdale
83,750
50,098
63,595
Hudson-N
31,184
18,942
27,506
Hudson-S
41,152
26,387
38,913
Kinderhook - N
72,500
38,116
48,881
Kinderhook - S
79,655
33,632
46,282
Livingston
52,429
26,505
33,775
New Lebanon
53,929
32,094
42,079
Stockport
54,406
26,491
32,828
Stuyvesant
64,358
29,820
38,091
Taghkanic
57,895
28,814
39,400
Columbia
57,336
33,613
44,339
Statewide
58,003
32,382
46,450
Nationwide
53,046
28,155
40,683
Income: Personal Income
Table 46 shows personal income by the major categories of earnings (wages, salaries, self employment),
property income (rent &interest), and transfer payments (government payments including Social
Security) in millions of dollars for the county in 2011. Persons in Columbia County received 21.69
percent of their income from transfer payments, compared to the state wide average of 18.37 percent.
40
Total
Income
Columbia
Statewide
Table 46. 2011 Personal Income by Type
Income by Category (in $millions)
2,627.56
Earnings
1,487.05
Property
Income
570.71
Transfer
Payments
Percent Income by Category
Earnings
Property
Income
Transfer
Payments
569.81
56.59
21.72
21.69
995,184.70 651,168.20 161,173.60 182,842.90
65.43
16.20
18.37
Source: 2013 New York State Statistical Yearbook, Personal Income by Type and County of Residence, NYS: 2011, Rockefeller
Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York.
Income: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
In NYS, the Family Assistance (FA) program provides cash assistance to eligible families that include a
minor child living with a parent or a caretaker relative. FA operates under federal Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) guidelines. Eligible adults are limited to receiving benefits for a total of 60
months in their lifetime, including months of TANF-funded assistance granted in other states. Once this
limit is reached, that adult and all members of his or her FA household are ineligible to receive any more
FA benefits. The months need not be consecutive, but rather each individual month in which TANFfunded benefits are received is included in the lifetime count. Parents and other adult relatives
receiving FA, and who are determined to be able to work must comply with federal work requirements
to receive FA benefits. As a further condition of FA eligibility, each person who applies for or is receiving
FA, is required to cooperate with state and local department of social services efforts to locate any
absent parent and obtain support payments and other payments or property. Non-cooperation without
good cause could result in lower FA benefits.
The number of persons receiving Family Assistance in January 2015, within Columbia County is shown in
Table 47. The NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance reported that 1,035 persons were
receiving TANF benefits at a cost of $309,944, or $299.46 per recipient. Fifty three and one half (53.5)
percent of the recipients were children. These cash assistance benefits leave family income well below
50% of the federal poverty level.
Table 47. Persons Receiving TANF, January 2015
Persons Receiving TANF, January 2015
Total
Children
Adults
Columbia
1,035
554
481
Statewide
569,551
298,121
271,430
Cases,
January
2015
546
Expenditures, January 2015
Total ($)
Per Case ($)
Per Person
($)
309,944
567.66
299.46
297,128 185,310,788
623.67
325.36
Source: NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, January 2015. Data issued April 1, 2015.
Income: Safety Net Assistance
Safety Net Assistance (SNA) is provided to individuals and families not eligible for Family Assistance.
SNA is for: single adults, childless couples, children living apart from any adult relative, persons who
have exceeded the 60-month limit on family assistance, aliens who are eligible for temporary assistance,
but who are not eligible for federal reimbursement. Recipients of SNA, who are determined to be able
to work must also comply with work requirements to receive benefits. Generally, an individual can
receive cash SNA for a maximum of two years in a lifetime. After that, if they are still eligible for SNA, it
is provided in non-cash form, such as a two party check or a voucher.
41
The number of persons receiving Safety Net Assistance in January 2015, within Columbia County is
shown in Table 48. The NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance reported that 430 persons
were receiving Safety Net Assistance benefits at a cost of $160,657 or $373.62 per recipient, in the
county during January 2015. Twenty six and one half (26.5) percent of the recipients were children.
Safety Net Assistance benefits also leave household income well below 50% of the federal poverty level.
Table 48. Safety Net Cases, January 2015
Safety Net Cases, December 2015
Cases,
Expenditures, December 2015
December
Total
Children
Adults
Total
Per Case Per Person
2015
Columbia
430
114
316
294
160,657
546.45
373.62
County
430
114
316
294
160,657
546.45
373.62
188,563
318,209
112,052
206,157 116,521,268
617.94
366.18
Statewide
Source: NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, January 2015. Data issued April 1, 2015.
Income: Supplemental Security Income
The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program pays benefits to disabled adults and children who have
limited income and resources. SSI benefits also are payable to people 65 and older without disabilities
who meet the financial limits. The number of Supplemental Security Income recipients and
expenditures by the state and federal governments in the county are shown in Table 49.
It is widely known that the application process for SSI and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) is
complicated and difficult to navigate. According to the SSI/SSDI Outreach Access, and Recovery website,
only about 29% of individuals applying for these benefits are approved on initial application and appeals
take an average of 1 year to complete.
Table 49. Supplemental Security Income, January 2015
December
December Expenditures ($)
Recipients
Total
Federal
State
Expenditure per
Recipient
Columbia
1,739
1,022,047
831,006
191,041
587.72
Statewide
719,686
416,670,229
363,556,726
53,113,503
578.96
Source: New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, January 2015. Data issued April 1, 2015.
Income: Child Support Collections
The child support program provides custodial parents with assistance in obtaining financial support and
medical insurance coverage for their children by locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing
support orders, and collecting and distributing child support payments. Child support collections for
Columbia County are shown in Table 50. During January 2015, child support collections totaled
$472,121.65.
42
Table 50. Child Support Collections, January 2015
Child Support Collections, February 2013
Total
Current Assistance
Former Assistance
Never Assisted
Columbia
472,121.65
17,347.44
245,449.38
209,324.83
Statewide
145,100,955.90
5,274,762.97
70,141,320.28
69,684,872.61
43
Community Concern: Participants at each of the focus groups expressed concerns about their limited access
to grocery stores and other sources of affordable and nutritious food.
Nutrition
Food Insecurity
According to Feeding America, food insecurity refers to the United State Department of Agriculture’s
measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members
and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure households are not
necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs
between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate
foods.
Table 51. Food Insecurity
Poverty Rate of Food Insecure People
Food Insecure
Food Insecure:
Rate
Number of people
Below 200%
Above 200%
Columbia - all ages
11%
6860
63%
37%
Children – 0-17
11%
2400
65%
35%
Source: Feeding America - Map the Meal Gap
The numbers of children and families in need are expected to increase, as SNAP-eligible families
continue to cope with benefit cuts which took effect on November 1, 2013. According to the Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities, this cut is “the equivalent of taking away 21 meals per month for a family of
four, or 16 meals for a family of three, based on calculations using the $1.70 to $2 per meal provided for
in the Thrifty Food Plan.”
Nutrition: Free and Reduced Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public schools. It
provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. Table 52 shows the
number of students eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program during January, 2015. The figures
below include all School Food Authority agencies. 50.39% of the students in the county were eligible for
free or reduced lunches.
Table 52. Students Participating in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, 2015
School District
Total Student
# Eligible Students
% Eligible Students
Enrollment
Chatham
1123
416
37.04
Germantown
564
204
36.17
Hudson
1760
1155
65.63
Ichabod Crane
1859
585
31.47
New Lebanon
403
142
35.24
Taconic Hills
1377
726
52.72
Columbia County
7086
3228
45.55
Source: New York State Education Department, Child Nutrition Management System, January, 2015.
44
Starting with the 2015/16 school year, the Hudson City School District began participation in the
Community Eligibility Provision of the federally funded free/reduced lunch program. The Community
Eligibility Provision allows local schools in high-poverty areas to offer school breakfast and lunch through
the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs to all students at no cost. The goal of the program is
to help reduce hunger and streamline school meal programs.
The Hudson City School District also offers the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). This program
helps to ensures that low-income children in the Hudson City School District continue to receive
nutritious meals when school is not in session. This is the only Summer Food Service Program offered in
Columbia County, NY.
Nutrition: Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP)
The Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) is a food and nutrition program of
the New York State Department of Health. HPNAP, in partnership with food banks and emergency food
organizations, is dedicated to improving the health and nutrition status of people in need of food
assistance in New York State. HPNAP grants are administered by the Regional Food Bank of
Northeaster New York. The number of meals provided through Hunger Prevention and Nutrition
Assistance Program (HPNAP) Supported Soup Kitchens, Food Pantries and Shelters is shown in Table 53.
The statewide average number of meals served per day was 212 meals per site. Not all area food
pantries receiving HPNAP funding.
Table 53. Soup Kitchens, Food Pantries and Shelters, July 2010-June 2011
HPNAP Sites Sites per 10,000 Average Meals Served per Site per Day Meals per Person per Year
Columbia
7
1.1
75
4
Statewide
2,522
1.3
212
6
Source: New York Department of Health, Services Provided by HPNAP Supported Groups
Nutrition: Persons Served by Soup Kitchens, Food Pantries and Shelters
The number of persons being served at Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP)
Supported Soup Kitchens, Food Pantries and Shelters is shown in Table 54. On average, the statewide
number of people served per day was 82,507.
Table 54. Persons Served through the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP),
July 2010-June 2011
Total Persons Presenting Themselves
Adjusted to an Average Daily Basis
(Duplicated)
All
Columbia
Statewide
44,482
Children
14,380
Adults
(18-65)
Elderly
(>65)
All
Children
Adults
(18-65)
Elderly
(>65)
22,847
7,255
122
39
63
20
30,115,199 8,581,937 17,540,369
3,992,893
82,507
23,512
48,056
10,939
Source: New York Department of Health, Services Provided by HPNAP Supported Groups. Note: The number of persons served is
based on counting individuals as they enter a facility. The totals columns count individuals more than once.
45
Nutrition: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) issues monthly electronic benefits that can be
used like cash to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Eligibility and benefit levels are based
on household size, income and other factors. The number of households and persons receiving SNAP
benefits and the total SNAP dollars issued are shown for Columbia County in Table 55. According to the
New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Columbia County had the average benefit per
household during January of 2015 was $220.77 per household.
Table 55. Households and Persons Receiving SNAP Benefits, January 2015
Households Receiving
Persons Receiving Benefits
Benefits Issued ($)
Benefits
Total
Temporary
Assistance
Non
Temporary
Assistance
2,424
Columbia
3,801
1,377
Statewide
1,673,567
679,072
Temporary
Assistance
Total
6,613
Non
Temporary
Assistance
1,905
994,495 3,055,942 1,030,923
4,708
Total
839,134
Temporary
Assistance
Non
Temporary
Assistance
284,670
Benefits
Per
Household
554,464
220.77
2,025,019 424,847,862 156,319,408 268,528,454
253.86
Nutrition: Households Receiving SNAP by Poverty Status (ACS)
Table 56 shows that 2,190 households (or 8.66 percent) received SNAP payments during 2013. During
this same period there were 1,366 (or 5.40 percent) households with income levels below the poverty
level that were not receiving SNAP payments. Columbia County had 8.66 percent of households
receiving SNAP payments, which is less than the statewide average of 14.52 percent.
Table 56. Households Receiving SNAP by Poverty Status, 2009 - 2013
Households Receiving SNAP
Households Not Receiving SNAP
Total
Percent
Income
Below
Poverty
Income
Above
Poverty
Total
Percent
Income
Below
Poverty
Income
Above
Poverty
Columbia
2,190
8.66
987
1,203
23,090
91.34
1,366
21,724
Statewide
1,050,669
14.52
541,633
509,036
6,184,074
85.48
506,664
5,677,410
87.60 8,917,586
92,353,292
Nationwide
14,339,330
12.40 7,498,398 6,840,932 101,270,878
The 2013 American Community Survey 5-year data is a 5-year average of data collected from 2009 through 2013. SNAP
numbers are for the last 12 months of the five-year average (2013).
46
Health Care
The Dyson Foundation Making Ends Meet Study reports that 37% of Columbia County residents say the
cost of health insurance places a burden on their family budgets. This includes 15% of residents who say
these expenses cause a great deal of strain and 22% who say they cause a good amount. More than one
in four residents in the county, 28%, say they experience at least a good deal of financial strain due to
health care costs. This study was released in 2013, before the Affordable Care Act was implemented.
Many individuals and families with low to moderate incomes have found more affordable health
insurance through the NYS of Health Marketplace.
Health Care: Medicare and Medicaid Providers
The total number of institutional Medicare and Medicaid providers, including hospitals, nursing facilities,
federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics and community mental health centers for Columbia
County is shown in Table 57. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there
were 9 active Medicare and Medicaid institutional service providers in the county in the second quarter
of 2014.
Table 57. Institutional Medicare and Medicaid Providers, 2014
Total
Hospitals
Nursing
Federally
Rural Health
Community
Institutional
Facilities
Qualified
Clinics
Mental Health
Providers
Health Centers
Centers
Columbia
9
1
4
1
0
0
Statewide
2,375
249
629
247
10
4
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Provider of Services File,
Second Quarter, 2014.
Health Care: Federally Qualified Health Center
Hudson River HealthCare (HRHCare), a not-for-profit, federally qualified health care system that offers a
range of medical services at its facilities throughout New York State, opened an office in Hudson, NY in
April, 2014. This is the only federally qualified health center located in Columbia County, NY.
Health Care: Persons Receiving Medicare
The total number of persons receiving Medicare is shown, broken down by number over 65 and number
of disabled persons receiving Medicare for Columbia County in Table 58. The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services reported that a total of 14,526 persons were receiving Medicare benefits in the
county in 2012. A large number of individuals in our society are aware that persons over 65 years of age
receive Medicare; however, many of them are unaware that disabled persons also receive Medicare
benefits. A total of 2,760 disabled persons in the county received Medicare benefits in 2012.
Table 58. Medicare Enrollment, 2012
Persons Over 65 Receiving Disabled Persons Receiving
Medicare
Medicare
Total Persons Receiving
Medicare
Columbia
11,766
2,760
14,526
Statewide
2,768,866
626,516
3,395,382
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare County
Enrollment Report, 2012.
47
Health Care: Persons Receiving Medicaid
The average number of persons receiving Medicaid during 2014 is shown in Table 59 for Columbia
County. The average rate of Medicaid recipients during 2014 was 157.49 per 1000 persons. The rate in
Columbia County is lower than the overall state rate.
Table 59. Monthly Average Number of Persons Receiving Medicaid, 2014
Monthly Average Number of Persons Receiving Medicaid, 4th Quarter
Total
Children
Adults
Elderly
Disabled
Family
Health
Per 1000
Other
Columbia
3,609.33
3,505.75
574.50
1,871.58
392.75
88.5
9,870.67
157.49
Statewide
1,816,194.58
1,679,607.67
292,636.00
634,979.42
220,514.50
260,806.5
4,842,490.00
248.50
Source: New York Department of Health, Information for a Healthy New York, Medicaid Quarterly Reports of Beneficiaries and
Expenditures by Category of Eligibility and Social Service District. Data is for calendar year 2014, released March 13, 2015.
One of the major coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid
eligibility to nearly all low-income individuals with incomes at or below 138% of the poverty level
($27,724 annual income for a family of 3 in 2015). New York State is one of 31 states that opted to
expand their Medicaid Eligibility. Many hard working low income wage earners have gained access to
affordable health care through this expansion.
Health Care: Child Health Plus
NYS offers Child Health Plus as a health insurance plan for children. Several options are available
depending on family income. For some the program is free, for others a monthly premium may apply.
Table 60 shows the total enrollment for the New York Child Health Plus program for September 2010,
2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. According to the New York Department of Health, there were 1,171
persons enrolled in the Child Health Plus Program during September 2014. Between September 2010
and September 2014, enrollment decreased in the county by 489 persons, or 29.5%.
Table 60. Child Health Plus
Total Enrollment
Sept 2010
Sept 2011
Sept 2012
Sept 2013
Sept 2014
Columbia
1,660
1,703
1,509
1,309
1,171
Statewide
395,312
411,892
345,741
309,335
292,802
Source: New York Department of Health, Information for a Healthy New York, Child Health Plus Enrollment by Insurer
Health Care: Uninsured Population
The uninsured population is calculated by estimating the number of persons eligible for insurance
(generally those under 65) minus the estimated number of insured persons. In 2013, the percentage of
persons uninsured was 11 in Columbia County. The number of uninsured individuals is expected to drop
substantially as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
48
Table 61. Uninsured Persons, 2013
Insurance Population
Number Insured
Number Uninsured
(2013 Estimate)
Columbia
Nationwide
Percent Uninsured
48,506
43,188
5,318
11%
264,843,216
220,365,245
44,477,968
17%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, 2013 (January 2015 release).
Health Care: Prenatal Care
In 2011, a total of 3 women did not receive any prenatal care in the county. This figure indicates that
less than one percent of pregnant women did not receive prenatal care during pregnancy.
Table 62. Trimester When Prenatal Care Began, 2011
First
Trimester
Second
Trimester
Third
Trimester
No Prenatal
Care
Unknown
Not
Reported
Total Births
% No
Prenatal or
Third
Trimester
Care
Columbia
358
114
19
3
49
1
544
4.45
Statewide
167,091
49,230
11,123
1,608
6,783
3,901
239,736
5.56
Source: 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook, Resident Live Births by Month Prenatal Care Began, NYS by County: 2011,
Rockefeller Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York.
Health Care: Teen Births
In 2013, births to teens in the area totaled 35, or 6.49 percent of all live births, in the county.
Table 63. Births to Females Age 10 to 19, 2013
Age Under 15
Age 15 to 17
Age 18 to 19
Total Live Births
Births to Teens
Columbia
0
5
30
539
35
Statewide
125
2,972
8,119
235,274
11,216
Source: New York Department of Health, Vital Statistics of New York State 2013.
Health Care: Deaths
According to the information in Table 64, death rates in Columbia County and NYS have remained
consistent in the last 6 years. In 2011, the death rate was 10.6 deaths per 1,000 persons in Columbia
County.
Table 64. Deaths and Death Rates
2007
2008
2009
2006
Total
Columbia
649
Statewide
147,615
Rate
/1000
10.3
Total
632
7.6 146,266
Rate
/1000
10.1
Total
Rate
/1000
629
7.6 147,469
10.1
Total
607
7.6 144,874
2010
Rate
/1000
9.8
Total
690
7.4 144,913
2011
Rate
/1000
10.9
Total
667
10.6
7.5 147,105
7.6
Source: 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook, Resident Deaths and Rates, NYS by County: 2008-2011, Rockefeller Institute,
University at Albany, State University of New York.
49
Rate
/1000
Health Care: Physicians
Table 65 shows the number of Physicians, Physicians with 3-year licenses, Physician assistants and
Specialist assistants for the county. There are 2.6 physicians per 1000 persons in the county, lower than
the statewide average of 4.34 physicians per 1000 persons.
Table 65. Physicians and Assistants, 2014
Physicians, MD
Physicians, 3yr
Physician Assistants
Specialist
Assistants
Physicians/Assistants
per 1,000 Persons
Columbia
132
0
30
0
2.58
Statewide
73,386
37
11,065
84
4.34
Source: New York Office of the Professions, New York State Licensed Professions>; United States Census Bureau, American
Community Concern: The lack of dentists that accept Medicaid was a concern raised at each of the community
focus groups. In addition, parents with young children noted that there were no Pediatric Dentists in Columbia
County.
Health Care: Dentists
Table 66 shows the number of Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Certified Dental Assistants for Columbia
County. The statewide average is 1.36 dental professionals per 1000 persons.
Dentists
Table 66. Dental Professionals, 2014
Dental Specialists
Dental Hygienists
Dental Professionals per
1,000 Persons
Columbia
27
30
5
0.99
Statewide
15,304
9,862
1,255
1.36
Health Care: Nurses
Table 67 shows the number of nurses, nurse practitioners, and midwives for Columbia County. The
statewide average is 16.0 nursing professionals per 1000 persons.
Nurse, RN
Table 67. Nurses, 2014
Nurse, LPN
Nurse
Practitioners
Midwives
Nurses per 1,000
Persons
Columbia
897
324
50
1
20.30
Statewide
227,017
66,365
17,353
976
16.00
50
Community Concern: The lack of mental health services for young children was a concern raised at each of the
community focus groups.
Health Care: Mental Health Professionals
Table 68 shows the number of mental health professionals for Columbia County. The statewide average
is 0.42 mental health professionals per 1000 persons. Columbia County is well below that rate.
Table 68. Mental Health Professionals, 2014
Psychoanalysts Mental Health Creative Arts
Marriage and
Mental Health
Counselors
Therapists
Family Therapists Professionals per 1,000
Persons
Columbia
3
9
3
1
0.26
Statewide
663
5,225
1,376
875
0.42
Source: New York Office of the Professions, New York State Licensed Professions; United States Census Bureau, American
Health Care: Transportation
States are required by federal regulations to assure necessary transportation to Medicaid beneficiaries
to and from medical services. Since 2012, Medicaid transportation in Columbia County has been
handled by Medical Answering Services, Inc. Transportation can be arranged by telephone, fax, or
through their website. The Columbia County Healthcare Consortium also provides Medicaid
transportation as well as non-emergency medical transportation to Columbia County residents who lack
any other means of getting to and from a medical appointment. Both programs have improved access
to medical services for area residents.
Health Care: Therapists
Table 69 shows the number of physical, occupational and massage therapists for Columbia County. The
statewide average is 2.60 physical, occupational and massage therapists per 1000 persons.
Table 69. Therapists, 2014
Physical Physical Therapist Occupational Occupational Massage
Therapists/
Therapists
Assistants
Therapists
Therapist
Therapists Assistants per 1,000
Assistants
Persons
Columbia
40
16
24
13
78
2.73
Statewide
17,288
4,991
10,579
3,605
14,266
2.60
Health Care: Special Health Professionals
Table 70 shows the number of Optometrists, Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, Respiratory Therapists,
and Respiratory Technicians for the county. The statewide average is 1.34 special health professionals
per 1000 persons. County residents must frequently travel out of the county to receive care by these
special Health Professionals.
51
Table 70. Special Health Professionals, 2014
Audiologists
Speech
Respiratory
Respiratory
Pathologists
Therapists
Technicians
Optometrists
Special Health
Professionals per
1,000 Persons
Columbia
3
3
28
19
4
0.91
Statewide
2,698
1,258
15,756
5,501
983
1.34
Community Concern: At each of the community focus groups, participants expressed concerns about crime and
safety in their communities. Some felt there was an increase in crime associated with drug abuse.
Crime
Violent Crime
Occurrences of violent crime within Columbia County are shown in Table 71. According to the New York
State Division of Criminal Justice Services reporting system, a total of 51 assaults, 17 robberies and 8
rapes took place within the county in 2013. As reports for subsequent years become available, there will
be an increase in the number of recorded homicides.
Table 71. Homicide, Negligent Manslaughter, Assault, Robbery, Rape, 2013
Total Violent
Homicide
Assault
Robbery
Crime
Rape
Columbia
76
0
51
17
8
Statewide
76,451
644
46,029
27,171
2,607
Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Index Crimes Reported: 2009 - 2013.
Property Crime
Occurrences of property crime within Columbia County are shown in Table 72. According to the New
York State Division of Criminal Justice Services reporting system, a total of 207 burglaries, 828 incidents
of larceny, and 14 automotive thefts were recorded in 2013 within the county.
Table 72. Burglary, Larceny, and Auto Theft, 2013
Total Property Crime
Burglary
Larceny
Auto Theft
Columbia
1,049
207
828
14
Statewide
355,902
56,120
284,331
15,451
Source: New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, Index Crimes Reported: 2009 - 2013.
52
Community Resources
During each of the community focus groups participants were asked to identify community resources
that were available to assist with community concerns and needs. They were also asked to identify
barriers to accessing these resources. The following chart summarizes what they had to say, however it
may not include information about all available community resources.
Community Concern
Area
Child Care
Community Resources Available to Address
Problems / Issues
Barriers to Accessing Available Resources
Child Care Providers
Expensive and not enough child care opportunities
Agribusiness Child Care Program
Limited funding, restricted to farm workers, limited child
care providers
Little Wonders Early Childhood Learning
Center, Hudson Day Care
Long wait for infant care, expensive, not enough
subsidies available.
After School Programs
Some are too expensive
Columbia Greene Child Care Connections
Limited funding for child care subsidies
Limited number of child care slots
Crime
NYS Troopers
Columbia County Sheriffs’ Department
Education
Head Start
Promise Neighborhood Mentoring Programs
Unable to patrol in all communities, response time can
be slow
No crime prevention activities
Limited hours and locations
Income & age guidelines may prevent some from being
eligible
Lack of transportation
Need more volunteers & mentors need training
Local Libraries Summer Programs
Lack of awareness
Elder Services
Office for the Aging
Lack of awareness
Employment
Workforce Investment Office (CGCC)
Lack of awareness
No transportation to the college
Family Support
School Social Workers have been a great
resource for families and children
Many schools have eliminated these positions
Promise Neighborhood – arranging for Skype
visitation for families with incarcerated
member
Must have access to technology
Need close cooperation with prisons
Lack of transportation & lack of awareness
Parsons
Northeast Parent & Child
Berkshire Farm
St. Catherine’s
Health Care
Urgent Care in Valatie & Copake
Some Drs offering early urgent care w/o
appointments
53
Not available in all communities
Limited network of providers
Community Concern
Area
Health Care continued
Problems / Issues
Medicaid transportation
Long wait on the phone when arranging for
transportation
People don’t know about this resource
Homelessness
Columbia County Health Care Consortium
Navigators – ability to meet people in the
community at nontraditional business hours
Continuum of Care Programs
Housing
Affordable Housing Complexes
Family housing limited to greater Hudson area
No community room available for Hudson Terrace
Habitat for Humanity – new homes and
ReStore
New home applicants must have enough income to pay
back mortgage
Housing Choice Voucher Section 8 Rental
Assistance Programs
(Hudson Housing Authority and COI)
Waiting lists very long
When voucher is received, not enough time to find a unit
that meets the guidelines
Lack of rental opportunities
Lack of awareness – no transportation to participate
Galvan Housing Resources
Income Supports
SSI is a great resource for people with
disability and limited incomes
Opportunities limited
Very narrow definition of homelessness
Information Sources
Local officials seen as a resource by some
Local Libraries also source of information
Eligibility guidelines make it hard for people to receive
disability determination, income rules are biased against
people who are married
Some DSS staff do not treat people with respect
Some are overworked & make mistakes (with
devastating effects on consumers)
Not transparent regarding how people qualify for
benefits
Benefits are not high enough to meet basic expenses
Most of cash benefit is used for housing, nothing left
over for other needs
They may not know about all the resources that are
available
Mental Health
Mental Health Association
Lack of awareness – no transportation
Private mental health therapists for children
Not enough supply
Community Food Pantries including
Columbia Opportunities, Catholic Charities,
and Salvation Army
Some pantries run out of food
People do not know where to go to receive food or how
to support food pantries
Long lines at some food pantries
Needs to be expanded to the middle & high schools
Regional Food Bank is so far away – limiting availability
to bring food in to the area
People don’t know about the program
Too much milk, not enough flexibility to meet nutritional
needs so people drop out of the program
Department of Social Services
Cash Assistance
Food Stamps
Emergency Assistance
Nutrition
School Backpack Programs (Hudson, Taconic
Hills)
WIC Program – Catholic Charities
54
Community Concern
Area
Nutrition - continued
Problems / Issues
Salvation Army Community Center
Soup Kitchen – Food Pantry
Lack of awareness – no transportation
Local Farmer’s Markets
Even though some accept food stamps and WIC checks,
the items can be too expensive
Some are crowded with not enough parking available
(Hudson)
Some are full – not accepting new gardeners
Not available in all areas
Community Gardens
Cooperative Extension Programs
Loss of Eat Smart NY limits available programming
Safety
Community Action of Greene County
Columbia Greene Domestic Violence
Program
REACH Center
Child Advocacy Center
Special Needs
COARC
Substance Abuse
Twin County Recovery Services
Transportation
Wheels for Work – Community Action of
Greene County
Youth Development
Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Navigator Programs,
4-H
Only provider – no choice about services
Services based in Hudson, limits access for people in
outlying areas
Community opposition to establishing services in other
areas
55
Hard to find a place to hold meetings
Columbia County
www.columbiaopportunities.org
Race &
Whites
African Americans
Hispanics/Latinos
10.0% (5,501)
25.8% (452)
28.1% (685)
Poverty
540 Columbia Street
Hudson, NY 12534
518.828.4611
Education & Poverty
County Population:
62,445
Adult Population 25+ - 44,152
Population for whom
poverty status is determined:
Overall
60,330
Population Under 18
11,528
Population 25 & Over
44,152
Population over 65
11,402
Educational Attainment
No Degree
11.2% (4,928)
Total
23.0% (1,133)
Living in Poverty
Median
Income
Individuals
11.2% 6,744
Children (Under 18)
16.6% 1,913
Adults 25+
8.8% 3,879
Senior Citizens 65+
5.9%
675
Associate
30.0% (13,268)
Total
10.4% (1,380)
Living in Poverty
& Poverty
28.5% (12,574)
Total
3.1% (386)
Living in Poverty
Health
& Poverty
No Health
Insurance
Unemployment
Rate December 2014
Median Income
w/High School Diploma
$37,182
$31,463
Living Wage for
1 Adult, 1 Child
Household
Hourly Wage for
FMR, 2 BR
Apartment
$21.04
$17.23
Gender
Employed
9.6%
Unemployed
21.9%
Free/Reduced
Lunch Program
47%
Of Those Families with
Female Heads of Household
and Children Present
& Poverty
High School Diploma
Bachelors or Higher
30.3% (13,382)
Total
7.3% (980)
Living in Poverty
Employment
4.5%
Living In Poverty
High School
Median
Income
Median
Income
$35,478
$26,335
US Poverty Rate: 15.9% • NYS Poverty Rate: 15.9%
56
26.0%
Live in Poverty
Maps:
On each county profile page,
the map of NYS is included,
with the county highlighted in
red. The inset map shows the
county map with the county
seat noted. On city profile
pages, the map of NYS is again
included, with the county
highlighted in grey and the
cities noted in red. Inset map
is the county, with cities noted.
Data Key
Please see census.gov for more
specific definitions for any of the data
sourced from USCB reports.
Race
& Poverty
Data
88%
66%
44%
22%
0%
Population Data:
The population is the official
count of people from the US
Census Bureau’s (USCB)
BO1003 report.
The Population for Whom
Status is Determined reflects
the size of census samples
and is provided in USCB report S1701.
Poverty Data:
The poverty rate includes all
individuals living in poverty.
The numbers are then broken
down in three other categories: children under 18, adults
over 25 and adults over 65.
The percentage of each group
living in poverty is followed by
the number of individuals that
percentage represents.
Families in Poverty Data is
from USCB Report S1702 and
indicates the percentage of all
families with a female head of
household and at least one
child under 18 that are living
in poverty.
ALL Census Reports cited
are from the American
Communities Survey
three year estimates
(2011 - 2013) when available. Otherwise, the
American Communities
Survey five year (2009 2013) estimates have
been used. See next
page for more details.
Data on race is based on self-identification.
There are a minimum of five categories from
which to select, including White and Black/
African American. People are able to selfidentify as more than one race. People who
identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino or
Spanish may be of any race. The data is from
USCB Report S1701 ).
Education & Poverty Data
The top numbers provided, next to the dark blue squares, indicate the total for each category, as a percentage of the entire population and number of individuals. The number below,
next to the lighter square, shows the percentage of all people in that category living in poverty and total number of individuals that indicates. This data is from USCB Report S1701.
Income
& Poverty Data
Median Income - Total income is the sum of the amounts reported for wage/salary income, self
employment income,, interest, dividends, rental income, royalty income, income from estates or
trusts, Social Security or Railroad Retirement income, Supplementary Social Security, public assistance or welfare payments, retirement/survivor/disability pensions and all other income. The
data is from USCB Report S1501.
Health & Poverty
Unemployment Rate - Unemployment
rate, by county, for the month of … from
the NYS Department of Labor - Labor Statistics (www.labor.ny.gov/stats/
LSLAUS.shtm)
Living Wage - The wage listed is the wage
an individual would need to earn as the
sole provider for a household consisting
of themselves and one child based on the
typical expenses in that county or city.
This wage is a minimum estimate of the
cost of living for a low wage family. Data
from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator
(www.livingwage.mit.edu)
Hourly Wage - The hourly rate listed is
that which one person would need to
earn working year round, 40 hours per
week in order to afford a 2 bedroom
apartment at the fair market rate (FMR)
for that county, assuming 30% of income
is spent on housing. Data is provided by
the National Low Income Housing Coalition ‘s report: Out of Reach 2014 .
www.nlihc.org
57
Insurance
Based on self reporting this includes people
who have: insurance from a current/former
employer, insurance purchased directly from an
insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, Medical Assistance, any government assistance plan
for people with low income or disability, TRICARE or military health care, VA, Indian Health
Service or any other type of health insurance or
health coverage plan. Data from USCB Report
S2701.
Free/Reduced
Lunch Program
Of students who attend public schools where
National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is
offered, the percentage of enrollment that is
eligible for free or reduced lunches. This does
not represent those attending private schools
or schools that do not administer NSLP. Data
is provided by Hunger Solutions New York.
Female Head of Household Data from
USCB Report S1702
2015 Poverty Guidelines
Sec on 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconcilia on Act (OBRA) of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)) requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to update the poverty guidelines at least annually, adjus ng them on the basis of the
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The poverty guidelines are used as an eligibility criterion by the Community Services Block Grant program and a number of other Federal programs. The poverty guidelines issued here are a simpliﬁed version of the poverty thresholds that the Census Bureau uses to prepare its es mates of the number of individuals
and families in poverty.
As required by law, this update is accomplished by increasing the latest published Census Bureau poverty thresholds by the
relevant percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
The poverty guidelines are not derived from the Census Bureau's new Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The ﬁgures represent annual income.
These are the 2015 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Con guous States and the District of Columbia.
50%
100%
HS/EHS
110%
130%
150%
LIHEAP
185%
WIC
200%
IDA & WAP
1
$5,885
$11,770
$12,947
$15,301
$17,655
$21,774.50
$23,540
2
$7,965
$15,930
$17,523
$20,709
$23,895
$29,470.50
$31,860
3
$10,045
$20,090
$22,099
$26,117
$30,135
$37,166.50
$40,180
4
$12,125
$24,250
$26,675
$31,525
$36,375
$44,862.50
$48,500
5
$14,205
$28,410
$31,251
$36,933
$42,615
$52,558.50
$56,820
6
$16,285
$32,570
$35,827
$42,341
$48,855
$60,254.50
$65,140
7
$18,365
$36,730
$40,043
$47,749
$55,095
$67,950.50
$73,460
8
$20,445
$40,890
$44,979
$53,157
$61,335
$75,646.50
$81,780
Number in
Household
HS/EHS - Head Start/Early Head Start
LIHEAP - Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
WIC - Women, Infants & Children
IDA - Individual Development Account
WAP - Weatheriza on
58

2015 Community Assessment Report

Transcription

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