Human Services Department 2013 Community Assessment
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HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT 2013 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT CITY OF PHOENIX HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT 2013 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT PREPARED BY: BURNS & ASSOCIATES, INC. 3030 NORTH THIRD STREET SUITE 200 PHOENIX, AZ 85012 WWW.BURNSHEALTHPOLICY.COM JANUARY 31, 2013 City of Phoenix Human Services Department 2013 Community Assessment Table of Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... iii Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Data Sources and Methodologies ................................................................................................ 2 Assessment Overview ................................................................................................................. 3 Part I: Overview of the City of Phoenix ......................................................................................... 4 Section I-1: Demographic Profile ............................................................................................... 4 Section I-2: Health Profile........................................................................................................... 7 Section I-3: Education Profile ..................................................................................................... 9 Primary and Secondary Education .......................................................................................... 9 Post-Secondary Education ..................................................................................................... 13 Section I-4: Employment Profile............................................................................................... 14 Section I-5: Housing Profile ...................................................................................................... 18 Section I-6: Crime Profile ......................................................................................................... 21 Section I-7: Community Amenities Profile ............................................................................... 23 Part II: Human Services Department and the Populations It Serves ............................................ 25 Section II-1: Human Services Department Client Populations ................................................. 25 Individuals and Families Living in Poverty .......................................................................... 25 Individuals Experiencing Homelessness ............................................................................... 28 Older Residents...................................................................................................................... 30 Victims of Violent Crime ...................................................................................................... 31 Section II-2: Help for Low-Income and Other Persons and Families in Need ......................... 32 Select State and Federal Programs ........................................................................................ 32 City Services .......................................................................................................................... 38 Section II-3: Community Survey Results ................................................................................. 39 Part III: Head Start, Child Development, and Child Care Programs ............................................ 43 Section III-1: Background on Arizona Preschool and Child Care Programs ............................ 43 Section III-2: Eligible Population Estimates and Current Service Levels ................................ 46 Section III-3: Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs Populations....................... 49 Section III-4: Education, Health, and Nutrition Needs of Head Start Families ........................ 51 Section III-5: Community Resources ........................................................................................ 56 Part IV: Partners’ Comments on HSD Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement ................ 57 January 31, 2013 List of Appendices Appendix A Census and Caseload Data Allocation Methodology Appendix B Census Data Summaries Appendix C Additional Information Relating to the Education Profile Appendix D Additional Information Relating to the Economic Profile Appendix E Additional Information Relating to the Housing Profile Appendix F Additional Information Relating to the Crime Profile Appendix G Additional Information Relating to State Assistance Caseloads Appendix H Head Start Delegate Agency Service Area Demographics and Maps Appendix I Additional Information Relating to Community Surveys Appendix J Maps January 31, 2013 City of Phoenix Human Services Department 2013 Community Assessment Page | iii Executive Summary In accordance with federal Head Start and Community Services Block Grant requirements, the City of Phoenix Human Services Department (HSD) has undertaken a community assessment with the broad purpose of documenting the characteristics and needs of individuals and families served by its programs. This report summarizes the results of the assessment. As one of the nation’s largest cities in terms of both physical size and population, Phoenix is home to a diverse population. The characteristics of the City’s population, particularly the demographics of those who are eligible for or receive HSD services, are a significant focus of the assessment. A few demographic realities are especially noteworthy. Most relevantly, nearly one-in-five Phoenix residents live in poverty, with even higher concentrations in neighborhoods in the South and West portions of the City. Poverty rates are comparatively higher among children, Hispanic and Black residents, non-citizens, individuals who have not completed high school, and households headed by unmarried women. The services provided by HSD are critical to assisting these individuals and families to achieve self- sufficiency. The median age of Phoenix residents is 31.6 years, significantly less than the state and national medians. Given that children and young adults are more likely to live in poverty than older adults, the City’s youth has important implications for HSD. In fact, nearly 31 percent of Phoenix children under the age of five years live in poverty. The services offered by HSD are often critical in helping the families raising these children make ends meet. Additionally, for a variety of reasons – parents working long hours, few books in the home, lack of access to quality child care – children from homes in poverty often start school at a disadvantage. Programs such as Early Head Start and Head Start are critical to bridging these gaps. At the other end of the age spectrum, Phoenix is home to more than 250,000 residents over 55 years of age. These individuals are much less likely to live in poverty, with a 10.5 percent poverty rate among this group. However, many of these individuals have other needs, including the 47,000 seniors who live alone and the 35,000 households in which a grandchild is living with a grandparent, including 14,000 grandparents who are financially responsible for their grandchild. The senior centers operated by HSD offer a number of important supports, including meal programs and socialization opportunities. The growth in the Hispanic population is another significant demographic trend. Phoenix became a majority-minority City over the past decade as the number of individuals of Hispanic descent increased 31 percent, compared to growth of only one percent among White residents. The Hispanic population is also much younger, on average. About 55 percent of children in Phoenix are Hispanic. Phoenix residents of Hispanic descent are more likely than other racial groups to be living in poverty. Additionally, a sizeable number of Hispanic households struggle with English, which must be considered when planning services. January 31, 2013 City of Phoenix Human Services Department 2013 Community Assessment Page | iv Programming to meet the needs of these diverse groups is the challenge for HSD in the coming years. Consideration of these needs and resources must be viewed against the backdrop of the Great Recession. The impact the national recession has had on the City is evident throughout the Community Assessment. The greater Phoenix area has 150,000 fewer jobs today than five years ago. Nearly 58,000 Phoenix homes have been lost to foreclosure in the past four years. Home values remain significantly below their 2007 highs. As a result, many families are seeking assistance for the first time. For example, 42 percent of individuals experiencing homelessness who sought shelter in Maricopa County in fiscal year 2011 were homeless for the first time. The same economic factors that have increased the need for assistance have, unfortunately, decreased governmental resources to provide these services. As a result, the number of individuals served by programs including Early Head Start, Head Start, and Family Services Centers has remained little changed in recent years. Working within these constraints, the Human Services Department continues to deliver high- quality services that are much-appreciated by the community. When asked to name the Department’s greatest strengths, stakeholders who contributed to this assessment most frequently mentioned HSD’s staff and leadership, as well as the individual programs administered by HSD. The