Rock Island County makes poverty list again

from Quad Cities Online

By Jonathan Turner,

For the second straight year, Rock Island County is on a poverty warning list and advised to take corrective action, according to a new report from the Illinois Poverty Summit.

The county is one of 25 (out of 102 in the state) to receive the designation by the Heartland Alliance, a Chicago-based human services organization. The seventh-annual poverty summit -- to be presented next month -- is a bipartisan group that analyzes poverty trends in Illinois.

"In 2007, our state leaders should improve and expand critical programs for low-wage workers, the unemployed, and people unable to work in order to provide better paths toward self-sufficiency," Heartland Alliance president Sid Mohn said Thursday.

Nearly 1.5 million Illinois residents live in poverty, which is defined as a single income of $10,210 a year, or $20,650 for a family of four (according to 2007 federal guidelines).

There are 17,278 people living in poverty in Rock Island County (12 percent of the population), including 18 percent of residents age 18 and younger, the new report says. Those rates are from 2004.

The 56-page report includes three pages on a task force that Rock Island County established last May to address issues raised in last year's findings.

The report notes that county population has declined by nearly 20,000 in the past 25 years, many young workers have moved out, and the median age now is 39.2 years old -- far higher than that of Illinois and the nation.

"In Rock Island County, the horizon looks much brighter due to the concerted efforts of a group of committed community leaders," the report says. This provides "a compelling example of how local leaders can play a vital role in addressing their community's social and economic well-being."

The task force includes representatives from the county board, city officials, education, court services, a workforce development board, community based organizations, and the Illinois Quad City Chamber of Commerce.

Some of the group's first-year actions were to:

-Bring in experts to present information on economic development, poverty trends, prisoner re-entry into the workforce, education and substance use.

-Set goals regarding economic development, education, job training, and service access and coordination.

-Meet with state and federal lawmakers to discuss local issues, and include items that address poverty in legislative agendas.

While the county has worse rates than the state average for high school graduation, teen births and poverty, it didn't make much of an improvement in these areas compared to last year's results.

The 2005-06 graduation rate of 85.1 percent was 1 percent higher than the prior year, but the 13.9 percent teen-birth rate (from 2004) and 12 percent overall poverty rate were slightly worse than the year before.

The county's unemployment rate of 4.4 percent (from August 2006) actually is better than the state average of 4.6 percent, though median household income of $41,365 is lower than the state as a whole.

Susan Zelnio, director of workforce and leadership development at the chamber, hasn't seen the report yet but expects the task force will address it at the Feb. 26 meeting.

The group plans to join with United Way on dealing with these issues, she said.

Ms. Zelnio organizes occasional educational projects on poverty, such as a Feb. 23 workshop she'll lead to help people deal with others from various socio-economic backgrounds.

Task force member Chuck Stewart, director of Partners in Job Training and Placement for a three-county area, said he's glad the county board takes the report seriously. He's optimistic that the task force is addressing issues that hold the area at its current level.

He's also excited about the county board's decision to hire a coordinator to make sure local organizations aren't duplicating efforts.

"Poverty is a real complex issue," Mr. Stewart said. "With so many people and organizations in the area working on the problems, it's easy to have duplications."

Hiring a full-time coordinator is the best way to get the county off the poverty list, county board and task force member Phil Banaszek said, adding that they applied for a grant last month to fund a coordinator. "It's obvious from just volunteers meeting once a month, the task force can't do enough."

Among recommendations for state lawmakers in the new report are:

- Hold legislative hearings on a plan to cut by half the number of Illinoisans living in extreme poverty by 2015.

- Expand job programs to ensure that the lowest-skilled workers and job seekers can obtain and retain employment.

- Generate new funding for affordable housing and expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit.

Whiteside County also is among those on the state warning list, with 5,722 residents -- or 9.7 percent of the population -- living in poverty.

For the full report, visit www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/research.html.

The Feb. 23 workshop -- "Understanding the Rules, Values, and Behaviors of Socio-Economic Classes" -- is from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at DHCU Community Credit Union, 1900 52nd Ave., Moline. Cost is $59 for chamber members and $79 for non-members. Reservations can be made through Feb. 21 at 757-5416 or www.quadcitychamber.com.

Ruth Longoria contributed to this report.