- 2014-12-01 (x)
- Electronic version published 2006 (x)
- Search results
Search results
Show moreThe Cleveland Community-Building Initiative (CCBI) is an outgrowth of the work of the Cleveland Foundation Commission on Poverty, whose purpose was to develop a strategy for addressing persistent poverty in Cleveland neighborhoods. In 1992, the Commission recommended that the City's plan be comprehensive and integrated, tailored to individual neighborhoods, and focused on community assets. In addition, the plan emphasized the importance of involving local residents and other community stake holders in shaping strategies and implementation plans. Finally, the commission specified that the plan be tested in pilot areas and evaluated before attempting to replicate it in other neighborhoods. Five program frameworks were then identified in which activities were to be pursued simultaneously in order to strengthen communities: Health, Investment, Education, Family Development and Human Resource Development (Cleveland Foundation Commission on Poverty, 1992). After the Poverty Commission concluded its work, a group was formed to develop an implementation plan. Four geographic areas were selected for the focus of the new approach. Referred to as "urban villages," these areas included East (Fairfax), Central (King Kennedy Estates), West (Ohio City, portion of Detroit Shoreway), and Mt. Pleasant. A new, independent organization was then created to implement the plan. The Cleveland Community Building Initiative was incorporated as a non-profit entity in September of 1993 and received its 501C3 designation in August of 1994. CCBI is governed by a Board of Trustees, however most activities are coordinated through Village Councils located in each of the four neighborhoods. Each Village Council is comprised of local residents and stake holders who work together with CCBI staff and members of the board to develop action plans that are designed to address the needs of each neighborhood. The purposes of this brief report were two-fold: to assess the development of the village council formation and operation; the identification, analysis and acknowledgment of neighborhood assets; village agenda formation; and the development of action projects.
Show less
Show moreIn August, 1996 the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act was signed into law. The Act limited Food Stamp benefits to able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) to three months in a 36-month period unless they work at least 20 hours per week or participate in certain volunteer work or training programs. At the request of Cuyahoga County's Department of Health and Nutrition, the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change conducted a follow-up study of Cuyahoga County's ABAWDs following the introduction of a time limit on their benefits. This study was undertaken to estimate how many recipients actually met time limits and to determine how they coped with this change. For example, did the loss of benefits affect recipients' ability to obtain food, their living arrangements, health, and job seeking efforts? In addition, the study attempted to measure earnings and employment among ABAWD Food Stamp recipients. Both administrative data and survey data were used for this analysis.
Show less
Show moreThis Briefing Report focuses on changes in the number of participants in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. The principal focus is the period following the passage of the Family Support Act of 1988, mandating participation in welfare to work programs. The reporting period was chosen to end in 1996, shortly before the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program replaced AFDC.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show moreMeasurement of neighborhood processes and attributes rests on a decision about the proper unit on which to make those measures. It is common for researchers to aggregate survey responses to some level of geography that is a proxy for neighborhood and to treat this aggregation as the neighborhood unit. This paper examines the effects of various levels and methods of aggregation on the properties of neighborhood measures. The data come from Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connections survey of over 7000 households in selected neighborhoods of ten cities. This survey, among other things, queried residents about the following neighborhood attributes using five multi-item scales: Social cohesion/trust, shared expectations for informal social control, neighborhood safety, disorder and incivility, and relations with police. Individual level scale reliability is calculated for each scale using Cronbach's alpha to determine the internal consistency among the items. The majority of the scales prove to be reliable at the individual level (a >.7). Survey records were geocoded and the following levels of aggregation are compared: Entire Making Connections area, project defined sub-areas, census tracts, census block groups and the neighborhood named by residents. Variance components and reliability coefficients are calculated for five scales at each of these levels of aggregation. For most scales, smaller geographic units yield higher reliability coefficients. However, resident named neighborhoods also yield highly reliable aggregate measures. Finally, several strategies for constructing resident defined neighborhood units in surveys are illustrated, including analysis of the names residents give to their neighborhoods and resident drawn maps of their neighborhood boundaries.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show morePresent the results of a project aimed at identifying, locating and analyzing a set of occupations which will provide substantial and suitable job opportunities for public housing recipients and welfare recipients.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show moreAt the request of The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change (Center) conducted a survey of organizations, institutions and other groups who may service the Hispanic community in Lake County. The geographic area was identified by the Diocesan Council on Fund Development based on the investments of the Diocese. This geographic area had the composite presence of at least one Diocesan educational institution, health and human service site, and parish. This inventory was considered the first step in mapping assets of the neighborhoods of interest to the Diocese. Identifications of local associations is important because the process of community building begins with identifying and involving as many local associations and individuals as possible to create a vision for the community (Kretzmann and McKnight, 1993). The purpose of the survey and the inventory was: to identify and compile a list of neighborhood entities of interest to the Hispanic community; and to assess the focus, scope, contributions of the entities. The inventory was developed through a collaborative relationship between the Center, Diocese staff and community stake holders. The community stake holders identified the organizations and agencies that were studied.
Show less
Show moreAt the request of The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change (Center) conducted a survey of organizations, institutions and other groups who may service the Hispanic community in Summit County. The geographic area was identified by the Diocesan Council on Fund Development based on the investments of the Diocese. This geographic area had the composite presence of at least one Diocesan educational institution, health and human service site, and parish. This inventory was considered the first step in mapping assets available to the Hispanic community. Identifications of local associations is important because the process of community building begins with identifying and involving as many local associations and individuals as possible to create a vision for the community (Kretzmann and McKnight, 1993). The purpose of the survey and the inventory was: to identify and compile a list of entities of interest to the Hispanic community; and to assess the focus, scope, contributions of the entities to the Hispanic community. The inventory was developed through a collaborative relationship between the Center, Diocese staff and community stake holders. The community stake holders identified the organizations and agencies that were selected.
Show less
Show moreRecently released 2000 Census data on poverty rates show our region, comprised of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties, experienced a decrease in poverty rates for both families and individuals between 1989 and 1999. The major cities in our region-Cleveland, Akron and Lorain-experienced decreasing poverty rates during this period as well. Families in the region with children under 18 experienced a 17% decline in their poverty rates since 1989 while the poverty rates for adults dropped by almost 10%. Most striking, however, is the improvement in poverty rates among a subgroup of families with children-those headed by a single mother. Poverty rates for these most vulnerable families fell by 25% in the region during the last decade. Improvements in poverty rates for female-headed families with children outpaced improvements in poverty rates for all families with children in nearly every city and county reviewed. Summit County is the one exception where the decline in poverty rates for both groups was identical. Following a particularly high 1989 poverty rate, the 1999 poverty rate represents the lowest rate of poverty for female-headed families with children in four decades in the region's major cities. However, it's important to note that the 2000 Census took the measure of the nation and the region at the peak of the longest and strongest economic expansion in decades. True to the adage that a rising tide lifts all boats, the labor market expanded to include ever-greater numbers, including some of the more difficult to employ, such as individuals with long-time reliance on welfare, who are predominately in female headed families.
Show less
Show moreBetween 1990 and 2000, the City of Cleveland's population decreased by 27,213 persons, from 505,616 to 478,403. This was the smallest decennial population decline that the City experienced since the decade between 1950 and 1960. However, these 27,213 persons represent the net loss of population from the City. In fact, 64,000 more residents left the city than moved into it. Had this number of net out-migrants not been offset by a surplus of about 37,000 births over deaths, the City's population in 2000 would have been even smaller. Alternatively, had the more than 64,000 residents not left the City, the City's population would have exceeded the half-million mark, reaching more than 542,000 persons.
Show less
Show moreOne of the aims of welfare reform legislation signed into law in 1996 was to break the cycle of welfare dependency by imposing a limit on the amount of time a person may collect benefits. In addition to the five-year lifetime limit mandated by the federal legislation, Ohio's implementation of welfare reform included a provision limiting benefits to three-years in any given five-year period. In October 1997, the clock began ticking for those on welfare, and over four thousand individual Cuyahoga County welfare recipients who were still receiving benefits 36 months later, in October 2000, were removed from the rolls. Hundreds more left cash assistance in the months preceding the deadline, perhaps in anticipation of it, or to preserve personal safety nets for a later time of greater need.
Show less
Show moreAt the request of the Cuyahoga County Department of Entitlement and Employment Services, the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change undertook a study of the number and characteristics of families and children that would qualify for and use child care subsidies under welfare reform. Persons who receive Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are required to participate in work activities for at least 30 hours per week in order to retain their cash assistance. Children of these recipients who are under the age of 13 are eligible for subsidized child care while their parents participate in mandated work activities. This Briefing Report examines the characteristics of a sample of the 1996 exit cohort to determine those factors that might affect use of a child care subsidy. The exit cohort chosen included all single parent adults over 18 who exited the welfare rolls in Cuyahoga County in any quarter of 1996. These adults had income from employment in the quarter following their departure from welfare and they had at least one child aged 3, 4, or 5 at the time of the exit.
Show less
Show moreThe Federation for Community Planning was interested in understanding factors leading to the use of welfare benefits. For some individuals, entry into the Aid to Dependent Children (AFDC) program for the first time may be precipitated by specific events such as loss of a job, birth of a child, or change in family structure. Such situations may resolve themselves and eliminate the need for AFDC in a relatively short period. For other individuals, there may not be a single precipitating event, instead welfare dependency may be a result of prolonged unemployment and family difficulties. The purpose of this analysis is to identify some of the circumstances surrounding welfare entry and to determine whether they are predictive of how long individuals will receive benefits.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show moreCuyahoga County's Department of Entitlement and Employment Services asked the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change to estimate the potential number of children eligible for Medicaid under recent legislative changes. Currently, Cuyahoga County provides Medicaid coverage to all children age 0-5 living in households earning up to 133% of the federal poverty threshold and children age 6-14 in families earning up to 100% of the federal poverty baseline. Beginning January 1, 1998, the State of Ohio will increase the income threshold for all children age 0-18 to 150% of poverty. A newly-created federal program, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), further expands the eligibility option to children living with families earning less than 200% of poverty. Using data from the 1990 Census, this paper estimates the number of Cuyahoga County children eligible for Medicaid under various income scenarios and by geographic areas.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show moreThis analysis of the retention of food stamps and Medicaid draws upon an ongoing, longitudinal study of families leaving cash assistance in Cuyahoga County. Each quarter, beginning in quarter 4, 1998, all families who leave cash assistance for at least 2 months are identified from agency records (this identification of quarterly exit cohorts will continue through quarter 4, 2000.) Each exit cohort is tracked for thirteen months. For this study, an exiter is defined as an assistance group whose OWF cash assistance case was open for at least 1 month and then closed for at least 2 consecutive months. The assistance group must have at least one adult over the age of 18 and all members of the assistance group must exit and not transfer to a new assistance group in the two-month period. The month of exit is the first month in which the assistance group does not receive an OWF check. Administrative records containing information on monthly welfare benefits (including case closing codes) and quarterly employment and earnings are compiled for all of the exiters for the year prior to and following the exit.
Show less
Show moreA pedido de la Fundación de la Diócesis Católica de Cleveland, el Centro sobre Pobreza Urbana y Cambio Social condujo un estudio para evalua las necesidades sociales y económicas de la comunidad Hispana del condado de Lake, Ohio. La Diócesis identificó a la Iglesia Santa María como el epicentro de nuestra tarea en el condado de Summit, Ohio. La Iglesia Santa María en Painsville representa una variedad de servicios sociales, de educación, salud y parroquiales.
Show less
Show moreBeginning in January, 1997, Food Stamp benefits to able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) was limited to three months in a 36-month period unless the recipient works at least 20 hours per week or participates in certain volunteer work or training programs. Cuyahoga County was interested in the impact of policy changes in the Food Stamp program on local private and non-profit food providers. As part of a larger study conducted for Cuyahoga County, the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change surveyed food stores and food programs in three neighborhoods in Cuyahoga County.
Show less
Show moreAs welfare caseloads fall and provisions of welfare reform are implemented in state and local welfare offices, there is a growing interest in families and individuals who leave the welfare rolls. However, welfare caseloads have always been dynamic, with families entering and leaving assistance programs each month. To interpret information on families leaving welfare since welfare reform, it is necessary to know what happened to families who left welfare in the past as well. This is a study of a third quarter, 1996 cohort of welfare leavers, who stopped receiving cash assistance before welfare reform went into effect. It is intended to provide a basis of comparison for future studies of families leaving welfare under welfare reform.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less
Show moreOne of the aims of welfare reform legislation signed into law in 1996 was to break the cycle of welfare dependency by imposing a limit on the amount of time a person may collect benefits. In addition to the five-year lifetime limit mandated by the federal legislation, Ohio's implementation of welfare reform included a provision limiting benefits to three-years in any given five-year period. In October 1997, the clock began ticking for those on welfare, and over four thousand individual Cuyahoga County welfare recipients who were still receiving benefits 36 months later, in October 2000, were removed from the rolls. Hundreds more left cash assistance in the months preceding the deadline, perhaps in anticipation of it, or to preserve personal safety nets for a later time of greater need.
Show less
Show moreMany adults who receive welfare leave the program for employment each year. However, many of these same individuals leave their jobs fairly quickly and, some of them, return to welfare as a result. These frequent job interruptions interfere with individuals' abilities to develop steady job histories and to provide income for their families. Therefore, in addition to moving recipients off of welfare, an important goal of welfare reform is to stabilize employment and earnings for these individuals and their families.
Show less
Show moreOhio recently received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to implement a new statewide welfare reform program. This program, called 'Ohio First' is intended to move adult AFDC recipients off of AFDC and into the labor market. Among other provisions, it prohibits AFDC recipients from receiving aid for more than three years during any five-year period, with the hopes that former recipients will become self-supporting in the labor market.
Digital Books at Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Show less