Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit - Poverty in Southwest PA - A Strategy for Stopping the Trend

Poverty in Southwest PA 11:30am – 12:45pm Facilitator: Natalie Branosky, Center for Economic & Social Inclusion

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Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit: Towards a Social Inclusion / Zero Poverty Strategy Natalie Branosky Centre for Economic & Social Inclusion

From social exclusion to social inclusion…
“ Social exclusion is when individuals or areas suffer from the negative effects of unemployment, low skills, low income, poor quality housing, crime, poor health, family difficulties, limited access to services, living in a remote area, isolation and high costs.”
“ Progress toward social inclusion happens when exclusionary indicators are reversed and move simultaneously in the right direction. Inclusion is achieved when those in the margins of society secure a place in the mainstream.”

What is social exclusion?
Processes by which groups of people are systematically marginalized from resources, rights and opportunities that are normally available to the rest of society and that are key for participation in the mainstream of community life.
Key attributes of Social Exclusion
Dynamic and active– it’s a verb!
Multi-dimensional
Relative

More observations…
Psychologists have found that a common human response to social exclusion is violence, aggression, self-destructive behaviors, etc.
If social exclusion can trigger violence, aggression, and self destructive behaviors in individuals, what are the implications for entire communities of excluded people?
Psychologists have also found that social exclusion stimulates the same parts of the brain that physical pain does. So, there is a connection between emotional pain and physical pain. The breaking of social bonds (i.e., exclusion) is both emotionally and physically painful.

The cost of not addressing inequality = having to pay for the results
More prisons
More violent crime
More police
More unhealthy children and families
Lower life expectancy
More poorly education people,
Less skilled workforce; loss of human capital
Health care costs for premature, low birth weight babies; depression, obesity
More social services

Implications for policies, large-scale strategies & programs
Challenges us to ask a different set of questions:
What are the underlying forces (such as structural issues, glitches in systems) that create the conditions of social disadvantage?
As opposed to…
How can we fix or change the behaviors of disadvantaged people?

Poverty vs. Social Exclusion
Static condition (…as opposed to dynamic process)
Uni-dimensional (…financial dimension trumps all)
Absolute measures (…a static poverty “line” as opposed to a moving with societal medians/averages)
Not a relational concept (not concerned about social cohesion / connections / relations)
Personal responsibility (…does not address the role of social, political and economic structures and systems, including public service systems, in creating disadvantage.)

“ Poverty” in the United States FAMILY SIZE POVERTY LINE ($) 1 person 10,380 2 people 14,570 3 people 18,310 4 people 22,050

“ Very often a lack of jobs & money is not the cause of poverty, but the symptom. The cause lies deeper -- in our failure to give our fellow citizens a fair chance to develop their own capacities, in a lack of education and training, in a lack of medical care and housing, in a lack of decent communities in which to live and bring up their children.”
President Lyndon Johnson
State of the Union Address, 1964

Deprived areas have layers of exclusion issues – joining up efforts is key child poverty Unauthorised absence 2007/8 mortality rate 2005 - 2007 Incidence of fly tipping (Apr 2007-Dec 2008) 2 year avg teenage conceptions 2005/6

Who can best answer?
The best multi-partner strategies coordinate the public, private and non-profit sectors:
Health / mental health services
Chamber of Commerce
Multi-service providers
Neighborhood representatives
Housing / shelters
Food banks
Economic dvlpmt / employment (and work supports)
School systems
Elected officials
Churches
Crime reduction / youth justice
Transportation
Human / family services
Environmental / sustainability / urban planners

How does a local partnership respond?
Define social inclusion : what is your shared understanding of the term? Define poverty in relative terms: 60% of median?
Develop an evidence-based, shared understanding of where you are
Draft a vision statement of where you want to be
Join together across services to set shared targets
Develop and implement an action plan for achieving them
Partner with service providers (commission your services) who have a proven track record for quality
Meet regularly and continuously monitor your strategy via one agreed data expert/source
Amend your strategy to keep it “live”

Social Inclusion in Bryan, Texas

www.bryantx.gov

In our City, social inclusion means:
Living in a culture of expectations for ourselves and our children, where the community values the life and well-being of all individuals.
Income inclusion: employment, benefit packages and a sustaining income
Service inclusion: easy accessibility and successful navigation of services (financial services, health, information referral, recreation, transportation, education, housing)
Participation inclusion: civic equity, a voice and response in the community, and integration into community of choice

We will bring about a change in local perceptions and perspectives such that all community members are valued and all residents have access to the resources that are necessary not only to survive but to thrive, grow and improve.
In 2021, Bryan will be an export community built on bottom up economic and social measures.

Bryan’s targets
relative poverty / income inequality
housing quality
mental health / cognitive disability
health insurance coverage
employment
access to transportation
educational attainment (high school / associate’s)
banking / financial inclusion
improved sense of inclusion (TBD)

Bryan’s targets for 2016 (“Wow, it’s for real.”)
2,089 fewer households below 60% of median
500 fewer substandard homes
755 people needing help with a cognitive difficulty
13,191 more people with health insurance
6,761 more people working full-time
230 more people using public transportation
2,628 more high school grads
342 more associate degree completions
2,500 bank accounts
improved sense of inclusion (TBD)

Social Inclusion for Bryan
Income inclusion: employment, benefit packages and a sustaining income
Service inclusion: easy accessibility & successful navigation of services (financial services, health, information referral, recreation, transportation, education, housing)
Participation inclusion: civic equity, a voice & response in the community, & integration into one’s community of choice

2,089 households above 60% of median by 2016
Income inclusion:
Living wage ordinance for City of Bryan (in addition to bens)
City Council wage partnership with the private sector, paid for with a revolving loan fund
New locations for businesses
Service inclusion:
Data follows you everywhere you go / every service you visit
Advocacy Center – Neighborhood Services Center
Common application enforced by the City
More services offered through schools
Participation inclusion:
Use the media, using informal leaders, engaging n’hood assocs and churches

500 fewer substandard homes by 2016
Income inclusion:
Barter / time-share / labor exchange for home improvements
Increased use of NPs / credit unions for financing
Service inclusion:
City of Bryan support for DASH
BBAHC / BBCOG housing and Habitat to provide training together
Community house as improvements are made
Community gardens, community tool sheds, n’hood watch for kids
apprenticeships and home improvement projects
hire local people to implement DASH
More bin / clean-up days

755 people needing help w/ cognitive difficulty
Income inclusion:
Job coaches / emp assistance across the community (business case!)
Build on the City’s volunteer base
Small business consortium
Service inclusion:
Use housing authorities
Full service in the community, community-based center
Street lights, sidewalks
GED
Engage peer providers, leaders of supt groups, family members

13,191 more people with health insurance by 2016
Income inclusion:
Cross-business platform
Community assoc to purchase / pool health insurance
Smaller payment intervals
Sell w/out commission
Service inclusion:
Medical facility in the n’hood + outreach from existing centers
Through public education of Tex Health insurance
Civic groups to pool money to contribute to uninsured
Health fairs where free services are delivered -- engaging ER staff and providers in this process.

A Social Inclusion Plan for
Pittsburgh / Allegheny County,
with a poverty target at the center?

Getting started…
Do we have a long-term vision: a 10-year plan?
What is our geography: Pittsburgh? Allegheny County? Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Who makes up our partnership: Will you agree to work toward common targets & timelines? Who will make decisions on targets & timelines?
Who will we answer to: a coalition of Mayors?
How quickly can it be done: 6 sessions over 4 months?

Thank you from the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership!

Workshop Evaluation
Text “Poverty” to 57682 with your answers to the following questions:
Please rate the overall value of this workshop
E – Excellent G – Good P – Poor F – Fair
Did you learn anything that you will apply at your own organization?
Y – Yes N - No
Please text other comments and feedback.
Submit by hitting “send!” You will receive an auto-reply from the GPNP.
Sample text: “Poverty E Y This is a serious issue that my organization is also working on and we’re ready to contribute to the larger effort.”

Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit - Poverty in Southwest PA - A Strategy for Stopping the Trend

by GPNP on May 17, 2011

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Pittsburgh Nonprofit Summit - Poverty in Southwest PA - A Strategy for Stopping the Trend — Presentation Transcript