Local organizations are bringing attention to the impact of poverty on non-white communities. In 2019, Syracuse received $1.7 million to fund anti-poverty work, and yet the poverty crisis is still a major concern in Syracuse.
The Census reported the decline of poverty in the nation overall from 15.5% to 12.8%, between 2011 to 2020. Although rates have gone down nationally, Community Engagement Director of PEACE Inc., Todd Goehle, said they have seen an alarming trend within specific communities.
“While poverty statistics overall have been decreasing, we’ve seen concentrated poverty increasing in many of the census areas, especially in those census tracks that are largely Black, non-white and Hispanic," Goehle said.
Goehle said partnership and collaboration are critical to change these trends when resources are scarce within post-industrial cities.
“Being responsive to clients and families, building upon good programs that seem to be showing an impact and continuing to have dialogues not just with the community but also with our partners and non-profits and with the government to make sure we're collaborating and partnering effectively and that we’re leveraging our resources to their maximum," Goehle added.
He also said although they are in the right direction of eliminating these disparities, it will still take time due to long-standing structural inequalities.