Poverty and
Self-Sufficiency
- 10% of households live at or below the 2004 Federal Poverty Level. 18% of households live at or below 200% of poverty—the benchmark for determining whether a
household can afford basic needs. - The cost of living here is higher than the national average. The wage required to live in Snohomish County without public assistance is $33,423 for an adult with one preschool child.
- 13,164 children age 17 years and younger live in poverty (8% of all children).
- 4,220 of seniors age 65 and older live in poverty (15% of all seniors).
Fortunately, the unemployment rate is improving. In December 2005, the unemployment rate was 4.8% after peaking at 8.6% in October 2003. United Way focuses on the underlying causes of poverty to find lasting solutions to poverty.
Homelessness
- In 2004, 3,256 homeless individuals received emergency shelter services. There were 20,597 “turn-aways”—up nearly 30% from 2003. We’ve increased the number of beds available, but not enough the keep pace.
- Who’s homeless? Children. 30 percent of all sheltered individuals are children. Half of the “turn-aways” in 2004 were single mothers with children.
- Why? Lack of affordable housing is the number one reason cited. The average rent is $762: 16% of all renters and 9% of all homeowners in our county spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
- The “housing wage”—hourly full-time wage needed to afford a standard 2-bedroom apartment here—is $16.04 an hour. 32% of all households make less.
The problems of homelessness and housing affordability are not improving. More people are seeking shelter. More are waiting for affordable housing. Finding solutions to the underlying causes of homelessness requires more than a “band-aid” approach, and is one of United Way’s highest priorities.
Food & Nutrition
- Our state ranks 12th highest in the nation for food insecurity—people are hungry and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
- Snohomish County food banks reported 452,954 visits in 2004, an increase of 25% over the past six years.
- 40% of individuals served by the food bank are working. 25% live on fixed incomes.
Our state ranking of 12th highest in the nation for food insecurity is actually an improvement from a ranking of 4th in the late 1990s. Data on hunger and food insecurity is not collected at the county level—one area United Way has identified to address.
Health & Well-Being
- Only about 60% percent of residents have health coverage through their employer.
- Lack of health insurance results in expensive use of hospital emergency rooms for preventive and non-emergency care. At Providence Hospital in Everett, 15.5 percent of ER visits in 2003 were for patients who had no health insurance.