Today, RISE Together Innovation Institute CEO Danielle Sydnor announced the release of the first annual Poverty Snapshot report for Franklin County. This report was authored by Scioto Analysis Principal Rob Moore, who also serves as the Policy Analyst in Residence for the RISE Together Innovation Institute.
The Poverty Snapshot is a comprehensive dive into data that reflects how poverty impacts our residents and communities in Franklin County.
“The Poverty Snapshot helps us see the real impact that poverty has on the residents of this region and to understand the impact we could have on ensuring all residents have the opportunity to thrive," said CEO Danielle Sydnor. "The RISE Together Innovation Institute will use the Poverty Snapshot data to help our partners deliver a more effective system for alleviating poverty in the County, to develop a robust policy agenda to advocate for some of the most critical issues to families in the County, and finally change the narrative of what poverty is and who's in poverty."
According to the Poverty Snapshot report:
One in seven Franklin County residents lives in poverty.
Child poverty likely costs Franklin County $5.2 billion in economic activity annually in the form of reduced earnings, crime, health impacts, and child welfare impacts.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian residents of Franklin County all experience poverty at higher rates than white residents. Despite this, most people experiencing poverty in Franklin County are white.
Hundreds of thousands of Franklin County residents are lifted from poverty by federal programs, with the most significant impacts coming from Social Security, refundable tax credits, and economic stimulus payments.
"At the County, we will utilize this data to help us understand how to close some serious gaps in the fight against poverty and better deliver services to families in need. The work that RISE Together Innovation Institute is doing is personal to me. I believe it's incumbent on all of us to join forces to improve the community through the lives of those we're serving," says Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce.
The mission of RISE Together Innovation Institute is to harness the collective power of people and systems to disrupt structural racism and issues of poverty to achieve equity for all Franklin County residents. Their work is rooted in the belief that everyone, regardless of race, income, or zip code, should have the resources and opportunities to thrive and prosper.