Poverty in Fairfax County, Virginia
Encyclopedia
Fairfax County has experienced significant growth since the census of 2000, and the poverty rate has consistently been below the state and national averages. The U.S. Census Bureau State and County QuickFacts reported a 5.3 percent poverty rate for Fairfax County in 2004, compared to a state-wide rate of 9.5 percent. A more recent report from the 2007 American Community Survey indicated that 4.9 percent fell below the poverty level.
However, with a population of over 1 million citizens, a 4.9 percent poverty rate means that over 50,000 county citizens fall below the poverty line. And a closer look at this issue paints a more nuanced picture. The poverty threshold
s do not vary geographically, so poverty estimates in the nation’s wealthier counties may actually understate the problem. For example, in 2007, Fairfax County had the second highest median income in America ($105,241). Thus, county residents who make more than the poverty threshold may actually be poor simply because the cost of living in their geographical area is so high.
Following this line of reasoning, in 2006, the Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services issued a report looking at future trends affecting the municipality. It identified eleven major topics of concern worthy of greater focus and attention:
1. Rapid population growth and urbanization
2. Transformation from a suburban bedroom community to a major employment center
3. A population growing older
4. Rapid cultural and ethnic diversification
5. Children and youth
6. Housing trends
7. Patterns of income and wealth
8. Health care issues
9. Rapid Technological change
10. Community safety
11. Community engagement
Transformation from a suburban bedroom community to a major employment center has implications that include the growth of alternative or contingent workers (i.e. temporary contract workers, freelancers, consultants, etc.) who are more likely to be hurt in an economic downturn (i.e. more likely to be affected by private sector business cycles). With the recent drop in consumer confidence, and rising unemployment, Fairfax County may encounter greater job displacement than normal. The outlook for the US economy has taken a dip since August 2008 and forecasts are pointing to a three quarter recession, which is not severe by historic standards. But the recovery in 2010 is projected to be slow due to the lingering effects of the downturn, (especially high consumer debt and rising unemployment). Reflecting these economic changes, Fairfax County job growth has slowed every month since February and unemployment is growing. Consumer confidence continues to fall.
The county is also experiencing rapid cultural and ethnic diversification, which will make governmental outreach to the county’s diverse groups more difficult. Complicating matters, there is no predominant minority culture, meaning county government will find it challenging to accommodate the wide breadth of language and cultural diversity it faces. In fact, the more influential cultural groups may demand specialized services tailored to their groups needs, creating competing and expensive demands for limited financial resources.
Research also shows that children and youth in Fairfax County are more likely to live in poverty than adults. In 2004, the poverty rate for children under five was 8.9 percent, while the rate for all persons was 4.4 percent. Hispanic children, in particular, have poverty rates double that for all children. As Hispanics become a larger proportion of the population, the poverty rates among children may grow faster than the rates for other groups. The school system, in particular, will need to adjust to these realities. Antisocial behavior may also rise.
Housing affordability will continue to challenge the county. Most new units are larger and more expensive. To afford housing, residents are turning to severe overcrowding which can lead to health and safety risks. Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country, which tends to distort the poverty figures because they do not represent what it costs for self-sufficiency. A 2005 study by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) showed Fairfax County required the highest self-sufficiency wage in the metropolitan area. A single adult living in Fairfax County would need an annual income of $30,500 just to meet basic needs, more than three times the federal guideline.
There is a widening gap between the wealthiest and poorest households in the county, as represented by a skill premium, and unskilled workers are more likely to lack health insurance. Health care issues are continuing to grow as costs increase, the economy softens, and the county demographics change. Research shows that Asians and Hispanics (among the county’s fastest growing populations) are more likely to lack health insurance than other races or ethnicities. Moreover, part-time workers and persons working for small employers are more likely to lack health insurance. As life expectancy increases, their need for health care will grow as well.
1. Planning for and meeting the needs of a growing population of older adults.
2. Managing the increasing workload of public assistance and social work staff.
3. Nurturing community partnerships to enhance services and advance outreach.
4. Implementing the plan to prevent and end homelessness in 10 years.
5. Reaching out in various and innovative ways to serve a diverse population.
6. Improving the county’s ability to respond to the needs of its most vulnerable residents in the event of an emergency.
The report noted that county residents age 65 or older are projected to be 9.2 percent (104,400) by 2010, and 11.6 percent (138,600) by 2020. As noted in the Fairfax 50+ Action Plan, it is crucial for the well-being of older residents that the county works on developing opportunities for elderly housing, transportation, engagement and specialized services. A population growing older has implications on the need for programs serving persons 65 years and older. The county will see increasing proportions of seniors seeking home based care, adult day care, senior recreation programs, medical assistance, etc. As older workers leave the workforce, the county may see a decline in tax collections and an increase in demand for eldercare services.
Indeed, demand for social services has continued to grow. In FY 2007, the average monthly public assistance caseload was 49,681 cases, a growth of 71 percent over FY 2001 figures. The increase in cases and workload did not come with a corresponding increase in state support for staff increases. But regulatory changes have increased the minimum frequency of face-to-face, in-home visits between social workers and children in foster care. Expenditures for emergency assistance to eligible families and individuals to help with rent or mortgage, security deposits, utility payments, and storage or moving expenses increased by 39 percent from FY 2006 to FY 2007.
The number of persons age 65 and older is growing at a faster rate than the overall population of Fairfax County. The incidence of disabilities among elderly doubles every five years after the age of 65. The county has adopted a model called “cluster care” which builds on ideas from other jurisdictions that align services around “naturally occurring retirement communities” in which a significant number of residence have aged in their homes. The cluster care model has three components: task-based home care (e.g. housekeeping and personal hygiene), volunteer services (e.g. visiting, shopping, and telephone contact) and home delivered meals (e.g. improved nutrition that is both palatable and pleasing). The cluster care model is successfully and cost effectively arranging, facilitating, and purchasing essential services for persons who are not financially or physically able to secure such services.
Community partnerships (e.g. neighborhood associations, faith communities, businesses, community-based organizations, and individual volunteers) are vital to enhancing the services that Fairfax County can provide in prevention and education efforts. By working together in forming neighborhood-based cooperatives, or holding joint symposia, the county has been better able to facilitate the spread of information about local resources available to those in need. For example, the Self-Sufficiency Division has worked with volunteers to provide a free service to help clients file their federal income tax forms, enabling them to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit
. Likewise, the county’s extensive hypothermia program depends on a network of partnerships with nonprofit and faith-based organizations and thousands of individual community volunteers.
Fairfax County has a “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.” While the county works to find permanent housing for low-income residents, the need for temporary homeless shelter continues. The county has six homeless shelters at this time. Volunteers supplement these services with recreation, tutoring and other activities. In 2007, nearly 2300 volunteers performed over 90,000 hours of volunteer service, such as home delivered meals, telephone reassurance, friendly visiting, insurance counseling, and pet visits to nursing homes. They also provide transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, minor home repairs, and home and yard maintenance. Elderly citizens also require assistance for caretaker neglect, self neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation.
Fairfax County’s children are more racially and ethnically diverse (45.1%) than the population as a whole (38.2%). The county is home to over 250,000 children, and the under age 20 segment account for 25 percent of the county’s population. Poverty rates for children have tended to be higher than those for all persons. While about ten percent of the children in Fairfax County are African-American, they represent 41 percent of the children in foster care. Hispanic children are also disproportionately represented (e.g. 17 percent are Hispanic, but 24 percent are in foster care). The average number of monthly public assistance/welfare reform cases (e.g. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps, Medicaid, etc.) has been growing over time, rising from 31,000 in FY 2002 to over 49,600 in FY 2007.
County officials are continuing to work with community partners (e.g. neighborhood associations, faith communities, businesses, community-based organizations, and individual volunteers) to leverage their help and respond rapidly and effectively to problems that arise. An example of one such opportunity is a partnership which has recently been forged by the Phoenix Project and the George Mason University School of Public Policy.
The Phoenix Project is “a nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of social entrepreneurship
, poverty and technology.” They design education and networking programs for America’s next generation of social entrepreneurs. They work to build powerful partnerships between universities and severely distressed communities that use the power of social enterprise to battle poverty. They intend to harness the power of new technology to connect communities in need with citizens and universities seeking social change. In their mission statement, the Phoenix Project states that it “seeks to alleviate poverty by building a sustainable partnership between Virginia higher education and the Commonwealth’s most distressed communities that adds civic capacity to communities, strengthens the mission of universities, and provides a powerful context in which to prepare nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs for tomorrow’s Virginia.”
The Phoenix Project's new partnership with George Mason University is focused on the Route One Corridor (Lorton to Woodbridge) in Fairfax County. Despite its credentials as one of the nation’s wealthiest municipalities, Fairfax County has areas where there is considerable economic distress and poverty. The Route One Corridor is one such area. The plan for this partnership is to enlist several universities (e.g. Northern Virginia Community College has also shown interest), anchored by GMU, to work with community leaders using a proven model to: conduct surveys and create a list of possible matches and projects; identify pilot projects and participants; and scale up the number and complexity of projects and participants so that sustainable elements of the community can effectively combat poverty independently of the Phoenix Project.
Community partnerships focused on increasing social entrepreneurship offer a potential antidote to the economic downturn. A national study (2003) showed college graduates were more than twice as likely to volunteer as persons with only a high school degree. By enlisting the support of college students, GMU and other Virginia universities can “prime the pump” with future social entrepreneurs and civic minded individuals.
However, with a population of over 1 million citizens, a 4.9 percent poverty rate means that over 50,000 county citizens fall below the poverty line. And a closer look at this issue paints a more nuanced picture. The poverty threshold
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
s do not vary geographically, so poverty estimates in the nation’s wealthier counties may actually understate the problem. For example, in 2007, Fairfax County had the second highest median income in America ($105,241). Thus, county residents who make more than the poverty threshold may actually be poor simply because the cost of living in their geographical area is so high.
Following this line of reasoning, in 2006, the Fairfax County Department of Systems Management for Human Services issued a report looking at future trends affecting the municipality. It identified eleven major topics of concern worthy of greater focus and attention:
1. Rapid population growth and urbanization
2. Transformation from a suburban bedroom community to a major employment center
3. A population growing older
4. Rapid cultural and ethnic diversification
5. Children and youth
6. Housing trends
7. Patterns of income and wealth
8. Health care issues
9. Rapid Technological change
10. Community safety
11. Community engagement
Summary of Trends
The report noted that Fairfax County is now one of the most populous and densely settled counties in the nation. It ranks in the top two percent of counties in the nation for these measures (36th for population and 28th for density out of 3,141 local jurisdictions nationwide). With a population of over 1 million citizens, it is more populous than seven states (i.e. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming). Rapid population growth and urbanization implications include strains on county infrastructure, increased demand for services, increased traffic congestions, and loss of affordable housing.Transformation from a suburban bedroom community to a major employment center has implications that include the growth of alternative or contingent workers (i.e. temporary contract workers, freelancers, consultants, etc.) who are more likely to be hurt in an economic downturn (i.e. more likely to be affected by private sector business cycles). With the recent drop in consumer confidence, and rising unemployment, Fairfax County may encounter greater job displacement than normal. The outlook for the US economy has taken a dip since August 2008 and forecasts are pointing to a three quarter recession, which is not severe by historic standards. But the recovery in 2010 is projected to be slow due to the lingering effects of the downturn, (especially high consumer debt and rising unemployment). Reflecting these economic changes, Fairfax County job growth has slowed every month since February and unemployment is growing. Consumer confidence continues to fall.
The county is also experiencing rapid cultural and ethnic diversification, which will make governmental outreach to the county’s diverse groups more difficult. Complicating matters, there is no predominant minority culture, meaning county government will find it challenging to accommodate the wide breadth of language and cultural diversity it faces. In fact, the more influential cultural groups may demand specialized services tailored to their groups needs, creating competing and expensive demands for limited financial resources.
Research also shows that children and youth in Fairfax County are more likely to live in poverty than adults. In 2004, the poverty rate for children under five was 8.9 percent, while the rate for all persons was 4.4 percent. Hispanic children, in particular, have poverty rates double that for all children. As Hispanics become a larger proportion of the population, the poverty rates among children may grow faster than the rates for other groups. The school system, in particular, will need to adjust to these realities. Antisocial behavior may also rise.
Housing affordability will continue to challenge the county. Most new units are larger and more expensive. To afford housing, residents are turning to severe overcrowding which can lead to health and safety risks. Fairfax County is one of the wealthiest jurisdictions in the country, which tends to distort the poverty figures because they do not represent what it costs for self-sufficiency. A 2005 study by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) showed Fairfax County required the highest self-sufficiency wage in the metropolitan area. A single adult living in Fairfax County would need an annual income of $30,500 just to meet basic needs, more than three times the federal guideline.
There is a widening gap between the wealthiest and poorest households in the county, as represented by a skill premium, and unskilled workers are more likely to lack health insurance. Health care issues are continuing to grow as costs increase, the economy softens, and the county demographics change. Research shows that Asians and Hispanics (among the county’s fastest growing populations) are more likely to lack health insurance than other races or ethnicities. Moreover, part-time workers and persons working for small employers are more likely to lack health insurance. As life expectancy increases, their need for health care will grow as well.
Key Issues Requiring Attention
The Fairfax County Advisory Social Services Board, in its 2007 Annual Report issued in March 2008, said there were several key issues requiring the continued attention and support of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors:1. Planning for and meeting the needs of a growing population of older adults.
2. Managing the increasing workload of public assistance and social work staff.
3. Nurturing community partnerships to enhance services and advance outreach.
4. Implementing the plan to prevent and end homelessness in 10 years.
5. Reaching out in various and innovative ways to serve a diverse population.
6. Improving the county’s ability to respond to the needs of its most vulnerable residents in the event of an emergency.
The report noted that county residents age 65 or older are projected to be 9.2 percent (104,400) by 2010, and 11.6 percent (138,600) by 2020. As noted in the Fairfax 50+ Action Plan, it is crucial for the well-being of older residents that the county works on developing opportunities for elderly housing, transportation, engagement and specialized services. A population growing older has implications on the need for programs serving persons 65 years and older. The county will see increasing proportions of seniors seeking home based care, adult day care, senior recreation programs, medical assistance, etc. As older workers leave the workforce, the county may see a decline in tax collections and an increase in demand for eldercare services.
Indeed, demand for social services has continued to grow. In FY 2007, the average monthly public assistance caseload was 49,681 cases, a growth of 71 percent over FY 2001 figures. The increase in cases and workload did not come with a corresponding increase in state support for staff increases. But regulatory changes have increased the minimum frequency of face-to-face, in-home visits between social workers and children in foster care. Expenditures for emergency assistance to eligible families and individuals to help with rent or mortgage, security deposits, utility payments, and storage or moving expenses increased by 39 percent from FY 2006 to FY 2007.
The number of persons age 65 and older is growing at a faster rate than the overall population of Fairfax County. The incidence of disabilities among elderly doubles every five years after the age of 65. The county has adopted a model called “cluster care” which builds on ideas from other jurisdictions that align services around “naturally occurring retirement communities” in which a significant number of residence have aged in their homes. The cluster care model has three components: task-based home care (e.g. housekeeping and personal hygiene), volunteer services (e.g. visiting, shopping, and telephone contact) and home delivered meals (e.g. improved nutrition that is both palatable and pleasing). The cluster care model is successfully and cost effectively arranging, facilitating, and purchasing essential services for persons who are not financially or physically able to secure such services.
Community partnerships (e.g. neighborhood associations, faith communities, businesses, community-based organizations, and individual volunteers) are vital to enhancing the services that Fairfax County can provide in prevention and education efforts. By working together in forming neighborhood-based cooperatives, or holding joint symposia, the county has been better able to facilitate the spread of information about local resources available to those in need. For example, the Self-Sufficiency Division has worked with volunteers to provide a free service to help clients file their federal income tax forms, enabling them to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
. Likewise, the county’s extensive hypothermia program depends on a network of partnerships with nonprofit and faith-based organizations and thousands of individual community volunteers.
Fairfax County has a “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.” While the county works to find permanent housing for low-income residents, the need for temporary homeless shelter continues. The county has six homeless shelters at this time. Volunteers supplement these services with recreation, tutoring and other activities. In 2007, nearly 2300 volunteers performed over 90,000 hours of volunteer service, such as home delivered meals, telephone reassurance, friendly visiting, insurance counseling, and pet visits to nursing homes. They also provide transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping, minor home repairs, and home and yard maintenance. Elderly citizens also require assistance for caretaker neglect, self neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation.
Fairfax County’s children are more racially and ethnically diverse (45.1%) than the population as a whole (38.2%). The county is home to over 250,000 children, and the under age 20 segment account for 25 percent of the county’s population. Poverty rates for children have tended to be higher than those for all persons. While about ten percent of the children in Fairfax County are African-American, they represent 41 percent of the children in foster care. Hispanic children are also disproportionately represented (e.g. 17 percent are Hispanic, but 24 percent are in foster care). The average number of monthly public assistance/welfare reform cases (e.g. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Food Stamps, Medicaid, etc.) has been growing over time, rising from 31,000 in FY 2002 to over 49,600 in FY 2007.
Addressing the Need that Poverty Creates
Fairfax County is one of the safest places to live in the country. But as the population changes, problems such as Internet crime, identity theft, and gang activity have increased. County officials are responding by developing and extensive set of communications and coordination networks among many levels of government, both locally and globally. Fortunately, the residents of Fairfax County have been rapid adopters of new technology. This offers the County new and creative ways to deliver services.County officials are continuing to work with community partners (e.g. neighborhood associations, faith communities, businesses, community-based organizations, and individual volunteers) to leverage their help and respond rapidly and effectively to problems that arise. An example of one such opportunity is a partnership which has recently been forged by the Phoenix Project and the George Mason University School of Public Policy.
The Phoenix Project is “a nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is the work of social entrepreneurs. A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change . While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a...
, poverty and technology.” They design education and networking programs for America’s next generation of social entrepreneurs. They work to build powerful partnerships between universities and severely distressed communities that use the power of social enterprise to battle poverty. They intend to harness the power of new technology to connect communities in need with citizens and universities seeking social change. In their mission statement, the Phoenix Project states that it “seeks to alleviate poverty by building a sustainable partnership between Virginia higher education and the Commonwealth’s most distressed communities that adds civic capacity to communities, strengthens the mission of universities, and provides a powerful context in which to prepare nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs for tomorrow’s Virginia.”
The Phoenix Project's new partnership with George Mason University is focused on the Route One Corridor (Lorton to Woodbridge) in Fairfax County. Despite its credentials as one of the nation’s wealthiest municipalities, Fairfax County has areas where there is considerable economic distress and poverty. The Route One Corridor is one such area. The plan for this partnership is to enlist several universities (e.g. Northern Virginia Community College has also shown interest), anchored by GMU, to work with community leaders using a proven model to: conduct surveys and create a list of possible matches and projects; identify pilot projects and participants; and scale up the number and complexity of projects and participants so that sustainable elements of the community can effectively combat poverty independently of the Phoenix Project.
Community partnerships focused on increasing social entrepreneurship offer a potential antidote to the economic downturn. A national study (2003) showed college graduates were more than twice as likely to volunteer as persons with only a high school degree. By enlisting the support of college students, GMU and other Virginia universities can “prime the pump” with future social entrepreneurs and civic minded individuals.