Howard County: Solving Problems Below a Wealthy Surface

By Karen Lubieniecki, STAFF WRITER



Some people may ask: What does Howard County have to worry about? After all, the U.S. Census Bureau recently listed Howard as the fifth wealthiest county in the country, with a median household income of $101,867.

Right below the surface, however, there are troubling signs that all is not well - even in this, Maryland's most prosperous county.

In Howard County, requests for help continue to rise: more demands for food stamps (up 35% for families, 37.6% for individuals), more people needing temporary cash assistance (up 19% for households), a 35% increase in households receiving food from the Food Bank, a 234% increase in home energy grants, a 24% increase in eviction warrants and an 8% increase in evictions, and longer waiting lists for transitional housing, despite increased capacity. There are 3,000 people on the waiting list for public housing vouchers and rental assistance alone.

Howard County's poverty rate is 4.2% of the population - about 11,000 people. While this is below the state's 8.5% level, it is only one small part of the story. What the figures above tell us is that, for the first time, moderate income families are seeking assistance for basic, safety net services like food pantries, eviction prevention and energy assistance.



Challenging Times

As noted in the Association of Community Services' (ACS) "2009-2010 Advocacy Positions and Priority Actions" report: "... while most in Howard County find these times challenging, many who live on low and moderate incomes are experiencing real hardships and serious decisions."

More and more residents are at risk for being unable to fulfill the minimum needed to be self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency is the ability to meet the daily costs of living, including food, housing, health care, child care, transportation and miscellaneous costs.

The Policy Analysis Center's recent "Howard County Self-Sufficiency Indicators 2009 Report" found that self-sufficiency is at risk for more than 18% of all Howard County residents. The cost for self-sufficiency for an adult with two preschoolers, factoring in wages and public assistance housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, taxes and other goods is $72,000 - far less than a beginning police officer's or teacher's salary.

Nearly one-fifth of Howard County households earned less than $49,999 - $23,000 less than what's been determined is needed for self-sufficiency and 50% less than the median county income.



Human Services Needs

Many local families rely on human services programs to help them achieve self-sufficiency. But these programs are finding themselves at reduced capacity to meet their clients' needs as the impact of state funding cuts are felt at the county level.

For example, the Foreign-born Information and Referral Network (FIRN) had to eliminate interpreter services for 90 maternity clinic patients, potentially complicating health care for new mothers. The Domestic Violence Center has one less house - one less refuge for victims of abuse. The Arc of Howard County has had to reduce direct services, including respite funding, which helps caregivers desperately in need of some time off-duty.

Grassroots has 180 fewer bed nights available to individuals and families in crisis, and between 2008 and 2009 experienced a 100% increase in the number of people it has had to turn away due to a lack of space. The Health Department had to close its Maternity Clinic. The Howard County Department of Social Services has had staff reductions that have meant double or triple the time to process applications.

What does this mean? When these programs lose funding and people, there is less food, fewer beds, less counseling, and less direct financial support for families, leading to families and individuals falling off a financial cliff as their support lines are cut. Domestic violence and crime increases as families become desperate, further straining families and the justice system.

Within the human services community, the impact of level or reduced state funding is evident in more than just reduced services. As with any other business, nonprofits are experiencing increases in rental and office expenses, as well as utility, fuel, staff and programmatic costs. Unlike most businesses, however, they cannot raise their prices to offset cost increases because the majority of their clients can barely afford the current service fees.



Looking for Solutions

Howard County government's commitment to human services funding over the years has remained strong. In past recessions, when cuts had to be made, private and foundation sources often made up the deficits. The situation today is different. ACS Executive Director Anne Towne noted, "With this economy we're in new territory. We don't have a lot of history to look back at for solutions. This time around, the county and state are in trouble, and foundations, private businesses and employer-based giving, our traditional bridge fixes, are also suffering. No one is in really good shape."

That doesn't mean people aren't working to come up with solutions that try to salvage funding while recognizing the expanded nature of the survival needs of 20% of the population in this new economic environment. ACS and others are advocating vigorously at the county and state levels. Howard County state legislators like Liz Bobo, using materials like the "Self-Sufficiency Index," are working to persuade colleagues that the county's economic needs are significant and in need of funding.

In 2008, the county created The Board to Promote Self-Sufficiency. This board is promoting the economic stability of individuals and families to reduce the incidence of poverty in Howard County. The newly created Nonprofit Resource Development Council will explore ways for the human services and nonprofit communities to operate more efficiently.

In the Howard County tradition of involving stakeholders in solutions, both of these boards' members represent a broad cross section of public, private and government organizations, ranging from faith-based groups, to financial institutions, to ACS and county agencies. Based on the track record of past boards and task forces, their prospects for developing innovative solutions are good.

The real measure of Howard County's riches may not be in celebrating its monetary ranking, but in the wealth of innovative solutions it develops to address the needs of the 20% of its residents who are living on the edge.