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Poverty Reduction Initiative A Good Move From Cuomo

Poverty is a serious problem in Jamestown.

Census statistics show nearly 30 percent of city residents lived in poverty in 2014, up from 23 percent in 2010. Those numbers skyrocketed in Census Tract 303, which has a northern border of I-86, eastern border of North Main Street, southern border of Fifth Street and a western border of Jones and Gifford Park, and in Census Tract 305, which has a northern border of Eighth Street, eastern border of Foote Avenue, southern border of McKinley Avenue and western border of Chapman Street. Roughly 2,130 people live in Census Tract 303 — 40 percent of whom live in poverty. Census Tract 305 has about 3,520 residents– of whom 56.9 percent live in poverty.

That’s why we are glad Gov. Andrew Cuomo chose to shine a light on poverty rates in 13 New York cities, including Jamestown, with his Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative. The initiative is modeled after an effort led by a community foundation in Rochester. Jamestown will receive $1 million from the state to study poverty factors specific to Jamestown, create a plan to combat those issues and implement a plan with a variety of community partner orgranizations. Specifically, the responsibility that accompanies the ESPRI designation is for local community members to work together to develop and execute an innovative plan to reduce the number/percentage of households residing in poverty and increase the number/percentage of households with earned income above the designated poverty.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County has been chosen by the city to lead this effort. It is a good choice. The United Way is involved with many of the existing agencies working with low-income families in Jamestown and uses a large portion the proceeds from its annual campaigns to help those living in poverty. A coordinated plan to address poverty has long been needed in Jamestown. It is good to see meetings during which the plan will be developed will be public. We hope there is ample notice publicly of the meetings and that attendance is robust. The statistics are from places like the Census Bureau are staggering, but we’re not sure most area residents know just how much poverty there is in Jamestown’s neighborhoods.

We commend Gov. Cuomo for creating this initiative. We are sure, moving forward, that he and state legislators will continue to make the state’s help available to all 13 ESPRI cities. There is little better investment than decreasing the poverty that is running rampant in our neighborhoods.

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