POVERTY ON THE DECLINE IN CLEVELAND

POVERTY ON THE DECLINE IN CLEVELAND

Poverty on the decline in Cleveland

Cleveland, like Detroit, was hit hard by the crisis. Many businesses and shops closed, quickly putting a portion of the population out of work. But today, everything has changed. With the city's economic boom, the poverty rate is steadily declining, which is a very positive point for the future of the city and its residents.

Cleveland Poverty

What is the poverty line in Cleveland?

Cleveland is well known for its industrial past in the 1900s, with companies like General Motors. But following the decline of heavy industry in the 1960s, the city gradually declined, plunging residents into poverty. According to Community Solutions, 1 in 5 people live in poverty in Cuyahoga County. For a family of two adults and one child, the poverty line is $21,330 per year. Once living in downtown Cleveland, these families decided to move to the suburbs to find more affordable housing. Some are even eligible for food stamps and welfare to meet their needs. There are also local organizations to help them.

In 2003, Cleveland ranked among the top 10 cities with the highest poverty rates in the United States, with a population of over 250,000. Fortunately, this is no longer the case; the trend has reversed.

Also read: 3 must-read articles to understand Cleveland’s transformation

Poverty on the decline in Cleveland

Stabilized in the 1980s and 1990s, the city of Cleveland is now booming. The rise of companies like General Motors, Ford, and Sherwin-Williams, which are not afraid to invest in their development, is proof of this. Moreover, new companies are setting up in the region (Amazon, Topgolf, etc.), thus offering great employment opportunities. In addition, Cleveland Clinic, which is the largest employer in Ohio with more than 60,000 jobs in 2019, continues to prosper and recruit. These positive factors are bearing fruit. Indeed, the percentage of people living in poverty is decreasing. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people living in poverty represented 39.2% of the population in 2014. They represent 33.1% in 2018. It is important to know that Clevelanders live less in poverty than during the 2008 crisis. Poverty is falling in the three largest cities in Ohio: Cincinnati (from 30% to 27.4%), Columbus (21.5% to 20.7%), and Cleveland (39.2% to 33.1%). We can see that the sharpest decline is in Cleveland.

Various city and business investments are key factors in Cleveland's poverty reduction.