COLUMBUS – Although Ohio is making headway in reducing its poverty rate, a new report says many in the state are still struggling to make ends meet.
The state’s poverty rate inched downward last year but 1.5 million Ohioans remain in poverty and 3.5 million are considered “near poor,” according to the Ohio Poverty Snapshot from the Ohio Women’s Health Network and the Coalition on Human Needs.
The study indicates that, in two-thirds of poor families, women are the primary or co-breadwinners and that one or two members worked at least part-time but 14 percent of all households have trouble paying for food.
“There’s still a lot of households that are still not able to get the support that they need. Public policy doesn’t match the realities of some our workforce, specifically women, in recognizing the dual roles that they play as caregivers and as breadwinners for their families,” said Erin Ryan, managing director of the Ohio Women’s Health Network.
The poverty rate in Ohio in 2017 was 14 percent, down from 14.6 percent in 2016, and higher than the national poverty rate of 13.4 percent, Ryan said.
The high cost of housing burdens many families. Fifty-six percent of low-income Ohioans spend more than half of their budget on rent, says Deborah Weinstein with the Coalition on Human Needs.
The report says communities of color, children, and people with disabilities continue to be disproportionately poor and Ryan contends anti-poverty programs like Medicaid and food assistance are crucial supports, particularly for low-income women, women of color, and those in rural areas.
Ohio ranks 18th among states for the highest percentage of people in poverty.