In the fall of 2010, the SDC and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Urban Initiatives & Research (CUIR) completed one of the larger studies on poverty in Milwaukee in recent memory. This study has initiated much dialogue about the issues facing low-income residents in Milwaukee and this dialogue will continue in 2011.
The SDC’s Community Relations Department and the Intergovernmental Affairs & Research Division are currently exploring opportunities to present study findings to groups and organizations who have a vested interest in serving the needs of vulnerable populations. The study found that many service needs and gaps exist in Milwaukee County. While the study also found that the SDC is thought to have an important role in reducing poverty in Milwaukee County, the existing service needs and gaps require far more resources than one agency can provide. If your organization is interested in this type of presentation, please contact us and we can continue the dialogue.
A second component of the SDC’s examination of poverty in 2011 will be an analysis of 2005-2009 American Community Survey data and how it correlates with findings from the 2010 CSBG Needs Assessment. SDC Intergovernmental Affairs & Research Division staff will continue its partnership with CUIR by examining these two data sets in order to dig deeper into poverty-related issues in Milwaukee.
Finally, the SDC & CUIR are already making plans to conduct another poverty study in 2011. Using the 2010 study as a base, the SDC & CUIR plan to launch an e-mail survey with SDC staff, SDC Commissioners, and key stakeholders in the community. This survey is designed to be an update to the 2010 study and will focus on service gaps, barriers to poverty, and strategies to achieve self-sufficiency. The results from this update will be released in the summer of 2011 and be made available here.
On behalf of all of us in the Intergovernmental Affairs & Research Division, thanks for your interest and check back often as we examine and discuss the issues, which deeply affect Milwaukee’s community.
Curtis, Dave, & Steve
www.cr-sdc.org/About/SDCblog.htm
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