United South End Settlements

Environmental Scan

2014

Race + EthnicityAge

IncomeEducation

HousingHouseholds

Methodology 5678

101114

4

5

The Northeastern University Scholars research team conducted a thorough survey of publicly accessible data to compile this report. Data was primarily sourced from the 2010 U.S. Census, with supplementary data compiled from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey and the Boston Redevelopment Authority South End Neighborhood Report. Sources are cited in footnotes where applicable.

The team utilized ArcGIS mapping to determine census tracts within the service area provided by the United South End Settlements, ensuring that service areas were exclusively represented by the data.

This scan is an update of the 2008 Environmental Scan conducted for the United South End Settlements by Alan Park. That scan relied upon census tracts from 2000 that have since been redrawn. As such, data comparisons were not made in this report to the 2008 Environmental Scan. Such comparisons would lack the statistical specificity needed to support meaningful conclusions.

Recommendations for United South End Settlements were generated collectively by the team based upon research and consultation with Vice President of Research, Evaluation & Training at United South End Settlements, Dr. Donna Owens. These recommendations are the opinions of the authors of this report and may not reflect the opinions of the United South End Settlements.

MethodologyThis environmental scan was conducted by a research team of Northeastern University Scholars comprised of the following members: Lindsey Bressler Wendy Chu Margaret DiGiorno Kimberly Dinehart Anthony Formicola Therese Gildea Elliot Horen Ariel McDonnell

Authors

Tract703

Tract704.02

Tract705

Tract706

Tract707

Tract708

Tract709

Tract711.01

Tract712.01

Tract804.01

Tract805

6

Race and Ethnicity

As has long been the case, the South End today is home to residents with a diverse set of racial backgrounds. The South End is a majority minority neighborhood--while residents identifying as White make up 48% of the neighborhood, those identifying as Asian (13.5%), Hispanic (15%), and African American/Black (16%) make up an almost equally large slice of the pie. Of the two percent of residents who identify as two or more races, nearly half identify as either White and African American/Black or White and Asian.

Large ethnically homogenous communities exist as subsets of certain minority groups. Such communities may create a need for specific outreach and language services while presenting an opportunity to develop cross-cultural understanding and respect. Two of these subgroups are presented to the left.

• Individuals who identify as White make up the largest percentage of residents, followed by individuals identifying as African American/Black, Asian American, Other Races, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander respectively.

• Socioeconomic disparities along racial lines persist.

Key Points Racial Makeup of the South End

48%White

9.5%Other

15%Hispanic

0.25%Hawaiian /

Pacific Islander

18.6%Black /

African American

0.33%American Indian /

Alaska Native

13.5%Asian

Among Asians in the South End, 70% identify as Chinese, 20% as

Indian, and 10% as other.

Among Hispanics/Latinos, 40% identify as Puerto Rican, 5.5% as Mexican, and 2% as Cuban.

52.5% identify as Hispanic/Latino but not as any of the above

ethnicities.

Asian Subgroups

Hispanic / Latino Subgroups

70%Chinese

40%PuertoRican Recommendations

• Ensure respect for racial and cultural differences at all levels of USES programming.

• Provide program information and programming in various languages. • Seek out multilingual staff to reach populations that self-report speaking

English less than very well. • Continue to develop English as a Second Language program.

LanguagesA majority of residents speak only English (62%). Still, there are a significant number of residents that speak other languages. Of particular note are those who speak English as a second language and self-report that they speak English “less than very well”. Only 30% of individuals who speak Chinese (1120) report that the speak English very well; the remaining 70% (2654) speak English less than very well. Among Spanish speakers, there’s a nearly even divide between those who speak English very well and those who do not (2493 vs. 2377 respectively). Among those who speak African languages, slightly more than half (573) report speaking English very well; 457 report that they do not.

7

Age

• South End Residents between the ages of 0 and 5 make up the largest percentage of the population under 20.

• A third of the South End’s population is between 20 and 34 years of age.

Key Points

The total population of the USES service area is 35,994 residents. Overall, this population is relatively young. Of the residents, 18% (6279) are under the age of 20, and 33% (11,923) are 20-35 years old.

Currently, the largest number of residents under 20 years old are children 0 to 5 years old.

2127 young children (6%) in the South End are between 0 and 5 years old. 1486 children (4%) in the South End are between the ages of 5 and 9.1345 youth (4%) in the South End are between the ages of 10 and 14.1321 teenagers (4%) are between the ages of 15 and 19.

USES Service Area by Age 201218%

0-19 years15%

60+ years

33%20-34 years

34%35-59 years

Distribution of Residents under 20

6%0 to 5

years old

Recommendations• Continue to provide youth programming (school programs, childrens art center programming, and Camp Hale)

for all ages, as populations of residents under 20 will likely hold steady or increase. • One gap in USES services is the lack of after school programs for teenagers between 13 and 18. After school

programs are important to augment teens’ education and prevent risky behaviors. USES should explore available programs for these students after school and support them if need exists, while maintaining existing programs such as the counselor in training program at Camp Hale and jobs for teens in the after school programs.

• It is important that USES monitors the need for early childhood education as the population under 5 is currently large and expected to grow. USES should closely observe the number of inquiries about, or applications for, early childhood education in the coming years.

Young adults between 20 and 35 make up a large part of the population. Many of these residents (37% of young adults, 12% of the total South End population) are attending college or graduate school and presumably aren’t starting families. However, it is likely that many of the remaining 63% of young adults will start families, increasing the 0-5 population and possibly requiring a concurrent expansion of early childhood education in the near future. Apart from children aged 0-5, the residents of the South End under age 20 are evenly distributed by age.

Seniors over the age of 60 make up 15% of the population (5546).

8

Education• The majority of students

living in the South End are enrolled in college or graduate school.

• There is a significant decrease between the average number per class of South End residents enrolled in elementary/middle school and those enrolled in high school.

• 15% of South End Residents over 25 do not have a high school/equivalent degree.

Key Points South End Resident Educational Attainment

AttainmentThere are a total of 26,439 people in the South End over the age of 25. South End Residents 25 and older were asked to describe their level of educational attainment:

2,425 South End residents (9% of those 25 and older) have less than a 9th grade education.1,589 residents (6%) have attended 9th-12th grade but did not graduate.3,751 tenants (14%) are high school graduates or have the equivalent of a high school education (such as a GED or other international certificate).2,593 residents (10%) have attended some college but did not attain a degree.1,128 South End residents(4%) have earned an Associate’s degree.7,447 people in the South End (28%) have a Bachelor’s degree.7,506 tenants (28%) attained a graduate or professional degree.

Although 60% of adults in the South End have some form of a college degree, 15% of the 25 and older population remains that has not attained a high school degree.

9%less than 9th grade

6%9th-12th grade, no diploma

4%Associate’s Degree

14%High School Graduate(includes equivalency)

28%Bachelor’s Degree

10%Some college,

no degree

28%Graduate or

Professional Degree

South End Resident School Enrollment

4.9%kindergarten

3.7%preschool

11.5%9th-12th grade

29.3%1st-8th grade50.6%

college / graduate students

EnrollmentThere are 8,630 South End residents aged 3 and older living in the South End that are enrolled in school. They may attend schools in the South End or any other school in the Boston area. Of these residents:

317 children (3.7% of residents in school) are enrolled in preschool or nursery school.420 kids living in the South End (4.9%) are enrolled in kindergarten.2,531 South End children (29.3%) are enrolled in 1st grade through 8th grade.988 students (11.5%) are enrolled in 9th through 12th grade.4,371 South End residents (50.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school.

9

The average number of students enrolled in each grade in elementary and middle school is about 316. This number drops for high school students to an average of 247 students, which may indicate a problem of students not completing a high school education.

While Boston certainly has many colleges and college students, it is important to note that the South End is home to a particularly high percentage (50.6%) of college and graduate students compared to the average percent of college students living in Boston (39.6%).

Recommendations• USES should continue to strengthen and expand all educational programs. • The 4,014 of residents in the South End that have not gotten a high school degree are all potential candidates

for USES’ Workforce Readiness program, particularly the Adult Basic Education program. These residents, and the combined 6,344 that either have a high school degree or have completed some college could benefit from the Transition to College Program.

• Anticipate a growing need for early childhood education, as the large numer of young children in the South End will likely continue to increase.

• USES may also want to develop programs or partner with other organizations that encourage high school retention.

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Income and Poverty• Race-based

socioeconomic inequality is widespread.

• In terms of poverty rate, groups of greatest concern are single-mother households and senior citizens.

Key Points

Median Household Income by Race

In the 2008 Environmental Scan, Alan Park had this to say about matters of income in the South End: “Median income is up…yet the poverty rate in the South End continues to be higher than that of the city of Boston. The gap between the richest and poorest citizens of the South End has never been wider.” He also found that this disparity was racially based. Our two main inquiries are first to determine whether or not socioeconomic inequality based on race still exists in the South End five years later and second to examine how the South End population fares in reference to the poverty line.

The first question can be answered easily and definitively: socioeconomic inequality based on race continues to be an obvious reality in the South End.

$0

$10000

$20000

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$21,

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$22,

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Oth

er

Percent of Families in Poverty with Female Householder

No Husband Present (with Related Children Under 18 years)

Trac

t 703

Trac

t 704

.02

Trac

t 707

Trac

t 705

Trac

t 805

Trac

t 712

.01

Trac

t 711

.01

Trac

t 709

Trac

t 706

Trac

t 708

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Trac

t 804

.01 Tr

act 7

05

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Tr

act 7

03Tr

act 7

04.0

2

Trac

t 707

Trac

t 805

Trac

t 712

.01

Trac

t 711

.01

Trac

t 709

Trac

t 706

Trac

t 708

Trac

t 705

Trac

t 804

.01

Percent of Residents 65 years and older in

Poverty

Overall median household income in the neighborhood is $60,639 (according to a 2011 report compiled by the Boston Redevelopment Authority and based on the American Community Survey), but white median household income sits far past this figure at $99,674, while the median household incomes of all other races in the South End are $60,000 - $80,000 less.

In regards to poverty, the overall percentage of South End residents below the poverty line is approximately 26%. However, certain groups are particularly disadvantaged. For example, families of female householders with no husband present and related children under 18 years old experience a poverty rate that is exceptionally higher than average in seven of the eleven census tracts of the South End. Additionally, residents that are 65 years and older experience a poverty rate that is exceptionally higher than average in five of the eleven census tracts of the South End.

Recommendations• Continue to provide current members of the workforce the opportunity for lifelong education and job

training/retraining in order to combat the ever-present influence of skill-biased technological change.• Pay special attention to the needs of senior citizens who are disproportionately below the poverty line.• Offer parental readiness programs to expectant mothers/fathers. These programs teach new parents the basics

of raising a child and foster a healthy and enriching environment for children from the very beginning.• Focus on early childhood education and continue to put efforts into sports, arts, and culture programs for

children, as childhood is a critical developmental period that can set up children for success if they have a variety of educational and enriching experiences.

• Encourage adolescents to enroll in college and give them the tools/preparation to do so, as a college degree often leads to a stable income. In these ways, income disparities can be addressed on all fronts and during all developmental periods of the future generation of the South End.

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Housing• A majority of South

End homes are renter-occupied.

• Disparity in income between owner-occupied and renter-occupied homes suggests gentrification in certain tracts.

Key Points

68.5%renter-occupied

units

South End Home Occupation The South End has a total of 18,125

housing units. 12,424 of these units are renter-occupied and 5,701 are owner-occupied.

Different census tracts have widely different ratios of renter-occupied units to owner occupied units.

Renter-occupied

Owner-occupied

Ratio of Owner-Occupied versus Renter-Occupied Housing Units by Census Tract

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Tract703

Tract704.02

Tract705

Tract706

Tract707

Tract708

Tract709

Tract711.01

Tract712.01

Tract804.01

Tract805

An extreme example is Census Tract 704.02; 100% of homes there are renter-occupied. Other tracts have more balanced housing distributions. In Census Tract 706, 56.8% of homes are owner-occupied, while 43.8% are renter-occupied.

12

The median value of owner-occupied housing per tract ranges from $296,300 in to $739,400 in tracts. The values of owner-occupied housing do not reflect the housing costs for the entire area which consists mostly of renter-occupied units. However, the wide range in the cost of owner-occupied housing reflects financial disparities that are echoed in the income statistics below. The median value of owner-occupied housing per tract ranges from $296,300 in to $739,400 in tracts. The values of owner-occupied housing do not reflect the housing costs for the entire area which consists mostly of renter-occupied units. However, the wide range in the cost of owner-occupied housing reflects financial disparities that are echoed in the income statistics below.

Owner-occupied housing units: - Zero or negative income

Owner-occupied housing units: - $75,000 or more:

Owner-occupied housing units: - $50,000 to $74,999:

Owner-occupied housing units: - $35,000 to $49,999:

Owner-occupied housing units: - $20,000 to $34,999:

Owner-occupied housing units: - Less than $20,000:

Renter-occupied housing units: - No cash rent

Renter-occupied housing units: - Zero or negative income

Renter-occupied housing units: - $75,000 or more:

Renter-occupied housing units: - $50,000 to $74,999:

Renter-occupied housing units: - $35,000 to $49,999:

Renter-occupied housing units: - $20,000 to $34,999:

Renter-occupied housing units: - Less than $20,000:

Income of Residents in Renter-Occupied and Owner-Occupied Units

Census Tract 805

Census Tract 804.01

Census Tract 712.01

Census Tract 711.01

Census Tract 709

Census Tract 708

Census Tract 707

Census Tract 706

Census Tract 705

Census Tract 704.02

Census Tract 703

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

For example, in census tract 712.01, 32.5% of housing units are renter-occupied by people with incomes of $20,000 per year or less. However, in that same tract, 21% of housing units are owner-occupied by people with incomes of $75,000 a year or more. Although some tracts, like tract 704.02 and tract 804.01 are comprised of 61% and 52.3% units that are renter-occupied by people with incomes of $20,000 per year or less.

SeniorsOut of the total number housing units in the South End, 2802 units are occupied by individuals over 65, or 15.5%. Of the total number of renter-occupied units, 16.6%, or 2060 units, are occupied by seniors. Of the total number of owner-occupied units, 13%, or 742 units, are occupied by seniors. 73.5%

seniors inrented units

South End Housing Units with Residents 65+

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The incomes of seniors by household varies by tract. Some notable tracts include census tract 805, which is comprised of 86.3% of households with seniors who have incomes below $20,000 per year. Not all tracts have this economic breakdown, however. In census tract 703, 48.5% of seniors have incomes above $100,000 per year.

Recommendations• The United South End Settlements motto is “neighbors helping neighbors.” With that in mind, USES

already has many programs in place to address this issue. For example, the sliding scale payment model daycare utilizes the resources of high-income families who pay for daycare in order to provide daycare for families that need it.

• This type of diversity can and should be continued to be used in USES operations. Looking to future programs, it might be worthwhile to understand the breakdown of economic diversity per area of the South End. Census Tract 706, for instance, is made up of over 40% of families with over $75,000 in income that live in owner-occupied units. Being aware of the different breakdowns of income by census tracts, USES can perhaps better understand what areas to focus on in their outreach.

• Historically, gentrification can lead to low-income communities becoming more vulnerable to displacement and loss of housing. However, some studies point to gentrification as being a benefit to low-income communities. United South End Settlements does not provide housing to residents, however, through its currently existing programs, it can make the situation for low-income residents better. For example, United South End Settlements can target the areas with the most low-income residents with their workforce readiness programs.

• In terms of the amount of low-income seniors, United South End Settlements addresses this issue through their Senior Home Repair Program. However, this program does not address the challenges that seniors living in renter-occupied units face. 73.5% of seniors living in the South End are residents in rented units. In terms of particular areas with low income seniors, census tract 704.2, 804.1, and 805 are particularly notable.

e$200,000 or mor

$150,000 to $199,999

$125,000 to $149,999

$100,000 to $124,999

$75,000 to $99,999

$60,000 to $74,999

$50,000 to $59,999

$45,000 to $49,999

$40,000 to $44,999

$35,000 to $39,999

$30,000 to $34,999

$25,000 to $29,999

$20,000 to $24,999

$15,000 to $19,999

$10,000 to $14,999

Less than $10,0000% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Tract 805

Tract 804.01

Tract 712.01

Tract 711.01

Tract 709

Tract 708

Tract 707

Tract 706

Tract 705

Tract 704.02

Tract 703

Income of Householders Over Age 65

14

HouseholdsThe census bureau defines the difference between households and families as follows: “A family consists of two or more people (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption residing in the same housing unit. A household consists of all people who occupy a housing unit regardless of relationship. A household may consist of a person living alone or multiple unrelated individuals or families living together.” This section describes the average trends for the entire South End; however there is a lot of variation between the demographics of the various census tracts.

• Single female headed families greatly outnumber single male headed families, especially in regards to single parent families with children.

• There are a large number of seniors living alone who may qualify for senior housing assistance. Those seniors are spread unevenly throughout the neighborhood.

Key Points

FamiliesThe average household size in the South End is 1.96 while the average family size is 2.81. There are a total of 18,125 households in the South End. Of that, 39.53% are considered families, or 6821. Different tracts have very different family demographics.

Of the families across the South End, 18.58% of the households have children under 18 years of age. 14.16% are a married-couple family, and an additional 9.4% are both married and have children under 18. Half of the families with children are married-couple families, while the other families are either single parent households or households in which both parents live together but are unmarried.

15.96% of the South End families are single male or female headed. 4.87% have a single female head of family without kids. 1.90% of all South End families have a single male head of family without kids.

8.44% of family households in the South End are single female headed families with children.

0.75% of family households in the South End are single male headed families with children.

Single Female Headed Families Without Children

Single Female Headed Families With Children

Families Without Children

Families With Children

Married Couple Families Without Children

Married Couple Families with Children

South End Family Demographics by Census Tract

Tract 805

Tract 804.01

Tract 712.01

Tract 711.01

Tract 709

Tract 708

Tract 707

Tract 706

Tract 705

Tract 704.02

Tract 703

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

15

Recommendation• Focus recruitment for senior housing assistance on tracts with higher concentrations of seniors living

alone, such as tract 704.02 and 804.01.

Seniors10.58% of the non-family households in the South End are headed by a householder 65 years or older who live alone. These individuals could be eligible for the senior housing programs. Once again, there is a large amount of variation between census tracts.

Non-Family Householders 65 years +Living Alone by Census Tract

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Trac

t 703

Trac

t 704

.02

Trac

t 705

Trac

t 707

Trac

t 708 Tr

act 8

04.0

1

Trac

t 709

Trac

t 712

.01

Trac

t 711

.01

Trac

t 805

Trac

t 706

16

SourcesAlan Park “United South End Settlements Environmental Scan” (United South End Settlements, 2008). “Current Population Survey (CPS) - Definitions,” United States Census Bureau, accessed January 1, 2014, http://www.census.gov/cps/about/cpsdef.html. “2012 Census Data,” United States Census Bureau, accessed January 1, 2014, http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.