Goal 1: Families in Erie County will have safe, affordable housing
The importance of safe, affordable housing cannot be understated. A home is not just a place where individuals and families start and end their day, but a foundation from which every-day people construct their lives, build their wealth, and conceive of their own personal American Dream.
Increasingly however, rising rents and housing prices in the WNY housing market make finding affordable housing more difficult. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable housing as the combined total of housing and utility costs that do not exceed 30% of an individual’s or family’s gross income per month.
In addition, much of the housing stock throughout WNY is quite old, leading to high concentrations in some zip codes of homes with lead hazards and children with lead poisoning. Lead from peeling and chipping paint puts young children at serious risk, negatively affecting their mental and physical development.
- Potential Community Strategies and Initiatives
Goal 2: Families in Erie County will have greater financial security
Financial security is an important social determinant of health and is essential if families are to thrive. Financial security is not just about earning enough money to pay for necessary expenses, but also enough to save for emergencies, education, and retirement.
- Potential Community Strategies and Initiatives
Goal 3: Families in Erie County will have access to quality, affordable childcare
High-quality child care is essential to enable parents to get and keep a job and to give children a strong start toward success in life. Readily available child care strengthens our economy. Unfortunately many families, particularly low-to middle wage families, lack access to high-quality child care that parents need to work and children need to grow and thrive.
Despite the fact that Erie County receives approximately 25 million dollars in funding for childcare subsidies, families in Erie County still struggle to access high quality child care. This often places families in a compromised position of having to choose between accessible quality licensed child care and employment, or if available, utilizing family and friends or unlicensed child care providers.
- Potential Community Strategies and Initiatives