Communities Count

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:14:09 +0000

Data Source: WA Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

COMMUNITIES COUNT, 3/2012

Work Supports and the Quest for Self-Sufficiency

admin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 02:23:47 +0000

In the third post spotlighting the ways in which the recession is affecting the lives of economically vulnerable families in King County, Communities Count looks at the role of social service benefits in helping families work their way to self-sufficiency.

To see the full post, click here.

Foreclosures are killing us

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:15:21 +0000

After slowing down in the first half of the year, the rate of homes entering foreclosure is rising again.

Read about new research that shows the negative impact foreclosures have on families and communities.

Innovative start-up tries to eliminate food deserts in Seattle

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:45:49 +0000

Last year, M.B.A. students at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute in Seattle began hunting for a business-based solution to the problem of “food deserts” — low-income neighborhoods lacking access to healthful, affordable food.

The result? Stockbox Grocers, a start-up that converts reclaimed shipping containers into miniature grocery stores and operates them out of parking lots in under-served communities. Its slogan: “Good food, where you live.”

Read the whole story here.

The Middle Class: When the Bottom Drops Out

admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:55:24 +0000

How is the Great Recession affecting the lives of economically vulnerable families raising young children in King County? To find out, Communities Count interviewed a diverse group of low- to middle-income parents struggling to make ends meet. To protect the confidentiality of participants, we use fictional names. In this update, we visit an economic borderland that few middle-class parents imagined they would ever inhabit.

Read full story.

King County housing prices experience sharp drop off

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:07:12 +0000

Median home prices continue to decline in King County since their peak in the fourth quarter of 2007 ($472,000). The region experienced a steep slide in prices recently, dropping from $390,000 in the third quarter of 2010 to $348,000 in the first quarter of 2011.

Communities Count highlighted across the pond

admin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:09:44 +0000

A fellow with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust discusses the power of projects like Communities Count for improving community well-being and increasing social capital :
http://sarahefrost.blogspot.com/2011/07/measuring-what-matters-empowering-local.html

Unemployment stubbornly high due to slow private sector job growth and loss of government jobs

admin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 20:17:47 +0000

Since June 2010, over 42,000 jobs have been added to Washington’s economy. The gains are primarily in the private sector, while government keeps shedding jobs due to severe budget cuts.

In June 2011, the unemployment rate in Washington rose slightly to 9.2 percent, the same as the national rate. The rate for the Seattle metropolitan area increased slightly from 8.7 percent to 8.8 percent. Seattle regional unemployment has remained consistently below national and state levels since the beginning of the recession, although still high by historical standards.
After four months of persistent decline, the unemployment rate in King County rose slightly between May and June, from 7.9 percent to 8.0 percent. Almost 9,000 more people in King County were looking for work in June compared to May.

Gimme Shelter: When Families in King County Can’t Pay the Rent

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:28:08 +0000

How is the Great Recession affecting the lives of economically vulnerable families raising young children in King County? To find out, Communities Count has interviewed a diverse group of low-income families struggling to make ends meet in what to many feels like chronic economic pain.

Read the full report.

Visits to food banks in King County dropped

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:37:35 +0000

Total visits to food banks in King County declined since last quarter (October to December 2010), dropping 13 percent from 619,585 to 537,981.

The decline is largely due to a decline in returning customers. However, the number of new visitors to food banks increased from 52,915 to 126,834.

Children made up one of every three visits to food banks in the most recent quarter.