Community Conditions and Safety
The environment in which people live, including the quality of their homes and the services present in their neighborhoods, affects their physical and mental health. Mahoning County health partners are focusing on further developing protections for people in vulnerable housing situations and neighborhoods.
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1 in 6 people in Mahoning County are living below the poverty line.
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1 in 3 people in Youngstown are living below the poverty line.
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Half of people in Mahoning County are cost-burdened by rent or housing (spend 30% or more of their income on rent).
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Over half of people in Youngstown are cost-burdened by rent or housing.
Mahoning County residents, especially those who are cost-burdened by housing, can experience a range of health hazards in their home and neighborhood environments. To address this crisis, Mahoning County health partners are focusing on housing quality (especially lead and asthma triggers), active transportation, parks and greenspace, healthy food, and addressing additional safety concerns.
This data is based on the federal poverty level. For more information, please visit https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty/guidance/poverty-measures.html and https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST5Y2022.S1701?g=060XX00US3909988000.
The Evidence
In the City of Youngstown, Mahoning County, and similar communities across the state, poverty disproportionately affects Black communities and other communities of color.
In Mahoning County, 1 in 6 people experience poverty. While 12% of the white population lives below the poverty line, 38% and 39% of Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino community members do.
In Youngstown, 1 in 3 people experience poverty. Among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino residents, that number rises to 2 in 3 people.
Progress
Multiple programs in Youngstown and Mahoning County work to improve housing quality by testing homes for environmental hazards and providing free repairs. Mahoning County Healthy Homes & Lead Hazard Control’s Community Housing Impact & Preservation program works throughout the county, including in Campbell and Struthers. Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) conducts repairs in the City of Youngstown and some other parts of the county. For more information on these and other programs, please explore the “The Plan” sections below.
The Plan
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Housing Quality
Address housing quality issues that lead to lead poisoning and asthma.
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Active Transportation
Install infrastructure to make walking and biking safer.
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Parks and Greenspace
Enhance open spaces and outreach activities to increase park usage.
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Healthy Food
Increase access to healthy food and teach people how to cook it.
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Safety Concerns
Talk with community members to learn more about safety concerns.
