The Bronx.

For the world at large, these two words evoke images of the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, the foods of Arthur Avenue and the bombers of Yankee Stadium. Still for others, they conjure up old memories of the “Bronx is Burning” and a dark time in New York City’s history.

Instead, today’s Bronx, one of New York City’s five boroughs, is multi-faceted and highly diverse, experiencing significant revitalization on one hand while abject poverty remains on the other. As the third most densely populated county in the United States, the Bronx is divided into 12 community districts and is home to a 30% poverty rate. In six contiguous districts, which include an area generally referred to as the South Bronx, the overall poverty rate is even higher – twice that of New York City overall.

Because of these staggering statistics, the Bronx has been identified as one of 16 regions across the state to participate in the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative (ESPRI), locally known as Bronx Impact. A key enterprise of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, ESPRI focuses on combatting poverty and reducing rampant inequality by bringing together state and local government, non-profits and business groups, to design and implement coordinated solutions that increase social mobility in communities experiencing a high degree of poverty.

What is behind the high level of poverty in the Bronx?

Research from the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, the most recent census information, and New York metropolitan area economic data identify a number of factors contributing to the high rates of poverty in the Bronx – factors that are especially relevant in the poorest districts. These factors include the following:

• Economic conditions (employment, earnings and income): low rates of employment and a concentration of workers in low wage industries, requiring greater reliance on social and financial support systems

• Health: higher rates of illnesses, such as asthma, obesity and diabetes; hospitalizations linked to drug and alcohol abuse; and higher rates of infant mortality

• Housing: large numbers of public and subsidized housing residents; low home ownership; and poor housing stock

• Education: lower rates of early education and high school graduation; and lower proficiency in English language and math

• Youth issues: high rates of teen birth, teen idleness and youth disconnection; a large out-of-school, out-of-work population lacking a high school degree; and declining youth employment

• Family and community: children living in single parent households; child abuse and neglect; foster care placement; and higher rates of violent crimes and incarceration

• Resources: a short or inaccessible supply of basic services such as food stores and banks; resources such as job training and placement; housing support; high-quality early child care; and limited public transportation access

Children in the Bronx are disproportionately affected by poverty.

With a larger proportion of residents under the age of 18, nearly three out of 10 residents in many high poverty districts are children. High levels of poverty in some areas of the Bronx also may be exacerbated by language barriers many residents face. In these areas, a high percentage of households speak English on a limited basis (25%, compared to 15% citywide) despite the fact that the percentage of the foreign-born population in the Bronx is about the same as citywide. This appears to present unique challenges that stifle opportunity and therefore limit the potential to increase social mobility and create a more equitable future.

Identifying and researching the issues at the heart of the poverty challenge, including the barriers to accessing available services, is important foundational work. The real opportunity for Bronx Impact is in developing creative, cost-effective and scalable solutions that address these issues to usher in real and lasting change.