National Poverty in America Awareness Month
Poverty in Ohio Overview
- 13.4% of Ohioans live in households with incomes at or below the federal poverty level.*
- 29.6% of Ohioans live in households with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.*
- 17.7% of Ohio's children live in poverty, with almost 1 in 5 children under age 6 in poverty.*
- 15.8 percent of the people in urban places experience poverty, compared with 10.0 percent in rural areas; within metropolitan areas, 25.7 percent of those living in the central or principal cites are poor, while 10.1 percent of residents in other metropolitan urban areas are poor.**
- 17.0 percent of the people in Appalachian Ohio, 32 counties stretching across the eastern and southern regions of the state, are poor. Adams, Athens, Gallia, Meigs and Scioto – all Appalachian – had the highest poverty rates in the State, ranging from 30.6% to 22.4%.**
We use the terms "poor" and "in poverty" to mean a household income at or below the federal poverty level (FPL), but the FPL does not come close to what a family needs to adequately meet basic needs such as housing, food, and clothing. A family in Ohio needs an annual household income of between 183% FPL and 248% FPL (depending on the county) to be self-sufficient.**
Civil Legal Problems and the Poverty Cycle
One of the contributing factors to the poverty cycle is the disproportionate impact of the legal system. The Legal Services Corporation 2022 Justice Gap Study found that 74% of low-income households experienced one or more civil legal problems in the past year, while 39% experienced five or more compounding civil legal problems.
The inability to resolve one legal problem can trigger new legal problems all of which create barriers to those trying to build financial stability for themselves and their families. For example:
- The inability to adjust to an unanticipated rent increase results in an eviction, which can lead to income instability for parents, education gaps for children, and increased family healthcare needs and costs.
How do legal aid organizations help?
Legal aid advocates across the State help Ohioans experiencing poverty resolve civil legal issues that stabilize income and housing, protect against violence, prevent exploitation, and gain equitable access to education, public assistance, healthcare, and employment.
Members of the Alliance of Ohio Legal Aids also work together to identify and address systemic barriers that disproportionately impact low-income Ohioans in critical areas like housing, education, employment, consumer protection, family law, healthcare access, immigration, and public benefits.
Here are some examples:
The Housing Market Contributes to the Poverty Cycle
- Not enough affordable housing: For those at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI) there are only 79 affordable and available units per 100 renter households. For those below 30% AMI, there are only 30 affordable and available units per 100 renter households.*
- Rent outpaces income: Nearly half of Ohio’s renters are cost-burdened, which means they spend more than 30% of their income on housing.*
- Nearly one in four children in Ohio (23%) live in cost-burdened households, or households that must spend more than 30% of income on housing and associated costs. Over half (53%) of children in low-income households are cost burdened.*
- Cost-burdened households have less income for other necessities like food and transportation and are at an increased risk of frequent relocations and/or evictions.*
- The frequent transitions caused by housing insecurity can impact children’s physical and mental health, social/emotional development, educational achievement, and involvement in criminal justice.*
- The adverse outcomes of childhood housing insecurity underscore the continuation of poverty into the next generation.
How Legal Aid Organizations Intervene
- Help low-income Ohioans avoid eviction and protect themselves from retaliatory actions when they report substandard housing conditions.
- Help low-income Ohioans seal eviction records to improve their ability to secure safe and affordable housing for themselves and their families.
- Advocate for fair and safe housing.
- Monitor and investigate rental discrimination.
- Fight predatory rental practices.
- Preserve housing stability for low-income Ohioans, including seniors.
Food Insecurity Competes with Other Basic Needs
- Children at increased risk of food insecurity in Ohio: 14.8% of children do not have consistent access to adequate food, as compared to 11.8% of the overall population.*
- SNAP benefits falling short: In February of 2023, the pandemic-based expansion of SNAP benefits ended, meaning that nearly one and a half million Ohioans received less money for food. The portion of SNAP participants who could make their benefits last an entire month to drop from 30% during the pandemic to 5% now.*
- Food banks stretched: As a result, food banks across the state have reported record demand for their services.*
- WIC vendors diminishing: It is increasingly difficult for families to use Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits to access food. Between 2015 and 2024 the number of WIC-authorized vendors in Ohio fell by 295, a 22% decrease. Nearly a third of Ohio counties have three or fewer WIC vendors, which means that some families most in need could not use their WIC benefits to provide food for their children.*
- Social Security matters: 10.3% Ohioans ages 65 or older live in poverty, but the Poverty in Ohio Report estimates that without either social security or pensions, between 43% and 62% of seniors would be below the poverty level.**
How Legal Aid Organizations Help Families Stabilize Food Access
- Help Ohioans reduce barriers to employment and housing so that more of their income can go toward food and other necessities.
- Address improper denials and resolving delays in processing applications for benefits.
- Monitor for and address the inequitable distribution of benefits.
- Advocate for accessibility of public benefits applications and renewal processes.
- Ensure the swift replacement of benefits lost to fraud.
Sources
*2024 State of Poverty in Ohio Report, Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies.
**The Ohio Poverty Report, Department of Research, Ohio Development Service Agency