16% of Ohioans lived all of last year in poverty, and nearly a third were under the federal poverty line for at least some of 2015. Those are among the findings in a report from community groups that work on the front lines of the war on poverty in Ohio. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler reports.
The numbers are similar to last year’s. 1 in 3 poor Ohioans live in urban areas, but almost half of those living in poverty are in rural or suburban areas.
Phil Cole with the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies blames income inequality and a lack of jobs and transportation where people are living.
“There are a lot of things that cause poverty, that get people into poverty. The challenge is getting out.”
And there’s evidence that getting out is very hard – a little over 5 percent of Ohio kids who start out in the bottom fifth of income will end up in the top fifth by the time they’re adults, but more than 38% will stay among the poorest Ohioans.