The need for basic human services in the United States fell slightly in 2016, though pockets of high need persist in states around the country, according to new data.
The Human Needs Index, produced by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy using data from the Salvation Army, combines information about services provided to help people with groceries, prepared meals, clothing, housing, furniture, medical assistance, and energy bills into a single score.
“Although the news and the data certainly suggest that the economy is improving and people are back to work, poverty is still persistent,” says Una Osili, director of research at the Lilly School. “There are areas of vulnerability; there are households that are still in need.”
Intended as a tool to help nonprofits, researchers, and policy makers track demand for human services, the index uses data from the Salvation Army’s 7,500 service centers from 2004 through 2016. The data include referrals made to other organizations. Other measures are used to validate the index, such as the national poverty rate, the unemployment rate, and use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
The index is a point scale; the lower the number, the better. The score in 2016 was 1.24. In 2015, it was 1.25, a notable uptick from 1.05 in 2014.
Struggling to Pay Rent
Nevada had the highest need score, at 4.41, followed by Wyoming at 4.03.
Nevada, along with Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Dakota, and Kansas, have remained among the 10 states with the highest need for basic services since 2014.
“In each state that has elevated needs, there’s a complex array of factors that are responsible,” says Ms. Osili. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all. Poverty is complex.”
In Nevada, the economy is improving after the state suffered more than most during the housing crisis. But the rebound has brought higher rents. People may have found employment but often with low-wage, low-skill jobs that don’t compensate for an increased cost of living. The result: More people visited Salvation Army locations to get rent assistance, clothes for their kids, and groceries or to seek help paying for medications.
And in Kansas, there has been a direct correlation between the drastic budget cuts to social services and an increase in need. “We know that when the government cuts back on something, then those families are going to come to the Salvation Army and other nonprofits,” Ms. Osili says.
In a time when President Trump has proposed cuts for many social-service programs, the Salvation Army and other charities are actively sharing information about the impact that certain cuts could have on their ability to serve.
“When we sit down with congressional leaders, this is certainly one of the tools we can use,” said Lt. Col. Ron Busroe, spokesman for the Salvation Army.
Among the index’s key findings:
- Wyoming, Minnesota, and South Dakota saw the largest increases in need from 2015 to 2016.
- Last year, 18 states saw double-digit percentage increases in requests for payments for prescription medicine.
