Making Ends Meet
in Howard County
Research conducted by:
Marsha R. B. Schachtel
Shelley E. Spruill
Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies
ACS – General Membership Meeting Report Release
September 21, 2011
Health
Care
Socialization
Community
Inclusion
Education
Focus
Group
Employment
Housing
Outputs
Customer
Income Support
Programs
The Working Poor
Monitoring
of Policy
Changes
Transportation
Child Care
Training
Mentoring
Money
Management
Family
I Self-sufficiency income in Howard County and effects of
increasing wages on eligibility for work support programs
II Portrait of Howard County’s working poor
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
profile
citizenship
educational attainment
household composition
Individual income
III Paths to self-sufficiency
◦ projected growth industries in Maryland
◦ occupations that pay self-sufficiency wages
◦ training and education needed to obtain jobs within growth industries
Cost of Living in Howard County1
One
Adult
Two
Adults
Two
Adults
One Infant
One Adult
Two Teens
One Adult
Two
Preschoolers
14,220 14,220
0
0
2,748
5,412
3,120
6,024
1,764
4,932
2,184
3,060
7,476
8,784
31,517 42,432
17,064
11,280
6,612
6,096
5,076
4,608
12,792
63,537
17,064
0
10,236
3,120
5,076
996
8,388
47,437
17,064
21,180
5,532
3,192
4,452
5,148
15,432
72,000
Major Costs per year
Housing
Child Care
Food
Transportation
Health Care
Miscellaneous
Taxes
SelfSufficiency
Annual Income
Federal Poverty
Level 2009
($14.9/hr)
($10.2/hr)
($15.3/hr)
($22.8/hr)
($34.6/hr)
10,830
14,570
18,310
18,310
18,310
1 Howard County Maryland Self-Sufficiency Indicators Report (2009 and
2010) based on the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Maryland updated in 2007
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
by the Center for Women’s Welfare, University of Washington
“Working Poor Individual”
HC self-sufficiency wage $31,517
2009 FPL
-$10,830
Difference
$20,687
Minimum wage: $7.25/hour

20
30
40
60
80

hours/week =
hours/week=
hours/week =
hours/week =
hours/week=
$145
$217.5
$290
$435
$580
($7,540)
($11,310)
($15,080)
($22,620)
($30,160)
There are 29,284 working poor individuals (17+)
in Howard County
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
7750 working poor households
in Howard County
Household
composition
FPL
(2009)
One adult
$10,830
Howard County selfsufficiency income
(% of FPL)
$31,517 (291%)
2 adults
$14,570
$42,432 (291%)
2 adults and one infant
$18,310
$63,537 (347%)
1 adult and two teens
$18,310
$47,437 (259%)
1 adult and two
preschoolers
$18,310
$72,000 (393%)
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Food
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs)
Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Supplemental Program (WIC)
Housing
House Choice Voucher Program
Public Housing Units
Eviction Prevention Assistance
Health
Medicaid
Primary Adult Care (PAC)
Maryland Children’s Health Programs (MCHP)
Financial and Bill Payment
Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA)
Home Energy Assistance (MEAP and EUSP)
Child Care
Child Care Subsidy
Head Start
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Work Support Effect (as wages increase)
1 adult
Resources Minus Expenses (Annual)
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
Loss
of Home
s
Energy
Assistance
$2,000
Loss of Food
Stamps
$0
$2,000
Loss of Tax
Assistance
Loss of
Food Bank
Grants
7.25/hr, 20
7.25/hr, 30
7.25/hr , 40
9.25/hr
11.25/hr
13.25/hr
15.25/hr
hrs/wk ($7,540)
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
($19,240)
($23,400)
($27,560)
($31,720)
($11,310)
($15,080)
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
Loss of
Eligibility for
Public Housing
Loss of
Primary
Adult Care
Loss of Earned
Income Tax
Credit
Loss of Eviction
Prevention
Hourly Wages (Annual Earnings)
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Work Support Effect
1 adult; 2 teens
$8,000
Loss of Eviction
Prevention
$6,000
(Annual Earnings)
Resources Minus Expenses
$7,000
$5,000
Loss of
SNAP
$4,000
Loss of
TCA
$3,000
Loss of
HCVP
FARM
Benefits
Reduced
$2,000
Loss of
Medicaid
Eligibility
$1,000
$0
$1,000
7.25/hr, 20
7.25/hr, 30
7.25/hr, 40
9.25/hr
11.25/hr
13.25/hr
15.25/hr
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
($19,240)
($23,400)
($27,560)
($31,720)
($7,540)
($11,310)
($15,080)
Hourly Wages (Annual Earnings)
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Work Support Effect
1 adult; 2 preschoolers
Resources Minus Expenses (Annual Earnings)
$15,000
Loss of
TCA
$10,000
Loss of
Eviction
Prevention
Loss of
Head Start
$5,000
Loss of
Child Care
Subsidy
$0
$5,000
7.25/hr, 20
7.25/hr, 30
7.25/hr, 40
9.25/hr
11.25/hr
13.25/hr
15.25/hr
hrs/wk ($7,540)
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
($19,240)
($23,400)
($27,560)
($31,720)
($11,310)
($15,080)
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Loss of
Medicaid
Loss of
HCVP
Loss of Food
Stamps
Hourly Wages (Annual Earnings)
Work Support Effect
2 adult family
$25,000
Resources Minus Expenses (Annual)
$20,000
$15,000
Loss of EITC
$10,000
$5,000
$0
$5,000
Loss of
Primary
Adult Care
Loss of
Eviction
Prevention
Loss of
Food
Stamps
Loss of Public
Housing Eligibility
Loss of
Tax
Assistance
Loss of Home
Energy Assistance
7.25/hr, 20
7.25/hr, 30
7.25/hr, 40
9.25/hr
11.25/hr
13.25/hr
15.25/hr
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
($38,480)
($46,800)
($55,120)
($63,440)
($15,080)
($22,620)
($30,160)
$10,000
Loss of
HCVP
Loss of
Food Bank
Grants
$15,000
Hourly Wages (Annual Earnings)
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
Work Support Effect
2 adults; 1 infant
$0
Resources Minus Expenses (Annual)
$2,000
7.25/hr, 20
7.25/hr, 30
7.25/hr, 40
9.25/hr
11.25/hr
13.25/hr
15.25/hr
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
hrs/wk
($38,480)
($46,800)
($55,120)
($63,440)
($15,080)
($22,620)
($30,160)
$4,000
$6,000
Loss of
Medicaid
Loss of
EITC
Loss of Food
Stamps
$8,000
Loss of HCVP
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
Loss of
MCHP
Lose Eviction
Prevention
Loss of Child
Care Subsidy
$16,000
Loss Public
Housing
Eligibility
Loss of
WIC
Loss of Food Bank
Grants
& Home Energy
Assistance
Hourly Wages (Annual Earnings)
I. HC Self-Sufficiency
All Howard
County
92%
Working
Poor
97%
Female
50.7%
58.8%
Marital Status
 Married
 Separated
 Never Married
59%
1.9%
27.9%
49%
3.1%
38.2%
Hispanic/Latino/Spanish
5%
10%
Ability to Speak English (not well
or at all)
7%
19%
Working age (17-64)
Source: Census Bureau’s Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) for the
two PUMAs (Public Use Microdata Areas) that comprise Howard County
(901 and 902)
II. HC Working Poor
Citizenship Status
U.S. citizen by
naturalization
11%
Born abroard to
American parents
2%
Born in PR, Guam,
USVI, No. Marianas
<1%
II. HC Working Poor
Not a U.S. citizen
11%
U.S. citizen
76%
II. HC Working Poor
3% three
2% three adults
adults
w/children
24%
two adults
w/children
26%
One adult
13%
32%
two adults
one adult w/
children
II. HC Working Poor
16%
$30,000$31,517
19%
$10,830$14,999
20%
$25,000$29,999
20%
$15,000$19,999
25%
$20,000$24,999
II. HC Working Poor
Employment Status 16+
Civilian Employed
Unemployed
Not in Labor Force
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
Working Howard
County
Poor
70%
89%
3%
5%
27%
6%
Industry
Working
Poor
Retail trade
16.6%
Education services
11.0%
Medical services (medical offices, hospitals, nursing
care)
10.5%
Howard Co
8.6%
23.0%
Miscellaneous services (repair, personal, private
households)
8.8%
5.3%
Entertainment, arts & recreation (65% eating, drinking
and other food services)
8.6%
5.5%
Construction
8.4%
5.3%
Professional, scientific & technical services
8.3%
19.4%
Administrative services
7.2%
*
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental/leasing
5.6%
7.4%
Transportation & warehousing
4.2%
2.8%
Manufacturing
2.6%
6.0%
All other
4.6%
6.5%
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
*Included in “other“
70%
59%
60%
50%
40%
33%
Working Poor
33%
30%
Howard County
22%
20%
18%
10%
10%
8%
8%
5%
5%
0%
Management &
Professional
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
Service
Sales and Office Construction &
Repair
Production &
Transportation
Source: 2007-2009 American Community Survey






Educational Services --10.5%*
◦ Teachers at all levels, with some exceptions for pre-school
Medical Services --20.6%*
◦ RNs, OT, PT, medical, dental assistants, Medical transcriptionists
Other Services-- 12.3%*
◦ Hairdressers, Automotive service technicians, Supervisors/managers of
personal services workers
Entertainment, Arts & Recreation –11.5%
Food Services & Accommodation-- 9.7%*
◦ Chefs & head cooks, Supervisors/managers of food prep & serving workers,
Cooks- short order
Construction--8.5%*
◦ Carpenters, Drywall & ceiling tile installers, Electricians, Painters, Plumbers,
Highway maintenance workers
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
Source: MD Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation





Professional, Scientific & Technical Services -- 24.8%
◦ Computer support specialists, Network & computer systems administrators
Administrative & Support Services --14.8%
◦ Customer service representatives, Supervisors/managers of
housekeeping/janitorial, Supervisors/managers of landscapers, Tree trimmers
& pruners, Correctional officers, Private detectives & investigators
Finance & Insurance --5.3%
◦ Accountants & auditors
Transportation & Warehousing --4.1%
◦ Bus drivers, Truck drivers
Social Assistance --19.7%
◦ School counselors, Mental health counselors, Social workers
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
Source: MD Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Industry: Medical
Maryland Employment 2008
268,660
Percentage of HC working poor
employed in this industry in 2009
10.5%
2008 – 2018 Expected Growth
20.6%
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
Medical Services
Occupations



Registered Nurses
Occupational Therapist
Assistants
Physical Therapist Assistants
Education/Training Needed
Certificate/Associate's
Associate's degree; Must pass
national certifying exam
Average
Annual
Earnings
$77,880
$63,540
$54,520
Associate's degree

Dental Assistants
On-the-job training/1 year
training program/Associate's
degree; HS diploma required
$36,230

Medical Assistants
$31,190

Medical Transcriptionists
On-the-job training/1-2 year
training programs/ Associate's
degree; HS diploma preferred if
not required
1 year certificate/Associate's
degree
III. Paths to
Self-Sufficiency
$35,240
Some of the Big Questions





How do the working poor balance increased earnings with the
loss of benefits and stay on the road to self-sufficiency?
How can Howard County motivate, support and guide the
working poor on their journey to advancement?
How does Howard County build human capital through
education and training ?
How does Howard County ensure workers juggling families
and multiple jobs access to employment services?
Who needs to be at which table to resolve the challenges?
Next Steps

Considering strategies to address key findings
◦ Public Education
 Need for HC community to understand the economic importance and
precariousness of our community’s “working poor.”
 Struggle for working poor; disincentives to earn more
◦ Collaborations to address:
 Affordable, accessible child care
 Education and training opportunities
 Accessible career/employment resources
 Career coaching to help benefits recipients understand that
increased income is essential to long-term stability
Next Steps
◦ Comments about the study?
 Approach
 Findings
◦ Questions that come to your mind?
 Self-sufficiency income
 Howard County’s working poor
 Paths to self-sufficiency
◦ Priority issues for the public and private
Howard County to address?
Next Steps