Recent studies show poverty in the suburbs has outpaced poverty in urban areas during the last 25 years.

University of Washington professor Scott Allard’s book “Places in Need: The Changing Geography of Poverty,” cites data indicating that in 1990, American cities had 9.5 million people living in poverty compared to 8.5 million in the suburbs. 2014 data reveal nearly 13 million people in poverty lived in cities while 17 million lived in suburbs.

The fact that suburban poverty has outpaced urban poverty doesn’t surprise anyone who works in suburban social services, where this “trend” is obvious, and longstanding enough that “trend” doesn’t even seem like the right word. What’s new is that suburban poverty is getting more attention lately than urban and rural environments, where it’s always been more expected.

Studies show the 2008 recession accelerated poverty in the suburbs, along with the disproportionate increase of low-wage, low-to-no-benefit jobs and the increase in housing costs, even while housing costs were perceived as less than urban centers. Being cheaper than cities is cold comfort though, if housing costs are still expensive, and represent a disproportionate amount of income.

As commerce has radically shifted to online outlets, traditional retail patterns which suburbs relied on have been upended, and retail jobs have taken a real hit as shopping malls and former retail standard-bearers continue to decline. Even while jobs have been created in the economic recovery, and even in Kitsap where the service and retail economy is considered relatively strong, the jobs created are mostly not the kinds of jobs that generate stability and security.

The youth flight (those with any mobility anyway) into cities leave suburban areas even more vulnerable. The youth without the funding for mobility who continue to reside in suburbs face increasing local challenges to their economic welfare. They stay behind in more ways than one, not unlike their more rural counterparts of years before, who didn’t face the burden of today’s suburban housing costs.

The recent conclusions of the Kitsap Community Needs Assessment 2014-17 compiled by Kitsap Community Resources indicate the specific challenges our county faces, with 11.3 percent of residents living at or below the federal poverty threshold. Children younger than 18 are even more affected: 14.9 percent of them are living in poverty. Consider as well that there is a gap between the federal poverty threshold and the actual amount of income needed to support basic needs, particularly in a place with such high housing costs.

Rent in Kitsap has increased 69 percent over the last decade, while the percentage of those in poverty increased from 8 percent to 11.3 percent. Almost 43 percent of individuals who don’t own their home spend more than 35 percent of their income to rent.

The Kitsap Needs Assessment indicates about 147 out of every 1,000 local residents receives food stamps, and 8 percent of those recipients are homeless; 45.5 percent of students enrolled in Kitsap’s school districts qualify for free or reduced lunch. Over the past five years, the number of unduplicated households served by Kitsap’s eight registered food banks increased 12 percent, while the number of food boxes distributed increased over 200 percent. Across the county, food banks have experienced a decline in financial and food donations, even as food costs rise.

The total utility assistance Kitsap Community Resources itself provided through their own programs (not including the data of other programs available in the county such as ShareNet’s) increased over 80 percent between 2007 and 2011.

The stated purpose of the Kitsap Community Needs Assessment is to provide a “broad overview of the state of our community, its citizens, and its service providers and further provide the foundation for the Kitsap Community Resources Strategic Plan.” The sobering news in this assessment underlines the importance of Kitsap’s social services safety net, and especially local providers of assistance to those in need.

— Mark Ince is executive director of ShareNet. Contact him at director@sharenetfoodbank.org