Communities Count 2005: A mixed report card for local quality of life

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, private, public and non-profit partners and funders released Communities Count 2005, which shows mixed results in the health status and well-being of families and communities in King County.

"By giving us a broad and thorough perspective on the state of our health and well-being, Communities Count serves as a call to action," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We need to recognize our progress, while confirming our commitment to addressing areas of concern."

Since the last report was issued in 2002, King County has made improvements in:

• Crime, including domestic violence
• Motor vehicle crash hospitalization and death
• Academic achievement
• Infant mortality
• Teen births
• Tobacco and alcohol use, including use by youth
• Institutional support from school districts for student community service
• Air quality

Some basic areas, however, have not seen progress, such as:

• Affordable housing
• Living wage and children in poverty
• Income inequality
• Physical activity and overweight
• Restricted activity due to poor physical or mental health
• Health insurance coverage
• Stress, which increased in 2002 and remains higher

Notably, there are disparities by region, income, education and race/ethnicity. For example, residents of King County's south region and Seattle tend not to do as well as those in east and north King County.

Communities Count 2005 includes sections on basic needs and social well-being, positive development through life stages, safety and health, community strength, natural and built environment, and arts and culture. The complete report is available at www.communitiescount.org

"The report by Communities Count gives us a roadmap for how we can make a real difference in people's lives," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. "This report confirms that our work promoting early education, healthy lifestyles, a clean environment and affordable housing is the right focus for the City of Seattle."

"United Way of King County is committed to Communities Count. This partnership provides a thorough understanding of our community's problem and enables us to craft better solutions," said Jon Fine, CEO and President, United Way of King County.

Housing, homelessness and early childhood development

Communities Count 2005 provides in-depth analysis of two areas: housing and homelessness, and early child development.

From a historical perspective, homelessness is relatively new. Declines in affordable housing, access to a living wage income and supports for people with personal vulnerabilities are the key forces that lead to homelessness. According to the report:

• In the early 1970s, someone could rent a decent two-bedroom apartment in King County for less than $200 per month. Today, two-bedroom apartments rent for $700, $800, and more.
• In the mid-1970s, someone could buy a single-family house in Seattle for $30,000. Today, that same house sells for $400,000.
• During a recent five-year period, the percentage of homeowners spending 30% or more of their income on housing rose from 27% to 39%. Renters are not faring any better. More than 40% of renters spend 30% or more of their income on housing.
• In the 1970s, persons with limited skills and education could get a good-paying manufacturing job with benefits to afford a house and raise a family. Today, minimum wage jobs in the service sector do not pay enough to buy a house and raise a family.

In the area of early childhood development and school readiness, parents and society have a crucial role. What happens in the early years has powerful, lifelong effects. The report found:

• More than 13% of King County children (50,000 children) are living in households with income less than $20,000.
• Four out of five King County parents read to their toddlers on a daily basis.
• 50% of children five years and younger are regularly in non-parent child care. Infant care can cost as much as $1,100 per month.
• About one in four kindergarten children in three schools districts were not ready for school.

The indicators in this report are based on a broad and deep public process in which over 1,500 King County residents shared what they like and what concerns them about their neighborhoods. In order to continue to track progress over time in King County, the next Communities Count will be issued in 2008.

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