DECADES ARIZONA INDICATORS WHAT THE TRENDS TELL US Human Services DECADES VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 9 JANUARY 2010 arizonaindicators.org Severely Damaged Infrastructure By Richard Knopf Director, Partnership for Community Development Arizona State University A: Human services provide an important safety net for Arizonans and help many achieve self- Arizona Indicators is an online information resource and analysis tool that centralizes data about the state and its communities. Arizona Indicators presents interactive visualizations, clear data descriptions, and public opinion data in a broad range of content areas. During the decade, the safety net was strengthened by the expansion of government services and activities of the nonprofit sector, faith communities, and foundations. The expansion, coupled with a strong economy, created relative stability and sometimes positive advances for many of the core human services indicators, such as unemployment insurance payments, reports of child abuse, foster care, cash assistance programs, and homelessness. This project is made possible by generous support from the Arizona Community Foundation and Arizona State University. Q: What were the most interesting and important trends in Arizona human services that occurred in the previous decade? What is the significance of these trends and what insights can we apply to the new decade? sufficiency. A strong safety net ensures the stability, safety, health and vitality of the communities in which we live, work and play. But by the close of the decade, the infrastructure was severely damaged by the recession – with shrinking resources at all levels of government, and across the entire spectrum of nonprofit organizations including faith communities. At the same time, unemployment climbed and the demand for services was unparalleled in the history of Arizona. Over a quarter million Arizona households were receiving supplemental assistance for nutrition (formerly, food stamps) – up from only 95,000 households in 2000. Homeless counts, while relatively stable throughout the decade, skyrocketed 20% in Maricopa County in one year at the close of the decade. Average Monthly Allotment per Household Households on Food Stamps (SNAP) in Arizona Last Updated: 3/17/2010 $350 350K $280 280K $210 210K $140 140K $70 $0 70K 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Average Monthly Allotment per Household 2006 2007 2008 2009 0K Average Monthly Number of Households Source: Arizona Department of Economic Security, Family Assistance Administration Average Monthly Number of Households As we move into the next decade, the essentiality of a strong human service infrastructure must be recognized by public policy. It is one of the non-negotiable elements as Arizona competes globally for high profile businesses offering high paying jobs. It is not only true that Arizonans want to live in communities that have stability, safety, health and vitality. Business requires it. For more information, contact Andrea Whitsett at (602) 496-0217 or andrea.whitsett@asu.edu. Arizona Indicators is a project of Morrison Institute for Public Policy. 411 N Central Ave Suite 900 Phoenix, Arizona 85004-0692 (602) 496-0900 Main (602) 496-0964 Fax MorrisonInstitute.asu.edu