Poverty and hunger in Hamilton Hill
Hunger Action Network's mission is to end hunger in New York along with it's root causes including poverty.
Hamilton Hill Food Processors is located in Schenectady's poorest and most distressed neighborhood: Hamilton Hill. A revealing "snapshot" of the residents of this neighborhood confirms the challenges facing these residents.
Residents of Hamilton Hill are younger, poorer and less educated when compared to the rest of Schenectady, by almost any measure significantly so, especially with regard to income levels. The most recent set of figures estimated that 39% of total residents are living below federal poverty levels.
- Of the residents over the age of 16, the latest data shows that 19.39% are unemployed.
- Of the total households, nearly 25%, are single family.
- A deteriorating infrastructure and housing stock is confirmed by a more than 2 to 1 ratio of renters to homeowners.
Hamilton Hill is also a very diverse neighborhood
- 43% identify themselves as White
- 28% identify themselves as black or African American,
- 15% identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino.
- 4% identify themselves as Other.
The facts about Hunger in Hamilton Hill
- 84% say food is never or only sometimes affordable
- 73% say hunger is a major issue
- Lack of affordable and healthy food is 2nd ranking community issue
The facts about hunger in New York State
- 1 out of every 5 children in New York live in poverty
- 3 out of every 5 people on food stamps in New York are children
- 55% of food pantries in NY have turned people away due to a shortage in food
- Every week 2.1 million New Yorkers receive food from food pantries
- 2.7 million New Yorkers live in Poverty