• Poverty Rates Trend Lower

             

    Photo by daveynin

    Poverty rates declined last year for both the overall southwestern Pennsylvania population and among children in the region, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data. The annual overall poverty rate for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area fell from 12.3 percent in 2015 to 10.8 percent in 2016. The decrease dropped the... More


  • Regional Poverty

          

    Photo by Nicolas Alejandro | Flickr

    Poverty remains a stubborn problem for most regions in the United States and southwestern Pennsylvania is no exception. The rate of poverty in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Areas remained relatively stable in 2015 at 12.3 percent of the population, according to U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data. More


  • The Road to Sustainability

                

    1024-the-road-to-sustainability

    In a region conceived around the principles of sustainability, clean, healthy air is an undisputed staple. Southwestern Pennsylvania is not there yet. The air has markedly improved from the days when industry was the backbone of the economy. Yet, in the best of years, it’s only good enough to warrant a healthy rating on one-third... More


  • A Lingering Hunger

             

    A Lingering Hunger - As demand rises, food banks face the challenges of change

    The number of families in southwestern Pennsylvania who turn up at food pantries has continued to rise long after the last national economic recession. Meanwhile, food banks have seen a steady decline in government support requiring significant changes to their funding streams. Read how food banks are facing those challenges. More