Invisible Leelanau

Poverty in Paradise: On the shores of two Great Lakes, two Michigans are pulling away from one another. For one, graceful summer homes rise on waterfronts, equipped with boats, tubes and toys. For the other, life is lived in trailers on back roads, or small houses tucked into the woods. One comes north in May and enjoys a summer of festivals, fun and restaurant dining. The other Michigan lives here year-round and waits tables or changes hotel beds. One is, like the state at large, recovering from the recession and building wealth. The other slips deeper into, or closer to, poverty. (Bridge Magazine, 2015).

  1. 2,954 Leelanau County residents are currently on a Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) caseload. [Family Independence Program, Food Assistance Program, State Disability Assistance Program, Child Development & Care, Medicaid Eligible, Healthy Michigan]. (2018 DHS Green Book).

  2. 14.6% children under age 18 (13.4%) in Leelanau County are living below the poverty level. 38.4% of single parent families in the County are living in poverty. 8.7% (1893) of the total population is living in poverty. (Spotlight on Your County, Michigan League for Public Policy, 2018).

  3. Approximately 200 Leelanau students have been identified to participate in the Leelanau Christian Neighbors’ Blessings-in-a-Backpack Program by schools in order to avoid going hungry on weekends. (Verification by M. Stanton, LCN, 2/1/19).

  4. 213 (35.6%) Leelanau children are living in homes where less than 70% of the court-ordered child support is received. 54 children are living in homes where non of the child support is received.

  5. 726 (35.0%) Leelanau County students qualify for free/reduced school lunch and families struggle to access health care, housing, heat, transportation, childcare, clothing and food.* (MLive 3/18).

  6. Michigan has one of the highest costs for infant care, with an average annual cost of $9,882. For a four-year old, the annual cost is $6,764**. Quality childcare/preschool is unavailable to the large number of families caught in the middle between those qualifying for federal/state programs and being able to pay the high cost of quality care. (2017 KIDS COUNT Report & The Economic Policy Institute, 2016).

  7. 20% (1846) residents of Leelanau County homes have been identified as ‘ALICE households’ (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed but earning less than the basic cost of living for County households). [United Way ALICE Report, 2017-18]

  8. Our county’s schools, like the rest of the schools in the region/state/nation, continue to experience significant achievement gaps for low-income students and face the challenges associated with lack of preparation/readiness for school.***

  9. Based on 2015-2016 statistics, the percent of students experiencing homelessness (instability with consistent housing) were as follows: Northport 13%, Suttons Bay 16%, Leland 4% and Glen Lake 6%. (April, 2018, Michigan News)

  10. Undocumented (& thus not counted) workers/families in our county continue to suffer from fear, poor living conditions, and the lack of essential services.

  11. Like our neighboring counties, we know that our families have problems with drugs, alcohol, child abuse/neglect. hunger, suicide, loneliness, domestic violence and access to mental health services.

  12. The latest report from the Area Agency on Aging reports that of the 8,270 seniors living in Leelanau County, 6-8% are living below the poverty level**** and many more are financially challenged and socially isolated. 4-10% qualify for food stamps. (Leelanau County Senior services Report, 2018 & Area Agency on Aging Report, 2016)

  13. The County’s median income and housing values of households are mismatched with the average home priced at values beyond the affordability of the average household. The median home value is $241,000 (highest median home value in Michigan). The median county income is $59,018 with median rent of $865.00 and total housing costs of $1,397 per month (Michigan League for Public Policy, 2018)

  14. The average homebuyer can only afford a home that costs about $150,000, leaving a gap of over $90,000 between what a family can afford and what is available. Although many experts agree that families should not spend more than 45% of income on housing and transportation, the median-income Leelanau households spend 57% of their income on housing and transportation. Lower-income Leelanau families spend as much as 75% of their resources on housing and transportation (Networks Northwest).

Sources: DHS Green Book (2018); The Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS’ Count Report; MLive (2017); Networks Northwest Housing Reports (2014/2018); US Census Bureau’s Quick Facts; Leelanau County Senior Services Update; University of Michigan News; Area Agency of Aging Report; & United Way ALICE Report (2017)

Ty Wessell

*36.6% of Leland’s 511 students, 70.3% of Northport’s 145 students, 55.1% of Suttons Bay’s 552 students, and 29.04% of Glen Lake’s 669 students qualified for subsidized lunch in 2017-2018.
**Nearly half of the median income for a single mother. A typical family in Michigan would have to spend 27.8 percent of their income on childcare for an infant and a 4-year old. Infant care for one child would take up 16.5% of a typical family’s income.
***Approximately 48% of our Region’s third grade students did not test ‘proficient’ on the 2017-18 Reading M-STEP test (Traverse City Record Eagle, August 30, 2018)
****Poverty level: $23,760/individual or $32,040 per couple

Note: Data included above was compiled in 2018 but some of the most recent statistics included in the 2018 reports are from 2017 data sources.