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Northwest Queens
Community Food Assessment 2014
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Northwest Queens Community Food Assessment 2014
Table of Contents
1. Acknowledgements Page 3
2. Executive Summary Page 4
3. Full Report Page 12
a. Introduction to City Harvest and the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative Page 12
b.
The Purpose of the CFA Page 13
c.
CFA Methodology Page 14
d.
Community Profile Page 16
i. Neighborhood History Page 18
ii. Demographic Information Page 20
iii. Community Health Page 25
e.
The Food Retail Environment Page 34i. Supermarkets and Wholesale Stores Page 35
ii. Bodegas Page 37
iii. Farmers Markets Page 39
iv. Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) and the Fresh Food Box Program Page 39
v. Community Gardens Page 40
vi. Street Vendors Page 41
vii. Restaurants Page 41
viii.
Quality as a Measure of Access Page 42
ix.
Mobility as a Measure of Access - Transportation and Walkability Page 44
f. Community-Based Organizations and Emergency Food Providers Page 45
g.
Community Awareness of Nutrition, Diabetes and Obesity: Strengths and Challenges Page 45i. Nutritional Knowledge and Practices Page 46
ii. Challenges: Barriers to Healthy Eating Page 48
iii. Neighborhood Specific Challenges Page 48
iv. Neighborhood Demand for Healthy Food Education Page 49
4. Summary of Findings Page 51
5. Recommendations and Next Steps Page 52
6. Appendices Page 55
a. Appendix A: Data Collection Form for Survey of Community Residents
b. Appendix B: Summary of Results from Community Resident Surveys
c. Appendix C: Community Leader Interview Questions and Responses
d. Appendix D: Emergency Food Providers in Northwest Queens
e.
Appendix E: Census Track Data for Queens Community District 1
f. Appendix F: City Harvest Food Resources Map
g. Appendix G: Concentration of Poverty in Queens Community District 1
h. Appendix H: Addendum: Supporting Documents
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Acknowledgements
This Northwest Queens Community Food Assessment (CFA) was made possible with feedback, time,
and openness from the residents and food advocates of Northwest Queens. We are grateful to all
those who participated in our surveys, interviews, and focus groups for their time and dedication tothe health and well-being of Northwest Queens. Our deepest gratitude goes to the Northwest Queens
community volunteers, whose commitment and dedication was (and is) invaluable. In addition, many
thanksto all the organizations and individuals who were willing to share their time and knowledge for
the sake of this project, including:
Astoria Houses Tenants Association
City Growers
Floating Hospital
Flux Factory
Goodwill of New York, Astoria Hour Children
Jacob Riis Community Center at
Ravenswood
Jacob Riis Community Center at
Queensbridge
Minor Miracles
New York City Coalition Against Hunger
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
Office of NYC Council Member Jimmy Van
Bramer
Queens Community Board 1 Reality House
Socrates Sculpture Park
Two Coves Community Garden
Urban Upbound (formerly East River
Development Alliance)
Variety Boys & Girls Club
Zone 126
This CFA has been enriched by a number of publications and studies on Northwest Queens
neighborhoods, includingA Focus on the Future: the Project 126 Report(Elmezzi Foundation, 2009),Food Insecurity in Long Island City (ERDA and NYU Wagner School, 2011), Not Too Big To Fail: 2011
Hunger Survey(New York City Coalition Against Hunger), Measuring the Food Environment in Long
Island City (New York City Coalition Against Hunger, 2010) and the Food Pantry Needs Assessment,
Hour Children, 2012). These reports are referenced throughout and the valuable information cited
greatly contributed to the depth of this neighborhood analysis. The City Harvest staff members and
professionals primarily responsible for the planning and facilitation of this CFA report are Tatiana
Orlov, Manager of Healthy Neighborhoods, Northwest Queens, with support from Kathy Kim, Associate
Director of Healthy Neighborhoods, Erin Butler, Program Coordinator, and Sally Cooper, Director of
Healthy Neighborhoods. Professional writing services, editing and completion of this report were
provided by Alexandra Payne, of Amplify Urban Planning. This CFA is intended as a living document for
the Northwest Queens community, to be used and maintained by future food activists and community-based organizations as an entry point to increasing healthy food access and knowledge in the
neighborhood, and building lasting food security.
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Executive Summary
Now serving New York City for more than 30 years, City Harvest (cityharvest.org) is the world's first
food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the citys hungry men, women and children. This year,
City Harvest will collect 50 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry,
including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers and farms. This food is thendelivered free of charge to more than 500 community food programs throughout New York City using a
fleet of trucks and bikes. City Harvest helps feed the nearly two million New Yorkers who face hunger
each year.
In the last several decades, the nature of hunger across the nation has drastically changed. For many
low-income communities, inadequate food access is increasingly manifested as a lack of access to
affordable nutritious food. Residents in these neighborhoods often lack access to affordable, full
service grocery stores, large farmers markets and fruit and vegetable stands, and have to shop at small
corner stores where healthy foods such as whole grain, low-fat, low-sodium and fresh foods are often
unavailable. When healthy food is available, it is often more expensive than the more easily accessibleunhealthy, processed food. Additionally, the quality of the fresh produce available in store in low-
income communities can very largely-and is perishable. Therefore, households confronted with severe
budget constraints often have to stretch their food budgets by choosing cheap, energy-dense foods.
As a result, food insecure communities are also at high risk for many diet-related illnesses, most
prominently diabetes, and obesity.
To address this new reality, City Harvests Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative (HNI)seeks to improve the
access to and demand for healthy, affordable food in five NYC neighborhoods: the North Shore of
Staten Island; Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; the South Bronx; Northwest Queens; and Washington
Heights/ Inwood. Economic need is significant, affordable and healthy foods are scarce and rates of
food insecurity, obesity, and other diet-related illness are high in these communities. City Harvest
staffs work with residents, businesses, community groups and organizations to increase access to
emergency food, nutrition education, and healthy retail food choices, partnering to build community
capacity and engagement to create a better food environment for years to come.
Overview of Northwest Queens
Northwest Queens, which is part of Queens Community District 1 (CD1), is comprised of the
neighborhoods of Long Island City, Astoria, parts of Woodside and Rikers Island. Directly across from
midtown Manhattan, this area has long been host to warehouses, trucking and printing firms, and a
handful of communities that historically have little interaction. A surge of high-end residential
development and business development since 9/11 has led to its becoming the most denselypopulated area in Queens, with 191,105 residents in 6.2 miles, or 30,823 people per square mile
(Queens by contrast averages 20,035 residents per square mile). CD1 as a whole appears middle-
income, but in eleven high-density census tracts, 25% or more of residents live at or below the federal
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poverty line, compared to 14% of Queens overall.)1,2 These pockets of high need in CD1 center around
four very large public housing complexes where residents often struggle with food insecurity,
educational attainment, meaningful employment, chronic illness and access to quality healthcare.
Poverty in CD1 perfectly illustrates how New York City health data, which is averaged across large
Community Districts or United Hospital Fund (UHF) Neighborhoods, can inadvertently hide deepersocioeconomic disparities: 24% of families earn $25,000 a year or less, and 24% earn $100,000 or
more.3 As poverty in New York City concentrates geographically, it will be important for communities
and organizations working to improve health to understand and access more finely-tuned data (see
Appendix G).
For this document, the term Northwest Queens is used to describe the area west of 21stStreet
described above. CD1 or District residents will be used when referring to data collected for either
Community District 1, or the similar United Hospital Fund Neighborhood of Long Island City/Astoria.
We believe that the findings from this CFA are largely representative of the concerns of low-income
residents and small businesses throughout the District, including at Woodside Houses, a NYCHA
housing complex in the western corner of the District, and hope that residents, community
organizations and leaders engaged in building a healthier CD1 find it useful.
Common health and economic issues in Northwest Queens
Residents of CD1 struggle with a plethora of unfavorable chronic health issues (including diet-related
diseases) and conditions, the consequences of poverty and a lack of access to quality health care.4
More than one fifth of residents report being in fair or poor health (22%).5 The neighborhood ranks in
the bottom 12 of the 42 UHF Neighborhoods when it comes to disease prevention and access to
medical care.6
District residents have the highest rates of overweight and obesity in Queens at 66%, and struggle withhigh cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes at rates well above more affluent Queens and NYC
neighborhoods. Almost one third of adults in Queens CD1 are obese (28-32%).7 Over a fifth of
elementary and middle school students are obese and 40% of youth are obese or overweight. The
obesity rate in New York City as a whole is 23.6%8.
1U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005-2009 Estimates. The census tracts are #s 25, 27, 35, 39, 41, 43, 47, 7987, 141, and 163.2Queens County Profile 2013, Jan Vink, Program in Applied Demographics, Cornell Population Center3U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Public Use Microdata Sample File (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008,2009, 2011, 2012); retrieved from American FactFinder;http://factfinder2.census.gov/]4It should be noted that health data is currently not available at the census tract or sub-community level that is the focus of thisreport. In New York City, health data is collected either at the Community District level by the NYC DOHMH or by United HospitalFund Districts (UHF), which often closely align with CDs. UHF Neighborhood # 401 closely overlaps CD1, and is also known asLong Island City/Astoria.5NYC Community Health Survey: EpiQuery:NYC Interactive Health Data. Community Health Survey 20126Ibid.7Ibid.8 http://data.cccnewyork.org/data/map/94/obesity-among-public-elementary-and-middle-school-students#94/a/4/143/9/uhf401,NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Epidemiology Services, FITNESSGRAMdata (school years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011); unpublished data
http://factfinder2.census.gov/http://factfinder2.census.gov/ -
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In 2010, over 1.3 million adults in NYC had diabetes,9including an estimated 10% of adults in CD1. 10
The 2012 Food Pantry Needs Assessment, by a local emergency food program, Hour Children,found
that 23% of their participants had diabetes and 48% had hypertension. The high rates of overweight
and obesity noted above foreshadow future increases in diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and other
diet-related illness.11
One out of every three families in Northwest Queens lives at or below the federal poverty level
(33%).12 Children are disproportionately affected: in the eleven high-need census tracts of CD1, 57% of
the children live in poverty, as compared with 30% for CD1, 22% for Queens County13and 31% for New
York City. The majority of families in Northwest Queens live below the NYC self-sufficiency standard,
increasing their reliance on various forms of public benefits14and increasing the likelihood that these
are food-insecure families. It is estimated that 17% of CD1 households are food-insecure,15higher than
Queens (10%)16a situation significantly worsened by a significant lack of local food pantries and soup
kitchens. For example, CD1 has 9 emergency food providers for an estimated 29,000 food insecure
families, and CD12 (Jamaica, Queens) has 72 emergency food providers for an estimated 33,000 food
insecure households. The high rate of poverty and food insecurity among children is also problematic,
as it has been linked to other nutrition, diet-related diseases and other health problems, especially in
children.17
However, despite the alarming health and nutrition crisis in this community, the neighborhoods
geographic and socio-economic isolation often renders their plight invisible to the Community District
at large. Astoria Houses sits on a peninsula in the East River, a 15 minute walk from the nearest full
service supermarket and subway stop. Queensbridge, the largest public housing development in North
America, is boxed in by a Con Edison power plant, a major bridge to Manhattan, a long stretch of
mechanic shops, and a strip of recent hotel development which has, so far, brought little in terms of
increased and affordable fresh food and services for its residents. Only Ravenswood and Woodside
Houses fare better in their proximity to the middle-class residents of Queens CB1, though racial,cultural, and economic differences still keep many isolated in the confines of their New York City
Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments. At community meetings addressing issues for the District
as a whole, concerns of low-income residents are not always represented, and when they are, it is
most often related to the crime rates. When asked where they are from, residents of different NYCHA
houses tend to name their development (Im from Ravenswood), not the neighborhood at large (Im
from Long Island City), demonstrating their confinement to immediate neighborhood right around
them. Northwest Queens is the tale of two cities.
9American Diabetes Association. The high cost of diabetes in New York and New Jersey. Retrieved on September 21, 2013 from:http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/local-offices/new-york-new-york/cost-of-diabetes-in-ny.html 10http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/datatable26.pdf DOHMH Epi Data Tables, April 2013]11Ibid.12U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005-2009 Estimates.13Concentrated Poverty in New York City, Citizens Committee for Children of New York (2012), http://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdf,downloaded April 2014.14Elmezzi Foundation. (2009) Focus on the Future: The Project 126 Report. p.3615United States Census Bureau, 2010 Census.16 New York City Coalition Against Hunger (2013) Superstorm of Hunger: Lingering Shortfalls Expose a Tale of Two Food Cities 17Feeding America. Physical and Mental Health. Retrieved on September 24, 2013 from: http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/physical-and-mental-health.aspx
http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/local-offices/new-york-new-york/cost-of-diabetes-in-ny.htmlhttp://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/local-offices/new-york-new-york/cost-of-diabetes-in-ny.htmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/datatable26.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.cccnewyork.org/wp-content/publications/CCCReport.ConcentratedPoverty.April-2012.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/datatable26.pdfhttp://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/local-offices/new-york-new-york/cost-of-diabetes-in-ny.html -
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The Purpose of this CFA
A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a tool used to map and document the available food access
points and nutrition knowledge in a neighborhood, drawing on the experience of local residents to
identify the strengths and challenges of their local food system and food landscape. City Harvest staff,
volunteers and community partners will use this CFA to inform its Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative(HNI) program in the Northwest Queens community. Our primary goals for the CFA are to:
1) Collect data from and for Northwest Queens leaders and residents in order to understand the
present food landscape and note any changes since we began our Queens Healthy
Neighborhoodsprogram in 2012.
2) Inform local community leaders, residents and stakeholders about the Northwest Queens food
environment and provide resources and direction for further research and action in the area.
3) Strengthen our connections and communication with our HNI community by engaging with
community leaders and residents about their desired changes and visions for the future.
The Northwest Queens CFA was carried out over an 8-month period in 2013. A mixed-methods
approach was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including surveys and interviews, and
additional qualitative data was sourced from various other city agencies and non-profit organizations.
A. Environmental Scan
B. Mapping of Food Resources
C. Interviews and Surveys of Food Retail Managers
D. Resident Surveys - from468 area residents administered in the fall of 2013
E. Community Leader Interviews - 10 interviews from community leaders representing a diverse
cross section of organizations involved in food access work throughout Northwest Queens.
The first phase was an environmental scan, including reviewing existing research reports and data onthe neighborhood food environment. This scan guided subsequent work by identifying specific
populations and geographic areas of disproportionately high need. Special effort was made to focus
the study on the residents in and around three NYCHA developments in the area west of 21stStreet:
Astoria Houses, Ravenswood Houses and the Queensbridge Houses, including some additional focus on
children living in this area using specific reports and research to tease out local child deprivation and
needs.
Summary of Findings
A. Healthy food access inequality exists in Northwest Queens due to high prices, poor quality, and
limited retailers in a neighborhood defined by geographic and infrastructural barriers.Based on research, environmental scans and public reports, Northwest Queens has a shortage of
supermarkets, farmers markets and other large wholesale stores, making finding affordable healthy,
foods a challenge. A combination of natural and man-made barriers, such as the East River and 21st
Street, plus limited public transportation further curtail access to food retailers. There are no subway
lines west of 21stStreet in the most northwestern section of CD1, so Astoria Houses residents are
forced to take buses or walk 15 minutes to the nearest train station, the area where most of the food
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retailers are concentrated. The Queensbridge Houses sit on top of a subway stop, but are boxed in by
a Con Edison power plant, the Ed Koch (Queensboro) Bridge, and a major industrial corridor
(automotive shops, equipment supply manufacturers, etc.)
Cost, quality and variety were also described by residents as barriers. Almost half of residents (47%)
reported that neighborhood food was too expensive for them, and 70% reported that they wouldimprove their healthy food consumption if they had more access to affordable prices. Additionally, far
too many local stores cannot or do not accept WIC or SNAP, further limiting the accessibility of fresh
food. Most residents reported that produce was of poor quality and limited in variety; almost half the
population was completely dissatisfied with the produce offered in local stores. There was little
confidence that this could be improved without compromising the low price.
Local bodega owners noted that there wasnt enough fresh produce in the area. Although many
retailers indicated interest in improving their offerings to meet customer needs and wants and to
increase traffic to their stores, few currently provide quality produce or much variety. Many produce
items are highly perishable, making them a risky investment for store owners with small profit margins,
in neighborhoods where there is not much demand. Because of this, many small stores fail to qualify
as WIC (supplementary public food assistance for Women with Children and Infants) establishments as
they do not carry enough healthy choices to be in the program. Stores miss out on valuable traffic, but
more importantly, this limits local access to this important nutritional program for local low-income
pregnant women and mothers.
B. Diet-related diseases are a major issue in the Northwest Queens community, especially for
children.
Northwest Queens has the highest obesity rate among adults in Queens (30.5%), well above the NYC
average of 24.2%. More than one-fifth of local residents report being in fair or poor health (22%).
Currently, 10% of adults live with diabetes, 23% have high blood pressure, 25% high cholesterol, and28% have high blood pressure.
Forty percent of children in Northwest Queens are obese or overweight, slightly above the city-wide
rate of 33.8%.18 A childs risk for obesity greatly increases if one or more parents is overweight or
obese, and/or they live with food insecurity or poverty. According to the New York City Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH), diabetes is: nearly 70% more common in very high poverty
neighborhoods than in low poverty neighborhoods (12.7% vs. 7.5%),19so its likely that the actual rate
of diabetes among low income residents of Northwest Queens is considerably higher than the District
rate of 10%. These are serious concerns in the concentrated poverty pockets of Northwest Queens,
where 16% of households are food insecure and adults have among the highest obesity rate in Queens.While several local health initiatives target people with diabetes and obesity, these are scattered and
do not meet the growing needs of the community, nor do they serve the large Spanish-speaking
population well.
18https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/2013-05_ifa_report.pdf19http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief36.pdf
https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/2013-05_ifa_report.pdfhttps://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/2013-05_ifa_report.pdfhttps://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/2013-05_ifa_report.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief36.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief36.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief36.pdfhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief36.pdfhttps://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/prevention/injury_prevention/information_for_action/docs/2013-05_ifa_report.pdf -
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C. Northwest Queens residents are strongly interested in learning more about healthy food and
nutrition, but a diversified approach will be necessary.
Many residents felt that various forms of nutritional education would aid them and their communities
in making healthier diet choices. When asked what would make it easier to eat more produce andmaintain a better diet: 80% said knowing how to shop for and cook with healthier produce. When
asked if people thought things like cooking demos and shopping tours would help, 75% said yes.Common reasons given for not eating healthy food included: not knowing how to prepare it; lack of
time; lack of access to a kitchen; and the perception that healthy food is more expensive and not
accessible to poor people. Discussions with community leaders and individuals revealed that self-
reported bias and a wide misunderstanding about what a healthy diet actually entails has resulted in
an over-reporting of healthy food consumption by individuals in our data.
D. Access to emergency food is inadequate due to a limited number of mostly small food pantries, a
lack of awareness about where emergency food is available, and a lack of awareness about the issue
of food insecurity among service providers.
It is estimated that 16% of CD1 households are food-insecure,20higher than Queens (14%)21and
worsened by a significant lack of local food pantries and soup kitchens. For example, CD1 has 9
emergency food providers for an estimated 29,000 food insecure families, and CD12 (Jamaica, Queens)
has 72 emergency food providers for an estimated 33,000 food insecure households. Many residents
reported getting some or most of their fresh foods from these providers, including the City Harvest
Mobile Markets at the Astoria and Queensbridge Houses. However the existing network of EFPs is
largely invisible to others, with few local community-based organizations (CBOs), residents, or elected
representatives knowledgeable about their whereabouts, services or hours of operation and unaware
of the communitys considerable food insecurity and food access issues. Further, many local
emergency food providers need support and funds for improved infrastructure, technical expertise andhuman capacity to meet demand.
Key Recommendations
Northwest Queens is home to many low-income residents who are not satisfied with the food choices
available to them. The ability to improve and restructure their food landscape is something in which, if
empowered, they can and should play a role. The following recommendations are offered as an
invitation to action. They stem from the data collected for this CFA, as well as conversations with
residents and neighborhood leaders about the findings and data within this report.
1) Build awareness about the degree of food insecurity in the neighborhood.Research for this report showed that food insecurity is not immediately identified as a pressing
community issue. Lack of insurance, high rates of poverty and unemployment and health issues
such as obesity and diabetes are much more prominently identified by the community. Many
community leaders identified overarching nutritional issues, and discussed the lack of services
20United States Census Bureau, 2010 Census.21 New York City Coalition Against Hunger (2013) Superstorm of Hunger: Lingering Shortfalls Expose a Tale of Two Food Cities
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and organizations addressing food insecurity in Northwest Queens.
2) Increase awareness about where quality healthy food can be found, and how it can be
affordable.
Although limited and not easily accessible from all areas of the neighborhood, there are currently
some sources of affordable fruits and vegetables. These include food retail outlets, EFPs, farmersmarkets, direct farm to consumer programs, and large retailers, notably Costco, on the western
edge of the area. A greater effort needs to be made to connect residents with the resources
available, while advocacy efforts focus on the need to further increase access to healthy food
outlets. Steps should be taken to increase partnerships with the few local clinics, the WIC center,
and local employers to facilitate local knowledge about current food availability and expanded
availability in the future.
3) Advocate for the expansion and improvement of food retail outlets (supermarkets, bodegas
and others)
Limited transportation options, geographically concentrated poverty, and areas with insufficient
food retail presence demonstrate the case for Northwest Queens to be designated as a high
supermarket need area by the city, and this should serve as a rallying point for community
members and other health and food advocates. There is a serious need to improve the existing
infrastructure by identifying opportunities for existing businesses to invest in their growth. New
entrepreneurial opportunities can be promoted by highlighting citywide initiatives such as the
FRESH tax incentive program and community involvement in local development efforts.
4) Facilitate communication between residents and store managers to improve local
supermarkets
Food retailers have expressed a general interest in improving healthy food choices for residents.
Local community groups could organize meetings between retailers and community membersabout community desires and needs. These meetings should focus on taking steps to address
food quality issues with stores in an appropriate and realistic way for both owners and local
residents.
5) Increase easy, affordable access to transportation for seniors and disabled residents to fresh
food outlets
Access to public transportation is not easy for many residents in the area, and community
members with limited mobility face additional challenges. Steps should be taken to increase
options for local residents, particularly the senior and disabled populations. Local community
groups could work together to create park-and-ride options to get seniors and local housingresidents to and from supermarkets, and advocate for the expansion of the citys existing Market
Ride Initiative, which provides seniors with free trips to fresh food retailers via school buses.
According to the New York City Department for the Aging, increased transportation for those
with limited mobility has been effective in reducing food access problems.
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6) Increase knowledge and awareness of local emergency food resources among local community
organizations and members, and advocate for growth and capacity building of local EFPs.
Issues of hunger and food insecurity are often not addressed by local health and human service
providers making it difficult for residents to find services. All local social service providers, as well
as educators, elected officials, clinics and neighbors need learn about the existing emergency
food network, how to access and how to support it.
7) Build on existing child service networks to reach more children and leverage additional
resources in support of increased access to healthy food, alleviating food insecurity and
improving nutritional knowledge and confidence.
The great number of children living in poverty in this area need additional services and support,
and programs also need to expand to better address their nutritional needs. Throughout the
data collection process, people called attention to the limited amount of inter-agency
collaboration and service coordination in this neighborhood. Improved coordination and
communication should be leveraged to help promote a broad community conversation about
food-related issues, diet-related illness and improving the local food landscape.
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Northwest Queens Community Food Assessment 2014
Introduction to City Harvest and the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative
Now serving New York City for more than 30 years, City Harvest (cityharvest.org) is the world's first
food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the citys hungry men, women and children. This year,
City Harvest will collect 50 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry,
including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers and farms. This food is delivered
free of charge to more than 500 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of
trucks and bikes. City Harvest helps feed the nearly two million New Yorkers who face hunger each
year.
In the last several decades, the nature of hunger in New York City, and indeed across the nation, has
drastically changed. For many of the lowest-income members of the city, inadequate food access is no
longer experienced as a simple deficit of calories (though this remains true for some), but is
increasingly manifested as a lack of access to healthy and nutritious food options. This is due to aconfluence of overlapping factors. Over the years, supermarkets moved out of inner-city locations due
to the urban disadvantage: infrastructure challenges, perceptions that inner-city residents are
unattractive and underfunded shoppers, land procurement costs and development, etc.22 As a result,
many urban residents, especially in low income neighborhoods, lack access to full service supermarkets
and have to shop at smaller corner stores where healthy food choices, such as whole grain, low-fat,
low-sodium and fresh produce are often unavailable. When healthy food is available, it is often more
expensive than processed foods with refined grains, added sugars and increased fat content.
Furthermore, these stores often lack food storage areas, lack of knowledge about handling fresh foods
and end up offering low quality produce unattractive to local shoppers.
Constrained by severe budget challenges, families in low-income neighborhoods often have to stretch
food budgets by purchasing cheap, energy-dense foods. These communities often have more fast food
restaurants, offering largely energy dense, nutrient-poor selections. These issues and other
environmental inequities have created a situation where individuals and households who face food
insecurity and hunger are also at high risk for a plethora of diet-related illnesses, most prominently
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
The Citys Department of Planning (DOP), in their Going to Market Study: New York Citys
Neighborhood Grocery Store and Supermarket Shortage study of 2008, found that the pockets of
Queens examined in this report have either average or below average access to grocery stores. The
area around Queensbridge specifically, suffers from a below average ratio of supermarket square feetper resident and has sparse supermarket and grocery store coverage. Less than one quarter of local
food retailers were found to sell fresh food. However, there is opportunity for improvement. The DOP
also found that the neighborhood has the potential to support at least two additional stores. This
particular are of NW Queens was designated a high-need supermarket zone.
22Pothukuchi, Kameshwari.Attracting Supermarkets to Inner-City Neighborhoods: Economic Development Outside the Box. EconomicDevelopment Quarterly 2005; 19; 232
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To address this, City Harvest expanded our Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative (HNI), a geographically-
focused program that works to improve access and demand for healthy, affordable food in five NYC
neighborhoods: Northwest Queens; the North Shore of Staten Island; Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn;
the South Bronx; and Washington Heights/Inwood, where economic need is significant; healthy and
affordable foods are scarce; and rates of food insecurity and diet-related illness are high. City
Harvests staff works in partnership with local community organizations, businesses and residents toexpand three program platforms: emergency food, nutrition education, and healthy food access, while
simultaneously working to build community capacity, engagement and leadership. We work with
community members to improve access and demand for healthy, affordable food, and expand
community capacity to advocate for and develop a better food environment for years to come.
Specific HNI programs include: our Healthy Retail program (working with local supermarkets, bodegas
and corner stores to offer affordable, quality fresh produce); free distributions of nutrient dense food
through emergency food providers and City Harvests Mobile Markets (bi-monthly open-air produce
distributions); nutrition education (a suite of multi-week courses, cooking demonstrations and
shopping workshops, and a healthy snack and education program for children called Fruit Bowl); and
Community Engagement (growth and support of local food activist groups and networks of community
partnerships working to increase easy, affordable access to delectable fresh produce.)
The Purpose of this CFA
A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a tool used to document the available food access points and
nutritional knowledge in a target neighborhood. It is a collaborative process which draws on the
experience of local residents to identify the strengths and challenges of their local food system and
food landscape; it explores their perceptions and ongoing interactions with food, health, nutrition, and
hunger as well as cataloging local area food retailers and healthy food sources. By utilizing interviews
with local leaders and business owners, as well as relevant research studies of community health,
dietary habits and demographics, CFAs seek to build a comprehensive picture of healthy food access ina neighborhood and make recommendations for targeted, sustainable solutions to overcome local
obstacles and issues.
Healthy Neighborhoodsstaff and community partners will use this CFA to inform our work in
Northwest Queens. This CFA will support the expansion of current programs and development of new
partnerships and projects, by allowing us and our partners to understand specific local food systems
challenges and opportunities, and determine how future programming can have the greatest impact
on improving access to affordable, healthy food.
Our primary goals for the CFA are:
1) Collect data from and for Northwest Queens leaders and residents in order to understand the
present food landscape.
2) Inform local community leaders, residents and other stakeholders about the Northwest Queens
food environment and provide resources and direction for further research and action in the
area.
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3) Strengthen our community connections and reinforce communications with our HNI
community by engaging with community leaders and residents in dialogue about changes and
visions for the future.
CFA Methodology
The Northwest Queens CFA was carried out over an 8-month period in 2013. A mixed-methodsapproach (environmental scan, food resource map, interviews with food retail managers and
community leaders, and resident surveys) was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Survey
and interview data collection was carried out by City Harvest, with additional qualitative data sourced
from various other city agencies and non-profits, including:
Hour Children
New York City Coalition Against Hunger
The New York City Department of City Planning
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
New York University Wagner School of Public Service
Urban Upbound (formerly known as the East River Development Alliance, or ERDA)
Zone 126 / Elmezzi Foundation
1. Environmental Scan
The environmental scan of the Northwest Queens food landscape took place in the fall of 2013 and
consisted of reviewing research on neighborhood health and nutrition, and data available on the local
food environment. This scan guided subsequent work by identifying specific populations and
geographic areas of disproportionately high need.
Although our Queens Healthy Neighborhood covers all of Community Board 1, our review focused on
the area west of 21stStreet, which includes the Astoria, Ravenswood, and Queensbridge Houses. The
scan indicated that affordable healthy food is severely limited in these areas and average incomes arelow when contrasted with CD1. The border of 21stStreet was chosen as it was identified by local
residents as a busy thoroughfare that acts a semi-physical barrier isolating these communities from the
rest of the District, if only in a mental and emotional sense.
2. Mapping of Food Resources
Working from a geographic dataset provided by the New York City Department of Planning, maps of
neighborhood food resources were created that included locations of supermarkets, corner stores,
bodegas, farmers markets and schools. Accuracy of the data was corroborated in discussion with
colleagues from community-based organizations (CBOs) in Northwest Queens. Some of the resulting
maps are included throughout the document. In addition to City Harvestsown maps, this CFA usesmaps from NYCCAHs environmental scan Measuring the Food Environment in Long Island Citywhich
is included in the CFA as Appendix H.)
3. Interviews and Surveys of Food Retail Managers
In 2010-2011, students from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service worked with a local CBO, ERDA,
and interviewed hundreds of residents, food retailers and others to compile their report: Food
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Insecurity in Long Island City.23 Rather than recreate their process, we have used the results of their
Food Retail Manager Interviews and additional data collected during the CFA process to understand
the views and concerns of local food retailers. While their catchment area was slightly larger than
Northwest Queens, their data is still pertinent for this study.
Thirty local retailers from five large scale supermarkets and 25 smaller stores or bodegas participatedin brief, structured open-ended surveys focused on identifying the type and quality of food available in
the neighborhood and key barriers to selling healthy food. In addition, the NYU researchers conducted
a brief interview with each retailer to gather additional information about delivery schedules, stocking
decisions, shopping trends, attitudes towards customers and acceptance of government assistance
programs. Researchers also performed an overall quality review of each establishment.24 The
researchers also developed and administered a food store survey instrument developed by the USDA
(The Thrifty Food Plan) to look at availability, quality and affordability of food items in local stores.
Additionally researchers interviewed available store managers and performed on-site visual surveys to
back up data.
4. Resident Surveys
Surveys of 468 area residents were administered in the fall of 2013 in a variety of locales surrounding
the Astoria, Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses, including with clients of the City Harvest Mobile
Market at the Astoria Houses. The 10-minute surveys, which were available in both English and
Spanish, sought to identify the primary food access and nutrition issues affecting the community,
including barriers to affordable healthy food, residents perceptions of neighborhood food outlets, and
their vision for the food landscape of the future. The survey also asked participants to talk about their
relationship with healthy, culturally-appropriate eating, how healthy eating is perceived by their
community, and what affects their eating habits. The survey also looked at what types of interventions
and programs residents felt would be successful for increasing good nutrition in their community. The
data collection form can be found in Appendix A and a summary of findings in Appendix B.
In addition,City Harvest cross referenced research and survey data from NYCCAHs report: Food
Insecurity in Long Island City. Researchers in 2011 interviewed 187 NYCHA residents with long format
(30 people) and short format (157 people) surveys. Long format interviews included open-ended
questions as well as multiple choice questions, and the short format surveys relied more heavily on
multiple-choice and were used at community meetings and other local gatherings and during phone
interviews conducted by ERDA staff (now Urban Upbound.) These surveys asked for information on
the overall community food environment, peoples food preferences and their nutritional knowledge.
5. Community Leader InterviewsWe conducted interviews with 10 community leaders in Northwest Queens. Individuals were
identified through community outreach efforts and meetings with community partners and
23Aloia, Blavatsky, Cole, Plat, and Wolf. Food Insecurity In Long Island City, NYU Wagner 2011. The Wagner report focused solely onthe residents of the housing projects in the area. However, their catchment area extended further to the west to 31stS. This reportuses 21stSt as the western border of the target CFA area.24Ibid.
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represented a diverse cross section of organizations involved in food access work throughout
Northwest Queens.
Interview questions explored food access and nutrition issues affecting the community, including:
barriers to food access for residents and barriers to action for leaders; the interviewees vision for the
neighborhood food landscape; individuals and organizations involved in local food issues; andopportunities for community residents and leaders to engage in the work. Interviews were not
recorded, but detailed notes were taken throughout and summaries were written for each. Appendix I
lists the community leader interviews questions and Appendix J lists who was interviewed.
Community Profile
Community District 1 (CD1), is comprised of the neighborhoods of Long Island City, Astoria, parts of
Woodside and Rikers Island (see Figure 1). The District is bordered by the East River to the north and
west, Queensboro Plaza and the Long Island Rail Road to the south, and Northern Boulevard and the
Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) to the east.
In New York City, most health and poverty data is averaged across either NYC Community Districts or
United Hospital Neighborhoods, which can hide smaller pockets of significant economic and health
disparities within the region. For example, CD1 data shows the area as largely middle-income with
higher than average education than much of NYC. However, income in 11 census tracts is among the
lowest in Queens, with 25% or more of the residents living at or below 100% of federal poverty line.
These tracts (#s 25, 27, 35, 39, 41, 43, 47, 79 87, 141, and 163)25are federally qualified as High Needs
Areas,26and center around four large public housing complexes where residents often struggle with
food insecurity, educational attainment, and meaningful employment and quality healthcare27(see
Appendix E for map.)
Figure 1: Maps of Queens Community District 1 Boundaries and Neighborhoods
25United States Census Bureau 2010 Census.26United States Census Bureau. 2010 Census.27Aloia, Blavatsky, Cole, Plat, and Wolf. Food Insecurity in Long Island City. NYU Wagner. 2011 p.12.
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For this document, the term Northwest
Queens is used to describe the area west of
21stStreet described above. CD1 or
District residents will be used when
referring to data collected for either
Community District 1, or the similar UnitedHospital Fund Neighborhood of Long Island
City/Astoria. We believe that the findings
from this CFA are largely representative of the
concerns of low-income residents and small
businesses throughout the District, including
at Woodside Houses, a NYCHA housing
complex in the western corner of the District,
and hope that residents, community
organizations (see Figure 2: Map of CFA Focus
Area).
While CD1 appears small, it is the most
densely populated area in Queens, with
191,105 residents in 6.2 miles, or 30,823
people per square mile. Queens by contrast
averages 20,035 residents per square mile.
CD1 has a long, rich history of diversity,
commerce and culture. It is home to multiple, varied commercial districts, a strong artistic community
and multiple cultural institutions, such as Socrates Sculpture Park, MOMA PS 1, Institute For
Contemporary Art, the Noguchi Museum, the American Museum of the Moving Image, and the LongIsland City Cultural Alliance to name a few. The area has long been defined by diverse ethnic enclaves,
and a large, sprawling network of public housing complexes.
With close proximity to midtown Manhattan and extensive waterfront property, the area has recently
enjoyed a rapid influx of affluent residents, luxury housing, new industry and commercial retailers.28
This brisk gentrification has done relatively little to improve the lives of residents living in public
housing: new businesses offer services and amenities out of their reach and local health and education
infrastructure has remained unchanged. As their neighbors in new high-rise condominiums or
expanding middle class residential neighborhoods have become more affluent, the majority of NYCHA
residents still live at or below the poverty line, cope with much higher rates of diet-related diseases,and lack easy access to quality health care and education. Though two new developments (slated for
2015-16) in the Astoria Hallets Cove area promise to bring two large supermarkets and other mixed-
income retail to the Astoria peninsula (a geographically isolated and low food access area of the
district), the spillover effects on this new prosperity on residents in Astoria Houses remain to be seen.
Walking through CD1 is a journey through economic extremes.
28Ibid.
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Neighborhood History
Northwest Queens was originally imagined in 1830s by the Roach Brothers as a bucolic retreat for the
upper classes looking to escape Manhattan. This dream was short-lived, as less than 50 years later, the
area was consumed by manufacturing and industry, driving out the well-to-do residents.29 These
industrial sectors30have left the neighborhood with a number of environmental ills, and led the
Environmental Defense Fund to rank Queens among the worst 10% percent of US counties in terms ofexposure to air pollutants.31 Northwest Queens today has a higher density of power plants, MTA
municipal bus garages (five), small industries and warehouses than many NYC residential areas.
Public Housing
Perhaps the most important difference between
Northwest Queens and CD1 is the concentration of
large public housing complexes run by the NYC
Housing Authority, or NYCHA.
Construction of the first housing complex, the
Queensbridge Houses, began in September 1938 on
61 industrial acres surrounded by old factories. As a
result of the previous century of industrial
development, there was little-to-no residential community present in this area, and no community to
to voice any complaints about the location of the houses. When objections were raised, they were
easily brushed aside as the low cost of the land along the East River waterfront was used to justify the
construction site. Queensbridge is well known for being the largest public housing complex in the
country, but perhaps more important for tenants, it was developed under the 1937 Wagner Housing
Act, which stipulated that units be unattractive to middle class families who could be expected to
buy housing in the private market if public options left their needs unfulfilled.32 Small rooms, limited
amenities and elevators that only opened on the 1st, 3rdand 5thfloors were the result in the originalfloor plan.
Initially, most residents were white (1941: 3,907 white families and 52 black families), but this changed
by the late 40s, when Queensbridgeenjoyed a relatively broad racial mix. In 1947, NYCHA moved all
residents with incomes over $3,000 a year to middle income housing outside the neighborhood,33,34
and by 1959, 57% of NYCHA residents were African American and/or Latino. This disruption of the
balanced demographics of the houses, which subsequently changed the demographics in surrounding
29Brooklyn/ Queens Waterfront. Retrieved on Sept 20th, 2013:
https://sites.google.com/site/brooklynqueenswaterfront/neighborhood-histories/ravenswood30Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Queens: An Economic Review. 2011. p.5 -7.31Elmezzi Foundation. (2009) Focus on the Future: The Project 126 Report. p.28 32Radford, Gail. The Federal Government and Housing During the Great Depression in J.F. Bauman, ed., From Tenements to theTaylor Homes: In Search of Urban Housing Policy in Twentieth Century America, University Park, Penn., Pennsylvania StateUniversity Press, 2000, pp. 102-120.33NYCHA came under pressure from advocates who believed state-subsidized housing should only be for the very poor, and beganevicting tenants whose annual income exceeded $3,000 in 1947. http://project.wnyc.org/nycha-timeline/index.html34Nessen, Stephen. Tuesday, December 18, 2012 . Housing Generations - Life in the Projects: Meet the Alston Family. WNYC News.Online at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/257857-housing-generations-life-projects-meet-alston-family/
The Housing Act of 1937 also set very low
maximum income requirements for public
housing residents. This policy was intended to
alleviate fears that public housing would
compete with the private market, but it
ultimately led to high concentrations of
poverty within public housing projects.Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston, retrieved May, 2014:http://www.bostonfairhousing.org/timeline/
1937-Housing-Act.html
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areas, led to the growing isolation of low-income people of color in the housing complexes.
Queensbridge Houses are the largest housing development in North America, comprised of 96 unit
buildings with 3,142 units separated into two sections: North (41stSt.) and South (40thSt.)35 It is
officially home to 6,097 residents36who benefit from six inner courtyard recreation areas, several
basketball courts, and nearby Queensbridge Park, all of which provide much-needed recreation space
for the local population. Other local amenities include the Floating Hospital and Jacob Riis SettlementHouse, both at the center of the houses. The residents of Queensbridge are also the only residents in
Northwest Queens who live in close proximity to NYC subway stations, with immediate access to the N-
train (Queensboro Plaza) and the F-Train (21 Street/Queensbridge station).
Similarly, the Ravenswood Houses were once the short-lived site of mansions for the wealthy before
getting converted in the late 1800s into commercial offices for the developing industry in the area.
They were completed in 1951 and named for the land they were built on. Located between 12thand
24thStreets and 34thand 36thAvenues, the complex spans 38 acres and consists of 31 six-story
buildings with a total of 2,167 units and an estimated 4,541 residents.37 The houses themselves are
split by the busy thoroughfare of 21stStreet. The area immediately surrounding the houses remains
predominantly a commercial area; the landscape is comprised chiefly by gas stations, mechanic and
automotive shops and other light industry along 21ststreet.38 In 1952 the City Parks Department built
a playground to service the area, which is still maintained by the City and serves as a much needed
recreation space. The houses are also home to a number of other local amenities; the local Queens
Police Department precinct, the Ravenswood Community Center and the Ravenswood Senior Center.
Astoria Houses, the northernmost of
the local NYCHA housing units, was
completed in November of 1951,
consists of 22 buildings (6 -7 stories
high) with 1,102 apartments and 3,135residents.39 The complex is 32 acres,
bordered by 27th Avenue, 8th Street,
Hallets Cove and the East River. Astoria
Houses and its surrounding area is by far the most residential of the three complexes, sharing the
immediate neighborhood with a number of local social institutions; a diversity of faith institutions and
public schools, a Head Start center and Goodwill. The area also enjoys close proximity to Astoria Park
(one of the citys largest public parks) and to a small amount of recreational space; on-site basketball
courts, the Two Coves Community Garden, the Van Alst Playground, and the Goodwill Garden.
35From New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA Housing Developments. Accessed Sept 14, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtml36From New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA Housing Developments. Accessed Sept 147 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtml37From New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA Housing Developments. Ravenswood. Accessed Sept 14, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/queensravenwood.shtml38 From New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA Housing Developments. Ravenswood. Accessed Sept 14, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/queensravenwood.shtml39From New York City Housing Authority: NYCHA Housing Developments. Astoria Houses. Accessed Sept 14, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/queensastoria.shtml
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/html/developments/dev_guide.shtml -
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Demographic Information
Race, Ethnicity, Language and Age
CD1 has a large Caucasian population (45%), higher than Queens and NYC, (33% and 35%
respectively),40a slightly higher Hispanic population (28% vs. 27% for NYC) and a smaller African
American population (6%) than Queens (19%) or NYC. (24%).41 In contrast, the census tracts ofNorthwest Queens are 9% white and most residents are Hispanic (43%) or African American/Black
(39%)42,43 Looking at the three public housing complexes, the demographics shift slightly: African
American (54%) and Hispanic (35%).44
Queens has the highest percentage of foreign-born citizens of any
borough (see Figure 3). More than half of CD1 residents were born
outside the US (51%), more than Queens (46%) or NYC (36%).45 A
large portion of this immigrant community is from Latin America (35-
43%). According to the 2010 US Census, Latino immigrants have the
largest households, are least likely to be citizens (25%) and least likely
to speak English at home (15%). They are also most likely to work in
service industries, especially food service, and receive some of the
lowest average incomes.46 This is important because language barriers
can increase the level of poverty, and therefore hunger, experienced in a home.
Figure 4 below illustrates linguistic isolation across Northwest Queens. (Linguistically isolated
households are those in which all adults speak a non-English language and have difficulty with English).
By examining the dark purple areas, its clear thatNorthwest Queens is more linguistically isolated than
CD1, pointing to the possibility of an even higher portion of foreign residents. Of note, people in CD1
are more likely to be middle-aged than in Queens and New York City overall. Forty-one percent of the
population is 25-44 years of age and 11% are 65 or older.47 While this puts many people in thepopulation squarely in the center of the average workforce demographic, it also means that most are
too old to fall under youth or child status for benefits, but not yet old enough to begin receiving
assistance as seniors from public sources. When hardship occurs, a large portion of this population
falls through public safety net programming such as Food Stamps, Social Security and Medicare.
40Community Health Profiles: Second Edition - North West Queens, 2006, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene41Community Health Profiles: Second Edition - North West Queens, 2006, New York City Department of Health and MentalHygiene42Census tracts 25, 37, 39, 43, 81, 85 and 87 were used, as these tracts made up the majority of the area of the study. Tractscovering little area within the study boundaries were left out. 43From New York City Department of Planning: Community District 1. Accessed Sept 17, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtml44Aloia, Blavatsky, Cole, Plat, and Wolf. Food Insecurity In Long Island City. NYU Wagner. 2011 p.16 45Community Health Profiles: Second Edition - North West Queens, 2006, New York City Department of Health and MentalHygiene46United States Census Bureau.American Community Survey. Retrieved on September 22, 2013 from:http://www.census.gov/acs/www/#47NYC 2010 Census. New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene : https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/SASStoredProcess/guest?_PROGRAM=%2FEpiQuery%2FCensus%2Fcensuscal&year=2010&geo=uhf&agegroup=agegroup
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtml -
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Poverty, Income and Unemployment
The economy of Queens has performed well
over the past several years, and the Borough
is actively working to continue to promote
economic development with a specific focus
on Long Island City, Flushing, and Jamaica.The majority of this work has targeted
manufacturing, aviation, motion pictures, and
retail trade. New York City has also created
additional special programs providing
outreach for minority-owned businesses, of
which nearly one-third citywide are located in
Queens.48 Partially due to these programs,
Queens has added the largest number of jobs
outside of Manhattan, had the smallest
decline in manufacturing jobs and seen a
rapid growth in its service sector over the past
few years.49 While these initiatives have had
a strong impact on specific target areas,
especially Hunters Point in LIC, the benefits
have not reached low-income residents of
Northwest Queens.
CD1 has a similar percentage of residents
living below the poverty level as Queens (16%).50 Thirty percent of residents receive some form of
public assistance, and 28% of residents live alone.51 Further, 80% of residents are renters, as home
ownership rates in CD1 are quite low. One third of all families in the high-need census tracts ofNorthwest Queens live at or below the federal poverty level. Unfortunately, a large layer of additional
residents are also economically frail: according to the 2011 Wagner report, the average mean annual
gross income for Queensbridge North and South, Ravenswood, and Astoria houses was $24,585 in
2009, putting the majority of residents barely above the federal poverty income level of $22,050 for a
family of four in that year. Figure 5 outlines poverty levels and median household income in this area.
The majority of families in Northwest Queens fall below New York Citys self-sufficiency standard
the baseline income necessary to meet a familys basic needs. In Queens, the self-sufficiency standard
for a family with one adult, one preschooler, and one school-age child is $65,943 per year.52
48 Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Queens: An Economic Review. 2011. p.25 -26.49Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Queens: An Economic Review . 2011. p.25-26.50Community Health Profiles: Second Edition - North West Queens, 2006, New York City DOHMH51From New York City Department of Planning: Community District 1. Accessed Sept 17, 2013:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtml52United Way of New York. The Self Sufficiency Standard for New York City 2010 Report. Retrieved on March 1 , 2014 from:http://b.3cdn.net/unwaynyc/908cd2240298b9e447_u9m6y7xhb.pdf
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtmlhttp://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/neigh_info/qn01_info.shtml -
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According to a recent Elmezzi Foundation survey, one third of Northwest Queens residents have a
household income level below $10,000, and more than half (55%) have a household income below
$20,000.53 The survey results also reveal that the percentage of households with incomes below
$10,000 per year is twice as high for African Americans, Latinos, and Asians as it is for Caucasians.
The rampant poverty within the Northwest Queens area is further highlighted by the rate of school-
level poverty. This is easily illustrated by the rate of students eligible for free or reduced-priced
lunches (FRPL). In CD1, more than 75% of students attending public schools are eligible for FRPLs, with
some schools reaching nearly 100% student eligibility for free or reduced-price lunches.54
Unemployment is a problem that plagues this community. Over the past few decades the economy of
Queens has undergone a shift from manufacturing to service-oriented businesses. Industries such as
transportation, communications, banking, and trade have been significantly restructured, resulting in
employment losses and a lessening of diversities in economic sectors. While as mentioned above,Queens has maintained more economic diversity than other boroughs, and has been the focus of some
major economic development initiatives, specifically in LIC,55these initiatives have failed to enhance
the employment opportunities for the residents in Northwest Queens.
53Elmezzi Foundation. Focus on the Future: The Project 126 Report. 2009. p.13.54Ibid.55Office of the State Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. Queens: An Economic Review. 2011. p.7.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American CommunitySurvey, 2005-2009 Estimates
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As of 2013, unemployment in CD1 is on par with Queens (7%) %56and slightly below NYC (8%).57
However, unemployment among minorities is much higher, especially for African Americans inNew
York: 19% in Q3, 2009.58 As unemployment has risen due to the lingering effects of the 2008 recession,
it is important to note that the actual number of unemployed people may be higher, as unemployment
figures only capture residents actively seeking work, not those who have become discouraged and
given up on the search.
Education and Childcare issues
Education is of paramount
importance to the ongoing health
and livelihood of any community.
In CD1, 19% of residents 25 and
older do not have a high school
diploma; well above the national
average of 14%,59but similar to
Queens and NYC (both 20% - see
Table 2 and 2b.) The majority of
residents in Northwest Queens
have neither a college degree nor
high school diploma, as illustrated
by the map in Figure 6 below.
Given that only 9% of children
born into low-income families in
the US today will receive a college
degree (compared to 82% of their
counterparts in the highest income quartile), 60these facts portend poor educational outcomes for
children in Northwest Queens.
The quality of Northwest Queens schools is an enormous issue for the neighborhood and local CBOs
working to improve opportunities for local children, such as the Elmezzi Foundation. Their decision to
create Astoria Houses Promise Neighborhood was launched in large part because fully 75% of third
graders in the area fail the third- grade English/Language Arts exam.61 As test scores are reliable
predictors of success in our educational system,62these children will likely struggle with high school
and beyond.
56Wall Street Journal. New York City Unemployment Rates. Retrieved on Sept 20, 2011 from :http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_nyjobs_20091215.html57NY State Department of Labor. Monthly Labor Statistics by Borough: https://labor.ny.gov/stats/nyc/BoroMonth.xls 58Ibid. cite #6559Selected Social Characteristics in the United States, 2010-2012 American Community Survey60Mortensen, Thomas (2010). Bachelors Degree Attainment by Age 24 by Family Income Quartiles, 1970 to2009. Oskalosa, IA:Postsecondary Education Opportunity. Retrieved from: http://www.postsecondary.org/last12/221_1110pg1_16.pdf61Elmezzi Foundation. Focus on the Future: The Project 126 Report.200962Mortensen, Thomas (2010). Bachelors Degree Attainment by Age 24 by Family Income Quartiles, 1970 to 2009 . Oskalosa, IA:Postsecondary Education Opportunity. Retrieved from: http://www.postsecondary.org/last12/221_1110pg1_16.pdf
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Parental involvement greatly increases childhood
educational attainment. In low income areas,
parents are less likely to be involved with
education compared with wealthier parents.63 If
they havent graduated from high school, it lowers
the chance that their children will. Manyhouseholds in Queens public housing are single
parent (28% - 39%), mostly single mothers (97%)
raising children on half the income of a two-parent
household while shouldering twice the
responsibility. Caregivers with limited time and
knowledge of the school system, plus low quality
schools, combine to make it difficult for Northwest
Queens children to graduate, much less succeed in
school.
New York City has the least affordable
childcare, further complicating these
families economic stability. Full-time care
can cost 53% of the total median income of
single parents.64 In Northwest Queens,
3,930 children live below 200% of the
Federal Poverty Level; less than one third of
their childcare needs are met by the
Administration for Childrens Services
(ACS).65 Lack of adequate childcare
translates into future problems, asenvironment and developmental challenges
before age five can impact future success.
For example, the high failure rate on the
third- grade English Language Arts exam66in
Northwest Queens suggests that many children are not prepared to succeed in primary school. As test
scores are reliable predictors of success,67these children will likely struggle with high school and
beyond.
Community Health
Residents in CD1 struggle against a plethora of unfavorable health issues and conditions, primarily
63Herrold, Kathleen, & ODonnell, Kevin. (2008, August). Parent and Family Involvement in Education, 200607 School Year, Fromthe National Household Education Surveys Program of 2007: First Look. National Center for Education Statistics. NationalHousehold Education Surveys Program. U.S. Department of Education. September 20, 2013, fromhttp://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008050.pdf64Elmezzi Foundation. Focus on the Future: The Project 126 Report. 2009. p.1265Ibid.66Ibid.67Ibid.
Elmezzi will build a Promise Neighborhood in a
30-block area of Northwest Queens, with a focus
on Astoria Houses an isolated cluster of 22
buildings, which has more than 3,136 residents
in 1,102 rental apartments. Fifty-two percent of
its children are living below federal povertylevels. Median income is $14,710,
unemployment in 2010 was 23%, and 42% of the
adults had not completed high school. The target
area has high crime, high-need indicators, and
lack of access to quality education.
Elmezzi Foundationhttp://173.226.70.152/pn/grantee/zone-126-promise-neighborhood,
downloaded 5/14/14
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from diet-related diseases, lack of insurance and lack of access to quality health care.68 More than
one fifth of CD1 residents report being in fair or poor health.69 The neighborhood ranks in the bottom
10 of 42 United Hospital Fund Neighborhoods when it comes to disease prevention and access to
medical care.70 Children living in low-income, urban communities such as the Northwest Queens area
of CD1 are more likely to experience conditions that adversely affect their health, including: poor
nutrition, fewer opportunities for physical activity and increased exposure to environmental pollutants,thus increasing their incidence of diet and environmentally related diseases.71
While mortality rates in DC1 have dropped 15% over the past 10 years, as in much of New York City,
CD1 still ranks 13thamong 42 neighborhoods in the premature death rate, indicating the fact that many
residents are dying from preventable or treatable illnesses.
Healthcare and Insurance
The ability to access regular, primary health care and a primary care provider are essential factors in
maintaining ones health, preventing illnesses, and identifying and treating health conditions early.
Lack of health insurance is the single biggest obstacle to having a regular source of care, which is the
biggest predictor of quality healthcare (see Figure 9 for comparative rates of health insurance
coverage).
A number of factors contribute to these high numbers. People living below the poverty line, recent
immigrants, and ethnic and racial minorities are far less likely to be insured than others; and in CD1,
38% of those living below the poverty line are uninsured (a substantial portion of whom live in
Northwest Queens).72 Large groups of recent immigrants are ineligible for public health insurance and
government-subsidized programs because of their immigration status.73 Foreign- born residents in this
country are twice as likely to be uninsured as those born in the US (35% vs. 17%).74
Individuals without health insurance are less able to pay for or schedule regular doctor visits75andoften have to use the emergency room to get care,76since emergency rooms are required by law to
offer care regardless of ability to pay (unlike all other venues, such as primary care clinics.) As a result,
uninsured people are likely to go without care when its needed. Getting timely care is a huge issue in
CD1: 88% of CD1 residents report not going for care when they needed it in the past year (the 6th
68It should be noted that the data discussed in the community health section is New York City Community Health Profile data forgreater Northwest Queens, as no data is currently available at the sub-community level detailed in this report.69NYC Community Health Survey: EpiQuery: NYC Interactive Health Data. Community health survey 201270Ibid. cite #7471Ibid.72Urban Institute, & Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (Urban Institute & Kaiser Commission). (2009). TheUninsured: A Primer. Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families. Retrieved September 20,2011, from http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/7451-08.pdf73 Ibid.74Ibid.75A Profile of Uninsured Persons in the United States. (2008) http://www.pfizer.com/files/products/Profile_of_uninsured_persons_in_the_United_States.pdf76Gindi, Cohen and Kirzinger. Emergency Room Use Among Adults Aged 1864: Early Release of Estimates From the NationalHealth Interview Survey, JanuaryJune 2011. Division of Health Interview Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics:http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/emergency_room_use_january-june_2011.pdf
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highest rate of 42 UHF Neighborhoods).77 Fourteen percent of CD1 residents do not have a regular
doctor,78which has been shown to be a strong predictor of preventive care and decrease in
preventable deaths.
Children from low-income homes have a one in five chance of not having health insurance (19%).79
Health outcomes for children without insurance mirror those of adults: a significantly higher risk ofbecoming obese,
diabetic, and
asthmatic.80 Like
adults, they are less
likely to receive
treatment or
continuity of care to
halt or reverse
treatable illnesses;
therefore, these
issues often plague
them into
adulthood and
contribute to neighborhood-based mortality disparities in New York City.
Heart Disease and High Cholesterol
Heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are correlated to genetics and diet, worsen
other illness, and can cause severe illness and premature death. High blood pressure and high
cholesterol increase the chance of heart disease. About a quarter of CD1 adults have high blood
pressure (24%) and high cholesterol (25%),81(see table 3 for comparison with compared to citywide
rates). Indicative of increased diet-related illness in the area, the heart disease hospitalization rate inCD1 has risen in the past decade, and heart disease is the second leading cause of premature death.82
Obesity, diabetes and food insecurity
Residents in CD1 have higher rates of obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension than more affluent
neighborhoods in Queens, but on par with Queens and NYC overall (see Table 3 below, note that
Northwest Queensin the table is the same as CD1.) Since many of these diseases are diet-related
and preventable, understanding local obstacles to a healthier diet will be paramount to improving the
health of the area.
77Ibid.78NYC Community Health Survey: EpiQuery:NYC Interactive Health Data. Community health survey 201279A Profile of Uninsured Persons in the United States. (2008) http://www.pfizer.com/files/products/Profile_of_uninsured_persons_in_the_United_States.pdf80Miller, Wilhelmine; Vigdor, Elizabeth Richardson; and Manning, Willard G. (2004). Covering the Uninsured: What Is It Worth?Health Affairs. Retrieved September 19, 2013:http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2004/03/31/hlthaff.w4.157.full.pdf+html81NYC Community Health Survey: EpiQuery:NYC Interactive Health Data. Community health survey 201282Ibid.
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Research has shown that food insecure households are more likely to rate their health as poor, and
often score significantly lower on both physical and mental health indicators than their food-secure
counterparts.83 High rates of food insecurity and lack of quality care provide a potential explanation
for the 22% of the CD1 population that reports being in poor health.84
ObesityObesity can lead to a variety of health problems, including heart disease,
and diabetes. Rates of obesity and diabetes are increasing more rapidly
in New York City than any other city in the US:85New Yorkers gained 10
million pounds between 2006 and 2008 alone.86 The recent increase in
overweight adults in CD1 is worrisome, as studies suggest that many of
these adults become obese in the future.
Despite a recent decrease obesity nationally among young children (age 2-5),87obesity has more than
doubled in slightly older children (age 6-11) and
quadrupled in adolescents (12-19 years) during
the past 30 years.88,89 More locally, in NYC and
Queens, nearly 40% of primary school aged
children (K-8) are overweight (18%)or obese
(20%),90,91,92with the highest rates among
Hispanic and African American children (the
majority of children in Northwest Queens.)
Figure 8 shows a comparison of childhood
obesity in NYC by sex and race.93 It is not
surprising that obesity is also an enormous risk
for children and young adults in CD1, and
specifically in Northwest Queens. Over a fifth of CD1 elementary and middle school students are
83 J. Stuff, P. Case, et al. 2004. Household Food Insecurity is Associated with Adult Health Status. Journal of Nutrition, p. 1.84NYC Community Health Survey: EpiQuery:NYC Interactive Health Data. Community health survey 201285New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH). (2008, March 26). Obesity and Diabetes Rising Faster inNYC Than Nationally. Press Releases. Retrieved Sept 19, 2013, from http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2008/pr022-08.shtml 86Ibid. cite #9387Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012.Journal of the
American Medical Association2014;311(8):806-814.88Ibid.89National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2011: With Special Features on Socioeconomic Status and Health.
Hyattsville, MD; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012.90Center for Disease Control: Obesity in K8 Students New York City, 200607 to 201011 School Years, Morbidity andMortality Weekly Report (MMWR), December 16, 2011 / 60(49);1673-1678Retrieved March 4, 2014 from: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6049.pdf91Egger JR, Konty KJ, Bartley KF, Benson L, Bellino D, Kerker B. Childhood Obesity is a Serious Concern in New York City: HigherLevels of Fitness Associated with Better Academic Performance. NYC Vital Signs 2009, 8(1): 1-4. Retrieved September 19, 2013 from:http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/survey/survey-2009fitnessgram.pdf92The New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens. (September 2013) Community Health Needs Assessment and ImplementationStrategy/Community Service Plan 2013-2017.93Ibid. cite #102
In CD1, over one fourth of
adults are obese (27%),1and another 39% are
overweight:1at 66%, this is
one of the highest rates of
overweight and obese in
the city.
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obese and 40% of youth are obese or overweight.94,95
A childs risk for obesity greatly increases if one or more parent is overweight or obese (66% of adults
in CD1) and/or they live with food insecurity or poverty (60% of children in high need census tracts of
CD1.) Children who are overweight or obese have multiple negative developmental outcomes,
including higher rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem as well as a variety of physicalailments.96 A recent CDC study found that increasing breast feeding for newborns leads to less obesity
in toddlers (ages 2-5).97 NYC DOHMH has increased resources to increase in breast feeding rates in
NYC and along with other citywide policies, this may have contributed to a recent decline in childhood
obesity in NYC, especially in middle class areas.98 Programs supporting positive changes in schools and
early childhood practices offer opportunities to curb early childhood obesity.
Diabetes
The increasing prevalence of obesity in the U.S. has
contributed to the epidemic of diabetes. If current trends
continue, 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. will have diabetes by
2050.99 Currently, 25.8 million children and adults in the
United States8.3% of the populationhave diabetes;7
million more are undiagnosed.100 The majority (95%) of
these cases are type-2 diabetes, which is strongly
associated with obesity.
Currently 9.5% of adults in CD1 have diabetes,compared
with Queens (6.3%) and New York City (10.8%). While there is no data for the diabetes rate in
Northwest Queens, studies show that 13.6% of Ne