Community Needs Assessment for the Population of Little Havana - Essay Example

? Community Needs Assessment for the Population of Little Havana . . Community Needs Assessment for the Population of Little Havana Overview of the Little Havana Community Little Havana is a community in the city of Miami, state of Florida, USA. Historically, the place emerged as Little Havana following immigration of Cubans into the west of downtown Miami nearly half a century ago. The name is in itself descriptive-derived from Havana, the capital city of Cuba (Miami.gov.com, 2010). Little Havana is an urban area in the Miami city setting as characterized by a robust street life, good restaurants, several enterprises, parks, banks and a few cigar factories. The housing structures are mainly apartments although there are other housing structures. Physical Environmental Considerations General Identifying Data Little Havana is a neighborhood in west of downtown Miami in Florida, in the Miami-Dade County. Like the rest of Miami, Little Havana is an area in a larger plain topographically, with the Miami River forming its boundary to the North (Miami.gov.com, 2010). The climate of the larger area, city of Miami, is described as semi-tropical although there are a few extreme weather conditions due to hurricanes. The annual average rainfall is usually about 60 inches, with the months of July and August being both the hottest and the wettest. Most of the days are sunny but neither humid nor hot, and nights are characterized by cool temperatures. Boundaries and Area Little Havana’s boundaries are the Miami River in the north, SW 16th Street in the south, the SR 9/West 27th Avenue westwards and I-95 in the east. It has also been said to extend as far west as LeJeune Road/West 42 Avenue when taking considerations of the demographics that describe the area. The area occupied by Little Havana is officially cited as 4.208 square miles although the area is said to extend for example westwards (Miami.gov.com, 2010). Environment In terms of sanitation, Little Havana is served by the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department. Since the major form of housing is composed of apartments, Little Havana’s water, sewer services, garbage considerations follows these lines. In this regard, it is observed that most of the apartment owners pay for water supply, sewer and trash removal. The Little Havana community is thus not in hazard from lack of water supply, sewer and garbage collection. The other consideration is pollution which has to take into account the not only the larger Miami city area but also the state of Florida. First, Miami-Dade County ranks in the upper percentile in terms of water and air toxicant releases. Florida is also home to 7 of seven air polluters under watch from the federal EPA. Although, most of the figures are still below the harmful levels, the state and thus the residents in Little Havana are exposed to averagely higher levels of releases than the national averages. The pollution index for the Little Havana neighborhood is 43,296,200, whereas for the state of Florida the figure is 16,442,453 and the national average is a significantly lower 6,623,939. This means that the Little Havana community is at greater risk than the rest of the USA from chemical releases that include ozone depleting substances like 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane and cancer risk substances such as chromium (Scorecard, 2011). A consideration closely related to overall pollution is the air quality. As discussed earlier, Florida has 7 factories under the watch-list of federal EPA, and although the air is clear and odorless, particulate releases are present including ash and carbon. The Air Quality Score for Little Havana (also for Miami and the rest of Florida) is 33, while the national average is 37. Due to this, the residents of Little Havana are subjected to averagely higher risks of carcinogenic, developmental, immunotoxicant and skin toxicants than the rest of the USA (Scorecard, 2011). Little Havana and the wider state of Florida has stable food supply from the sea, farms and processed sources. Little Havana itself is famed for Cuban food and festivals. It however should be noted that the food prices in Florida are 9% above the national average and hence the low income sections of the community may find it difficult. The main risks of disasters in Little Havana are hurricanes which sweep through Florida and other southern states. Life in the south of Florida thus is characterized by moderate climates but a risk of storm surges. The level of disaster preparedness is high for Little Havana as indicated by coordinated programs between the Miami-Dade Office of Disaster Management and their state of Florida counterparts, alongside the federal disaster preparedness efforts. This provides extensive hurricane preparedness and emergency preparedness for other events such as terrorism, mudslides, heat waves, fires, floods and earthquakes among others (Office of Emergency Management, 2011). Housing The main form of housing units in Little Havana are privately owned apartments, although there are also a good number of single-family, duplex and medium density multi-family housing structures. The owner has the responsibility of repairs, water supply, sewer services and trash collection. Hence, the main form of housing; the apartments are in good physical condition. Most of the housing units are for rent. The median rent in Little Havana is slightly lower than that of the rest of Miami, at $733 compared to $794 for the latter. The rent of a typical apartment is government subsidized, with the apartment owners having contracts with the Miami-Dade county through which most of the property’s income is obtained (City-data.com, 2011). There are housing considerations for special populations, especially the near homeless or homeless shelters whom the Miami-Dade County coordinates with other parties to provide shelters for. Assisted living centers for the elderly are also present in Little Havana, such as the Little Havana Retirement Center which serves even the wider Miami city. Hence, it can be concluded that the housing needs of Little Havana are well taken care of. Industries and Occupations in Little Havana The main industries in Little Havana include manufacturing, river-related and hospitality establishments. There are a number of cigar manufacturing factories, private and public docks for yachts, sailboats, cruisers and houseboats and several Cuban cuisine restaurants in the Little Havana neighborhood. The Little Havana Merchants Association is a local organization of businessmen that promotes responsible growth in Little Havana. The opportunities for occupation include management, business and financial operations, education and training, arts and design, sport, entertainment and media, service industry, construction, maintenance, extraction, production and transport occupations (City-data.com, 2011). The People of the Community Population Profile The total population as of the official 2010 US census is 53,240 in 9573 households. In terms of population density, Little Havana is the most populated neighborhood in the city of Miami, at 17,132 individuals per square mile compared to 10,161 individuals per square mile for Miami. The changes in population over the last decade indicate that although the Hispanic: White non-Hispanic: African American: Other ratio remains largely unchanged the dynamics within the Hispanic population has been shifting. The number of Cubans has been decreasing while the number of other Hispanics increases, for instance the Nicaraguans. In terms of mobility, the percentages of people born in Florida who are Little Havana residents are 16.1%. Those from another US state are 3.7%, whereas those who are foreign born are 78.4%. When the type of families is considered, the average size of families is 3.2 members, married couple families 36.5%, married couple families with children 16.5% and single mother households 9.2% (City-data.com, 2011). Biological Considerations/Demographic characteristics The age considerations indicate that Little Havana is composed of slightly younger males than the city of Miami’s median- 36.8 years to 37.7 years for the latter. However, the female population is slightly older at 41.1 years compared to 39.3 years for the whole city. The male to female ratio is nearly 1:1 as the males make up 50.2% of the population as compared to females being 50.2% for the city’s population figures. As of the 2010 official US census, the race profile of Little Havana was 93.41% Hispanic, 1.40% African American, 4.58% White American and 0.10% for the remaining. Among the Hispanics, the predominance of the Cubans has declined from about 84% in the 1970s to 58% a decade later. Meanwhile, other groups of Hispanic populations such as the Nicaraguans have been markedly increasing over the last decade (Miami.gov.com, 2010). Mortality Characteristics The annual fertility and mortality rates for Little Havana are extrapolated from Miami-Dade County information and projections since this is the area of jurisdiction. When this is done, a declining pattern is observed over time, from 1.37 per 10,000 in 2005 to projections of 12.8 per 10,000 in 2030. This positive birth rate alongside the usual immigration translates to a higher population density in Little Havana and more constraints on resources. The death rates also decline over time from 0.77 per 10,000 in 2005 to a projected 0.75 per 10,000 in 2030, which reinforces the previous argument. The infant mortality rate is lower than median of the state of Florida, at 6.5 per 1000 live births to 7.2 per 1000 live births. The fetal deaths (live births plus fetal deaths) are however higher at 8.2 per 1000 to 7.4 per 1000 for the state (Ilcheva et al., 2008). At about 10 per 100,000 maternal mortality rates in Miami-Dade have always been higher than the median of Florida and follow race and income patterns being higher in low income areas of which Little Havana is one. The main causes include eclampsia, obstetric embolism and other obstetric causes. The causes of morbidity in Little Havana and the rest of Miami across all races are heart diseases, cancer and stroke in that order. The incidence rates for these diseases are 210.6, 150.4 and 31.4 per every 1000 deaths. A very significant 80% of the residents exhibit one or more risk factors for cardiovascular problems, while adjusted prevalence for cancer per 100,000 deaths was 24.5%. Lastly, the prevalence of high blood pressure is also higher than that of the state. Psychological Considerations A good proportion of the residents of Little Havana are of Cuban descent and hence a significant historical background which may have psychological implications in their lives. Some of them lived through the Cuban revolution while others are political escapees for dissenting against Fidel Castro’s administration. Most of the other Hispanics have immigrated into the USA to escape difficult economic conditions in their home countries. The future economic prospects are promising for the residents of Little Havana. The Miami River corridor which Little Havana is contact with is set to undergo major changes with plans, a budget and education being undertaken to create an accessible river-walk and greenway trail along the river which will bring retail and entertainment opportunities for the residents. It is also a great tourist attraction and thus is set to attract more visitors when the available facilities are improved. A section of Little Havana has also been set apart as an Empowerment Zone to spur economic growth (Miami.gov.com, 2010). There is a good communication network in the whole of Miami, with well-developed infrastructure for telecommunications, video and data communications. The internet is used widely for example in administrative functions and tourist attractions To correctly capture data on the subgroups for suicides and homicides, it is necessary to study the patterns for the Miami-Dade County. When this, it is realized that 53% African American, 21% Hispanic, 7% White and 2% of other groups are the proportions for victims of homicides. When this is narrowed down to Little Havana the Hispanics dominate the homicides due to their numerical superiority. Data for the entire Miami indicates that the Hispanics made nearly one half of the suicide victims, which translates to a higher figure when extrapolated for Little Havana (Dearwater et al., 2004). In terms of adequacy of protective services, the area is under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and there are three security facilities located within Little Havana itself classified as law enforcement and public safety facilities. Although this should be sufficient for a four square mile area, the high population density means it is not adequate which is evidenced by the high homicide and suicide cases. The community is in need of better security services. The common sources of stress for the residents of Little Havana include the lack of attractive employment opportunities which translates to lower incomes than the median Miami and Florida income levels per household. It is also important to consider events back in their home countries, as either political, economic or both hardships continue to pervade and affect friends and families left there. Sociocultural Considerations The percentage of the male population in the occupations of management, financial operations, education and training, arts and design, sport, entertainment and media and lastly the service industry is significantly lower than that of the rest of Miami. It is however higher than the Miami male population in construction, maintenance, extraction, production and transport occupations. This points out that the community of Little Havana has not ventured majorly into white collar occupations as would be at par with the rest of the Miami city. A near similar pattern is followed for the female occupations, being lower than the rest of the city in management, business and finance, education and training, healthcare practitioners and arts and design. It is however higher in the service, production and transportation occupations, while being only slightly lower in the sales occupation (City-data.com, 2011). The implications of this include the community having lower incomes, which is confirmed by data showing that the median household income of Little Havana was $20815 while for the rest of the city of Miami it was $28999 in 2009. The percentage of individuals living below the poverty line is 34.0% which is considerably higher than the median of Miami at 28.5% (City-data.com, 2011). Although the average age of Little Havana residents is about 36.8 years, it is home to a good number low income retirement age seniors and retirees. 24% of the population is made up of individuals above 60 years while 14.9% are aged above 70 years which points to need for adult care centers in the community. In terms of education, the percentage of people above three years in K-12 schools is 18.4% compared to the city’s 18.6 median. Those in undergraduate colleges are 4.1% compared to 4.8% while those in graduate or professional schools are 0.5% compared to 1.1%. K-12 students enrolled in private schools are 5.0% compared to 7.5% for the city. This indicates significant disparity in education levels when compared to the rest of the city (City-data.com, 2011). Religious backgrounds in Little Havana follow race patterns where the Hispanic population is the majority. Hence, Roman Catholicism drawn from strong religious backgrounds in their home countries is the main religion. The other groups in Little Havana belong to a wide range of religions including Baptist, other Christian groups, Jewish and other religions. About 53.4% of the population in Little Havana does not speak English well or at all. This is very significant in comparison to the rest of the city of Miami where the figure is 32.7% and may translate to missed opportunities and the observed low income (City-data.com, 2011). Government and Leadership The Little Havana neighborhood is under the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade and hence is governed by Miami-Dade Commissioners (Miami.gov.com, 2010). There are a number of official city offices in Little Havana including the City of Miami Neighborhood Enhancement Team which hosts resource officers, service workers and representatives who aim to enhance lives in Little Havana. There is also a Social Security Administrative Office in the west of Little Havana charged with the responsibility of streamlining social security issues. Education Public schools in Little Havana are run by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. There are about 8 elementary public schools, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools and one college within the four square mile area that is Little Havana. There are also a number of private schools in Little Havana which brings the approximate totals of schools (public and private) to 43 elementary, 5 middle and 12 high schools. Miami-Dade Public Library is in charge of the three public libraries in Little Havana (Miami.gov.com, 2010). Education services for special populations such as pregnant teens, adults with special problems and developmentally disabled children and adults. There is only one facility for the blind and deaf needs- the Little Havana Activities and Nutrition Centers (Miami.gov.com, 2010). Transportation There is an effective system of transport services located in Little Havana including cab associations, limousine services and autobus services. The area is fed by an efficient road network with a limited access interstate highway, several other highways and numerous roads and streets. Most people leave for work between 5.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. and it takes most of them about 20-30 travel time to their places of work. Hence, transport is not a major problem to the Little Havana community (City-data.com, 2011). Behavioral Considerations Whereas the is no significant lack of food in Little Havana and its environs where residents may be working, the presence and choice of food poses nutritional problems as indicated by 28% of the students in Miami being overweight or obese. The consequences of food choices accompanied by low physical activities may be an explanation behind lifestyle diseases being the major contributors to Little Havana’s morbidity (Ilcheva et al., 2008). In terms of leisure pursuit, Little Havana is a primary tourist attraction with restaurants, entertainment spots and parks which are a main economic activity for the residents. Hence, many residents are directly or indirectly engaged in leisure at the sacrifice of physical activity which may explain the prevalence and incidence of obesity, hypertension and other lifestyle diseases. A health related behavior of significance can be extrapolated from the city of Miami, which has been reported as leading all other cities in the USA in terms of the number of road rage incidents per mile. Health System Considerations Little Havana is home to a number of medical facilities of various levels including clinics and pharmacies. There are about 40 settings for health and medicine services distributed well throughout Little Havana (Miami.gov.com, 2010). These are however not very efficient in identifying and solving the health needs of the Little Havana community as indicated by the neighborhoods outranking other areas in Miami and Florida at large in terms of diseases such as heart problems, cancer and stroke. One of the problems behind this is the lack of sufficient specialty medical facilities to deal with such conditions. The only specialty services in the entire area are offered by an individual specializing in Hematology and Medical Oncology. The community of Little Havana is in great need of specialty services since the conditions responsible for most of the morbidity in the area would require such services. Diabetes, Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease and HIV/AIDS are increasingly becoming prevalent problems and significant causes of death besides cancer, stroke and heart conditions. For the wider Miami-Dade County, Diabetes causes 23.5 of every 1000 deaths while Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease is responsible for 25.8 and HIV/AIDS responsible for 17.7 deaths compared to Florida’s 21.2, 31.6 and 9.7 of every 1000 deaths by the same diseases. Whereas the AIDS deaths may not be behind five other causes of morbidity, it is important to note that Miami has the highest AIDS prevalence in Florida and the third highest in the USA (Ilcheva et al., 2008). There is thus a deficiency in addressing these specific types of health problems in Little Havana. The community is also in need of sufficient health services to counter maternal deaths, neonatal and infant deaths alongside services for the elderly, pregnant teens. The extent of underuse of the available health resources is directly linked to financing of the health care system in Little Havana and the rest of Miami-Dade County. 28.6% of the Miami-Dade residents lack insurance covers and since Little Havana is the area with the least income per household it is responsible for most of the uninsured individuals. The consequence of lacking medical insurance is that individuals wait until they are very sick to access emergency services. References City-data.com, (2011). Little Havana neighborhood in Miami Florida (FL), 33125, 33128, 33130, 33135 detailed profile. Retrieved 21 November 2011 from http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Little-Havana-Miami-FL.html Ilcheva, M. et al. (2008). Comprehensive community needs assessment. Miami-Dade community action agency. Retrieved 21 November 2011 from http://www.miamidade.gov/caa/Documents/Needsassessment/CAA%20Comprehensive%20Needs%20Assessment.pdf Miamigov.com, (2011). Little Havana: Little Havana community. City of Miami. Retrieved 21 November 2011 from http://www.miamigov.com/nets/pages/LittleHavana/Your%20community.asp Office of Emergency Management, (2011). Disaster preparedness & related information sources. Retrieved 21 November 2011 from http://www.homestead.afrc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-110613-022.pdf Scorecard, (2011). Environmental release report: Miami-Dade County, FL. Retrieved 21 November 2011 from http://scorecard.goodguide.com/env-releases/county.tcl?fips_county_code=12086 Read More