Demographic Profile of Seniors in PSA 1-A - Detroit Area Agency on ...

Sector Analysis
In 1997 the City <strong>of</strong> <strong>Detroit</strong> launched a community-wide effort called the Community
Re<strong>in</strong>vestment Strategy (CRS). This effort divided the city <strong>in</strong>to 10 sectors, which have
now been identified as the <strong>of</strong>ficial sub-zones for city departments to plan and deliver
services. As <strong>of</strong> 2002, the new city adm<strong>in</strong>istration has <strong>in</strong>itiated a citywide plann<strong>in</strong>g effort
based on these sectors, with plann<strong>in</strong>g staff assigned to sectors. In addition to the
Plann<strong>in</strong>g Department, these sectors are now recognized by <strong>Detroit</strong>’s Health Department,
Neighborhood City Halls, Youth Services and Senior Services as their plann<strong>in</strong>g/service
delivery areas. The Health Department has started to deliver health pr<strong>of</strong>iles by sector and
the Senior Citizens Department commissioned a survey, through Wayne State
University’s Institute <strong>of</strong> Gerontology, that was designed to gather data at the sector level.
The <strong>Detroit</strong> <strong>Area</strong> <strong>Agency</strong> on Ag<strong>in</strong>g, recogniz<strong>in</strong>g the opportunity to utilize multiple
sources <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation to assist <strong>in</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g, has accepted these sectors as a reasonable
geography for service plann<strong>in</strong>g. As DAAA’s service area <strong>in</strong>cludes more than just the City
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Detroit</strong>, the additional cities have been comb<strong>in</strong>ed (Highland Park and Hamtramck;
Harper Woods and the five Grosse Po<strong>in</strong>tes) to form an additional two sectors.
The major f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> the sector analysis were the follow<strong>in</strong>g:
• Population change varied greatly among the sectors. Eleven <strong>of</strong> the 12 lost
population, with the largest decreases occurr<strong>in</strong>g on the far northeast side <strong>of</strong>
<strong>Detroit</strong> (sector 2) and <strong>in</strong> the downtown sector (sector 4). Losses on the west side
<strong>of</strong> town were considerably less, with the one sector (sector 9) show<strong>in</strong>g growth
(9.9 percent) ly<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the mid-Northwest section and hav<strong>in</strong>g Eight Mile Rd. as its
northern boundary.
• The number <strong>of</strong> White, non-Hispanic seniors decreased <strong>in</strong> all 12 sectors, while the
number <strong>of</strong> m<strong>in</strong>ority seniors decreased <strong>in</strong> only 5.
• While the number <strong>of</strong> poor seniors decreased <strong>in</strong> all 12 sectors, the percentage <strong>of</strong>
seniors <strong>in</strong> poverty rose <strong>in</strong> six and dropped <strong>in</strong> six. The highest <strong>in</strong>cidence <strong>of</strong>
poverty was 29.8 percent <strong>in</strong> the downtown sector (down from 35.4 percent <strong>in</strong>
1989). The lowest poverty rate, 3.4 percent, was found <strong>in</strong> the sector
encompass<strong>in</strong>g Harper Woods and the Po<strong>in</strong>tes. This rate was virtually unchanged
from 3.6 percent ten years earlier.
• The high rate <strong>of</strong> poverty <strong>in</strong> Sector 4 (downtown) corresponded with the highest
<strong>in</strong>cidence <strong>of</strong> seniors liv<strong>in</strong>g alone – 62 percent. This association also held for the
sector (11) comprised <strong>of</strong> Highland Park and Hamtramck – a poverty rate <strong>of</strong> 25.3
percent and a liv<strong>in</strong>g alone rate <strong>of</strong> 49.4 percent.
• The 2000 Census asked two questions on its long form (sent to one <strong>of</strong> every six
households) that addressed disability issues. All sectors showed similar
distributions <strong>of</strong> the five major disability categories: sensory, physical, mental,
self-care, and go<strong>in</strong>g outside alone. However, sectors 11, 4 and 3 (southeast
<strong>Detroit</strong>) showed the highest <strong>in</strong>cidence rates <strong>of</strong> multiple disabilities, with the
highest rates <strong>of</strong> self-care disability as well. Such a fact compounds the issues for
seniors <strong>in</strong> sectors 4 and 11. The high rate <strong>of</strong> multiple disabilities <strong>in</strong> Sector 3 can
be tied to the fact that this area has the highest number <strong>of</strong> nurs<strong>in</strong>g home residents
– almost double that <strong>of</strong> any other.
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