Annual Report 2002 - Howard Area Community Center

119612 Annual Report 2005 4/14/06 2:37 PM Page 16Howard Area Community Center7648 North Paulina StreetChicago, Illinois 60626773/262-6622www.howardarea.orgNon-ProfitOrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDChicago, IL 60626Permit 9773According to the 2000 Census,25% of adults in Rogers Parkage 25 and older (close to10,000 individuals) do not havea high school diploma.Out of Chicago’s 77 communities,Rogers Park continuesto rank high for number ofpersons with AIDS.Young children living incertain sections of RogersPark have some of thehighest rates of leadpoisoning in the city.According to the 24th Districtof the Chicago Police Department,which includes RogersPark, there were 1,872 reportedincidents of domestic violencefor calendar year 2002.Hundreds of low-incomechildren, birth to age 5, whoare eligible for subsidizedchild care and early childhoodeducation programs,are unable to benefit fromthem because there is asevere shortage of suchprograms in Rogers Park.16Rogers ParkThe Howard Area Community Center is located in Rogers Park, a racially,ethnically, and economically integrated community in northeasternChicago. The 2000 U.S. Census revealed that Rogers Park has an almosteven distribution of Chicago’s three major racial/ethnic groups. Of its63,484 residents, about 30% are African American, 32% are white, and28% are Hispanic. Approximately 6% are Asian/Pacific Islander. Thepopulation of Rogers Park has increased by about 5% over the lastdecade. Many immigrants are from Mexico and Central America. Othersare from Nigeria, Russia, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.Rogers Park is also home for many immigrated Eastern Europeans.As the neighborhood experiences gentrification, affordablehousing is becoming an increasingly scarce resource for low-incomeworking families. Rents are rising at a rapid pace, and many rentalunits have been converted into condominiums that are too expensivefor many families.Although the poverty rate declined for Chicago during theeconomic boom of the 1990s, it increased in Rogers Park. According tothe 2000 Census, about 20% of the Rogers Park residents are living inpoverty, and more than 14% of all households have annual incomesbelow $10,000.Published statistics show that the local public elementaryschool students continue to struggle with academic achievement. Inthe two schools were HACC operates after-school projects, the 2005Illinois School Report Card shows that only 35% and 55% of 3rdgraders had reading scores that met or exceeded the state’s learninggoals as measured by the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests. For 5thgraders, only 37% and 40% had reading scores that met or exceededthe learning goals.Only about 50% of students who enter the public high schoolas freshman graduate within five years.