>> THE WEALTH GAP IN THE BERKSHIRES TOPS MASSACHUSETTS'
THREE OTHER WESTERN COUNTIES YOU A COURT TO A NEW REPORT FROM THE
WASHINGTON-BASED ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE.
CLOSER TO HOME, THE BIRKSHIRE TACONIC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAS
BEEN DOING RESEARCH REPORTING ON A RAPING OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
ISSUES.
TO LEARN MORE, I SPOKE WITH PETER TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF THE
BERKSHIRE TACONIC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
>> THE TRENDS REPORTED NATIONALLY ARE ONE THAT IS WE'RE
SEEING IN THE AREA COVERED -- ONES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE
AREA COVERED BY BERKSHIRE TACONIC, THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF
DUCHESS COUNTY AND THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF CONNECTICUT.
THAT'S THE REGION WE SO SERVE.
AND I THINK THE DISPARATES ARE RETHREATIVE IN THE REGION THAT
WE SERVE.
IN TERMS OF GROWING LEVELS OF POVERTY.
THE POVERTY LEVEL IS NOT GOING THE DIRECTION WE'D LIKE, BUT AS
WELL AS RISING COSTS OF LIVING WHICH IS CREATING PRESSURE
POINTS ON FAMILIES ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE AND LOWER INCOME
AREAS.
>> SO ONE OF THE SPECIFICS THAT ACTUALLY THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
ANSWERRIZED THE REPORT AND THAT'S HOW WE FOUND OUT WERE IT.
IT POINTED OUT THAT 1% EARNED WHEN -- THE TOP 1% EARNED ABOUT
770,000 AND THAT'S 19 TIMES THE AVERAGE EARNING OF RESIDENTS IN
BERKSHIRE COUNTY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR A COMMUNITY WHEN THERE'S A GAP
THAT BIG?
>> YEAH.
A COUPLE OF JIM REPLY CAITIONZ.
-- IMLY CAITIONZ.
IF YOU -- IMPLICATIONS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL AFFORDABLE, THE PRICE OF REAL
ESTATE GOES UP BECAUSE THERE ARE RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT
CAN AFFORD TO PAY MORE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE BERKSHIRES OR IN
REGIONS SIMILAR TO IT, THE COST OF OWNING A HOME HAS GONE UP
CONSIDERABLY.
AND SO THAT IS ONE IMPLICATION.
I THINK THE OTHER IMPLICATION, WHICH IS -- IS CONCERNING IS IF
YOU LOOK AT THE COST OF EDUCATION, HOW THAT HAS DOUBLED
IN TERMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, ACCESS
TO EDUCATION, WHEN YOU ARE IN LOWER, MIDDLE-CLASS OR LOWER
INCOME FAMILIES, IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND AS YOU KNOW, FROM
YOUR REPORTING, FAMILIES ARE RELYING MORE ON FINANCIAL AID,
ON STUDENT LOANS, AND THAT'S INCREASING A DEBT BURDEN.
AND SO BOTH OF THOSE EXAMPLES I THINK SHOW INCREASING COSTS AND
LOWER INCOMES, CREATE OPPORTUNITY GAPS FOR KIDS AND
FOR FAMILIES.
>> TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE HOUSING PIECE OF IT, KIND OF A
DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY HAVE A LOT OF SECOND
HOMEOWNERS WHICH TEND TO BE GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY.
RIGHT, YOU'RE BUYING TICKETS, YOU'RE GOING OUT TO DINNER, YOUR
FRIENDS ARE COMING AND MAYBE STAYING THIS HOTELS THIS THE
AREA.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'RE SEEING THAT DRIVE UP HOUSING
COSTS FOR MAYBE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO GET INTO THE MARKET AS
A FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER.
HOW DO YOU SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE THERE?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD SAY THAT THE PART-TIME COMMUNITY IN
THE REGION THAT I LIVE AND WORK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, NOT
ONLY TO THE ECONOMY BUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
PART-TIME RESIDENTS SERVE ON BOARDS OF ORGANIZATIONS, THEY
ARE VERY GENEROUS FILL AN THROPICALLY AND THEY HAVE POSE
AFFINITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
-- CLOSE AFFINITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
HAVING SAID THAT, IN TERMS OF THE PRESSURE POINTS ON HOUSING,
I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU MITIGATE THAT IS REALLY IN A
PUBLIC POLICY AND NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC PERSPECTIVE IS HOW
CAN YOU INCREASE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES IN THE BERKSHIRES AND
NEW YORK WHERE COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS AT THE MORE REGIONAL
LEVEL, THERE ARE EFFORTS TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF
HOUSING.
GREAT BEARINGTON IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THERE'S BEEN AFTER AFFORDABLE HOUSING
TRUST SET UP TO USE -- >> GREAT BARRINGTON, PEOPLE
THINK IS AN EXPENSIVE PLACE TO LIVE AND A SECOND HOMEOWNER
MECCA.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE IT HAS
SEEN AN AN INFLUX OF PART-TIME RESIDENTS AND PRICES HAVE COP
UP.
SO THE COMMUNITY HAS MADE THE STATEMENT THAT AFFORDABLE
HOUSING IS IMPORTANT FOR YEAR-ROUND RESIDENTS.
SO THE COMMUNITY IS MAKING A COMMITMENT TO SET UP THIS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST TO MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE AND
ACCESSIBLE.
SO IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW AT THE LOCAL LEVEL SOME OF THESE
PRESSURE POINTS CAN BE ADDRESSED.
>> SO THAT TRUST IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WESTERN CONFERENCE
SHIR TACONIC HAS DONE -- BERKSHIRE TACONIC HAS DONE AND
RECENTLY, THE CLOSER REPORT THAT CAPOUS LAST YEAR, YOU NOW HAVE A
NEW WEBSITE THAT YOU'VE LUNCHED.
-- LAUNCHED.
SO IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENT OF THE REPORT AND THE WEBSITE, WHAT
CAN PEOPLE EXPECT?
>> I THINK WHAT -- FIRST OF ALL, THE PURPOSE OF BOTH THE REPORT
AND THE WEBSITE IS TO REALLY INFORM DECISION MAKERS ON THE
ISSUES AND THE TRENDS AND THE NEEDS ACROSS THE REGION.
SO WE HAVE INVESTED IN ANALYZING THE DATA AND A LOT OF OUTREACH
TO REALLY GET A PULSE ON THE ISSUES AND THE TRENDS AND THE
MOST PRESSING CONCERNS FACING THE REGION.
SO THE WEBSITE ACTUALLY IS AN EXCITING NEW FEATURE FOR OUR
DONOR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, AND FOR
CIVIC AND BUSINESS LEADERS AND JUST RESIDENTS.
THEY CAN GO ON TO THE WEBSITE AND THEY CAN ZERO IN ON THEIR
COMMUNITY, ON THEIR COUNTY, TO REALLY BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT
ARE SOME OF THE KEY TRENDS, SUCH AS LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY OF
HOMEOWNERSHIP.
OVERALL DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN TERMS OF GROWTH OR REDUCTION IN
THE SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS
IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF DATA POINTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
BUT WE ALSO GO DEEPER, BECAUSE THERE ARE FIVE TRENDS THAT WE
SPOTLIGHT IN OUR INITIAL REPORT, AND WE PROVIDE PROFILES AND
DEEPER ANALYSIS OF THOSE ISSUES IN THOSE TRENDS.
AND THOSE TRENDS ARE JOHNSON AND THE ECONOMY, THE -- JOBS AND THE
ECONOMY, THE DEM GRAPHSES IN THIS REGION, INCOME INEQUALITY.
>> TO THE POINT ABOUT KEEPING INEQUALITY, POVERTY, THE REPORT
POINTS OUT THAT POVERTY IS RISING IN THREE-QUARTERS OF THE
REGION'S CITIES AND TOWNS AND THAT AT THE SAME TIME INCOMES
HAVE NOT KEPT PACE WITH THAT.
SO HOW DO YOU TURN THAT KNOWLEDGE INTO CHANGE?
>> UH-HUH.
WELL, I CAN SHARE HOW WE AT THE FOUNDATION ARE ADDRESSING THAT
ISSUE.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE WANT TO HAVE A STRONGER COMMITMENT TO
INCREASING EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, REALLY STARTING IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD THROUGH ADULT LEARNING.
ADULT LEARNING IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE RESIDENTS TODAY, WE HEAR
FROM EMPLOYERS DO NOT HAVE THE SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE
SEEKING, ESPECIALLY IN SOME MID AND HIGHER LEVEL POSITIONS.
SO FOCUSING ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A PATHWAY BOTH OUT OF POVERTY BUT
ALSO TO MORE FULLER PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKFORCE.
>> YEAH.
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I REMEMBER FROM PREVIOUS REPORTING
OF THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE, PEOPLE THINK THAT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE,
YOU LOOK AT THAT.
THERE AREN'T THE JOBS OUT THERE.
NO, THERE ARE OFTEN SEVERAL THOUSAND JOBS OPEN AT ANY GIVEN
POINT IN TIME BUT TO YOUR POINT T SKILL SET ISN'T THERE FOR SOME
FOLKS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THAT PARTICULAR JOB.
I WANT TO LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION WHICH IS ANOTHER AREA
THAT YOU LOOKED AT IN THE REPORT AND YOU POINT OUT THAT THE
BERKSHIRES AND MUCH OF THE AREA YOU SERVE ARE AN AGING
DEMOGRAPHIC BUT AT THE SAME TIME THERE'S SOME EXCITEMENT BECAUSE
THERE'S SOME MORE DIVERSITY SHOWING UP IN THIS REGION.
SO WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU IN THOSE -- IN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC
SECTION?
>> FIRST OF ALL, TO YOUR LATTER POINT, THERE IS INCREASING
DIVERSITY IN THE REGION THAT THE FOUNDATION SERVES.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK A SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND IN A VERY
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU LOOK AT -- SINCE 2000, THERE HAS BEEN A DOUBLING IN THE
HISPANIC COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS RISE OF 50% IN THE RESIDENTS
THAT WERE NOT BORN IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO THE IMMIGRANT POPULATION.
AND THAT'S CREATING I THINK IMPORTANT DYNAMICS IN THE
COMMUNITY BOTH IN TERMS OF BRINGING YOUNGER FAMILIES TO THE
COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY BRINGING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS INTO THE WORKFORCE.
BUT ALSO WE'RE SEEING IN PITSFIELD, I KNOW YOU HAVE
SOME -- 40% OF THE STOREFRONTS ALONG MERS STREET, WHICH IS THE
ESSENTIALLY CORRIDOR ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY IMMIGRANT
FAMILIES, SO THEY'RE BRINGING AN IMPORTANT SPIRIT OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO THE REGION.
SO THAT INCREASING DIVERSITY IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE REGION.