Homelessness & Poverty Prevention
Nearly one out of three families with children under 5 years of age in the Shreveport-Bossier MSA were living in poverty in 2015. Poor children are at a much greater risk of poor academic performance, dropout, abuse and neglect, behavioral or physical problems, and developmental delays. As a result, they tend to have much lower long-term prospects in terms of overall educational attainment, earnings, and health. All of this leads to the devastating cycle of poverty. Of the peer communities, Shreveport-Bossier City MSA has the second highest poverty rate for families with children under 5 years old, nearly one in three families live in poverty.
To see more data on poverty and our community, check out the Community Counts full report or executive summary.