Title
Amending Chapter 409 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code establishing additional criteria for applicants to the charitable gambling eligible recipients list established under Section 409.235.
Body
Section 1
WHEREAS, 79% of the students in Saint Paul Public schools are students of color, and 73% of all students qualify for free and reduced lunch; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Black and Hispanic students graduated from Saint Paul Public Schools at rates 14% lower than white students, and American Indian students graduated at rates 31% lower than white students; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul shows persistent gaps in outcomes among its white residents and residents of color in unemployment (8.9%), labor force participation (10.35%), income ($24,560), and home ownership (33%); and
WHEREAS, youth programs benefit academic and social and emotional benefits through access to caring adults and mentors, keeping youth safe, and providing workforce skills; and
WHEREAS, access to youth program activities is negatively impacted by cost, cultural and language barriers, lack of transportation, and availability of activities tailored to the needs of youth from low-income families and communities of color; and
WHEREAS, barriers to access to high quality youth activities leads to unequal access to enrichment opportunities, mentoring, and social and academic benefits which exacerbates existing disparities; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council has identified census tracts where 40% or more of the residents have family or individual incomes that are less than 185% of the federal poverty threshold (areas of concentrated poverty or “ACP”), and further identifies where in such areas 50% or more of the residents are people of color (“ACP50”); and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council finds that the Charitable Gambling eligible recipients’ list is an opportunity to increase availability of high quality youth programming targeted at reducing the barriers to at-risk youth in ACP and ACP50 neig...
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