Community Assessment Toggle navigation

The project focuses on the Crown Heights section in Brooklyn New York and is centered on the various difficulties faced in this neighborhood with health care, education, etc.

Health Disparities
Top challenges to health, with statistics

1. Central Brooklyn residents experience more barriers to health care access than those in NYC overall, with nearly 3 in 10 without a regular doctor. Also the percentage of uninsured in Central Brooklyn nearly doubled between 2002 and 2004.
a. Access to health care for adult 18+: 29% – Central Brooklyn, 23%- Brooklyn, 24%- New York City.
b. Percentage who go to the ED when sick or need health advice: 13%- Central Brooklyn, 8%- Brooklyn, 8%- New York City.

2. Although the death rate due to HIV disease has decreased during the past decade in Central Brooklyn, it remains more than twice the HIV related death rate in NYC overall.
a. Total HIV diagnoses per 100,000 people (13+): Central Brooklyn- 114, Brooklyn- 50, New York City- 55.
b. Percentage of HIV diagnosed concurrently with AIDS (13+): Central Brooklyn- 35%, Brooklyn- 31%, New York City- 29%.
c. People living with HIV/AIDS per 100,000 people (13+): Central Brooklyn- 2,285, Brooklyn- 1,183, New York City- 1,419.

3. In addition to high rates of HIV, Central Brooklyn has elevated rates of other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
a. Central Brooklyn has the highest rate of chlamydia diagnoses in NYC: Cases per 100,000 residents – Central Brooklyn, 1020; Brooklyn, 514; New York City, 427.
b. The rate of gonorrhea diagnoses is higher in Central Brooklyn than in Brooklyn and NYC overall: Cases per 100,000 residents- Central Brooklyn, 397; Brooklyn, 169; New York City, 136.

The overall status of the community is very poor; not only does it have an alarmingly high rate of HIV, but residents also face barriers to health care access. There are only five medical centers within the community, all of which operate only Mondays to Fridays and goes as late as only 6pm. There are no hospitals within the community, to gain access to a hospital residents would need transportation or would have to walk at least three miles to the nearest hospital. In Central Brooklyn the percentage of residents living below the poverty level is higher than in Brooklyn and New York City (NYC) overall. The percentage of Central Brooklyn residents living in poverty is 31% compared to the 25% of residents in Brooklyn and 21% for NYC. The average age of the population is very young 32.10 years old and with poor health, poverty, and the majority with only “some college, one or more years with no degree” the community is in dire need for reform.
In addition to high rates of HIV, Central Brooklyn has elevates levels of other sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea; limited access to health clinics could be a leading factor to the high rate of STD’s. Although the death rate due to HIV has decreased, it remains more than twice the HIV related death rate in NYC overall.
There are no factories or industries within the community putting it at a disadvantage because it leaves individuals with fewer jobs opportunities within the community. The community also doesn’t have a variety of supermarkets where individuals could purchase produce; if residents would like to purchase for instance organic foods, there isn’t a supermarket within the community supplying such foods.
The Central Brooklyn community (zip code 11233), has limited community groups, activities, and meeting places; this is a problem because having a community within such a young age range, there is an increased need for activities and entertainment especially to keep a low crime rate. There aren’t any police stations in the community and with again such a young population of low income individuals crime is a risk factor.
Chinese restaurants are the most common and inexpensive restaurants within the community, they are also not the healthiest places to eat because the majority of their foods are deep fried and contain high levels of sodium.