Analysis of the Social and Political Factors of the Twin Towers Community

Twin Towers is located in Montgomery County, on the eastside of Dayton, and is home to 6,380 low-income residents. Dayton, Ohio itself is ranked 11th in the U.S. for food hardship and many of the children living in Twin Towers area qualify for the National School Lunch Program. The purpose of the community assessment is to analyze the social and political factors associated with the Twin Towers community. The objectives of this project are to analyze, through primary and secondary sources, factors including: food access, employment, income, housing, food policies and programs, political structure, business, and healthcare access in the Dayton Twin Towers community. Major findings include frequent fast food consumption of the Ruskin Elementary students, over half the Twin Towers residents making less than $25,000 per year, the lack of Twin Towers businesses due to the building of the I-35 highway, and barriers associated with accessing National food programs. These barriers include: language barriers, lack of ID for access of food programs, lack of transportation, and lack of education on where and how to obtain access to food programs. In conclusion, addressing these barriers may lead to better dietary outcomes