Urban silos: Community and social capital of low-income residents and the implications for anti-poverty initiatives

Living at or near poverty can be isolating for individuals and their families. Using the ecological perspective with emphasis on transactions across systems, we examine the social and community capital of urban, low-income individuals to understand the broader terrain that shapes and is shaped by some of their choices, and suggest the implications that our findings might have for anti-poverty initiatives. Data are from interviews with 181 urban residents involved in a federally funded workforce development training, a particular type of social support programming that endeavors to increase the human capital of participants so that they can compete more effectively in the labor market. Findings indicate that respondents have small, homogenous networks, live in resource depleted communities, and have limited sources of social support. We frame this as being caught in “urban silos,” in which transactions to more resource-robust systems are minimal to non-existent. While the development of one’s human capital is essential, because of these silos, it may not be sufficient for moving an individual and their family out of poverty. Job training, and other anti-poverty initiatives, need to intentionally assist participants in network building so they can better access opportunity pathways that provide jobs and other economic and social resources.