A new annual report on poverty indicates nearly 15 percent of Ohioans lived at or below the federal poverty line in 2015, down from 16.4 percent in 2011.
The annual report from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies highlights the 93,000 Ohioans who were caretakers for their grandchildren. About 22 percent of them lived in poverty.
The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging says the opioid crisis has contributed to grandparents becoming caregivers.
Also noted in the report: At least a dozen colleges and universities in the state now provide free food pantries.
The association says the figures reflect a steady rise in income inequity.
