COUNTY CALLED POVERTY CAPITAL OF THE NATION; UNITED WAY REPORT DETAILS DUAL REALITIES.

Byline: Douglas Haberman Daily News Staff Writer

A report issued Wednesday by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles paints a bleak picture for large numbers of low-income workers in Los Angeles County, which the report calls ``the nation's poverty capital.''

Drawing upon statistics from various government, private and academic sources, the report acknowledges economic prosperity in the county, which has a median household income of nearly $44,000, or 14 percent higher than the national figure.

But citing high competition among former welfare recipients for too few jobs, it also warns that a large number of working families appear doomed to poverty.

``Continuing growth in the low-wage sector is likely to trap a large number of workers in long-term poverty with few options,'' wrote the authors of the report, entitled ``A Tale of Two Cities: Promise & Peril in Los Angeles.''

The United Way issues such a ``state of the county'' report every two years.

The new findings show that the percentage of the county's population living in poverty doubled between 1970 and 1998, from 11 percent to 22 percent. That gives the county - with a population of nearly 10 million - the largest number of residents in poverty of any U.S. metropolitan area.

Poverty is defined as a total income of $16,450 a year or less for a family of four.

The findings show that in Burbank, 13.9 percent of the city's residents live in poverty, slightly below the national average. In Glendale, however, 21.9 percent of the city's nearly 200,000 residents live below the poverty line, according to the report.

In the San Fernando Valley and Santa Clarita Valley combined, 16.5 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the report.

An estimated 160,000 jobs will be needed in the county during the next two years for people leaving the welfare rolls, just as an expected job slowdown hits, according to the authors of the report. Job competition will be fierce, with about 5.4 job seekers for every job opening.

``Whatever we may think about who's responsible, children are not,'' said syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, calling for more charitable aid to children, during a panel discussion that coincided with the release of the report.

Huffington said the nation has never resolved the debate over who is responsible for those in need - the needy themselves, or society as a whole. Regardless, the priority for private donations ``has to be children,'' she said.

LIVING IN POVERTY

These are the percentages of residents in 1998 below the poverty level, defined as income of $16,450 a year or less for a family of four:

Community Percent below poverty level

Burbank 13.9

Calabasas-Agoura 7.5

Canoga Park 14.4

Chatsworth 11.0

Encino 10.1

Glendale 21.9

Granada Hills 8.3

La Canada-Flintridge 4.9

La Crescenta 10.6

Lancaster 18.3

Mission Hills 10.3

North Hills 24.1

North Hollywood 24.9

Northridge 21.2

Pacoima 30.3

Palmdale 14.2

Panorama City 20.4

Porter Ranch 4.6

Reseda 15.1

San Fernando 29.6

Santa Clarita  6.2

Sherman Oaks 8.1

Studio City 10.0

Sun Valley 21.8

Sunland 9.6

Sylmar 17.9

Tujunga 19.8

Van Nuys 24.8

Westlake Village 5.4

Woodland Hills 5.8

L.A. County total 22.1

SOURCE: United Way of Greater Los Angeles

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BOX: Living in poverty (see text)