Public News Service

Enacting the Good Food NY bill could help the 139 black-owned farms in New York state have better access to procurement contracts since it eliminates poor access to information about opportunities to compete for institutional food contracts. (Adobe Stock)

NY bill implements value-based standards for food procurement

A New York bill would change food procurement laws for municipal institutions. The Good Food New York Act would allow municipal institutions to use …

Restaurants are the third-largest employer of young people ages 16 to 24 in New York. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Young NYers prioritize living-wage jobs at ballot box

A new report finds New York's rising cost of living and having living-wage jobs are priority issues for young voters. Research shows a single …

The number of young children ages 3 and 4 not in school remained the same before and after the pandemic at 42%, which is lower than the national average of 54%. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NY kids’ pandemic-era education troubles persist

A new report found New York kids' well-being is improving despite lingering pandemic issues. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book …

Several house Republicans including New York's Mike Lawler signed a letter opposing CFPB's rule aimed at banning excessive credit card late fees. (Adobe Stock)

CFPB late fee rule could save NYers money

New Yorkers could benefit from a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule. It caps credit card late fees at $8, or - at the credit card …

A 2019 Homeland Security inspector general report found one in five TSA screeners were quitting after 6 months. One of the biggest reasons was low pay and lack of opportunity for advancement. (Adobe Stock)

NY TSA workers’ contract provides better working conditions

New York transportation safety officers will see improved working conditions thanks to a newly ratified contract. The new American Federation of …

An AARP New York report finds almost 80% of New York City's 300 nursing homes, assisted-living and adult-care facilities didn't receive a single visit from the state's Long Term Care Ombudsman Program during three months in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

NYS budget missing key funding for seniors, older adults

Senior and older-adult groups are frustrated by cuts to services in New York's budget proposal. This includes cuts to home-care programs and the Long-…

Some 37% of New York foster care kids are being placed in family-based care than in previous decades, when the majority would have been placed in a group home. (Adobe Stock)

NY legislation would end parents paying for foster care

A bill in the New York State Legislature could alter how the foster care system operates in the state by ending the requirement for parents to pay for…

As of December, more than 2.5 million Medicaid enrollees renewed their coverage, and more than 1.1 million enrollees were disenrolled. This includes almost 600,000 people who were deemed ineligible and more than 509,000 who were disenrolled for procedural reasons. (Adobe Stock)

Community health center leaders examine primary care crisis

Community health center leaders from New York and across the nation are meeting in Washington this week. They'll be strategizing about how to address …

Data from the Pew Charitable Trusts showed higher rates of homelessness in New York can be found in areas with the highest rents. (Adobe Stock)

NY advocates call out state for mishandling the housing crisis

New York housing advocates feel the state is not taking the affordable housing crisis seriously. The recent budget proposal and State of the State …

More than 20 million people live in manufactured homes in the United States, according to Census Data, which makes up about 6% of all housing stock in the nation. (Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services)

Manufactured homes could be key to rural NY’s housing issues

A solution to rural New York's housing problems could lie in manufactured homes. A 2023 report found manufactured homes comprise around 2.5% of New …

Kingston was the first municipality in New York to adopt rent control in response to rising rent prices. Nyack was the second, enacting similar protections and declaring a housing emergency. (Adobe Stock)

Newburgh declares housing emergency, other municipalities to follow

Newburgh, New York declared a housing emergency - and other cities could follow suit. A 2021 survey finds 77% of people might leave the city …

Aside from costing rural areas economic opportunities, a housing shortage is also creating population declines. A Rural Housing Coalition of New York report found rural counties saw 50,000 people leave in the last decade. (Adobe Stock)

NY housing organization seeks solutions to rural housing issues

Rural New York organizations are working to tackle issues with rural housing. Rural counties throughout the state are suffering from aging housing …

A report by Advocates for Children of New York found the highest rate of student homelessness was in The Bronx, where one in six students was homeless from 2022 to 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NYC student homelessness continues to rise

A new report found a little more than 119,000 New York City students are homeless. The group Advocates for Children of New York said 61% were …

In 2022, New Yorkers were paying $8,596 for employer-sponsored health coverage. Now, those prices have gotten closer to $9,000. (Adobe Stock)

NY Health Experts Help People Find Health Care Plans

New York health experts are preparing people for the health-care coverage open-enrollment period. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of New Yorkers …

A report from the Rural Housing Coalition of New York finds rural counties saw their amount of housing increase between 2011 and 2020. However, they're still facing an 18% vacancy rate. (Photo Courtesy of Snow Belt Housing Co.)

Some Rural NY Renters See Benefits of Covid Block Grants

Some one-time grant funding has made the difference between renters in rural New York having a safe place to live - or having to move. The McNeil …

An Annie E. Casey Foundation report found the number of kids entering foster care because of behavior issues has declined from 49% in 2006 to 30% in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NY Foster Kids Need Better Support

Foster children in New York and across the nation need better transition support once they age out, according to a new report from the Annie E…

In New York and several other states, a person's inability to pay does not exempt them from owing certain court fees and surcharges, according to a report by the Fines and Fees Justice Center. (Adobe Stock)

NYS Bill Would End ‘Predatory’ Court Fees

The New York State Legislature is considering a bill to end court fees many consider predatory. Senate Bill 313 takes aim at numerous fines…

At a rally in Harlem, members of Citizen Action of New York call for a bevy of changes to public money in Albany. They want taxes raised on the wealthiest New Yorkers, to increase the state's minimum wage, and to end 'pay-for-play' by reducing state subsidies for corporations. (Citizen Action New York)

NYC Group Calls for Significant Community Investments

Community leaders in Harlem are calling on local and state elected officials to make significant community investments. As part of their 2023 …

According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, alongside people age 25 or older, a quarter of people who would see benefits from increasing the minimum wage over $20 are parents. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed Bill Would Raise NY Minimum Wage Over $20

A bill in the New York State Legislature would increase the minimum wage to over $20 by 2026. The Raise the Wage Act would increase New York's $15 …

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, New York has a shortage of 615,025 rental homes that are affordable and available to extremely low-income renters. (Gov. Kathy Hochul)

Critics: NY State of State Address Misses Needed Solutions

While Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State speech addressed key issues affecting New Yorkers, some feel the solutions fell short. In her speech…

As part of New York City's new plan to address mentally ill homeless people, a special hotline will be staffed with clinicians to aid first responders as to whether a person presents as mentally ill. (Adobe Stock)

Experts Worried About NYC’s New Plan for Mentally Ill Homeless People

New York City Mayor Eric Adams' new plan for aiding the mentally ill is facing backlash for its effectiveness. Adams' plan allows police officers…

Numerous utility companies in New York such as Con-Edison, NYSEG and RG&E are expecting to see higher bill prices, as energy costs have increased. Specifically, Con Edison is expecting a 32% increase from the previous year in bills for natural-gas users, and NYSEG's natural gas customers might see a 47% increase in their bills. (Adobe Stock)

NYS Legislation Gives Ratepayers Voice in Utility Increases

A bill passed by the New York State Legislature would provide ratepayers with a voice in utility rate increases. The utility intervenor bill would …

The HEAL Food Alliance is making small grants to organizations across the country that are helping workers who find themselves underwater in the 'informal economy.' (Adobe Stock)

HEAL Grant Bolsters Workers' Center Programs in Central NY

An organization in Central New York is getting a funding boost to help workers who are still struggling with the financial effects of the pandemic…

In the last five years, more than 36,000 households have benefited from New York's low-income cooling program. (Viacheslav Lakobchuk/Adobe Stock)

NY Advocates: Bill Would Level Playing Field for Utility Customers

Groups advocating for older New Yorkers say a bill passed by the New York State Senate would help level the playing field for utility customers…

Predominantly Black Institutions are defined as serving student bodies that are at least 40% Black and 50% low-income. (Wikimedia Commons)

Higher Ed Experts: Basic Needs Not Met at NY's Minority-Serving Institutions

New York has multiple state-run student financial aid programs to ensure the cost of tuition and fees is not a barrier to higher education for economi…

Advocates of guaranteed-income programs say they help families afford basic needs, from utility bills to food, and more. (rocketclips/Adobe Stock)

NY Groups: Guaranteed Income Improves Racial, Gender Justice

By Sonali Kolhatkar for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Lily Böhlke for New York News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News …

Experts say expanding Essential Plan coverage to undocumented New Yorkers would cost $350 million, but would lead to savings on emergency medical care for people who can't get less expensive, preventive care. (nilsversemann/Adobe Stock)

Immigrant NYers: Time is Now to Pass "Coverage for All"

Advocates for immigrant New Yorkers are urging the State Legislature to pass a bill to extend health coverage to undocumented New Yorkers earning up t…

Healthcare advocacy groups say increasing Medicaid postpartum coverage up to one year after a child's birth can help decrease maternal mortality rates, which disproportionately affect people of color. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: Build Back Better's CHIP, Medicaid Changes Support NY Families

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act will soon get a vote in the U.S. Senate, and in New York, advocates say it could mean major …

The expensive costs of child care in New York create economic hardship for some families, according to a report from the Children's Agenda. (Adobe Stock)

Build Back Better Would Amplify New York's Child Care, Pre-K Investments

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act now moves to the Senate where it will face an uphill battle after passing the House Friday…

New York state ranks 16th in the nation for education. The 2021 Kids Count Data Book shows from 2017-2019, 41% of New York children ages 3 and 4 weren't enrolled in preschool, compared to the 52% U.S. average. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Federal Support Vital to NY Families’ Economic Recovery

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York is among the top 10 U.S. states for health among children, and the bottom ten for families' overall economic wellbeing…

Women's median weekly earnings for full-time work were $891 in 2020 compared with $1,082 for men. (nito/Adobe Stock)

Gender Pay Gap has Narrowed but Racial Gaps Persist

NEW YORK - Last year on average, women working full-time were paid almost 18% less than men, a gender pay gap that grows much larger for Black and …

The number of people fed by New York City food pantries and soup kitchens last year increased by 65% over 2019. (kuarmungadd/Adobe Stock)

Calls Mount Again for NY Wealth Tax

NEW YORK - State lawmakers and community activists are calling on New York to help eliminate hunger by raising taxes on corporations and the state's w…

Since 2009, the number of millionaires in the Empire State has increased by more than 60%. (SeanPavonePhoto/Adobe Stock)

Millionaires to NYS: Tax Us, Please

NEW YORK -- More than four dozen New York millionaires have signed a letter to state lawmakers with a proposal to help the state recover from the econ…

Families whose children normally get free meals at school can expect to see a 15% increase in Pandemic EBT benefits. (Dieter Hawlan/Adobe Stock)

Biden Orders Quick Action on Hunger

NEW YORK -- Many New Yorkers receiving SNAP and Pandemic EBT will soon get increases in their benefits. An estimated 29 million adults and at least …

The governor's marijuana-legalization proposal includes assistance to entrepreneurs in communities most affected by the war on drugs. (CascadeCreatives/Adobe Stock)

Drug-Policy Advocates Call for Restitution in Marijuana Legalization

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Drug-policy advocates say marijuana legalization must include dedicated community reinvestment to address the harms done by the war …

The adults in more than one in five New York households with children fear they won't be able to make rent or mortgage payments on time. (asiraj/Adobe Stock)

Pandemic Increases Hunger, Housing Insecurity for NY Kids

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A new report shows the economic fallout of the COVID pandemic is having a big impact on children, in New York and nationwide…

This year, more than one in five New York soup kitchens and food pantries say they've had to turn people away, reduce amounts per person or limit hours. (Halfpoint/Adobe Stock)

Poll Shows Strong Support for Programs to End Poverty

NEW YORK -- A new poll shows low-income Americans overwhelmingly support government programs that could end poverty and hunger. Pollsters spoke with …

Workers rallied at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York when the Healthy Terminals Bill was passed in July. (Photo: 32BJ SEIU)

Airport Workers Rally for “Healthy Terminals”

NEW YORK -- "Give Thanks, give health care" - that's the message airport workers will deliver to Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a rally today at noon at …

En 2019, 2.3% de las ni�as y los ni�os latinos en New York carec�an de seguro de la salud, comparado con el 9.2% a nivel nacional. (JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Adobe Stock)

El Progreso para asegurar a Niños de Nueva York se ve amenazado

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Un nuevo estudio muestra que Nueva York fue el único estado que registró una disminución significativa en la cantidad …

Turn Up! Fight Hunger and No Kid Hungry plan to provide 1 billion meals to kids living with hunger over five years. (Halfpoint / Adobe Stock)

Helping Kids Get Meals They Miss When Schools Are Closed

NEW YORK -- With schools closed, many children who depend on free meals at school could be missing out, so children's advocates are partnering with a …

Half of New York City public-school families report reducing the size or frequency of kids' meals. (Trailbomber/Adobe Stock)

NY Parents Getting Help Feeding Kids

NEW YORK -- New York parents of children who have missed out on free meals at school because of the COVID pandemic are receiving food assistance in th…

With many childcare centers closed during the pandemic, student parents in New York have had to do a lot of reorganizing of their lives and schedules. (Adobe stock)

NY Student Parents Face COVID-19 Obstacles as Schools Reopen

Correction: Mary Ann DeMario is a specialist in the Institutional Research Office at Monroe Community College in Rochester and a core team member of t…

Thirty years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, only 25% of New York City subway stations are wheelchair accessible. (littleny/Adobe Stock)

The ADA at 30: Progress and Continuing Obstacles

NEW YORK - Advocates for people with disabilities are both celebrating a landmark in the fight for civil rights and still waiting for its promise to b…

Children may experience depression and anxiety during and after enforced isolation. (Gargonia/Adobe Stock)

Grants Help Underserved Communities Cope with COVID-19

NEW YORK -- Community-based organizations in New York are getting some extra help dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in underserved comm…

Half of minority patients tested for COVID-19 at a Community Health Center site tested positive. (bizoo_n/Adobe Stock)

Federal Aid Urged for Community Health Centers

NEW YORK -- Despite their role on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Health Centers are receiving very little of the federal aid …

La mitad de los pacientes de minor�as examinados para COVID-19 en un Centro Comunitario de Salud, dieron positivo.

Los Centros Comunitarios de Salud necesitan ayuda Federal

NEW YORK -- A pesar de su papel en las primeras filas de la pandemia COVID-19, los Centros Comunitarios de Salud están recibiendo muy poco de la …

The census can be completed by mail, online or on the phone by calling 844-330-2020. (Tada Images/Adobe Stock)

Census Critical for NYers with Disabilities

NEW YORK -- Despite the COVID pandemic, the U.S. Census is going on right now. And advocates for people with disabilities are stressing the …

Housing advocates say the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a long-standing crisis in housing affordability. (Suzanne/Adobe Stock)

Housing Advocates Pushing to Cancel Rent

NEW YORK -- Housing justice advocates fear that without action from Albany, New Yorkers who have lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic could …

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NY: Poverty Issues