One quarter of New York City residents do not have enough money for basic items such as housing and food, and many say they cannot afford to go to the doctor, according to a report that highlights the urgency of addressing a crisis of affordability that has settled in the city.
The report from a research group at Columbia University and an anti-poverty group called Robin Hood found that the share of New Yorkers in poverty was nearly double the national average in 2023 and increased by seven percentage points in just two years.
Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, apparently recognizing that discontent with the high cost of living could jeopardize their political futures, are focusing their re-election agendas on conveying to voters that they are trying to make New York more affordable.
Avi Small, a spokesperson for Hochul, said that “the governor is addressing the high cost of living with tax cuts, credits, and rebates, while also expanding social services for those who need it most,” he said.
The report is part of a study of approximately 13 years that surveyed a representative sample of over 3,000 households in New York City.
Under the adopted metric, the poverty threshold for a couple with two children in a rented home in New York City is now $47,190. The study found that 58% of New Yorkers, or more than 4.8 million people, were in families with incomes below 200% of the poverty line — about $94,000 for a couple with two children or $44,000 for a single adult. Poverty rates among Black, Latino, and Asian residents are about twice as high as the rate for white residents, according to the report.
The report highlighted the housing shortage and its rising cost as major drivers of the increasing number of people living in poverty. Most of the surveyed individuals were working or looking for work. Yet many reported delays in rent or difficulties paying for food.
Source: the New York Times