One out of every four children in New York City is now living in poverty. That's the shocking takeaway from
a new report that shows poverty rates have skyrocketed in New York over the past three years.
But that doesn't mean it has to stay this way. Urge city lawmakers to take action now to address and reduce poverty!Up until 2022, poverty rates had been declining - when suddenly things changed, and for the worse. That year, the city saw its largest increase in poverty year-over-year, when looking at the last 10 years.
Now, 23% of residents - nearly one-quarter -
cannot afford basic necessities like food, clothing, and housing. The total number comes out to
almost 2 million people. While children are among the most impacted, the increased poverty level is also
highlighting persistent racial disparities, with Black and Latinx families disproportionately affected.
Experts say this horrifying change is largely due to the expiration of COVID-era programs that helped to address soaring rental costs, job loss from pandemic-related layoffs (especially in the retail industry), and inflation. Some of these programs included the expanded child tax credit, assistance for low-income families, and improved unemployment insurance.
Luckily, that means there is a way to address this and help children out. New York City needs to put more funding towards bringing back these programs, and Congress can help too, since many of these programs operated nationwide.
No one should ever be unsure of how they are going to feed their families, or where they are going to sleep and live. It is unhuman to put people through such a nightmare.Sign the petition to demand New York City officials prioritize protecting children and families from the devastating effects of poverty!