by Chris Jones, Director, Economic Programs, RPA
What keeps low-income New Yorkers up at night, and how different are their concerns from other city residents? A recently released poll by the Community Service Society of New York provides some answers for a group whose voice is often splintered or lost in debates over the future of the city. The size of this constituency alone warrants attention, with 33.6% of New York City adults residing in households with incomes that are less than 200% of the Federal poverty line (about $30,000 for a family of three). The results were sometimes predictable, but often not.
As one might expect, economic issues led the list of major concerns. When asked what they worried about most for themselves and their families, 20% of low-income New Yorkers said unemployment and job security. The cost of living and affordable housing came in a close second at 17%. Three other issues scored above 10%-- crime/drugs/violence (13%), health/health care/prescription drugs (11%) and wages/finances (10%). These family worries are also what they said was the biggest problem facing New York City. A third cited jobs and the economy, with crimes/drugs/violence and cost of living/affordable housing coming in second and third at 17% and 12%, respectively.
With two notable exceptions, moderate/high income New Yorkers had a similar list of concerns. Unemployment and job security led the list of personal worries with the same 20% cited by low-income New Yorkers. Crime, health care and wages were also ranked highest by similar percentages among low-income and moderate/high income New Yorkers. However, income did make a difference on two of the most commonly perceived problems of living in New York-- schools and housing. Low-income residents were far less likely to cite the public school system as the major problem facing New York City, while this was the second most frequently mentioned issue for higher income residents. And while housing issues ranked high for both groups, they resonated more strongly among the poor.
What do the poor see as the keys to getting ahead? Housing assistance, job training, health insurance and lower taxes were ranked far above other issues, such as basic education and subsidized child care. Other New Yorkers largely agreed that these were the right anti- poverty tools, but more affluent respondents were more likely to include basic education as a high priority.
The report, which can be found at www.cssny.org, has detailed findings on these and a range of other issues, including hardships faced by New York's poor and views on specific policy questions.
What keeps low-income New Yorkers up at night, and how different are their concerns from other city residents? A recently released poll by the Community Service Society of New York provides some answers for a group whose voice is often splintered or lost in debates over the future of the city. The size of this constituency alone warrants attention, with 33.6% of New York City adults residing in households with incomes that are less than 200% of the Federal poverty line (about $30,000 for a family of three). The results were sometimes predictable, but often not.
As one might expect, economic issues led the list of major concerns. When asked what they worried about most for themselves and their families, 20% of low-income New Yorkers said unemployment and job security. The cost of living and affordable housing came in a close second at 17%. Three other issues scored above 10%-- crime/drugs/violence (13%), health/health care/prescription drugs (11%) and wages/finances (10%). These family worries are also what they said was the biggest problem facing New York City. A third cited jobs and the economy, with crimes/drugs/violence and cost of living/affordable housing coming in second and third at 17% and 12%, respectively.
With two notable exceptions, moderate/high income New Yorkers had a similar list of concerns. Unemployment and job security led the list of personal worries with the same 20% cited by low-income New Yorkers. Crime, health care and wages were also ranked highest by similar percentages among low-income and moderate/high income New Yorkers. However, income did make a difference on two of the most commonly perceived problems of living in New York-- schools and housing. Low-income residents were far less likely to cite the public school system as the major problem facing New York City, while this was the second most frequently mentioned issue for higher income residents. And while housing issues ranked high for both groups, they resonated more strongly among the poor.
What do the poor see as the keys to getting ahead? Housing assistance, job training, health insurance and lower taxes were ranked far above other issues, such as basic education and subsidized child care. Other New Yorkers largely agreed that these were the right anti- poverty tools, but more affluent respondents were more likely to include basic education as a high priority.
The report, which can be found at www.cssny.org, has detailed findings on these and a range of other issues, including hardships faced by New York's poor and views on specific policy questions.
@RegionalPlan