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Higher Wages and Affordable Housing: Top Needs for New Yorkers to Get Ahead Economically
Irene Lew, Emerita Torres, Debipriya Chatterjee
Summary:
While New York City’s pandemic-ravaged economy is gradually rebounding by some metrics, it has a long way to go towards an inclusive recovery that benefits all New Yorkers. When he takes office in January 2022, New York City Mayor-Elect Eric Adams will inherit a $5 billion budget deficit1 and an acute housing and homelessness crisis exacerbated by widespread pandemic-related job loss. As the city looks ahead to the next mayoral administration, it must center the needs of low-income New Yorkers, especially communities of color, who continue to struggle.
For nearly 20 years, the Unheard Third survey has tracked the hardships of New York City’s low-income residents and their views on what policies would help them get ahead, making it the longest-running regular public opinion poll of low-income households in the United States. This post is the first in a special series, Whose Recovery? Addressing the Needs of Low-Income New Yorkers, which highlight key findings from our 2021 Unheard Third on the lingering and inequitable impacts of COVID-19.
Issues: Affordable Housing, Economic Mobility & Security, The Unheard Third, Workforce
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