Page 116 - Impact: Collected Essays on the Threat of Economic Inequality

New York
National
Child Poverty rate
0.6 million (13.7%)
10.9 million (14.6%)
Child poverty reduction with all policy changes
-72.7%
-60.3%
Child poverty reduction with housing subsidy expansion
-38.1%
-20.8%
Child poverty reduction with SNAP increase
-15.7%
-16.2%
Child poverty reduction with EITC increase
-14.5%
- 8.8%
Child poverty reduction with Child Tax Credit increase
-13.5%
-11.6%
Child poverty reduction with subsidized jobs
-11.1%
-10.7%
Child poverty reduction with child care subsidy expansion
-4.2%
- 3.1%
114
Table A. Comparison of Child SPM Poverty Impacts in New York and at the National Level20
Expanding housing subsidies: As is shown in Table A, expanding housing subsidies to all households with children below 150 percent poverty for whom the fair market rent exceeds 50 percent of their income, would have the biggest impact in New York, reducing child poverty by over 38 percent alone . This large impact is most likely due to the high cost of housing in New York as a significant contributor to the state’s high poverty rate . In 2013, more than three full-time minimum wage jobs were necessary to be able to afford a fair market rent two-bedroom apartment and still have enough left over for food, utilities, and other necessities .21 New York’s housing affordability crisis has driven many families with children into homelessness. New York ranks 49th (with 50th being the worst) among states in the extent of its child homelessness, with more than 258,000 children (ages 0-17) homeless in 2012-2013.22 The state has also failed to address affordable housing, ranking 41st in state policy and planning for homeless children and families .23 In March 2015, there were over 14,000 families with nearly 25,000 children sleeping in a New York City municipal shelter each night .24
Recent investments and advancement of proposals to provide more equitable housing policies, such as rent stabilization, at the state level and the New York City level mark significant steps in the right direction, but more must be done .
Increase participation in New York’s SNAP program: Children made up 39 percent of SNAP recipients in New York in 2014 .25 The program is a critical support for the many families and
20 Id. at 45 (Table A3.5).
21 children’s defense fund, supra note 6.
22 american insTiTuTes for research, america’s youngesT ouTcasTs: a reporT card on child homelessness 55 (Nov. 2014), available at http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/mediadocs/280.pdf.
23 Id.
24 NewYork City Homelessness:The Basic Facts,The coaliTion forThe homeless, http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.
org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/NYCHomelessnessFactSheetMARCH2015_2.pdf (updated May 2015).
25 New York Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, cenTer on BudgeT & policy prioriTies (Feb. 27, 2015), http:// www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/NY.pdf.
Impact: Collected Essays on the Threat of Economic Inequality