Nearly 14% of all New Yorkers live in poverty with the most in the Bronx

ALBANY — The Bronx has the highest level of poverty in the state and minorities are twice as likely than white New Yorkers to struggle financially, according to a new report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The analysis found that almost 2.7 million New Yorkers, just under 14% of the state’s population, lived in poverty in 2021, compared to 12.8% of all Americans the same year.

While poverty rates fell across the state over the 10-year period from 2010 to 2020, decreasing from 15% to 12.7%, the numbers rose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bronx remains the county with the highest poverty rate in the state at near 24%, while Brooklyn and Manhattan also both came in higher than the state average at 17.8% and 16.3% respectively.

Poverty rates in New York have surpassed the national average since 2014, and while they declined in the years prior to the pandemic, they remain higher than they were in 2019, the comptroller found.

DiNapoli said while the pandemic exacerbated poverty across the state, federal assistance in the form of the expanded child tax credit and relief sent to states showed ways in which officials could combat further increases.

“While economic hardships existed long before the pandemic, it deepened the financial stress experienced by many households,” the comptroller said. “We saw what a large and broad federal response achieved, as the country made historic progress in the fight against poverty.

“Continued federal resources, along with a greater equity in state services, can help improve the lives of New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet,” he added.

The Official Poverty Measure is determined by the U.S. Census Bureau based on survey data of income and family size and composition, compared to thresholds that reflect the dollar amount required to meet the needs for different sized families.

In 2021, the poverty threshold, updated for inflation, was $13,788 for one person and $27,740 for a household of four.

DiNapoli’s office found that poverty rates are more than double for Hispanic New Yorkers compared to white residents. Black, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander and American Indian New Yorkers experienced poverty at twice the rate of white New Yorkers.

Poverty rates were also much higher for children than for adults, including seniors.

In 2021, the percent of population under 18 living below the poverty level in New York was 18.5%, nearly 5% higher than the state average.

While child poverty has declined from roughly 21% in 2010, state lawmakers are eyeing ways to further lower that number.

On Thursday, Democratic lawmakers unveiled a measure modeled on the lapsed expanded federal child tax credit that would allow those with the lowest incomes to receive the largest credits.

The proposed NYS Working Families Tax Credit would increase the maximum credit to $1,500 per child and provide, at minimum, a $500 credit per child regardless of income.

“I wholeheartedly agree with the State Comptroller’s recommendation to expand effective interventions that have demonstrated a meaningful reduction in poverty like the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit,” said Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Queens), lead sponsor of the new credit. “I look forward to working with the State Comptroller to implement these recommendations.”

DiNapoli also recommends that the federal government assess current programs for potential improvements, including the adequacy of benefit amounts and flexibility in local administration.

Richard Buery, the CEO of Robin Hood, a philanthropic group focused on fighting poverty, said the report “underscores that poverty is a policy choice.”

“During the first two years of the pandemic, bold government interventions provided a lifeline for millions of New Yorkers,” he said. “They helped forestall a massive increase in poverty and hardship amid massive job and income loss. Yet, the data also shows us that millions of New Yorkers remain in and near poverty, and stubborn racial and economic disparities exist.”

Content Source

California Press News – Latest News:
Los Angeles Local News || Bay Area Local News || California News || Lifestyle News || National news || Travel News || Health News

Related Articles

Back to top button