By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-927162.mp3
Albany, NY – On the heels of new census data showing a sharp increase in poverty in New York - The Hunger Action Network has released two new reports - which indicate that the State is not adequately helping low-income residents deal with growing problems from the great recession. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
The first report examines how well local social service districts have responded to the increased need for services as the recession has worsened. Hunger Action Network of New York Executive Director Mark Dunlea points out that navigating the welfare system is an incredibly challenging task, often requiring dozens of visits before assistance is provided: the report found that the districts do a poor job in assisting individuals with disabilities or responding to emergency situations. Dunlea is concerned that while food stamp enrollment has significantly increased during the great recession, the number of individuals receiving cash assistance has remained relatively stable despite increased need.
The second report examined how well the state is using new federal funds for various job related programs for welfare participants funded out of a special $1.2 billion fund as part of the economic stimulus. New York has allocated less than 10% of these funds for job initiatives, lagging far behind many other states, even though more than 800,000 New Yorkers are out of work. Nationally, unemployment is much higher among poor Americans. The unemployment rate for the poorest 10% of Americans is in excess of 30% (Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University).
The reports were funded by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
The Hunger Action Network is pushing subsidized employment as one of the best ways to create economic recovery ... the group is urging the state to focus on providing more jobs to the poorest New Yorkers, including more aggressively implementing the Green Jobs, Green New York Program, as well as setting targets for hiring low-income New Yorkers through federally funded projects.