For Immediate Release:
January 10, 2025
Contact:
Rachel Noerdlinger, rnoerdlinger@actumllc.com
Jason Elan, jelan@actumllc.com
New York, NY (January 10, 2025) — In response to yesterday’s 2025 State of the City Address, Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA, issued the following statement today:
“FPWA commends Mayor Adams for acknowledging in his 2025 State of the City address the unaffordability crisis one too many New Yorkers are grappling with, and his administration’s efforts to do something about it. Making child care more affordable and keeping money in the pockets of low- and middle-income earners through tax reform are critical measures that could help New Yorkers who are struggling day to day to make ends meet. But until the Mayor and his administration actually calculate what it costs for New Yorkers to cover their daily expenses and also save for their families’ futures and for unanticipated expenses, the City will be doing little more than helping people get by.
In 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly called upon the City of New York to calculate the true cost of living and then to use the calculation to continually shape and form policies aimed at ensuring economic security, but the measure has yet to be created. As the Chair of the NYC Racial Justice Commission that put true cost of living on the City ballot and Co-Chair of the National True Cost of Living Coalition, I am encouraged that the City is now moving to develop the mandated measure, which must center on economic security and not simply subsistence if our city is to tackle and overcome this growing crisis. I and my colleagues at FPWA look forward to continuing to work with the City to ensure that all New Yorkers can not only survive but also thrive in our great city.”
About The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)
FPWA is a leading anti-poverty, social policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening human services organizations and faith institutions, and advancing economic opportunity and justice for New Yorkers with low incomes. Since 1922, FPWA has driven groundbreaking policy reforms to better serve those in need. We work to dismantle the structural and systemic barriers that impede economic security and well-being, and strengthen the capacity of human services agencies and faith organizations so New Yorkers with lower incomes can thrive and live with dignity. Learn more at fpwa.org.
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