Government initiatives cut child poverty in New York City in 2021, but many policies are no longer in effect

Today, Robin Hood and CPSP released the fifth Poverty Tracker Annual Report which assesses rates of income poverty, material hardship and economic disadvantage in New York City in 2021.​​ This year’s Poverty Tracker also spotlights the temporary pandemic relief programs that dramatically—but only briefly—brought child poverty in New York City to historic lows. The reduction in poverty rates highlighted in the report shows that government policy can be an effective poverty-fighting tool.

Robin Hood hosted a child poverty symposium, convening policy experts, government officials, and non-profit leaders, to consider the state of child poverty in New York City.

---

“Child poverty has been persistently high in New York City and the country, compromising children’s short- and long-term wellbeing. But the Poverty Tracker data makes clear that thoughtful and ambitious policy design can quickly reduce these stubbornly high rates of child poverty and have an immediate effect on the material hardships endured by children and their families.”

— Sophie Collyer, Research Director, Center on Poverty and Social Poverty

---

Featured in Gothamist: Pandemic tax credit lifted thousands of NYC children out of poverty, report finds

The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City.
It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.