Public Charge: How a new policy could affect poverty in New York City

On September 22, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security proposed changes to “public charge” policies that govern applications for legal permanent resident status. The changes would penalize applicants who receive public benefits including parts of Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), housing assistance and other public benefits. The implications for poverty in New York City are stark. Our latest brief demonstrates that these policy changes would push between 65,000 and 115,000 New Yorkers into poverty, including as many as 45,000 children. The report also explores the “chilling effect” of the policy, where people drop out of public programs even if they are not directly affected because of misinformation or fear. With those chilling effects, the report estimates the public charge rule changes could negatively affect the income of 400,000 to 700,000 people in New York City.

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.