In the years since Columbia’s West Harlem expansion was approved, West Harlem has seen extensive and intensive changes to its demographic makeup, notably significant changes in race and ethnicity, and income. Alongside these demographic changes, rents and sales prices have risen, rent stabilized housing has been lost, and evictions have been ongoing.
Survey reveals 65 percent of middle-class Americans are “struggling financially,” exposes need for national measure that accurately captures cost of living in 21st century America.
Nearly one in five New Yorkers are struggling to afford public transit.
Testimony on student loan debt by Carolina Rodriguez, Director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP), Community Service Society of New York.
In 2022, 30 percent of all Unheard Third respondents said they experienced food hardship. Among low-income New Yorkers, it's over 50 percent.
New York City is failing to tap the full potential of Fair Fares. That’s because the current Fair Fares cut-off is too low and leaves out too many New Yorkers who still struggle every day to afford the fare.
Fair Fares NYC, a program that provides a 50% discount on subway and eligible bus fares for New York City residents living at or below the federal poverty level (FPL), is a critical lifeline to education, employment, medical care and other basic necessities for low-income New Yorkers.
This expansion comes at a critical time as borrowers navigate the complex student loan repayment system, try to benefit from the latest relief available, and prepare for payment resumption.
In a positive development over the summer, the city decided to extend discounted ferry tickets to Fair Fare enrollees. However, it still leaves out many people, including students. Intro 236 seeks to make it easier for students enrolled in a city high school to use the ferry system by offering them the discounted fare.
CSS conducted an analysis in 2017 and again in March 2022 to study the impact of congestion pricing on outer-borough residents. Only 4 percent of outer-borough residents (Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island) would regularly pay the congestion charge.
Last week, the Biden Administration announced that it will cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers. Here are 6 tips from EDCAP on what borrowers should do next.