Press Release
New CSS Report: “A Call to Action,” Highlights Persistent Hardships As the Bronx Recovers Slower Than the City Overall
Presents recommendations at the state and city level to alleviate hardships and foster economic progress
A new Community Service Society of New York (CSS) report analyzing hardships in the Bronx found that while the borough has added jobs and opened new businesses at a faster pace than the rest of the city in the post-pandemic era, it is recovering at a slower pace compared to the rest of the city with respect to overcoming economic, health and housing hardships. The borough’s uneven recovery along with other factors has exacerbated inequities that characterize the Bronx, threatening to erase the gains made in recent years.
The report, “A Call to Action: Hardships persist as the Bronx recovers slower than the city,” co-authored by Jennifer Hinojosa, Debipriya Chatterjee and Emerita Torres, is based on the latest findings from CSS’s Unheard Third survey (2023). It highlights the daily struggles of Bronxites and features individual accounts from residents themselves describing their difficulties finding childcare, food insecurity and paying the rent. The goal of the report is to bring attention to the hardships that residents of the Bronx are facing and provide targeted, actionable solutions that enable them to thrive.
“This important study affirms what Bronxites are living through every day. We need actionable, immediate policy reforms and investments that expand access to food, housing, healthcare, and economic opportunity,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “I am proud to champion bold solutions on behalf of my community, like passing Coverage For All next year and ultimately enacting the New York Health Act to provide universal healthcare in a statewide single-payer system. Our constituents are demanding transformative actions and I'm proud to have CSS as a partner in these fights."
"The release of this insightful report is a milestone in our ongoing efforts to effectively support and uplift residents living in the Bronx ," said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala."Its findings illuminating high rates of housing, economic, food, and health hardships are a vital reminder of the urgent struggles faced by members of this community. We are committed to transforming these findings into policies and investments that address these challenges and empower Bronxites to lead better lives. I thank the Community Service Society for their exceptional work in creating and sharing this essential resource."
"Amidst the challenges outlined in CSS's 'A Call to Action: Hardships Persist as the Bronx Recovers Slower than the City Overall,' lies an opportunity for impactful change,” said City Council Majority Leader and Bronx Council Member Amanda Farias. “The statistics reveal a stark reality, but they also illuminate a path forward. The Bronx deserves as many resources and investments as the rest of our City. That idea is what drove me to run for office, what drove me to fight for more than $34 million for my district last budget cycle, and what drives me today as the Majority Leader for the City Council. CSS has always been a leader in promoting equity and fighting for working-class families like my own and my neighbors. I look forward to my continued partnership with CSS for the betterment of our borough now and for future generations of Bronxites. Let us unite in advocacy and action, standing with Bronxites to address economic, food, health, and housing hardships head-on. Together, we can implement targeted solutions that uplift our communities and ensure that every resident not only survives, but thrives."
“We know that poverty and its related challenges have had a detrimental effect on the quality of life for many low-income Bronx residents as well as on their ability to get ahead economically,” said David R. Jones, CSS President and CEO. “As the Bronx economy continues to grow and prove resilient, thanks in part to public-private partnerships to develop commercial, housing and cultural projects, we must ensure that the borough’s improving economic picture translates into improved outcomes for its most vulnerable residents. This report highlights specific policy solutions tailored to address these challenges facing many low-income Bronx residents.”
Highlights of the report include:
- Overall Hardships in the Bronx:
-
Over 40 percent of all respondents from the Bronx, irrespective of household incomes, faced multiple hardships (i.e., three or more hardships relating to economic, food, health and housing domains)—a rate that was significantly higher compared to respondents across the city (32 percent).
-
Over half (52 percent) of low-income residents in the Bronx reported facing three or more hardships in 2023.
-
Between 2022 and 2023, the share of households facing multiple hardships remained unchanged in the Bronx while it declined significantly (8 percentage points) across the city.
-
-
Economic hardship: About half of Bronx respondents surveyed reported an economic hardship in 2023; this is at least 6 percentage points higher compared to the citywide rate (44 percent).
-
Food hardship: Over 40 percent of all respondents in the Bronx, and 60 percent of all households with children, reported experiencing food hardship. In contrast, rates of food hardship were 29 percent of all households (and 46 percent of all households with children) citywide.
-
Housing hardship: High rate of housing hardships in the Bronx, a borough with the highest share of rent-burdened renters (48 percent). Among families with children 55 percent reported housing hardship, a stark contrast to the citywide rate of 37 percent.
-
Health hardship: Bronx respondents reported the highest health related hardships at 36 percent compared to all boroughs and citywide.
To alleviate their hardships and foster economic progress, the report authors make several recommendations that the City and the State of New York can prioritize to improve the availability of truly affordable housing in the Bronx, increase access to public benefits, invigorate local hiring and workforce development and expand access to affordable healthcare and college education, particularly among low-income residents striving to improve their economic mobility. They include:
- Increasing rental assistance and ensuring new housing developments prioritize the needs of Bronx residents;
- Increasing public benefits awareness and accessibility, including expanding the presence of benefits offices in the Bronx rather than closing existing ones;
- Increasing access to childcare vouchers among Latina/o/x and Black New Yorkers;
- Linking young and working-age adults of the Bronx with city employment opportunities, and actively engaging with the rising “out of school and out of work” youth population.
“As the economy in the Bronx continues to grow and non-profit organizations work tirelessly to provide support, it's imperative that we find ways to lessen the struggles of its residents so they can fully participate in and benefit from the borough's economic progress. This report details local recommendations and initiatives taken by non-profit organizations in the Bronx,” said CSS Policy Analyst and report co-author Jennifer Hinojosa.
“An equitable recovery across New York City cannot be achieved without paying closer attention to economic and financial dynamics in the Bronx, as seen by the findings of our report. It is exciting that the Bronx economy has proven itself to be resilient in the face of pandemic and post-pandemic realities, but we cannot ignore the increasing hardships that low-income Bronxites face. A question facing the private sector, government, advocates and community non-profits is how we can ensure that the benefits of the Bronx’ strengthening economy reach its people,” said Emerita Torres, CSS VP of Policy Research and Advocacy and report co-author.
This report highlights policies that help enable a more balanced and equitable recovery in the Bronx by providing actionable on the ground recommendations that empower the resilient community of the Bronxites. More importantly, this report amplifies the hardships faced by Bronx residents amidst the uneven economic recovery, underscoring the resilience of Bronxites despite the numerous socio-economic challenges they face post-pandemic.