New data suggests that the Department of Social Services is bouncing back from historically low processing rates for public benefits, though cash aid applications are being denied more frequently than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic.
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Outdated Zoning Rules are Hurting the City’s Small Businesses
Larisa Ortiz |
“As businesses evolve to meet changing consumer preferences, it has become clear that zoning regulations too often put up real, often unnecessary obstacles for businesses looking to make these necessary pivots as a matter of survival.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Why New Yorkers Should Reject Austerity for CUNY
Nicholas Freudenberg and Alexa D’Angelo |
“Since CUNY is one of the city’s most traversed pathways out of poverty, any decision to block or compromise this escape route must be considered for its short and long-term consequences.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: NYC Comptroller Should Fight Climate Change, Not Finance It
Margaret Perkins and Pete Sikora |
“Blue cities and states have much more pension fund money than red states. As the saying goes, money talks. It’s time for Comptroller Lander to put money that he manages where his mouth is. New Yorkers need him to fight for our interests at least as hard as red state politicians fight for the oil and gas corporations.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Addressing Income Inadequacy and Occupational Segregation this Black History Month
Julia Casey |
“The occupational segregation and income inadequacy rampant across our state today is the direct consequence of policies that have intentionally excluded and marginalized people of color and women and undervalued their labor, especially in care-oriented industries like education, childcare, healthcare and human services more broadly.”
Citywide
‘Why Are You Making It So Difficult’? NYC Cash Aid Applicants Face Denial Surge
Emma Whitford and Patrick Spauster |
The volume of cash assistance applications in New York City has increased dramatically in recent years. But as more households receive aid, the city is also issuing more procedural denials, in the hundreds of thousands.
Economy
Lawmakers Plan to Reintroduce Deforestation Bill Vetoed Last Year
Mariana Simões |
Gov. Hochul tried to water down a bill that sought to stop companies that have contracts with the state government from contributing to tropical deforestation. Now, lawmakers plan to reintroduce the bill and fight for its integrity.
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Struggling NYC Delivery Workers Finally Got a Raise—And App Companies Are Punishing Us For It
Yerzhan Abdildin |
“Delivery work is very dangerous, and we have virtually no protections. The very least app companies can do is promote tipping by making it an up-front, clear option for customers.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Defend, Don’t Defund, NYC’s Community Schools
Quamid Francis |
“These schools represent an inclusive model of education, one that seamlessly integrates schools with the broader community network and thus merits a dedicated, reliable funding stream.”
CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS
Opinion: Universal Housing Vouchers are Key to Ending a National Crisis
Rafael E. Cestero |
“Fully funding Section 8 to establish a Universal Housing Voucher program will clear the way to reduce spending on everything from health care to food security, and set a course to end this housing crisis.”
Economy
‘His One Move is to Cut’: Adams Admin in Hot Seat Over Budget Strategy
Emma Whitford |
While New York City must propose a balanced budget in January for the coming fiscal year, some say Adams’ approach to closing the gap—multiple rounds of budget cuts across most agencies—is a blunt instrument, and not the only option.