Creating Vibrant Communities

FPI Supports Calls to Protect SNAP

June 14, 2018. FPI’s Policy Analyst, Shamier Settle and Chief Economist, Jonas Shaende joined the Poor People’s Campaign and Rise & Resist at their rally against potential cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The House Agriculture Committee farm bill (H.R. 2) outlines cuts and discontinuation of SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) for a substantial number of low-income Americans. This proposal contains $20 billion in cuts to the SNAP program and provisions for expanded work requirements. There is little empirical evidence that such requirements [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:52:09-05:00June 15th, 2018|Blog, Creating Vibrant Communities, Meeting Basic Needs|

FPI Holds Webinar with Hunger Solutions New York About SNAP and the 2018 Farm Bill

May 8, 2018. The Fiscal Policy Institute and Hunger Solutions New York held a webinar regarding the 2018 Farm Bill and changes to SNAP on April 30, 2018. SNAP, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps close the gap of food insecurity for people across New York and the rest of the country. The slides for the webinar are available here.

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:36:51-05:00May 8th, 2018|Creating Vibrant Communities, Meeting Basic Needs|

Interactive Maps: SNAP Participation Rates and SNAP Retailers

May 7, 2018. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP for short, is the country's largest and most effective nutrition program. In New York State, over 2.8 million people utilize SNAP every year, including 1.1 million children. More than $4.9 billion in SNAP benefits were spent at over 18,000 New York retailers in 2016. SNAP is a part of the Farm Bill, a piece of legislation which authorizes most federal policies governing food and agriculture programs. Approximately 80 percent of the Farm Bill is SNAP funding [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:35:41-05:00May 7th, 2018|Blog, Creating Vibrant Communities, Meeting Basic Needs|

Protest Outside Congresswomen Stefanik’s Office Targets Proposed SNAP Cuts

May 4, 2018. A small group of citizens protested outside U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s downtown office Thursday to urge her not to vote on the upcoming Farm Bill, which contains $20 billion in cuts in the SNAP program. Ron Deutsch, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, carried a sign that read, “SNAP Out of it Elise. Don’t Cut Food Stamps 4 Families.” SNAP refers to the formal name of the food stamp program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Deutsch, whose organization defines itself as a [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:34:48-05:00May 4th, 2018|FPI in the News, Meeting Basic Needs|

Rod Watson: Report Underscores Need to Mandate Affordable Housing

The analysis from the Fiscal Policy Institute, based on Census Bureau data, looks at affordability in the state’s six largest cities. It shows that 38 percent of Buffalo’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, with a quarter of the city’s renters spending more than 40 percent. The federal government sets 30 percent as the upper limit for housing that’s deemed "affordable," meaning more than a third of Buffalo’s residents can’t really afford the rental housing they are living in. That [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:28:05-05:00April 19th, 2018|Creating Vibrant Communities, FPI in the News, Housing|

New York’s Rent Affordability Crisis Hits Families of Color the Hardest

The United States and New York are in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. Nearly 11 million American households pay over half of their income in rent despite the fact that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines “affordable housing” as housing costing below 30 percent of a family’s income for rent. If a family pays more than 30 percent of their income on rent, they are considered “rent burdened.” In New York State, the affordable housing crisis is particularly severe, especially [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:26:50-05:00April 11th, 2018|Blog, Creating Vibrant Communities, Fact Sheets, Housing|

What’s Going On In Your District? The Fiscal Policy Institute’s Congressional District Fact Sheets Are Here!

February 16, 2018. The beginning of the Trump administration initiated a tremendous wave of attacks on government poverty alleviation programs and services like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New York State has the highest income equality of all the fifty states with over 2.8 million people living in poverty. These programs and services provide immense relief for lower-income, working families and lift millions of children out of poverty. The Congressional District Fact Sheets (CDFS) contain information about the importance of poverty alleviation and [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:13:53-05:00February 16th, 2018|Creating Vibrant Communities, Fact Sheets, Meeting Basic Needs|

Pros, Cons of Voting for a Constitutional Convention

November 2, 2017. On Election Day, New York’s voters will have their first opportunity in 20 years to call for a state constitutional convention via ballot proposition. Nearly 100 Capital District voters packed the auditorium at the Guilderland Public Library last Tuesday night for a panel discussion titled “Would New York State Benefit from a Constitutional Convention?” The event, co-presented by the League of Women Voters of Albany County and the Women’s Press Club of New York State, was moderated by Susan Arbetter, host of [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:44:32-05:00November 20th, 2017|FPI in the News, Good Governance|

Progressive Groups Warn Against Constitutional Convention

A coalition of progressive groups including the NYCLU and Legal Aid Society announced its opposition to a ballot measure on Nov. 7 that asks whether New Yorkers should hold a convention to revise and amend the state constitution next year. Opponents such as Fiscal Policy Institute and New Yorkers Against Corruption, fear it could set the stage for rolling back protections and rights such as public-sector pension guarantees and legal protections for immigrants and the poor. “We have far more to lose than we have [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:39:06-05:00October 31st, 2017|FPI in the News, Good Governance|

Progressives Urge “No” Vote on Constitutional Convention

October 30, 2017. A group of progressive organizations, on Monday, gathered to voice their opposition to holding a constitutional convention, which voters will decide on Nov. 7. “We have far more to lose than we have to gain,” said Ron Deutsch, executive director of the labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute. “We think this is a recipe for disaster.” Access full article HERE

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:38:56-05:00October 31st, 2017|FPI in the News, Good Governance|

Ron Deutsch and Susan Welber Urge No Vote on the Constitutional Convention Question

October 30, 2017. There is just over a week left until New Yorkers head to the polls. Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, and Susan Welber, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society, weighed in on why they are urging a no vote on Ballot Question One, the Constitutional Convention Question. Access to the full podcast can be found HERE.

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:38:30-05:00October 31st, 2017|FPI in the News, Good Governance|

A Constitutional Convention – A Risk NOT Worth Taking

A Constitutional Convention – A Risk NOT Worth Taking Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute The New York Constitution articulates the legal rights of New Yorkers, and in many vital areas, provides our residents more protections than the U.S. Constitution. A Constitutional Convention is an expensive, complicated and potentially dangerous undertaking that is unnecessary because we already have a more rigorous and more democratic process by which the voters can adopt or reject individual amendments to the State Constitution on their individual merits rather than being presented [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:36:40-05:00October 30th, 2017|Blog, Good Governance|

Progressive Organizations Join Together to Urge Opposition to ConCon

Press Release For Immediate Release: Contact: October 30, 2017 Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute (518) 469-6769 Progressive Organizations Join Together to Urge Opposition to ConCon The Risk is Simply Too Great Progressive organizations from across New York State joined together today to voice their opposition to a Constitutional Convention. The groups suggested that for virtually all New Yorkers, there is simply more to lose than to gain by holding a Constitutional Convention. The groups highlighted multiple concerns with the rigged delegate selection process, the [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:35:41-05:00October 30th, 2017|Good Governance, Press Releases|

Forum Tackles Issue of Constitutional Convention

On November 4th, New Yorkers will go to the polls and decide whether to hold a Constitutional Convention. Holding a Constitutional Convention, or Con-Con for short, would allow the people to exercise their right to make changes to alter the state constitution. This vote is held every twenty years, and the last time that a Con-Con convened was in 1967. If New Yorkers vote to convene a Con-Con, they would have the opportunity to elect delegates in November 2018 and then the Convention would convene [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:34:09-05:00October 25th, 2017|FPI in the News, Good Governance|

Groups Concerned about Healthcare Cuts

10/20/2017. Fiscal Policy Institutes Executive Director, Ron Deutsch, discusses how proposed federal budget cuts threaten healthcare. He and others rallied outside Glens Falls Hospital on Thursday to protest a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. “Congress has failed to renew funding for critical healthcare programs, which jeopardizes access to care for low- and middle-income residents and threatens hospitals across the state,” said Greenfield resident Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute executive director." Access to full article Here

Anthony Troia2021-01-08T09:32:21-05:00October 24th, 2017|FPI in the News, Health Care|

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