New York City’s Department for the Aging is facing rising demand for home care and case management services that help older residents remain independent, resulting in a growing waitlist for assistance. This report highlights challenges such as funding uncertainty that may affect the agency’s ability to meet increasing needs.

The long-term decline in the number of individuals in State prisons has led to a demographic shift towards an older incarcerated population and necessitates increased attention to policies and costs associated with this population. This report reviews demographic changes in New York’s prison population, changes in prison admission trends and recent policy changes that impact the level of incarceration in the State.

This analysis offers a snapshot of New York City’s existing child care and Early Childhood Education services, the program characteristics unique to each, and an estimate of their total overall cost to the City.

The New Yorkers’ Financial Snapshot brings together recent data from national and State sources to provide an overview of household financial health. This snapshot examines key indicators such as income, assets, debt, and financial stress, offering insight into how New Yorkers have fared in recent years and how they compare to national trends.

New York City Health + Hospitals will see pressure on key sources of revenue as Medicaid and low-income patients that rely on federal support lose health insurance, while reimbursement rates for health care programs are cut by Washington, making it harder for the largest public health system in the country to reach its financial goals.

The frequency of severe weather in the State is growing, taking a toll on New York’s residents, property and economy. While New Yorkers approved the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act to support resilience investments, the impacts of climate change are a danger to all Americans and require federal action.

As New York’s older population continues to increase and the federal funding that supports them becomes less predictable, understanding demand for services, how funding has addressed unmet needs and the challenges for fully supporting New Yorkers as they age is vital. This report focuses on programs administered by New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA), particularly in-home services.

This report examines healthcare professional shortages in 16 rural counties throughout New York, looking at a range of professionals, including those practicing primary care, dental health and mental health. Shortages exist in all counties examined, and some counties have no pediatricians or Ob/Gyn doctors at all. The ability to access health care is an essential quality of life issue. Without access, rural New Yorkers may have worse health outcomes, and if unaddressed, shortages will get worse.

Proposed federal changes to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest program helping households obtain food, would increase costs to state governments, limit eligibility and reduce the value of future benefits. As an essential safety net program, SNAP benefits have traditionally been funded by the federal government; the proposed changes could weaken the program and lead to increased food insecurity in New York and nationally.

Food prices in the New York City metropolitan area have risen 25.2% since 2019 and low-income households are paying substantially more toward food than before the pandemic. While food costs are affected by many factors, recent increases have been fueled by supply chain disruptions created by disruptive public health, severe weather and geopolitical events, which may continue in the near term.