FPWA

05/28/2026

This year’s state budget includes meaningful investments that will help ease financial strain for working families and individuals across our state.

But the scale of the crisis facing New Yorkers demands greater urgency and ambition when many households remain one unexpected expense, job disruption, or health emergency away from crisis.

Economic security, not mere survival, must be the governing standard for public policy — and FPWA remains committed to working with state leaders to advance bold, lasting solutions that ensure every New Yorker has the resources not just to get by, but to thrive.

Swipe ➡️ to read the full statement from our CEO & Executive Director, Jennifer Jones Austin.

05/20/2026

Join us in congratulating Liza Schwartzwald, our Director of Policy and Advocacy, for being named to City and State NY's Nonprofit Trailblazers list! We celebrate Liza for her dedication to advancing economic security for all.

Visionaries and innovators on a mission to serve New Yorkers.

04/29/2026

New York City is now the first municipality in the nation to establish a True Cost of Living measure.

The release of this data is a meaningful step in honoring the will of voters — more than 80% of whom approved a charter revision requiring the City to develop and publish this metric annually.

And now, the real work begins.

TCOL has the power to reshape how policymakers approach wages, benefits, tax policy, housing, child care, and more. In a city where 62% of New Yorkers are economically insecure, we now have a tool that reflects the full picture of what it takes not just to survive, but to thrive.

"The city will no longer solely rely on outdated poverty thresholds that obscure the financial pressures families face. It is naming what it costs to live here, and to do so with dignity. Government statistics have told the lie that families are doing fine as long as they sit above the poverty line. Across the five boroughs, that line has never reflected reality."

🔗 Read the full piece from FPWA CEO & Co-Chair of the National True Cost of Living Coalition, Jennifer Jones Austin, now:

New Yorkers don’t need a report to tell them life in this city is expensive. They see it in rents that rise faster than wages, in child care costs that rival college tuition, and in paychecks that barely cover the bills. Only our g…

04/14/2026

Last chance to register!

New York City is now the first municipality in the country to establish a True Cost of Living measure and publish a related report.

Join us tomorrow morning for a webinar bringing together leaders across the City to explore how we can use the TCOL measure to inform policy, strengthen programs and advance economic security for all.

🔗Register using the link in our bio or at bit.ly/NYCTCOL

03/19/2026

Our Senior Policy Analyst, Funmi Akinnawonu, testified before the New York City Council Committee on Immigration to advocate for the safety and stability of our immigrant communities.

With federal policies creating a chilling effect on access to basic needs, FPWA is calling for increased investments in legal services and expanding public information campaigns to ensure this city is one that welcomes all its residents.

Read more by reading the full testimony here: https://www.fpwa.org/resource-center/testimony/fpwa-testimony-committee-on-immigration/

03/11/2026

We are proud to release our latest report: Unequal by Design: Occupational Segregation and Economic Disparity

This research reveals the structural barriers that continue to limit opportunity for thousands of New Yorkers. At its core, this report is a roadmap for advocacy and policy change.

Explore the full findings and join us in the fight for a more equitable workforce.

Learn more by reading the full report: https://www.fpwa.org/resource-center/reports-briefs/unequal-by-design-occupational-segregation-essential-labor-and-economic-disparities-in-new-york-city/

02/27/2026

As the 100th anniversary of Black History Month comes to a close, FPWA celebrates the many Black trailblazers in policy & social justice who drove meaningful, lasting change.

Their leadership challenged unjust systems and strategically advanced policies that advanced justice for Black communities and working families.

This Black History Month and beyond, we're committed to continuing in the path these leaders blazed, fighting to support low-income New Yorkers and make economic security a reality.

02/26/2026

During her testimony at today’s hearing with the Committee on Civil and Human Rights, our Chief of Policy & Research, Madeline Neighly, affirmed our commitment to working alongside the Council and the Mayor’s office to ensure release of NYC’s True Cost of Living measure.

With a higher than national rate of economic insecurity, New Yorkers are pressed not just by high costs, but a lack of resources. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted:

78% of Latino/a New Yorkers
68% of Black New Yorkers
63% of AAPI New Yorkers
72% of all families with children

These aren’t just statistics: the True Cost of Living measure is a guide for equitable budgeting and policymaking.

Read the full testimony here: https://www.fpwa.org/resource-center/testimony/fpwa-testimony-new-york-city-council-committee-on-civil-and-human-rights/

02/18/2026

Today, we honor the giant whose voice changed the landscape of American politics and the heart of the movement: Reverend Jesse Jackson.

Rev. Jackson’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of our work at FPWA. As our Executive Director & CEO Jennifer Jones Austin shared in her recent interview with ABC7, his deep commitment to economic justice and civil rights paved the way for many to follow.

All while reminding us that: "I am somebody."

02/13/2026

Join us tomorrow at the 55th Annual Legislative Conference to learn more about the True Cost of Economic Security, and what it tells us about the experiences of New Yorkers. 
 
📍Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
📍Legislative Office Building - Hearing Room A, Albany, NY
 
Panelists include:
▫️Madeline Neighly, FPWA
▫️J. Phillip Thompson, MIT
▫️Crystal Charles, Schuyler Center
▫️Carrie Tracy, Community Service Society