Fiscal Policy Analysis and Advocacy

Following the 2016 election, FPWA member agencies — many of whom rely on federal funding to serve their communities – expressed grave concern about the impact of federal fiscal policies on New York City’s social services budget and sector.

In response, FPWA created a Fiscal Policy team to address these concerns. In February 2019, the Fiscal Policy team launched the FPWA Federal Funds Tracker (#FedFundsTracker) to foster greater awareness of and engagement in the federal budget process through data, storytelling, and action. The Federal Funds Tracker demystifies the federal budget by organizing federal budget data into accessible and interactive visualizations and brings these data to life with stories of New Yorkers whose quality of life was improved by federal support. The Tracker also provides actionable information to encourage advocacy and engagement in the federal budget process, such as by defending against proposed federal budget cuts and supporting proposals to strengthen programs.

Be sure to sign up for email alerts to receive breaking analysis, advocacy alerts, and data updates. Sign up for email alerts here.

Read the Federal Funds Trackers Introductory Report and our analysis of President Trump’s FY 2020 budget proposal here.

Human Services

• FPWA continues to advocate for investments in the human services sector by urging New York City and New York State to allocate adequate resources to address the greatest demand for critical programs since the Great Recession.
  
• We are educating policymakers that funding for human services have decreased while poverty rates and demand for services have increased.

New York Health Act

• Over 1 million New Yorkers are currently uninsured, including 400,000 immigrants who are unable to access coverage due to their status. Over 20% of New Yorkers are also underinsured. Healthcare costs have risen at a rate that outstrips income growth, and individuals and families are not receiving the care they need because of their high costs and a lack of access.
• The New York Health Act (NYHA) would address these issues by implementing a single payer system, providing all medically necessary services at a lower cost to all New York residents. Coverage would be provided regardless of employment, immigration status, or income.

Interested in learning more? Check out our one-pager and use our template to send a memo of support to your state elected officials.

Successful Aging

• FPWA believes that older New Yorkers should be able to live in their homes with dignity and support, as engaged members of their communities for as long as possible. While the past two decades have seen an incredible growth in the number of New Yorkers aged 60 and older, funding for the services that support them has not kept up, leaving us with mounting waitlists and a fragmented service delivery system.
• Rebuilding the safety net that allows older New Yorkers to age in place will require a robust investment in home- and neighborhood-based services, and caregiver supports. Working with a coalition of advocates, and our member agencies, FPWA is working to secure a commitment from the City to fully funding core services provided through the Department for the Aging, including: senior centers, Naturally Occurring Retirement Centers (NORCs), social adult day programs, home delivered meals, transportation, elder abuse, case management, caregiver services, and homecare.

Workforce Development

• FPWA advocates at both the city and state levels for the expansion of education and training opportunities for youth and adults facing greater barriers to employment. Our priority areas include transitional job programs, tax credits for working young adults, and entrepreneurial economic-boosting opportunities such as worker cooperatives.