For Immediate Release
January 13, 2026
Contact:
Andrew Taranto
New York, NY (January 13, 2026) – Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), issued the following statement in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State address.
“Governor Hochul’s State of the State address reflected an understanding that affordability remains a defining challenge for New Yorkers across the state. She is right that this crisis extends far beyond any single expense like childcare, housing, or utilities and reflects the cumulative economic pressure families face on all fronts. That recognition matters, and delivering on a true cost-of-living agenda requires a deeper reckoning with what families are experiencing and what they actually need to achieve lasting economic security.
For far too long, the cost of living has outpaced wage growth. That is why our state must center policy responses in the True Cost of Economic Security, a framework that captures the full reality of what it costs to survive and thrive. We must move beyond narrow measures that mistake survival for success. The lived economic realities of working families from Brooklyn to Buffalo should be the barometer for whether Albany is truly delivering on affordability. I have told the Governor personally that FPWA stands ready to partner with her administration on delivering on these commitments.”
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The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) is a leading anti-poverty, social policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening human services organizations and faith institutions and advancing economic opportunity and justice for New Yorkers with low incomes. Since 1922, FPWA has driven groundbreaking policy reforms to better serve those in need. We work to dismantle the structural and systemic barriers that impede economic security and well-being, and we strengthen the capacity of human services agencies and faith organizations so New Yorkers with lower incomes can thrive and live with dignity.
