More than 20,000 public housing residents are seeking jobs in New York City’s
recession economy. The city and the Housing Authority have every reason to
connect them to opportunities.

The Community Service Society of New York draws on a 160-year history of excellence in addressing the root causes of economic disparity. Through applied research, advocacy, litigation, and innovative program models, we respond to urgent, contemporary challenges by pioneering programs for a more prosperous city.
As millions of low-income New Yorkers struggle to keep pace with declining wages, insufficient benefits, and dwindling prospects for career advancement, the Community Service Society focuses greater attention on helping hard-working people rise above.

Last month the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act was introduced in the House. H.R. 3045 would streamline and make improvements to the Housing Choice Voucher program and authorize 150,000 new vouchers in fiscal year (FY) 2010.

A bill introduced by Representative John M. McHugh would suspend taxes on unemployment benefits for two years. This legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code to suspend the taxation of unemployment benefits for the 2009 and 2010 tax years.

A new study finds disparities between poor, at-risk children and more advantaged children as early as 9 months of age - extending prior research that primarily focuses on disparities at kindergarten entry and beyond. It identifies low income and low maternal education as the factors most strongly associated with poorer cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes among very young children.

A new report looks at the impact of income-support programs on reducing poverty. The analysis finds that federal aid programs have been more effective in fighting poverty than previously recognized, but have become less successful over the past ten years in reducing deep poverty in America.

A new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics tracks 40 key indicators measuring children’s economic circumstances, health, physical environment and safety, family and social environment, behavior, and education. Some troubling statistics include: In 2007, the poverty rate for children rose from 17% to 18% from the previous year and 12.4 million children in America - or 17% of all kids - live in households that are food-insecure.

Check for data on families with kids: HUD’s new report provides a point-in-time estimate of the total number of homeless persons on a single night, as well as a one-year estimate of the total sheltered homeless population. The point-in-time survey showed that on a single night in January 2008, over 664,000 persons were homeless nationwide.

From recruitment to ongoing training and troubleshooting, this Child Trends brief argues that good management is key to maintaining well-trained and well-prepared frontline staff in after-school programs. Good directors create a positive climate and supportive environment for participants and staff and they use relevant data to set new goals.