The Elections Over Whats Next?

New Yorkers Weigh in on Top Priorities for the New Mayor

Now that the election is over and New Yorkers We also found widespread agreement about several have chosen new city leaders, our attention turns proposals to widen opportunities for New Yorkers to governing. How can the new mayor create while promoting upward mobility and expanding good-paying jobs, address high unemployment in middle class prosperity. This emerging consensus low-income communities, and spur the development points the way toward a set of concrete policy of affordable housing? The measures the next mayor can We found widespread concern and should pursue to make Community Service Societys annual Unheard Third survey about income inequality and economic advancement a offers a roadmap to specific centerpiece of his agenda. a fading belief that those proposals that New Yorkers struggling at the lower end of broadly supportand are the citys economic ladder can Much has been made of the willing to invest in. tough fiscal decisions awaiting move up to the middle class. the next mayor. Its important to Our 2013 survey asked New note that many of the proposals Yorkersof all income levelsfor their opinions cited here are budget neutral. Moreover, at a on pressing issues confronting the next mayor. We time when the citys poverty rate remains high at found widespread concern about income inequality 21 percent, New Yorkers express a willingness to and a fading belief that those struggling at the personally pay a little more in taxes and take on lower end of the citys economic ladder can move more debt to advance the economic prospects of up to the middle class. those left behind.

Finding: New Yorkers are worried about widening inequality.

Q:
How worried are you about widening inequality between the wealthy and the poor in New York City?

MORE WORRIED

64%

18% 27% 15% 33% 37%

LESS WORRIED

VERY WORRIED

SOMEWHAT WORRIED

A LITTLE WORRIED

NOT AT ALL WORRIED

A New Consensus
EDUcaTIOn
A wide majority of New Yorkerstwothirdsprefer a change in the current administrations education policy

Learn more: www.cssny.org/newmayor

JOB CReaTIOn
New Yorkers support broad measures to grow middle-income jobs and expand employment opportunities to underserved populations

HOUsInG
Nearly 7 out of 10 New Yorkers want to scale up measures to reduce poverty and homelessness

74% 70%

would be somewhat or very willing to personally pay more in taxes to make pre-K programs available to all children favor investing in schools serving poor neighborhoods over the current administrations market approach would be somewhat or very willing to personally pay more in taxes to expand career and technical education programs to prepare students for jobs in emerging industries

73% 82%

support expanding paid sick leave to more workers. support investing in large public works to create good local jobs modernizing our infrastructure would be somewhat or very willing to personally pay more in taxes to invest in jobs and training programs to help the citys 186,000 disconnected youth enter the labor market support tax breaks and rezoning for businesses only if they are tied to local hiring, better wages, and adding affordable housing

66%

would be somewhat or very willing to personally pay more in taxes to develop affordable low-income housing.

The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) draws on a 170-year history of excellence in addressing the root causes of economic disparity through research, advocacy, litigation, and innovative program models that strengthen and benefit all New Yorkers. www.cssny.org CSS conducts an annual survey, The Unheard Third, to better understand the views and experiences of low-income New Yorkers. We use the insights gleaned from our survey to advocate on behalf of our constituents and elevate their concerns in the public policy debate.

73%

73%

Learn more: www.cssny.org/newmayor

70%