In New York City, affordability isn’t just about lack of income—it’s about lack of options. This season on This Robin Hood Moment, we explore the cost of choice: how poverty limits everyday freedom. Through personal stories and community voices, each episode examines one decision—where to live, what to eat, how to care for family—what happens when it isn’t a real choice, and how Robin Hood and partners push for change.
What does home mean when it’s always just out of reach? For Michelle, a mother of three from the Lower East Side, every step toward stability came with a sacrifice—groceries or rent, childcare or work. Like two million New Yorkers spending more than 30% of their income on housing, she faced impossible tradeoffs until Anthos | Home, a Robin Hood partner, helped her turn a housing voucher into a permanent home. Her story shows that the fight for housing isn’t just about affordability—it’s about dignity and the chance to build a future.
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What happens when paying rent means giving up everything else? In this episode of This Robin Hood Moment, Commissioner Molly Park of New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development joins hosts Kevin Thompson and Crystal Cooper to discuss what it takes to keep a roof over your head in one of the world’s most expensive cities — and how housing vouchers and local programs are helping New Yorkers stay in their homes.
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What do you do when taking care of your health means putting your job on the line? For Wendell, who lives in Brooklyn, getting sick came with a price he couldn’t afford. In this episode, Wendell shares his story of pushing through pain, navigating the city’s healthcare maze, and learning how to advocate for himself along the way. His story of becoming a NYC Care member captures the quiet courage of New Yorkers who keep the city moving while struggling to care for themselves in a system where healing too often comes at a cost.
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What happens when going to the doctor means risking your paycheck, your rent, or your livelihood? In New York City, getting sick can cost more than your health—it can cost you your paycheck, your rent, or even your job. In this episode, our hosts Kevin Thompson and Crystal Cooper are joined by Dr. Jonathan Jiménez, Executive Director of NYC Care at NYC Health + Hospitals, to examine how the city is working to close the care gap for those left out of the traditional health system—especially the uninsured.
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For people experiencing homelessness in New York City, getting a housing voucher like CityFHEPS should be the golden ticket to securing a permanent home. But often, that ticket leads to a dead end. In this episode, hosts Kevin Thompson and Crystal Cooper sit down with Laura Lazarus, CEO and Co-Founder of Anthos|Home, to unpack how her team is cutting through red tape, tackling the housing crisis head-on, and reshaping what’s possible for families with vouchers.
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What does it really cost to raise a child in NYC? In this episode, with special guest Reshma Saujani—Founder and CEO of Moms First, Founder of Girls Who Code and bestselling author of “Brave, Not Perfect”—we explore why current benefits fall short in covering the needs of families, especially in a city with such a high cost of living. We discuss the New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council’s proposals to raise the CTC to $2,000 for younger children and how these changes could make a profound difference in reducing the financial burden on families, providing them a chance to thrive rather than just survive.
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Stable housing is not just a roof over a child’s head—it’s a critical factor for healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In this episode, with guest Christine Quinn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Win, we examine an aspect of homelessness in New York City that’s rarely discussed: family homelessness, wherein thousands of children are facing housing insecurity. With Christine, we discuss one of the latest policy proposals from the New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council, including expanding Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVP) to low-income families, and how these interventions can create a foundation for healthier, more stable lives.
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Join us and our guest Kate Breslin, President & CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (SCAA), as we take a deep dive into the groundbreaking work of the New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC), which sets a bold goal of reducing child poverty in New York State by 50% by 2031, and what’s next for the fight against child poverty.
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In advance of Thanksgiving each year, Robin Hood collaborates with Columbia University to produce an annual snapshot of food hardship and assistance among New Yorkers. New York City has a robust network of food providers, including pantries, aimed to make access to food easier for those struggling to feed themselves and/or their families. Despite the distribution of more than 230 million pounds of food to emergency food providers, food insecurity remains persistent and pervasive in New York City. Join us as we meet with Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest, as she paints a picture of how the profile of food pantry users has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, and how 2-in-3 pantry users are not who you think they are.
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Join us as we delve into the unveiling of a joint public library and affordable housing development in Inwood, what Robin Hood affectionately calls “New Stories,” showcasing the city’s potential to create beautiful, affordable homes in innovative spaces. Join us with guests Bea De la Torre, Chief Philanthropy Officer of Trinity Church Wall Street, along with Tony Marx, President & CEO of the New York Public Library, as well as Vicki Been, Professor of Law at NYU School of Law and former commissioner of NYC HPD, and David Saltzman, co-founder, board member, former Executive Director of Robin Hood, as we investigate how this transformative project was made possible and why we need so many more just like it.
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In this episode, we center the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by the recent surge in poverty across New York City, illuminated by the stark findings of Robin Hood’s annual Poverty Tracker report. With guests Greg Silverman, CEO of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, and Robert Cordero, CEO of Grand Street Settlement, we embark on a journey to hear how both of these organizations have become beacons of hope for low-income New Yorkers.
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New York City is still the largest and most expensive rental market in the county. More than half of NYC households are rent-burdened, thousands are on the brink of eviction, and a record number of New Yorkers are living in shelters and staying in them longer than ever before. Now that the ink has dried on Albany’s FY25 New York State budget, today, we speak with Jessica Katz, former NYC Chief Housing Officer and key architect of Robin Hood’s comprehensive housing plan, on the road toward housing access for all.
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Robin Hood’s latest Poverty Tracker Annual Report, jointly released by Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy, revealed a historic spike in poverty rates across New York City, with an additional 2 million residents plunging into poverty between 2021 and 2022 alone. Join our hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson as they unpack the factors contributing to this alarming trend, and offer insights from Robin Hood CEO Richard R. Buery, Jr., Columbia CPSP Director Christopher Wimer, and Robin Hood grantee Grand Street Settlement CEO Robert Cordero.
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January marks the beginning of the budgeting process for New York State and City, crucial for funding essential services and programs. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams recently unveiled their proposed budgets, sparking intense analysis and advocacy. Host Crystal Cooper delves into the implications for fighting poverty in NYC with Robin Hood’s Chief Public Policy Officer, Jason Cone.
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Through the years, Robin Hood has grown into a poverty-fighting giant, with its deep knowledge of the conditions that keep New Yorkers down and the fight for resources they need to get ahead. Join us for “This Robin Hood Moment,” and listen to in-depth conversations with the people who drive Robin Hood’s boots-on-the-ground work across all five boroughs, and the milestones and strategies that really fuel their fight.
How can AI expand opportunity for every New Yorker? Recorded live at the Robin Hood Opportunity X AI Summit on June 9, 2025, at Convene Brookfield Place in New York City, leaders explored how AI can fight poverty and build a more inclusive, tech-enabled future.