February 2020

Annual Poverty Tracker Report: The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City Vol. 2

Common life events like medical bills, layoffs, and childbirth can increase the likelihood of falling into poverty.

Contributors: Columbia University Poverty Tracker Research Group

Issues Areas: Annual Report, Financial Security

This 2020 annual report issue of Robin Hood’s Poverty Tracker shows that a staggering 50 percent of adults in New York City experienced poverty at some point over a four-year period, and that common life events like medical hardships or having a child can increase the likelihood of falling into poverty or hardship and can have a lasting impact on multiple generations. The findings detailed in the report illustrate that it is far too easy for families across New York City to fall into poverty, and far too difficult for people to escape it.