Against the Falling Tide: Working Families and the Economy

As the impact of recession lingers, low-income and working-class Americans struggle against the economic tide. Wages are declining and employment is stagnant. The 2012 elections only add to the uncertainty. What are the economic prospects for working families in New York and around the country? An insider’s experience of White House strategy and policy debates helps us make sense of the last two years, the coming 12 months, and beyond.

Regulation of Financial Institutions: Can We Avoid the Next Crisis?

Two years after Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and the US economy slid into its Great Recession, can New York and the nation depend on a stable financial sector and more effective government oversight?

Marching In Place: The Great Recession, Low-Income Working Women and Economic Inequality

For the first time in history, women account for half of America's workforce, according to the recent Shriver Report. As the recession reshapes America’s workforce, women are less likely to lose their jobs than men. Is this progress? Women earn only 77¢ for every dollar earned by men, up a mere 13¢ from 1963. In New York City, important workforce strategies focus on single mothers, yet many working women are struggling with poverty.

The Growth Catalyst: Reviving New York City's Economy Through Infrastructure

As New York City struggles with the great recession, infrastructure development and renewal promise new jobs and long-term growth. Transportation, energy, high technology and communication infrastructure projects are all planned and funded. How quickly will they provide new jobs? Are they already?

Race and the Subprime Crisis: The Future of Minority Neighborhoods

Some critics blame the Community Reinvestment Act for the mortgage meltdown that prompted the current deep recession. Others point to the abuses of subprime lending and Wall Street manipulation. Yet questions about the impact of the economic collapse on African American communities remain unanswered.

Now What? NYC's Election Year Fiscal Crisis

The boom is over, and the city’s families and neighborhoods are beginning to feel the consequences. Mayor Bloomberg managed seven years of rapid budget growth but now, as he prepares a run for a third term, the city faces potentially massive shortfalls. How fast and how hard will a sputtering economy and shrinking revenues hit city services?

The New Newark Part I: Maintaining Momentum for Renewal in a Slowing Economy

Foreclosures are rampant in Newark’s working-class neighborhoods as the credit crisis and economic slowdown threaten the city’s commercial recovery. What will it take to stabilize and invigorate a growth economy and new employment opportunities in a city that is New York’s largest urban neighbor?

Maintaining Momentum: Can New York’s Ambitious Development Agenda Survive an Economic Downturn?

The city’s economy is slowing and construction costs remain extraordinarily high, but the Bloomberg administration still has its sights set on far-reaching development projects. Will New York be able to maintain its fast pace of residential and commercial renewal? How are neighborhoods responding to zoning changes intended to spur growth?

The Long View: How Can New York Preserve Housing Affordability?

New York has long depended on subsidy programs to facilitate affordable housing development. But because most such incentives sunset over time, tens of thousands of units have reverted to market rate over the last decade, and 15,000 more may do so in the near future. What strategies and regulatory structures can be put in place to assure affordability not just for the present, but the future as well?