FPWA Releases ‘With One Voice’ Report and Honors City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito

 

New York, NY - FPWA held its annual meeting today, bringing together non-profit leaders from its network of nearly 200 member agencies across New York City, and releasing "With One Voice", a report that examines the systems that maintain economic inequity, and that advances policy goals that would definitively move New York City towards equity.

The highlight of the meeting came when FPWA honored New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito for her years of public service and leadership in advancing legislation and policies to combat systemic inequality, and create and sustain greater equity throughout New York City.

“Whether through the Young Women’s Initiative, or legislation spearheaded by the Council to make MWBE’s more competitive in the New York City Market –or through the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, and the Day Laborer Workforce Initiative – both of which the Council was proud to help fund, we have made major strides in offering innovative ways for New Yorkers to overcome economic and social inequality, “ said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “As Speaker, I have made it a priority to target much of our work toward the most vulnerable, and those simply in need of a chance. It has been a privilege to help support the FPWA in their mission and I’m grateful for this honor. “

“We are thrilled to recognize Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito with this award,” said FPWA CEO and Executive Director Jennifer Jones Austin.  “Speaker Mark-Viverito has led and played a most vital role in making New York City a national leader on progressive, anti-poverty policies. We are proud and privileged to have worked with her, and all New Yorkers have been and will be the beneficiaries of her great works for years to come.”

FPWA’s “With One Voice” report recognizes the gains New York City has made in reducing poverty, while pointing out that 42 percent of New Yorkers continuing to struggle to meet their basic needs. The report draws on the Self-Sufficiency Standard to better define what is needed for economic security and stability rather than the federal poverty measure, which doesn’t begin to capture what it truly costs to live and care for yourself and family in New York City.  With the input of human services agencies citywide, key areas for reform were identified, including income security, workforce development, education, criminal justice, health and mental health, housing, and human services. For each area, the report lists examples of promising transformational policies that have the potential to move the city towards economic equity and aims to remedy inequitable systems.

Source: Mercury