Closing the Skills Gap
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The Community Service Society (CSS) engages in advocacy, research and direct service to champion better job opportunities to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty among low-income New Yorkers. Our work is particularly targeted toward communities of color that have been historically disadvantaged and now comprise the majority of our city. We use a variety of tools to encourage decision makers in the public and private sectors to support measures to help these hard-working New Yorkers get ahead. CSS promotes policies and programs that result in systemic change and advance the economic security of the working poor and, as a result, strengthens our city.One-third of all New York City's voting age citizens live in a low-income household. Taken together, low-income New Yorkers constitute a sizeable voting bloc, yet politicians rarely speak to their issues and concerns.
CSS defines a low-income household as earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or about $34,000 for a family of three. According to the most recent U.S. Census data, in 2006 there were a total of 3.3 million low-income New Yorkers – a number greater than the population of Chicago – totaling 42 percent of the city's population
Featured news
“New York State is seeing the beginnings of President Obama’s landmark health care reform,” said David R. Jones, president and CEO of the Community Service Society. “Beginning yesterday, New Yorkers with preexisting conditions can get insurance coverage for less than half the cost previously. Called the New York Bridge Plan, it offers affordable coverage for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents. This is just one step to the full implementation of the health care reform in 2014.”
Program & Services updates
Get the latest information on training worshops conducted by the Center for Benefits & Services.