The poverty rate alone does not tell us whether Americans are economically secure. New Census data considers a family of four above the federal poverty line at just $32,649 a year. Yet the True Cost of Economic Security measure shows that same family needs at least $149,600 annually to thrive. That gap matters. “A falling poverty rate cannot be treated as evidence of broad economic security when the threshold itself bears so little relationship to what it actually costs families to live,” says FPWA CEO and National True Cost of Living Coalition Co-Chair Jennifer Jones Austin. For too long, public policy has focused on managing poverty rather than creating the conditions for people to thrive. We need a standard that reflects what families actually need to live with stability, dignity and the ability to plan for the future. Read our full statement now: fpwa.org/resource-center/in-… #EconomicSecurity #TrueCostOfLiving #TCES #Poverty #EconomicJustice

On the heels of the March on Washington, data points us to the dreams and promises from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that have yet to be realized. In our new analysis, we find: ▪️ The racial wealth gap has worsened since 1963, ballooning to a median White net worth of $296,200 and just a $37,600 median net worth for Black families. Nearly one in four Black people have a net worth that is zero or negative. ▪️Black women with advanced degrees earn about as much as White women with bachelor’s degrees. ▪️2025 was the first time in five years that U.S. states passed more laws restricting voting than protecting it. In a new op-ed in The Hill, FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin explores the work we must do advance the dreams of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and build economic security for all: "In a time where federal policies are rolling back the hard-fought advancements of the Civil Rights Movement, now is the moment to confront the structural inequities that continue to deny too many communities the full promise of freedom. Shifting those structures demands that we treat childcare, healthcare, housing and savings not as luxuries but as the building blocks of economic security that every family deserves." Read the full piece now: thehill.com/opinion/finance/…

We are proud to announce Bishop G. Mitchell Taylor has been named Chair of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies’ Board. As Co-Founder & CEO of Urban Upbound and Senior Pastor at Center of Hope International, Bishop Taylor continues to make a powerful impact through service, advocacy, and community leadership. His vision, faith, and experience will help us deepen our work confronting the systems that keep millions of people from getting ahead. Click the link to read the full press release: fpwa.org/resource-center/in-…

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day marks how far into the year a Black woman must work to earn what a white, non-Hispanic man earned the year before. This wage gap is not simply the result of individual choices. It reflects the enduring impact of occupational segregation: the systematic sorting of workers into industries and roles along lines of race, gender, immigration status, disability and other marginalized identities. In a new blog post, FPWA Senior Policy Analyst Funmi Akinnawonu examines how these forces continue to shape the experiences of Black women in the care workforce. Next month, we'll deepen this analysis with a new data brief that examines the impacts of racial and gender-based occupational segregation on the childcare, homecare, and cleaning workforces, and examining the relationship between occupational segregation and the reproduction of wealth inequality across generations. Stay tuned for more! fpwa.org/resource-center/blo…

What does freedom truly mean if one unexpected expense or crisis can derail your life? As our nation marks 250 years of independence, FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin and former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter argue that true freedom requires economic security. It's time to move beyond managing poverty and begin building policies that ensure every person has the resources to withstand hardship, build essential wealth, and shape their own future. Read their latest op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer: inquirer.com/opinion/comment… #EconomicSecurity #EconomicJustice #TrueCostOfLiving #Freedom #EssentialWealth #America250

What do the FY27 City and State budgets mean for New Yorkers' economic security? Join FPWA on Thursday, July 9 for the first of a two-part Budget Watch webinar series as we examine how fiscal decisions advance — or fall short of — building economic security for New Yorkers. This comprehensive analysis will equip policymakers, community organizations, and advocates with the insights needed to plan for the year ahead. Click the link to secure your spot today: fpwa-org.zoom.us/webinar/reg…

This year’s state budget includes meaningful investments that will help ease financial strain for working families and individuals across our state. But the scale of the crisis facing New Yorkers demands greater urgency and ambition when many households remain one unexpected expense, job disruption, or health emergency away from crisis. Economic security, not mere survival, must be the governing standard for public policy — and FPWA remains committed to working with state leaders to advance bold, lasting solutions that ensure every New Yorker has the resources not just to get by, but to thrive. Read the full statement from our CEO & Executive Director, Jennifer Jones Austin: fpwa.org/resource-center/in-…

Join us in congratulating Liza Schwartzwald, our Director of Policy and Advocacy, for being named to @CityAndStateNY's Nonprofit Trailblazers list! We celebrate Liza for her dedication to advancing economic security for all. cityandstateny.com/power-lis…

New York City is now the first municipality in the nation to establish a True Cost of Living measure. The release of this data is a meaningful step in honoring the will of voters — more than 80% of whom approved a charter revision requiring the City to develop and publish this metric annually. And now, the real work begins. TCOL has the power to reshape how policymakers approach wages, benefits, tax policy, housing, child care, and more. In a city where 62% of New Yorkers are economically insecure, we now have a tool that reflects the full picture of what it takes not just to survive, but to thrive. "The city will no longer solely rely on outdated poverty thresholds that obscure the financial pressures families face. It is naming what it costs to live here, and to do so with dignity. Government statistics have told the lie that families are doing fine as long as they sit above the poverty line. Across the five boroughs, that line has never reflected reality." 🔗 Read the full piece from FPWA CEO & Co-Chair of the National True Cost of Living Coalition, Jennifer Jones Austin, now: nydailynews.com/2026/04/17/a…

Our Senior Policy Analyst, Funmi Akinnawonu, testified before the New York City Council Committee on Immigration to advocate for the safety and stability of our immigrant communities. With federal policies creating a chilling effect on access to basic needs, FPWA is calling for increased investments in legal services and expanding public information campaigns to ensure this city is one that welcomes all its residents. Read more by reading the full testimony here: fpwa.org/resource-center/tes…

During her testimony at today’s hearing with the Committee on Civil and Human Rights, our Chief of Policy & Research, Madeline Neighly, affirmed our commitment to working alongside the Council and the Mayor’s office to ensure release of NYC’s True Cost of Living measure. With a higher than national rate of economic insecurity, New Yorkers are pressed not just by high costs, but a lack of resources. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted: 78% of Latino/a New Yorkers 68% of Black New Yorkers 63% of AAPI New Yorkers 72% of all families with children These aren’t just statistics: the True Cost of Living measure is a guide for equitable budgeting and policymaking. Read the full testimony here: fpwa.org/resource-center/tes…

Today, we honor the giant whose voice changed the landscape of American politics and the heart of the movement: Reverend Jesse Jackson. Rev. Jackson’s legacy is woven into the very fabric of our work at FPWA. As our Executive Director & CEO Jennifer Jones Austin shared in her recent interview with ABC7, his deep commitment to economic justice and civil rights paved the way for many to follow. All while reminding us that: "I am somebody."

We are incredibly proud to celebrate our CEO & Executive Director, Jennifer Jones Austin, for being named to @cityandstateny’s 2026 Brooklyn Power 100 list! As a fourth generation social justice warrior, Jennifer sounded the alarm on the affordability crisis long before it became a defining issue in NYC and nationally. We congratulate her and all recognized for their leadership Read the full list here: cityandstateny.com/power-lis…

As we mark the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, we reflect on the trailblazers who paved the way and the leaders who are creating impact. We are incredibly proud to celebrate our CEO & Executive Director, @jenniferjonesaustin, for being named to @cityandstateny’s 2026 Black Trailblazers list! Read the full feature here: cityandstateny.com/power-lis…

What does New York City’s budget mean for New Yorkers’ economic security? Join FPWA and specials guests from the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO) on February 5 as we break down over a decade of city budget decisions and what it means now for the well-being of New Yorkers and the human services sector. Drawing on the latest FY25 update to FPWA’s NYC Funds Tracker – an interactive dashboard designed to simplify budget data for advocates – the conversation will also examine how years of fiscal choices, combined with Federal cuts, have undercut human service funding and investments in low-income New Yorkers. Register today: fpwa.org/event/nyc-funds-tra…

FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin and her father Rev. William Augustus Jones remind us that economic security and freedom are inextricably linked. On this MLK Day weekend, we celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by renewing his mission to eliminate barriers to economic justice.

From Brooklyn to Buffalo, the affordability crisis remains a defining challenge for New Yorkers. Governor Hochul’s State of the State addressed this reality, and FPWA stands ready to partner with her administration on delivering on these commitments and centering policy responses in the True Cost of Economic Security measure. Read the full statement from our CEO & Executive Director Jennifer Jones Austin here: fpwa.org/resource-center/in-…

We are kicking off the new year with a look back and an even bolder look forward. FPWA CEO, Jennifer Jones Austin, sat down with ABC7's Bill Ritter to discuss the current state of affairs in New York City. As we navigate the year ahead, FPWA remains steadfast in our commitment to dismantling systemic barriers and building a more equitable New York for all. Watch the full interview here: abc7ny.com/post/close-bill-r…

The city’s affordability crisis does not fall equally on all New Yorkers – and any solutions to confronting it must address the inequities that have failed Black & Brown communities for generations. FPWA CEO Jennifer Jones Austin and former Speaker of the New York City Council Adrienne Adams speak to the need to center racial justice in a new op-ed. As a new mayoral administration kicks off, the city has a chance to advance equity-centered solutions. “Racial equity must be a driving force in how we address affordability and opportunity, because the affordability crisis is fundamentally a justice crisis. New York is at risk of becoming a city where only those with privilege can thrive. Reversing that trajectory relies on government choices.” Read the full article here: nydailynews.com/2025/12/30/r…

Hard work no longer guarantees economic mobility in NYC. It’s time to change that. In a recent op-ed for @amNewYork, our CEO Jennifer Jones Austin and DC37’s Henry Garrido lay out a clear mandate for our city’s leaders: We must raise the wage floor! Currently, a single adult needs $29/hour just to cover basic needs in New York City. Yet, the very people we rely on, our childcare workers, home health aides, and social service providers, are often the ones struggling most to make ends meet. Through the Bring Up Minimum Pay (BUMP) campaign, we are fighting for a $29/hour wage floor for the human services sector. It’s an economic win that would pull 100,000 New Yorkers out of poverty. Read the full piece and join us in the fight for economic security: amny.com/oped/opinion-nyc-vo…