Latest news with #JonathanBowles
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Many seniors in the Bronx are facing poverty, study finds
Many older adults in the Bronx are living in poverty and left without the option to retire, according to a study by The Center for an Urban Future. Jonathan Bowles, executive director of The Center for an Urban Future, said the study looked at data from 2013-2023, and the findings in the Bronx were alarming. "Twenty-five percent of all older adults in the Bronx today are living in poverty. It's the highest rate in the entire state of New York, and we've seen an increase by over 50% over the last decade," said Bowles. Bowles said as the number of Bronx residents 65 and older continues to increase, so does their vulnerability. "So many people work their lives making fairly low wages, they didn't have enough money. And in a city with such a high cost of living to put money aside for retirement and, for many of them, particularly those who are immigrants, they're not benefiting fully from Social Security. In fact, we find that a pretty significant share of older adults in the Bronx are not receiving any Social Security income," Bowles said. In fact, the study, which received support from the AARP, reports 63.6% of Bronx residents over 70 do not have retirement income, and nearly one in four reported no Social Security income. Bowles said there are a number of things that are needed from the state to combat the issue. "More than ever, these low income older adults are relying on food banks for their meals. Many of them are really falling into poverty at old age. We've got to make sure that there are the kind of Meals on Wheels programs that deliver to folks that can't get out to those food banks. We as a city need to be investing in housing, affordable housing for seniors," said Bowles. While living in their Bronx apartment for nearly 30 years, Patrick and Audrey Hoover have witnessed changes in their neighborhood and have adapted to stretching their dollars. "We're shopping a lot more, but we're buying a lot less, or our funds are just not going as far as it used to," said Audrey Hoover. Although the Hoovers are able to cut costs, they hope more will be done to help seniors. "Whether it's health care, whether it's other benefits for seniors, a lot of times they're not taking into consideration the tech savviness of seniors and the language and things like that. So if any of these things could be addressed, in whatever ways," Hoover said. To see the report from The Center for an Urban Future, click here. You can email Erica with Bronx story ideas by CLICKING HERE.
New York Times
13-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
New York City's Population Ticks Up to More Than 8.4 Million
In the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers packed up and fled, raising the possibility that the ravaged city had entered a long-term slide. New York's population has yet to fully recover, but new census data released on Thursday reveals that it is finally growing again after a steep drop. It reached 8.48 million in July 2024, up from 8.39 million in July 2023. The increase was seen as a positive sign that the population of America's largest city had not only stabilized but, in fact, seemed on track to resume the extended trend of growth seen before the pandemic, according to demographic and policy experts. 'Despite everything the city has had to overcome in recent years, people clearly want to be here,' said Jonathan Bowles, the executive director of the Center for an Urban Future, a Manhattan think tank that researches policy issues facing cities. Mr. Bowles added, 'New York still faces a number of challenges, but there's a lot that's going right for the city today.' The city grew by about 1 percent, gaining 87,184 residents between 2023 and 2024 — largely because of a steady increase in newcomers from other countries — while at the same time fewer residents left for elsewhere, according to the census data. The number of births and deaths in the city remained relatively stable, with births continuing a slow downward trend, in line with a broader national pattern. However, the population remained well below its peak of 8.8 million residents, reached in early 2020. Even as New York's population has climbed back, many concerns remain about its future, including the high cost of living and a lack of affordable housing that has pushed out many lower- and middle-income residents in recent years. Mayor Eric Adams's legal problems have also left a leadership void, and the Trump administration's escalating crackdown on immigrants has alarmed many New Yorkers. New York has long relied on a constant influx of immigrants to replace those who leave and to propel the city's population growth. 'That's the secret to New York City's demographic success,' said John Mollenkopf, a professor of political science at the graduate school of the City University of New York. But during the first Trump administration, beginning in 2017, there was a decline in immigrants moving to the city, Professor Mollenkopf said. It remains to be seen how Mr. Trump's return will affect international migration, 'and that may temper that force in increasing the city's population,' he added. Before the pandemic, city officials had projected that New York's population would reach 9 million within two decades. Instead, the pandemic set off an exodus from New York and other American cities. Compared with the peak in early 2020, New York's population in July 2024 was down by a total of 326,118 people, according to census numbers. But fears of the city's demise turned out to be overblown. The new census numbers on Thursday notably revised last year's estimate to show that the city grew between 2022 and 2023 for the first time since the pandemic. According to the new numbers, the city added 34,709 residents in that period for a total population of 8.39 million. Earlier estimates had shown the city's population shrinking. City officials had challenged those figures, saying the number of migrants and other people living in group settings like shelters had been underestimated. More than 200,000 migrants have passed though the city's shelters since the spring of 2022. 'This new data puts a number to what we're feeling: New York City is back and growing again,' said Dan Garodnick, the director of the Department of City Planning. 'Our city remains a destination for people from around the world, and these numbers are very encouraging.' The new census numbers showed that Manhattan, the city's richest borough, grew by about 1.7 percent — the most of any borough. Its population increased for the third straight year, by 27,435 residents to 1.66 million. The populations of the other four boroughs also increased. Brooklyn and Queens each grew by nearly 1 percent, with Brooklyn adding 24,694 residents and Queens 22,159 residents. The Bronx and Staten Island each grew by less than 1 percent. The Bronx added 9,458 residents, and Staten Island — the only borough to fully recoup its pandemic population slide — added 3,438 residents. Donovan Richards, the Queens borough president, said that more people have moved to Queens as more affordable housing has been built in neighborhoods including Jamaica, Long Island City and the Rockaways. Mr. Richards said that he welcomed the arrival of more immigrants to the borough — including many who stay in city-run shelters — and that he saw them as part of its future. 'This borough will always be a sanctuary — a safe place and a harbor — for people looking to build a better life,' he said.
