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Troubling Indicators in West Bronx

07/02/09
The West Bronx is home to the highest concentration of affordable housing, but is also bedeviled by a number of troubling statistics, according to this new report by the University Neighborhood Housing Program. There is a "convergence of negative indicators" showing signs of housing, social and economic distress in the area.

Integrating Physical and Mental Health for Medicaid Recipients

07/01/09
A study of Medicaid patients with both chronic physical health conditions and serious mental illness released by United Hospital Fund's Medicaid Institute this week looks at approaches to integrating physical and behavioral health care in and out of New York state. The conclusion? Specific recommendations to better integrate care, which is currently split cleanly into two.

Boosting Health Technology

06/30/09
The health information technology sector could provide a financial boost to the city and help diversify our economy, according to a new report by the Center for an Urban Future. The report, titled "Record Recovery," argues that the city's large health care industry, including its 65 hospitals, 1,300 outpatient clinics and over 30,000 doctors, could reap the benefits of more than $19 billion in federal stimulus funding that is dedicated to converting paper records to electronic ones. Much of the city's health care industry, according to the report, still uses paper records.

Subway Car Cleanliness

06/28/09
The tenth annual "Subway Schmutz" survey by the Straphangers Campaign shows that subway cars are cleaner than they were in 2007. According to the survey the cleanest line is the 7. The R line has the dirtiest cars. The report recommends that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority make public its internal surveys about cleanliness as well as other measures.

Schools' Emergency Preparedness

06/26/09
City schools fall short of state requirements for emergency preparedness, according to this new report by the public advocate's office. According to this survey of union chapter leaders, 71 percent of schools had no early dismissal drill and half had no school-wide staff training for emergencies.

A Primer on Rent Regulation

06/25/09
A high portion of rent regulated households still pay a large percentage of their income towards rent, according to this new report by the Citizen's Budget Commission. The report also finds that rent regulation benefits a number of higher-income families and that many low-income households live in unregulated homes.

Small vs. Large High Schools

06/24/09
The Bloomberg administration's drive to create smaller high schools and increase school choice has fueled an overall increase in the citywide graduation rate since 2002, according to a new report on city public high schools by the Center for New York City Affairs. However, the report found the small school initiative placed additional pressure on the large high schools that most city teens attend, creating crowding and leaving the schools to deal with an influx of challenging students. The report also identified what it saw as flaws in the high school admissions process.

Manhattan's Declining Share of Jobs

06/23/09
A report by the Center for an Urban Future finds that Manhattan has seen a steady decline in private sector jobs since 1958, while other boroughs have seen a slow but steady increase. The report states that Manhattan has recently "taken a disproportionate and perhaps permanent hit" with the loss of financial sector jobs. The report predicts Manhattan will rebound from the hit but is not likely to see as large of a share of jobs as it did decades ago.

NYC is Green Collar Ready

06/22/09
Two new reports by by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (PERI), Center for American Progress (CAP), Green For All, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) show how investments in clean-energy economy could positively impact the American economy, creating more jobs for lower-income workers in addition to lowering energy and transportation costs. As clean energy and climate legislation moves through Congress, new data show that a $6.7 billion investment in New York City would create 62,949 new jobs.

Manhattan's Share of Employment

06/18/09
Although Manhattan still holds the vast majority of private sector jobs in the city, it has gradually accounted for less and less, according to the Center for an Urban Future. In 1958 Manhattan had nearly 68 percent of such jobs. But last year, that number was below 62 percent.

One in Four Payphones in Subway Stations Does Not Work

06/17/09
A new survey from the Straphangers Campaign shows that one out of four payphones in New York's subway stations does not fully function. The report states that Verizon's current contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority "does not require any minimum number of payphones be kept in working order."

On the Job Fatalities

06/16/09
Immigrant, minority and non-union construction workers are at high risk for on the job fatalities, according to a new report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health. Titled "Dying for Work in New York," the report states that 219 workers died from occupational injuries in New York State in 2007, 81 of which were in New York City. A decline from the previous year, these figures show the number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors statewide are insufficient to protect New York workers.

Junk Food in Schools

06/15/09
Many New York City schools sell candy, soda and other unhealthy foods in violation of city Department of Education policies, according to a recent audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The comptroller's office surveyed 30 schools and found unhealthy food in vending machines and school stores at 20 of them. The education department has already begun implementing a series of steps in response to the audit.

Assessment of Gay Health Needs

06/12/09
Over 20 percent of gays lack health insurance, compared to 15 percent of heterosexuals lacking care, according to a new report by the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation. Nearly 14 percent of gays have been homeless at one point in their lives. Thirteen percent have experienced sexual assault or violence that put them in the hospital.

2008 Was Record Year for Construction

06/11/09
Construction spending reached $31.8 billion in 2008, a record despite economic woes. About half of that spending was on public sector projects.

April 2009 Pension Fund Report

06/10/09
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released a regular monthly report last week, which found that the $109.9 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund closed about $315.8 million of transactions in April.

Policy to Prevent Wrongful Conviction

06/09/09
A report by the Innocence Project says that New York leads in wrongful convictions but lags in passing reforms to prevent them. The report suggests passing legislation to better utilize DNA evidence, improving eyewitness identification procedures and giving judges more power over evidence.

Safest Cities

06/08/09
According to an analysis of FBI statistics by RealClearPolitics, New York City is the safest city in the country. The analysis shows that crime per capita in the Big Apple is 4.8 percent.

Improving Alternative Detention

06/05/09
The Youth Justice Board, a group of city teens, has issued 10 proposals for how the city could approve its alternative detention programs for young people charged with crimes. The group, which was organized by the Center for Court Innovation and spent a year studying the issue, recommends creating temporary shelters for teens who cannot go back home after their arrests, screening programs participants for possible mental health problems, and better links between the schools and the alternative programs.

Discharge Funding Up

06/04/09
Since 2005, funding for discharge programs for those in city jails has nearly tripled to more than $14.5 million, according to a new report from the Independent Budget Office. Though the results of these programs have been inconclusive, according to the report, funding has been more than steady. Many of these programs, almost two-thirds of discharge funding, are run through the Mayor's Center for Economic Opportunity.

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