How New York’s Most Vulnerable Families Are Battling to Afford Basic Needs: The Food and Housing Crisis

New York City is a place of contrasts. It’s home to over 349,000 millionaires, yet many families struggle to afford the basics. A report from Columbia University and Robin Hood reveals that about a quarter of New Yorkers live in poverty, a rate not seen since 2022. This amounts to more than 2 million people, including 1.6 million adults and 420,000 children.

Elisa, a 35-year-old mother of six, knows this struggle well. Living in a Brownsville shelter, she relies on public assistance and feels the weight of rising prices. “I can’t believe eggs are $12 a dozen,” she said. “I have to hunt for deals just to feed my family. It gets harder every day.”

Brownsville and the South Bronx are among the poorest neighborhoods in the city. In 2018, the unemployment rate in Brownsville was around 14%, with about 28% of residents living in poverty. Local supermarkets and food pantries see families in desperate need, struggling to balance rent and food expenses.

Many churches in the area, like Glover Memorial Baptist Church and God’s Deliverance Temple Inc, provide free meals each week, offering some relief to those in need.

Tom Williams, a 75-year-old retired welder, has felt the effects of rising costs too. Immigrating from the Caribbean in 1971, he has witnessed the increasing difficulty for many locals to make ends meet. “It’s hard out here. Last week, I saw canola oil go from $5 to $10. That’s just too much,” he shared. Living on a fixed income, he trims his weekly expenses by about $50, adjusting wherever possible but noting that assistance programs often fall short.

In Brownsville, low-cost shops line the streets, and families can be seen shopping carefully, budgeting for essentials. Stores like Dollar General and Family Dollar offer some items as low as $3, but even that requires a careful decision on what to prioritize.

Darren McMillan, 56, who works in Brownsville, shares the same concerns. He weighs his choices each day. “We have to get to know our community better and help each other,” he said. “We can’t wait for outside help.”

Former President Trump vowed to lower prices if he returned to office, but grocery costs remain high. His tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China could add an extra $1,600 to $2,000 to household expenses each year, which affects many struggling families.

While New York’s poverty rate stands at 25%, nearly twice the national average of 13%, the city is also home to 60 billionaires and a total wealth of $3 trillion among its wealthy residents. The disparity highlights stark contrasts in this vibrant city.