Disability in New York City: Poverty, hardship, and COVID-19

Disability in New York City: Poverty, hardship, and COVID-19

We highlight the hardships New Yorkers with disabilities face and call for an inclusive anti-poverty agenda to address these hardships and their exacerbation by the economic and health crisis. Among working-age New Yorkers, 400,000 people are living with disabilities; Eight percent have a disability, themselves, and about 20 percent live in a household where someone has a disability.

We find that New Yorkers with disabilities face lower educational attainment, and higher rates of poverty and hardship, especially food hardship, prior to the pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that the current economic crisis is exacerbating this disadvantage. New Yorkers with disabilities were more likely to say they were unable to work since the onset of the pandemic. As the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, the needs of New Yorkers with disabilities and their families must be considered. This should include addressing the unique barriers they may face in retaining employment and considering additional social services that could improve their lives.

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Key Findings 

  • Among working-age New Yorkers, 8 percent have a disability and 19 percent live in a household with a person who has a disability.
  • New Yorkers with lower levels of education and racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than others to experience a disability.
  • New Yorkers with disabilities are much more likely to experience poverty compared to those without disabilities (33 percent vs. 21 percent).
  • New Yorkers with disabilities are much more likely to experience hardship compared to those without disabilities (48 percent vs. 28 percent).
  • Food hardship was particularly prevalent among those with a disability. Nearly 20 percent of those with a disability reported food hardship, compared to just 6 percent of those without a disability.
  • New Yorkers with disabilities were more likely to say they were unable to work since January 1, compared to those without disabilities (38 percent vs. 31 percent).

The Poverty Tracker is a longitudinal study of the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. It is a joint project of Robin Hood and Columbia University.

Suggested Citation:

Maury, Matthew and Sophie Mitra. 2020. Disability in New York City: Poverty, hardship, and COVID-19. New York: Center on Poverty and Social Policy, Columbia University. 

Published on December 03, 2020