Protecting New York City’s Vulnerable Communities Amid COVID-19

Amid this public health crisis, the inequities in our society are on full display for the world to see — and the picture is stark. Black and Latino New Yorkers are dying at alarming rates, as our most vulnerable populations — communities of color, immigrants, seniors, and low-income New Yorkers — bear the brunt of the pandemic.

We took a data-driven approach to examining and mapping the needs and gaps faced by these communities, and the data is clear: Black and Latino New Yorkers are dying in greater numbers and are facing greater rates of exposure and infection to COVID-19.

Many of these New Yorkers are living in overcrowded and dilapidated housing, single parent and immigrant households living in poverty, seniors and people with disabilities living in severe isolation and deprivation, and those in neighborhoods with poor air quality and high asthma rates. This is a crisis that will only get worse if we wait to act until the pandemic has run its course.

The City must address this persistent cycle of inequality that is leaving vulnerable populations underserved and overexposed — compromising their basic right to health and safety.

There is no excuse to delay meaningful action.

We can alleviate overcrowding and homelessness by leveraging vacant hotels and dormitories; we can open up public space with a citywide plan to expand sidewalks and parks; we can work in partnership with the State to fill the gaps in the federal safety net, so nobody, regardless of immigration status, gets left behind. And the list goes on.

We are defined as a society by how we treat our most vulnerable. And we have the power to turn this difficult crisis into an opportunity to bring lasting change for those who need it most.

We have the tools, the data, and the solutions — and right now it’s time to act. Press Release.