Food Stamps, Tax Credits Kept Poverty Levels Steady During Recession
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - A flood of food stamps, housing allowances and tax credits kept a 250,000 New Yorkers from slipping under the poverty line at the height of the recession, according to the report by the Mayor's Center for Economic Opportunity.
"So the poverty rate held steady even thought the economy was contracting," said Study author Dr. Mark Levitan.
WCBS 880's Marla Diamond with details on the poverty rate report
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Levitan told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond there's a take-away message to elected officials.
"Think twice when you cut," said Levitan.
READ: Policy Affects Poverty (PDF)
The study also looked at poverty rates among different groups in the city and showed single parents and those with only a high school degree fare the worst.
The rate for children and the elderly remained stable at 24 per cent.
