The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep wealth and racial inequality in New York State. Working class and poor communities of color have been disproportionately harmed by a public health crisis that continues to wreak havoc. But the economic and racial injustices made worse by COVID-19 are not new. Long before the pandemic 1 million New Yorkers were without healthcare, 92,000 were experiencing homelessness, and over 50,000 were behind bars in jail or prison each day — with each of these injustices disproportionately impacting Black and brown communities.
It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, the New York of the near future can be a better, more just, and more compassionate place for everyone to live. Our Compassionate New York agenda outlines immediate actions the state legislature can take to save lives and billions of dollars:
- Guarantee healthcare for every New Yorker (New York Health Act)
- Stop unjust evictions (Good Cause Eviction)
- Decarcerate our state (Justice Roadmap)
