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Contact: Rachel Noerdlinger, Rnoerdlinger@mercuryllc.com

FPWA, Citizens’ Committee for Children, and United Neighborhood Houses Announce the R.E.A.L. Equity Agenda for New York City

An agenda of antiracist policies that must be enacted to build a fair and just city for all New Yorkers is released in advance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

NEW YORK – January 14, 2021 – FPWA, United Neighborhood Houses (UNH), and Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) today released R.E.A.L. Equity, an agenda for advancing race-conscious policies and programs that would lead to economic security and well-being for Black and brown New Yorkers.

The agenda’s aim is to ignite action at every level of government – city, state, and federal – and from every New Yorker.  As we move forward rebuilding New York City in the wake of the pandemic and reinvigorated demands for racial equality while gearing up for the 2021 elections, it is critically important that this agenda is adopted by mayoral and city council candidates.

FPWA and UNH together represent over 200 community-based organizations and CCC advocates for New York City’s 1.7 million children and their families. Together, they fight to dismantle the structural and institutional barriers that have disproportionately kept persons of color living at or near poverty since the founding of our city.

“The R.E.A.L. Equity agenda aims to ensure that racism is ended and true and lasting equality in every pillar of our society is achieved by undertaking specific and targeted strategies”, says Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA. “As New York City rebuilds from the devastation wrought by Covid-19, we must ensure that racial equity is a core principle of the recovery effort.”

“Together with our settlement house members, UNH is committed to serving as an ally and raising our voices to fight systemic racism in New York,” said Susan Stamler, Executive Director of United Neighborhood Houses. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen stark disparities in access to programs and services for communities of color in our city. The R.E.A.L. Equity agenda provides our next class of political leaders a pathway to a more just and equitable New York.”

“Racial inequities and injustices have led to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the lives of Black and Latinx New Yorkers,” said Jennifer March, Executive Director of Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York. “As government leaders respond to the current triple crises in public health, economic decline, and persistent race-based discrimination, the R.E.A.L Equity agenda outlines public investments and policies that must be prioritized to advance racial and economic equity and ensure that all children, families and communities recover and thrive.”

In October 2020, a series of public webinars that debated and dissected the racist programs and policies that disproportionately keep people of color living in or near poverty were hosted by CCC, UNH, and FPWA.  These conversations with topical experts can be viewed online.

About R.E.A.L.

Racial Equity Advancement Labs (R.E.A.L.) is a collaboration of three New York City-based nonprofits – Citizen’s Committee for Children, FPWA and United Neighborhood Houses – that are committed to building just and equitable communities as our city recovers and rebuilds from Covid-19 and its fallout.

About United Neighborhood Houses

United Neighborhood Houses (UNH) is a policy and social change organization representing 44 neighborhood settlement houses that reach 765,000 New Yorkers from all walks of life. A progressive leader for more than 100 years, UNH is stewarding a new era for New York’s settlement house movement. We mobilize our members and their communities to advocate for good public policies and promote strong organizations and practices that keep neighborhoods resilient and thriving for all New Yorkers. UNH leads advocacy and partners with our members on a broad range of issues including civic and community engagement, neighborhood affordability, healthy aging, early childhood education, adult literacy, and youth development. We also provide customized professional development and peer learning to build the skills and leadership capabilities of settlement house staff at all levels. For more information, visit http://www.unhny.org/.

About FPWA

FPWA is an anti-poverty policy and advocacy organization committed to advancing economic opportunity and upward mobility for low-income New Yorkers. Having a prominent New York presence for nearly 100 years, FPWA has long served New York City’s social service sector, providing grants to help individuals and families meet their basic needs, and advocating for fair public policies on behalf of people in need and the agencies that serve them. FPWA’s member network of 170 human-service and faith-based organizations reach more than 1.5 million people in New York’s communities each year. Join us at fpwa.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York

Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York educates and mobilizes New Yorkers to make the city a better place for all children. Since 1944, our advocacy has combined public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. We cast light on the issues, educate the public, engage allies, and identify and promote practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. For more information on CCC, visit our web site at www.cccnewyork.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.