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Report
Housing
Whose Burden Is It Anyway?
Housing Affordability in New York City by Household Characteristics
November 12, 2015
This report looks at New York City rent burdens in more detail, using an in-depth housing survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau to consider a variety of household characteristics.
Report
Housing
Cleaning House
How to Close the New York City Housing Authority's Operating Gaps
April 29, 2015
This report identifies the reasons for NYCHA's operating deficits in the last decade - insufficent operating subsidies, low rent collections, low nonrental income and high operating costs - and offers recommendations to increase revenues, curb expenses and improve productivity in order to eliminate NYCHA's projected $150 million deficit and improve conditions for its residents.
Blog
Capital Spending
New York City Capital Spending: A Retrospective
April 21, 2010
Analyzes the impact of capital investments under Mayor Bloomberg.
Report
Energy & Environment
A Better Way to Pay for Solid Waste Management
February 05, 2015
This policy brief explores a new financing method for residential solid waste removal by the Department of Sanitation: a volume-based garbage fee. The four main benefits include: 1) service cost visibility, 2) waste reduction, 3) independent access to capital, and 4) fairness.
Letter
Taxes
CBC Recommendations to the New York State Tax Relief Commission
November 26, 2013
This letter to the NYS Tax Relief Commission includes cautions about the State's ability to commit to large new property tax relief programs, and recommendations for providing better relief with the $4 billion the State spends on current programs.
Blog
Public Workforce
The Public and Private Sector Wage Disparity: An Update
May 24, 2010
The labor market case for more generous retirement benefits for public sector workers is no longer valid.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Giving Credit Where It’s Due? New York City’s $1.3 Billion in Health Insurance Savings
December 28, 2014
In its recent mid-year budget modification the de Blasio administration credited a coalition of municipal employee unions with achieving $1.3 billion in savings in the City’s employee and retiree health insurance costs. Yet the unions have not agreed to any changes in the plan, and the City and the unions have taken no actions to reduce costs. How can this be?
Blog
Capital Spending
Mind the Gap
Funding Repair and Maintenance of New York City Infrastructure
July 26, 2010
Past neglect has created a need for nearly $5.6 billion in repair of existing facilities in New York City in order to bring them to satisfactory condition, known as a "state of good repair." Yet the City's capital budget allocates only about half, with the gap especially large for streets, hospitals, and parks.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
The State and Local Pension Stretch
June 16, 2010
New York stands out for consistently setting aside adequate funds to make its employee pension systems fiscally sound, but political leaders are considering heading down a fiscally irresponsible path.
Report
Economic Development
Competitiveness Scorecard
Assessing NYC's Competitiveness as a Home for Human Capital
February 06, 2013
This scorecard assesses the New York City metropolitan area’s competitiveness in attracting, cultivating and retaining talent. The scorecard is based on the relative performance of the New York City metro area against 14 of the largest domestic metro areas on a comprehensive set of quantitative indicators.
Report
Economic Development
An Assessment of Performance Reporting by Regional Economic Development Councils
November 29, 2015
This brief assesses the performance of New York State's Regional Economic Development Councils over the past four years and offers recommendations for further improving data collected on projects and on the economic performance of the regions.
Blog
Education
Fringe Benefits Pushed New York Education Spending Higher in 2013
June 22, 2015
High levels of school spending in NY largely reflected the relatively high cost of employee compensation.
Report
Energy & Environment
12 Things New Yorkers Should Know About Their Garbage
May 21, 2014
This report highlights the reasons for the surprisingly high cost of this essential service, including inefficiencies that the City should address in its upcoming negotiations with sanitation workers.
Report
Taxes
Tax Policy Choices and New York City's Competitive Position
The Most Important Economic and Fiscal Decisions Facing the Next Mayor
December 06, 2013
The purpose of this background paper is to help inform tax policy choices that the new mayoral administration may face. It examines levels of taxation in New York City compared to other cities, and it reviews research on how taxes affect the local economy and migration patterns.
Blog
State Budget
The Challenge of Producing a $2 Billion Surplus
January 16, 2014
With school aid and Medicaid growing at annual rates at or above 4 percent, all other categories of spending, including agency operations, will face offsetting reductions to the plan if the net increase in overall state spending is to be kept to 2 percent.
Blog
Education
High Time For Higher Education Funding Reform
April 13, 2010
Explains why the irrational and inequitable tuition policies at CUNY and SUNY should be replaced by a rational tuition policy that allows for regular increases but also does not reduce financial aid to students.
Report
Public Workforce
7 Things New Yorkers Should Know About Municipal Labor Contracts
May 19, 2013
This brief lists seven things New Yorkers should know about New York City collective bargaining and labor relations.
Blog
Transportation
Who Pays When “The City” Gives Money to the MTA?
May 05, 2015
Calls for “the City” to provide more funding should be clear about who is really being asked to foot the bill: New York City taxpayers already provide most of the MTA's revenue through the combination of local, regional, and state taxes.
Blog
Public Workforce
Three Questions about 1,000 New Police Officers
June 18, 2014
As the New York City budget for fiscal year 2015 nears adoption, one of the more expensive Council initiatives, at an estimated cost of almost $100 million annually, is the hiring of 1,000 new police officers to increase staffing at police precincts.
Report
Energy & Environment
Getting the Fiscal Waste Out of Solid Waste Collection in New York City
September 23, 2014
With a new mayoral administration, a new sanitation commissioner, and an expired contract with municipal sanitation workers, redesigning the public and private components of local waste collection would save about $300 million annually in the long term. The Mayor and City Council should make this restructuring a goal and begin a multiyear phase-in.