Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Report - May 2022

  In Good Company: What NYC’s Employers Should Do to Expand Access to Good Jobs

  Creating a more equitable economy will require bold action by the city. But the private sector will also need to step up. This study provides a snapshot of six innovative employer-led initiatives to expand access to good jobs—with enormous potential for replication among other companies in New York.
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  Report - April 2022

  Eliminating Discriminatory Fines & Fees: Learning From San Francisco

  The fifth edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's series spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy, profiles San Francisco’s Financial Justice Project. A similar initiative in NYC could reform a system of fines and fees with disproportionate consequences for low-income New Yorkers.
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  Report - March 2022

  Scaling Minority-Owned Businesses: Adapting Cincinnati’s Accelerator for NYC

  The fourth edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's series spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy, profiles Cincinnati's Minority Business Accelerator. If replicated in New York, it could help small businesses grow and contribute to a more equitable economy for the long term.
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  Report - March 2022

  New York’s Untapped Entrepreneurship Opportunity

  New York City policymakers have an enormous untapped opportunity to create a more equitable economy by increasing rates of entrepreneurship among New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents. Strengthening this vital pathway can enable the many public housing residents already engaged in side hustles and home-based ventures to grow their businesses and build wealth.
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  Report - March 2022

  Access Opportunity: Expanding Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers With Disabilities

  Unemployment and underemployment among people with disabilities long predated but was exacerbated by COVID-19. Policymakers have the opportunity in an economic recovery to make New York City a national leader in employment for people with disabilities.
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  Report - February 2022

  Basic Income for Transition-Age Foster Youth: Adopting California’s Approach

  The third edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's series spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy, profiles Santa Clara County, California's guaranteed income program for former foster youth, which may help this group establish financial independence and avoid crisis if replicated in New York.
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  Report - January 2022

  Reengaging Adult Learners to Complete College Degrees: Learning From Tennessee

  The second edition of Economic Opportunity Lab, CUF's series spotlighting innovative policies from other cities and states that are helping to create a more inclusive economy, profiles the Tennessee Reconnect program. The program could provide NYC with a framework to help thousands of adult learners earn a credential.
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  Report - January 2022

  Supporting CUNY’s 79,000 Part-Time Students

  Nearly 79,000 undergraduate students attend the City University of New York (CUNY) on a part-time basis, but although these part-time students cope with the same economic challenges as other CUNY students, they have long been effectively shut out of New York State’s tuition assistance programs. It is past time for New York’s policymakers to step up and adapt the state’s financial aid system to the needs of today’s students.