City Limits - A Poverty Project

Childcare is increasingly being recognized as not just something that affects those who need it and work in it, but as a central economic issue that effects the entire community.

The non-profit human services agencies that serve Central New York's most vulnerable residents are among those hit hardest by the labor shortage.

Summertime means pooltime in Central New York. But the city of Syracuse's Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs department is wondering how well they can serve that need this year.

Businesses and manufacturers in Central New York frequently say they have job openings but, the local workforce lacks the necessary qualified candidates with college degrees, specific skill sets and certified job training.  The job vacancy dilemma has educators and businesses looking to CTE - Car

Central New Yorkers converted toy rooms, dining rooms and kitchen tables into offices during COVID. More than 30 percent of U.S. employees reported some form of teleworking amid the pandemic.

It's no secret that Syracuse has opportunity on its horizon. But to fully take advantage of what lies ahead, the city needs the workforce to do so.

You've seen the signs everywhere for the past several months.  Help Wanted.

When the pandemic struck the United States in 2020, many of us were forced to adjust the way we work. Some of us were forced to work remotely, while others were simply told not to come to work.

Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI training, has been on the rise for years across sectors, but following the murder of George Floyd, demand for these trainings surged.

According to the National Equity Atlas, workers of color are disproportionately affected by economic inequality.  They tend to be concentrated in low-wage jobs with little opportunity for economic security or upward mobility.  And with far less income to work with and limited to no access to capi

Transportation is something most of us take for granted. Most of us are able to hop in the car to run an errand or go to work. A few may walk or bike. But for everyone else, there’s public transportation. In Central New York, that’s Centro.

On this episode of City Limits Winds of Change, Chris Bolt looks at how the number of people of color getting coronavirus vaccinations trails behind the overall community rate due to both access and v

As the nation has grappled with a pandemic, the cries for racial and social justice have also grown in intensity.  On this episode of City Limits: Winds of Change, how are places of higher education responding to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion?  How are they dealing with bias, racial issu

WAER’s Syracuse Speaks program recently celebrated Black History Month by looking at influence on music, activism, and community, African Americans have a rich and often under-told legacy in the area.

The Interstate 81 project is inching closer to action with the anticipation of a public comment period and final environmental impact statement expected this year.

The calls for racial, social, and economic justice that rang out across the nation and in Central New York are echoing through the halls, offices, and boardrooms of corporate America.

One of the reforms Syracuse's People’s Agenda for Policing coalition called for is the removal of police from city schools. They say that security resource officers, commonly referred to as SROs, cause more harm than protection to black and brown students.

In this edition of City Limits: Winds of Change, we begin with how Georgia State University has dramatically narrowed the achievement gap by increasing the graduation rate by 74-percent within 15 years.  Author Andrew Gumbel discusses how the college dramatically turned things around for

With $1 million earmarked for capacity building among black led non-profits in Syracuse, a local foundation now waits to assess the impact of its grant-making.  In this episode of City Limits Winds of Change, we examine how first round grant recipients of the Central New York Community Foundation

The echoes of protests, marches and rallies have gone quiet in Syracuse.  But one issue a the center of the uproar, police conduct against people of color, has not.  The killing of George Floyd sparked public outcry but numerous issues of police reform have been in the works for years.  What was

The Central New York Community Foundation pledged $1 million to racial justice following the multiple killings of Black people by law enforcement this past summer.

The previous episode of City Limits examined efforts in the Syracuse community to use art to heal the emotional wounds created by instances of racial injustice, police brutality, and social unrest.  In that episode, you heard voices of members of the Black Artist Collective, an organized group of

Historically, black artists have long played an integral role in social justice movements by using their art and their voice to amplify anger and frustrations.  This City Limits episode examines how artists and arts organizations in Syracuse are working to support and sustain the racial justice m

COVID-19 didn’t so much create new issues for Central New Yorker experiencing poverty, but instead exacerbated existing inequalities.

Hemp growers are deciding right now how much hemp crops to plant with the unknowns of when they will be able to farm and when processors will be able to start, again.  As part of City Limits Food For Thought, John Smith reports the industry appeared to be gaining state support before the COVID-19

***Episode 43 of City Limits begins our Food for Thought series. Food for Thought is our newest reporting project focusing on the state’s largest economic sector: agriculture. ***

It’s well-established that education is often key to breaking the cycle of poverty by opening doors better-paying jobs.  But what about something as basic as literacy?  An estimated 60,000 adults in Onondaga County lack literacy skills. 

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Nojaim Market closing on Syracuse’s Near Westside renewed a conversation about food access in some of the city’s most impoverished n

In his state of the city address this year, Mayor Ben Walsh said Syracuse's best days aren't just around the corner, but they are i

It might seem like one of the quickest ways out of poverty is a steady job.  But despite low unemployment and government-funded job training, those who need jobs the most

The Greater Syracuse HOPE Initiative has been working to make a difference in Syracuse’s poverty problem.

It's been almost a year since City Limits introduced listeners to Providence Services and some of the people who use the shuttle-to-work service.  At the time, the fledgling non-profit was  making the most

There’s a demographic that might be forgotten or dismissed as part of the overall employment picture in Syracuse and Central New York, even if they make up about 20 percent of the population.

Reproductive health often gets billed as a women’s issue in national conversation.

Central New Yorkers may hold the misperception that Veterans in poverty and homelessness have been well taken care of and it’s no longer an issue that ne

Those who represent...and make policy for Syracuse residents on the city and county level know all too well the parts of their districts that are

More than 95% of those who go into jail or prison after being convicted and sentenced for a crime co

Getting and keeping a job is one of the best proven ways out of pove

For many in poverty,  healthcare can be difficult to attain. It is even more difficult to get proper dental care. At Amaus Dental Clinic, an all volunteer staff is working to provide oral healthcare for those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it.

Health care isn't always a priority if you're homeless or in poverty. Many don't have access to care or can't afford it. But there's a collaboration effort to help some organizations fill gaps in care by offering medical and mental health services in locations you might not expect.

On Syracuse's Southside, a 3 acre urban farm is growing fresh produce on the former site of nearly abando

Syracuse’s high poverty rate means many households don’t own or have access to a car.  That can limit job searches to areas reached by foot, bike, bus, or a combination of the th

The USDA estimates that there are 45 million people in America using SNAP.  City Limits Katie Zilcosky examines how proposed changes to the food nutrition program wi

In 2017, there were some 798 homeless in the greater Syracuse area living in emergency shelters or transitional housing.  Many were unsheltered.

Increasingly public schools have to do far more for children than teach reading, math and other subjects.  They’ve become the first line of defense against poverty for the school kids and their families.  Services from nutrition

The numbers are staggering.  On any given day, about 25 Syracuse residents are forced to pack up their belongings and find another place to live.

With the rising cost of college tuition, some students are finding it harder to meet their basic needs while away at school.

The access to legal assistance is something many of us find ourselves requiring at one point or another.