scholarly journals A randomized controlled design reveals barriers to citizenship for low-income immigrants

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 939-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Hainmueller ◽  
Duncan Lawrence ◽  
Justin Gest ◽  
Michael Hotard ◽  
Rey Koslowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Discernible Effect ◽  
Reliable Knowledge

Citizenship endows legal protections and is associated with economic and social gains for immigrants and their communities. In the United States, however, naturalization rates are relatively low. Yet we lack reliable knowledge as to what constrains immigrants from applying. Drawing on data from a public/private naturalization program in New York, this research provides a randomized controlled study of policy interventions that address these constraints. The study tested two programmatic interventions among low-income immigrants who are eligible for citizenship. The first randomly assigned a voucher that covers the naturalization application fee among immigrants who otherwise would have to pay the full cost of the fee. The second randomly assigned a set of behavioral nudges, similar to outreach efforts used by service providers, among immigrants whose incomes were low enough to qualify them for a federal waiver that eliminates the application fee. Offering the fee voucher increased naturalization application rates by about 41%, suggesting that application fees act as a barrier for low-income immigrants who want to become US citizens. The nudges to encourage the very poor to apply had no discernible effect, indicating the presence of nonfinancial barriers to naturalization.

scholarly journals Seeking menstrual products: a qualitative exploration of the unmet menstrual needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Gruer ◽  
Kim Hopper ◽  
Rachel Clark Smith ◽  
Erin Kelly ◽  
Andrew Maroko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Vulnerable Populations ◽  
York City ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Free Products ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
Menstrual Products

Abstract Background There has been increasing recognition that certain vulnerable populations in the United States of America struggle to meet their menstruation-related needs, including people experiencing homelessness. Media and policy attention on this subject has focused on the provision of free menstrual products to vulnerable populations, including a New York City legislative bill, which guarantees access to menstrual products for Department of Homeless Services shelter residents (Intros 1123-A). Methods This qualitative study explored the challenges people experiencing homelessness in New York City face in accessing menstrual products. Data collection was conducted from June to August 2019 and included: Semi-structured key informant interviews with staff from relevant government agencies and homeless service providers (n = 15), and semi-structured in-depth interviews with individuals with experience living on the street and in shelters (n = 22). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Key themes that emerged included: (1) insufficient and inconsistent access to menstrual products; (2) systemic challenges to providing menstrual products; and (3) creative solutions to promote access to menstrual products. Both shelter- and street-living individuals reported significant barriers to accessing menstrual products. While both populations struggle, those in shelters were more likely to be able to purchase menstrual products or access free products at their shelter, while those living on the streets were more likely to have to resort to panhandling, theft, or using makeshift materials in place of menstrual products. Across both populations, individuals described barriers to accessing free products at shelters and service providers, primarily due to distribution systems that rely on gatekeepers to provide a few pads or tampons at a time, sometimes of inadequate quality and only upon request. Shelters and service providers also described challenges providing these products, including inconsistent supply. Conclusion These findings highlight the critical importance of expanding and improving initiatives seeking to provide access to menstrual products for vulnerable populations. Despite policy level efforts to support menstrual product access, individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City, whether living in shelters or on the street, are often not able to access the menstrual products that they need to manage their monthly menstrual flow.

Problems of Russia’s Integration into the Global Financial System

2015 ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
A. Kuznetsov
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
Financial Market ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
International Investment ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Global Financial System

The author examines problems of Russia’s integration into the global financial system since early 1990s. During this short period of time Russia has turned from a net debtor into a net creditor. This is evidenced by its current net international investment position, as well as by active participation in the formation of credit resources of the key international financial institutions, particularly IMF. Still, the net investment income of Russia is negative. Such a disadvantage is explained by the difference in interest rates between payments of Russia on its external obligations and receipts as income from investments in foreign assets, mainly low-income bonds of developed countries, which form Russian international reserves. For three centuries the United Kingdom and the United States have been playing key role in the development of the global financial system. Today London and New York still operate nearly two thirds of the volume of global flows of capital in the international financial markets. Thus, as one of major economies in terms of GDP and as a resource-richest country of the world, Russia, as author argues, can rightfully claim for a more adequate share of income from the global financial intermediation. Obstacles include the lack of development of the domestic financial market and insufficient international demand for financial instruments denominated in Rubles. Russian Ruble remains a purely internal currency which practically is not used in the international trading and financial operations. At this stage, Russia’s inability to influence the basic conditions of refinancing on international capital markets, as well as the recent Western sanctions make impossible the full-scale participation of Russia in the processes of financial globalization. The author concludes that alternative way of Russia’s entry into the global financial system lays in playing the key role in the creation of the regional financial market of the Eurasian Economic Space.

scholarly journals The Rebuilding of the South Bronx after the Fiscal Crisis

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 932-959
Author(s):  
Themis Chronopoulos
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Economic Policy ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
City Government ◽  
The South ◽  
South Bronx ◽  
Public Subsidies ◽  
The One

This article explores the rebuilding of the South Bronx since 1977. This rebuilding represents an important public policy accomplishment, since the South Bronx was one of the most physically devastated areas in the United States. In terms of economic policy, the rebuilding of the South Bronx defies linear narratives. One the one hand, public–private partnerships, which represent some of the most important features of urban neoliberalism, were used heavily in the revitalization of the South Bronx. Community organizations that had been rebuilding areas in the South Bronx in the 1970s and the 1980s were required to conform to the requirements of the market, if they were to continue participating in urban development. On the other hand, the building of housing for low- and moderate-income people is not exactly a neoliberal economic policy, since these housing units were built with public subsidies and regulated by government agencies. In its insistence to rebuild the South Bronx as well as other physically devastated areas, the city government of New York became involved in creative financing by incorporating nongovernment organizations that were ran by accomplished businesspeople but remained nonprofit. And whatever the original intentions of city administrations in building and preserving affordable housing in the South Bronx may have been, the accommodation of so many low-income people performing low-paying but essential jobs has contributed to the making of a more vibrant urban economy, even if these same people are not necessarily the ones benefitting from New York’s economic dynamism.

scholarly journals Development of a System Dynamics Model to Guide Retail Food Store Policies in Baltimore City

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3055
Author(s):  
Siyao Zhu ◽  
Cassandra Mitsinikos ◽  
Lisa Poirier ◽  
Takeru Igusa ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
City Policy

Policy interventions to improve food access and address the obesity epidemic among disadvantaged populations are becoming more common throughout the United States. In Baltimore MD, corner stores are a frequently used source of food for low-income populations, but these stores often do not provide a range of affordable healthy foods. This research study aimed to assist city policy makers as they considered implementing a Staple Food Ordinance (SFO) that would require small stores to provide a range and depth of stock of healthy foods. A System Dynamics (SD) model was built to simulate the complex Baltimore food environment and produce optimal values for key decision variables in SFO planning. A web-based application was created for users to access this model to optimize future SFOs, and to test out different options. Four versions of potential SFOs were simulated using this application and the advantages and drawbacks of each SFO are discussed based on the simulation results. These simulations show that a well-designed SFO has the potential to reduce staple food costs, increase corner store profits, reduce food waste, and expand the market for heathy staple foods.

scholarly journals The Price of Poverty: Policy Implications of the Unequal Effects of Monetary Sanctions on the Poor

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-65
Author(s):  
Ilya Slavinski ◽  
Kimberly Spencer-Suarez
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Federal State ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Time Requirements ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Set Up

Over the last several decades, with the rise of mass incarceration in the United States and its steep costs, governments at the federal, state, and local levels have dramatically ramped up monetary punishment. Monetary sanctions are now the most common type of criminal penalty in the United States. The growth of fines, fees, and other legal financial obligations (LFOs), and the ensuing legal debt, reflect a shifting of the system’s costs onto its primarily low-income and indigent subjects. This study provides an exploration of previously underexamined ways in which monetary sanctions impose distinct burdens on the poor. Interviews with 121 defendants in Texas and New York, along with courtroom observations, demonstrate that criminal legal debt is particularly challenging for people with low incomes in three meaningful ways. First, systems set up to handle indigency claims do not adequately address the needs or complex individual circumstances of those who simply do not have the ability to pay. Oftentimes, alternatives are unavailable or statutorily prohibited. Second, the lack of alternatives to payment lead to compromising situations, which then compel indigent defendants to make difficult choices about how to allocate scant resources. Finally, being encumbered with fines and fees and participating in alternatives like community service comes with taxing time requirements that can prove uniquely challenging for those who are poor. These three findings lead us to propose a series of policy recommendations revolving around three key themes: (a) enhancement of indigency procedures, (b) equity in monetary sanctions, and (c) alleviating burdens by improving accessibility.

Occupational Health among Latino Workers: A Needs Assessment and Recommended Interventions

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Moure-Eraso ◽  
George Friedman-Jimenez
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Occupational Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Clinical Services ◽  
Latino Workers ◽  
Prevention Interventions ◽  
Using Data

Evidence suggests that Latino workers, along with other minority and low-income workers, face a higher risk for occupational disease than do other workers. Targeted surveillance and primary prevention interventions have been lacking or inadequate. The authors estimate the number of occupational disease deaths and new cases in Latino workers in the United States. Then, using data from New York City, they find that Latino workers are disproportionately employed in more hazardous occupations and under-represented in less hazardous jobs. They suggest a comprehensive approach to address workplace disease in Latino workers, which involves primary prevention interventions, clinical services, educational approaches, research and surveillance, unionization and organization of workers, and legislation and regulation.

scholarly journals Testing a Web-Based Interactive Comic Tool to Decrease Obesity Risk Among Minority Preadolescents: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Control Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
May May Leung ◽  
Katrina F Mateo ◽  
Sandra Verdaguer ◽  
Katarzyna Wyka
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Feeding Practices ◽  
Dietary Behaviors ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Obesity Risk ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Potential Impact

BACKGROUND Childhood obesity is a public health crisis, particularly in low-income, minority populations in the United States. Innovative and technology-enhanced interventions may be an engaging approach to reach at-risk youth and their parents to improve dietary behaviors and feeding practices. However, such tools are limited, especially ones that are theory-based; co-developed with user-centered approaches; tailored to low-income, minority preadolescents; and include parent-focused content. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study include assessing the feasibility and acceptability and exploring the potential impact of the Intervention INC (Interactive Nutrition Comics for urban, minority preadolescents) Web-based tool, which is focused on decreasing childhood obesity risk in black/African American and Latino children aged 9 to 12 years. METHODS Intervention INC is underpinned by the narrative transportation theory, social cognitive theory, and health belief model, and it was co-developed by children and parents from the intended population. The child component consists of a 6-chapter interactive nutrition comic optimized for use on tablet devices, a goal-setting and self-assessment feature, and weekly text/email messages and reminders. The parental component consists of 6 Web-based newsletters, access to the child comic, and weekly text/email messages and reminders. The tool was evaluated using a pilot, single-blind, 2-group randomized controlled study design. Child-parent dyads were randomized to either the experimental or comparison group and assigned to a targeted behavior (increase fruit/vegetable or water intake) based on initial screening questions. Data were collected at 4 time points: baseline (T1), intervention midpoint (T2), intervention endpoint (T3), and 3 months postintervention (T4). Primary measures comprise usage, usability, and feasibility of the Web-based tool. Secondary measures comprise dietary knowledge, preferences, and intake and anthropometric measures (for child) and feeding practices and home food environment (for parent). RESULTS Study enrollment was completed in November 2017. A total of 89 child-parent dyads were randomized to either the experimental (n=44) or comparison (n=45) group. Data analysis is currently being conducted. CONCLUSIONS This study aims to implement and assess an innovative approach to deliver health messages and resources to at-risk minority preadolescents and their parents. If found to be acceptable, engaging, feasible, and a potential approach to improve dietary behaviors, a full-fledged randomized controlled trial will be conducted to assess its efficacy and potential impact. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03165474; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03165474 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/73122IjgP) INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR RR1-10.2196/10682

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