This Robin Hood Moment

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. What does it really cost to raise a child in NYC? In this episode, with special guest Reshma Saujani—Founder and CEO of Moms First, Founder of Girls Who Code and bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect"—we explore why current benefits fall short in covering the needs of families, especially in a city with such a high cost of living. We discuss t...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. Stable housing is not just a roof over a child’s head—it’s a critical factor for healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In this episode, with guest Christine Quinn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Win, we examine an aspect of homelessness in New York City that’s rarely discussed: family homelessness, wherein thousands ...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the groundbreaking work of the New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC), established under the Child Poverty Reduction Act signed into law in December 2021. This initiative sets a bold goal of reducing child poverty in New York State by 50% by 2031. We explore how this legislation c...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In advance of Thanksgiving each year, Robin Hood collaborates with Columbia University to produce an annual snapshot of food hardship and assistance among New Yorkers. New York City has a robust network of food providers, including pantries, aimed to make access to food easier for those struggling to feed themselves and/or their families. Despite...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the unveiling of the newest affordable housing development in Inwood, what Robin Hood affectionately calls “New Stories,” showcasing the city's potential to create beautiful, affordable homes in innovative spaces. The spotlight falls on the Eliza Apartments, providing 174 affordable units, alongside amenities and gr...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we center the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by the recent surge in poverty across New York City, illuminated by the stark findings of Robin Hood’s annual Poverty Tracker report. With guests Greg Silverman, CEO of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, and Robert Cordero, CEO of Grand Street Settlement, we emba...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the dire state of affordable housing. New York City is still the largest and most expensive rental market in the county. The rental vacancy rate has plummeted to a historic low of 1.4%; more than half of households are rent-burdened, thousands are on the brink of eviction, and a record number of New Yorkers are livi...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the staggering findings of the latest Poverty Tracker Annual Report, jointly released by Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. The report reveals a historic spike in poverty rates across New York City, with an additional 2 million residents plunging into poverty between 2021 and 2...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your host Crystal Cooper. January marks the beginning of the budgeting process for New York State and City, crucial for funding essential services and programs. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams recently unveiled their proposed budgets, sparking intense analysis and advocacy. Join us as we delve into the implications for fighting poverty in NYC with Robin Hood’s Chief Public Policy Officer, Ja...

For 35 years, Robin Hood has channeled nearly $3 billion through grantmaking to feed, house, educate, provide training and placement, and much more for the millions of New Yorkers fighting their way out of poverty. From the very start, Robin Hood has been relentlessly focused on results, grounding its work in rigorous evidence and community voice so it can make the smartest bets and the greatest impact. Through these years, Robin H...