New York’s human service workers are the backbone of our state. Every day, they run shelters, support seniors, care for children, and provide critical services to families in crisis and people with mental health needs. Yet, despite their essential role, they are consistently underpaid, undervalued, and struggling to make ends meet. Governor Hochul’s proposed 2.1% cost-of-living adjustment in her executive budget proposal falls far short of what is needed to support this workforce and the organizations they sustain.
To put this into perspective: For a nonprofit worker in New York City earning the median salary of $55,000—and many make far less—the proposed adjustment amounts to just $22 extra per week before taxes. That barely covers a daily subway ride, a cup of coffee and a bagel. It certainly won’t help with soaring rent, grocery bills, or childcare costs that keep rising every month.
This modest increase does not reflect the value of a workforce that is overwhelmingly women-led and majority Black and Brown. These workers risked their lives during the pandemic, keeping our communities afloat, ensuring that our most vulnerable neighbors were housed and fed. Today, they’re on the frontlines managing the fallout from federal immigration crackdowns, supporting seniors, and counseling those facing a growing affordability crisis – often while struggling to afford their own basic needs.
That’s why we accepted the We Can’t Wait challenge – living for a week on just $20 a day, the take-home, post-rent pay of the average human service worker in New York State. This is what they are expected to survive on, while they dedicate their lives to caring for others. It’s not sustainable. It’s not fair. And it’s not the way New York should treat its essential workforce.
The Human Services Council, which represents 170 nonprofit organizations, is calling for a 7.8% cost-of-living adjustment to ensure that these workers are paid fairly and that the organizations providing these services remain viable. The cost? Just 0.24% of the state’s budget – less than a quarter of a penny for every dollar spent. In the Senate and Assembly, we are fighting to ensure that our colleagues and the Governor recognize the urgency of this issue and take action.
Every year, Albany leaders express appreciation for human service workers, yet when it’s time to act, the funding often falls short. As a result, nonprofit providers are in crisis. Organizations are struggling to retain staff because workers can’t survive on low wages, forcing layoffs and service cuts that put countless New Yorkers at risk. Meanwhile, the Governor’s current budget proposal does not fully address the cost-of-living crisis these workers face every day. Trust us, we tried to experience their reality firsthand by living on just $20 a day. It was eye-opening and heartbreaking, and underscored just how impossible it is for workers to make ends meet under these conditions.
This is not only about fairness, it’s also about justice. A failure to provide a meaningful wage adjustment will only push more Black and Brown women deeper into financial insecurity. Governor Hochul has spoken about closing the gender pay gap – here’s an opportunity to take meaningful action by supporting the 800,000 human service workers who are holding New York together.
If wages remain stagnant, we will continue to see an exodus of talent from the sector. The consequences will be devastating: fewer caseworkers to help struggling families, fewer mental health counselors for those in crisis, and fewer advocates to navigate the complex systems that millions of New Yorkers rely on. The good news is that this is a workforce crisis that can be fixed.
There’s still time to get this right. It’s often said that the state budget is a moral document – it reflects our collective values and priorities. If New York truly values the people who care for our communities, the Governor must join us and invest in getting them the fair pay they deserve.
