New York State continues to experience record numbers of homeless people. Generally, the focus of media coverage and policy discussions is on New York City and other large metropolitan areas as they contain the largest populations of homeless.
Beginning in the 1990s, the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has gradually transformed its residential treatment services for people with severe mental illness into supportive housing programs that are integrated in the community rather than institutional settings.
Homelessness is a troubling, chronic problem nationally and in New York State. Veterans of U.S. military service have made up a disproportionate share of our nation’s homeless population.
After almost a full decade of U.S. economic expansion, too many New Yorkers still face real challenges making ends meet. One clear sign of this troubling reality is the millions of renters and homeowners in our State who struggle with high housing costs.
Lead poisoning continues to be the number one environmental poison for children in New York State. Lead is highly toxic and is most harmful to children in their early years.
New York State has a childhood obesity crisis. The New York State Department of Health estimates that one in four New Yorkers under the age of 18, or approximately 1.1 million young people, is obese.
In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2009-10, All Funds spending for New York State amounted to $126.9 billion. Of this amount, approximately $38.4 billion or 30.2 percent was spent on Medicaid.
Obesity rates in New York State and the nation have jumped sharply in recent decades. Childhood obesity, in particular, has become much more common – nearly tripling nationwide since 1980.
Asthma is a major public health problem in New York State and nationally.
Medicaid provides health insurance coverage to more than 6 million New Yorkers and is projected to cost a total of $62 billion from federal, State and local sources in State Fiscal Year 2016.
