The inauguration of a new president is a typically a time of great hope, and this year is certainly no exception. But the advent of the Obama administration offers residents of New York and other city-dwellers special grounds for optimism: that the period of years, if not decades, when the federal government all but turned its back on the needs of…

The Commission on the Year 2000 found many areas of improvement since issuing its initial report, "New York Ascendant," in 1987, outlining an agenda and goals for systematically dealing with the most significant problems facing New York, New York. The Commission reviewed reports from city agencies explaining what each agency would do to…

Self-help among low-income people is vitally important. In no area is self-help more important than in overcoming poverty's burdens and energizing the escape from poverty. This document comprises an inventory of self-help and mutual-help programs that feature active involvement of members of the low-income population. The programs in this…