Jie Jenny Zou covers social services and public benefits for New York Focus. She previously worked as an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Public Integrity where she delved into topics ranging from environmental health and worker safety to immigrant detention and scientific integrity. Her award-winning work has appeared in dozens of national outlets including the Associated Press, The Guardian, Vox, NPR, VICE, The Marshall Project and more. She was raised in Brooklyn and is an alumna of Stony Brook University and Columbia University.
Poverty rates among New York’s aging population are rising as the federal government pares back support for longstanding social service programs.
Fiscal advocates warn the governor and state lawmakers against punting a difficult discussion on how to deal with imminent cuts.
New York is staring down billions in lost federal funding for Medicaid and food assistance over the next decade
New Yorkers across the state describe how sweeping federal cuts to Medicaid and food assistance could derail their lives.
The state’s efforts around reentry healthcare have stalled and face an uphill battle under the Trump administration.
The state has left defrauded food stamp recipients to fend for themselves. Internal agency emails point to a long-simmering effort riddled with delays.
Nonprofit hospitals are required to help those struggling with medical debt, but critics say their policies are poorly advertised and underutilized.
Learn the income thresholds, deadlines, and free support services that help New Yorkers shave down or sometimes completely erase medical debt.
If enacted, the cuts could topple the safety net for New York’s most vulnerable and upend the state’s newly passed budget.
The Trump administration has dealt a blow to the state’s food bank network, which supports around 3 million New Yorkers.
The final budget stops short of what legislators and advocates hoped for and appears to reflect more of Governor Hochul’s funding priorities.
Drastic cutbacks coupled with skyrocketing utility costs put seniors and other vulnerable households at greater risk for severe illness and death.
Mental health providers are scrambling to prevent mass layoffs and program closures, leaving advocates urging state leaders to step in before it’s too late.
Thousands of New Yorkers have had their food benefits stolen. Meanwhile, Congress will likely move forward with major cuts to the lifeline program.
Nonprofits form the backbone of the state’s social service sector, and they may be getting some overdue relief in this year’s budget.
The social services commissioner says New York wants to join other states adopting more secure cards, but lacks funds for the upgrade.
Chip technology has been standard in credit and debit cards for a decade. It could stop New York’s surging rate of stolen benefits.