Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email kyi@wnyc.org or Signal 917-589-1460.
Karen Yi appears in the following:
Why child care is so expensive in NYC that it's become a crisis
Monday, April 15, 2024
Families shouldn’t pay more than 7% of their household income on child care, according to federal standards.
Mayor Adams’ homeless encampment sweeps reached new high last fall
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Data shows the number of homeless encampment “clean-ups” rose to an average of 500 a month late last summer into fall, with one location hit 199 times.
Here's how NYC families can get free, quality childcare through a federal Head Start program
Thursday, March 21, 2024
The federally funded program provides care for up to 34,000 children in New York state.
Want to snag an appointment for NYC’s coveted ID card? Join the Friday PM rush.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
The city plans said they’re issuing more IDs this year even as nonprofits struggle to get people signed up.
NYC Mayor Adams reaches settlement in fight to roll back right to shelter
Friday, March 15, 2024
Homeless advocates and their lawyers met with the city officials in state Supreme Court on Friday.
Migrant families suffering from PTSD find temporary relief from NYC shelter 60-day notices
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Federal and local laws protecting people with disabilities extends to migrants.
As more people turn to collecting bottles and cans, NY lawmakers push doubling refunds
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
The city’s self-employed recyclers want the state to pass a bill to boost their earnings.
NYC expands meal delivery service for seniors as more fall into poverty
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The expansion comes as 1 in 4 New Yorkers over 65 live in poverty, according to a new report.
This NYC job training program is helping young adults pivot to high-earning careers
Tuesday, February 06, 2024
A Lower East Side training program helps adults fill a growing need in the workforce: building automation.
‘Most of us have gone through this’: Yonkers workers show new migrants the ropes as day laborers
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Hundreds of migrants without work permits are desperate for jobs and getting work where they can.
This Week in Politics: A first wave of deadlines for migrant families in NYC shelters
Saturday, January 13, 2024
This week, a first wave of migrant families living in New York City shelters reached a new deadline to move out.
Dozens of migrant families booted from NYC shelter as 60-day notices come due
Tuesday, January 09, 2024
City officials say migrant families with no place to stay can reapply for shelter at an intake center in Midtown.
Migrant families facing eviction from NYC shelter get 1 additional week to stay after Christmas
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
The first dozen migrant families would have had to leave their current shelters after Christmas.
Migrant teens and young adults aren't getting necessary help, according to shelters
Wednesday, December 06, 2023
Youth shelter providers said there’s no formal system to identify migrants between 16 and 24 years old whose needs differ from those of adults.
Many migrant kids at NYC schools are new to English. They're finding creative ways to learn.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Many migrant students arrive with interrupted learning and trauma, making learning a new language all that more difficult.
Migrant students face schooling uncertainty as NYC gives families 60 days to exit shelter
Tuesday, November 07, 2023
Migrant families notified they have 60 days to leave the city’s shelter system say they’re worried their children’s education will be upended just as schools break for Christmas.
NYC pushes to get migrants work permits, but shelter evictions could complicate the process
Wednesday, November 01, 2023
The Adams administration's move to evict migrants from shelters and have them reapply for housing could further complicate the already complex process of applying for work authorization.
Food pantry visits surge in NYC as 'perfect storm' over benefit delays and inflation aligns
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Food pantries across New York City are reporting a spike in demand, a reminder of the early days of the pandemic.
On Staten Island, 2 months of back rent can end in eviction
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
A Gothamist analysis found a single housing complex is driving one of the highest eviction rates in the city.
Even amid dire climate change warnings, NJ doesn’t protect farm workers from rising heat
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Farm workers form the backbone of New Jersey’s $1 billion agriculture industry but climate change is putting their health at risk.
