City and State Poverty Still Soared in 2008, Even Before Full Downturn

City and State Poverty Still Soared in 2008, Even Before Full Downturn;
Advocates, Elected Officials Cite Failures of State and City Policies

New Analysis: Only 3% of Poor New Yorkers Aided by Bloomberg Poverty Effort;
New York Still Leads States in Income Inequality

More than 1.5 million New Yorkers – enough to fill Yankee Stadium 25 times over – lived in poverty in 2008, even before the full brunt of the economic downturn, according to U.S Census Bureau data released today. The number of New York City residents living below the meager federal poverty line - $17,600 for a family of three – was 1,522,195 in 2008, fully 126,458 more people than in 2000.