"Problems stemming from poverty do not exist in a vacuum and have disastrous effects on multiple aspects of an individual's life. To break the cycle, we must address the myriad effects of poverty. Single Stop does exactly that, helping participants become self-sufficient by addressing a series of problems at once rather than one by one. Single Stop is the smart way to deliver services."
—Steve Lee - Robin Hood
Problem
New Yorkers living in poverty often struggle simultaneously with multiple financial hardships – housing costs, legal entanglements, debt, physical and mental health problems, drug addiction, and domestic violence. Ordinarily help comes one visit at a time as individuals travel from office to office to navigate arcane bureaucracies. As a result, many give up, succumbing to frustration. An estimated 500,000 low-income New Yorkers are eligible for food stamps, but don't enroll and as many as 300,000 low-wage workers don't claim tax refunds for which they are eligible.
Impact
In 2015, Single Stop served nearly 190,000 low-income New York families, helping to secure over $180 million in benefits. Created by Robin Hood in 2003, Single Stop has grown to become an independent entity that has secured over $3 billion in benefits for low-income New Yorkers and has expanded to nine states across the country.
States of Operation
- New York
- California
- Florida
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Louisiana