Met Council Met Council

Passover Banner

Met Council is proud to announce the most comprehensive look to date at the needs of New York's Jewish communities, the Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 Special Report on Poverty. In the past 20 years, the number of people in poor Jewish households has doubled. Read the report and learn about the realities and diversity of Jewish poverty.


Met Council Statement on Congressman Nadler's Proposed Bill to Extend Access to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) released the following statement in response to Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s (D-NY) announcement of new legislation, the Tax Fairness for All Families Act of 2013, which would provide a larger Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to families with more than three children.

“Met Council supports Congressman Nadler's proposed bill to extend access to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to families with more than three children. This bill will provide increased financial assistance for working parents who are coping with the burden of paying for food, rent, medical costs, transportation, and other expenses for more than three children.  It epitomizes EITC's purpose in aiding low- to moderate-income working families,” said Met Council President & CEO William Rapfogel.

Met Council serves as an advocate and defender for individuals and families in crisis – a voice for an overlooked population – and creates solutions for the growing problem of Jewish poverty in New York City. Met Council’s services include crisis intervention, legal and immigration assistance, benefits outreach and enrollment, kosher food pantries and vouchers, career training and assistance, domestic violence counseling, affordable housing, and home care. 

Here is how Nadler’s bill would work:

  • The bill would provide an increasingly larger EITC for families with more than 3 children.
  • The size of a family’s EITC depends on its earned income and number of children.
    Under current law, a family’s EITC maxes out at 45% of income for 3 or more children regardless of the number of children in the family.   
  • Nadler’s bill would expand the number of children for which a family can claim the EITC to 7 or more.  Families with 4 children would receive a 50% credit; 5 children a 55% credit; 6 children a 60% credit; and, 7 or more children a 65% credit.
  • For each additional child, there is a 5 percentage point increase in the EITC, which results in a 10-11% larger credit for each child.
  • The EITC phases out gradually as a family’s income increases, so that families are not all of sudden cut off from a benefit just because their income grows.
  • EITC is distinct from the Child Tax Credit, which is not fully refundable.
  • EITC was especially designed for low- to middle- income working families as a means of escaping poverty

Met Council Celebrates the Construction of The Brielle at Seaview, New Staten Island Affordable Assisted Living for Seniors

Honorable Domenic Recchia, Finance Committee Chair, NYC Council, Honorable James Molinaro, Staten Island Borough,  President, William Rapfogel, CEO, Met Council,Honorable Christine Quinn, Speaker, NYC Council, Honorable James Oddo, Minority Leader, NYC Council
City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, City Council Member James S. Oddo, Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and other partners joined Met Council on Monday, June 10th to celebrate the construction of The Brielle at Seaview, a new affordable assisted living residence for seniors on Staten Island.   The NYC Economic Development Corporation’s Build NYC Resource Corporation (Build NYC), the Staten Island Borough President’s office as well as grants from the New York City Council are funding construction of the 103,000-square-foot, 188-bed assisted living and memory care residence and an 11,500-square-foot building for social and recreational use. The funds will also be used to renovate a historic landmarked building for visitors. When opened in the spring of 2015, the building will bring 84 new jobs to the community.

“As our population continues to grow, we must make sure that New York’s seniors have access to quality, affordable housing,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The Brielle at Seaview will provide affordable assisted living to Staten Island’s seniors and create dozens of new jobs for New Yorkers. I thank the Met Council for their tireless efforts to provide relief to New Yorkers in need and am proud to support construction on Staten Island’s newest, assisted living facility.”

Jeff Moerdler, Mintz Levin, Honorable Christine Quinn, Speaker, NYC Council, Honorable Domenic Recchia, Finance Committee Chair, NYC Council,
Honorable James Oddo, Minority Leader, NYC Council, Honorable James Molinaro, Staten Island Borough, President William Rapfogel, CEO, Met Council,
Jeffrey Levine, Chairman, Douglaston Development, Maria Gotsch of the NYC Investment Fund,
 Kathryn Wylde, President, Partnership for New York City

Borough President James P. Molinaro commented, “I am delighted that construction is finally beginning on this long-awaited senior housing project. This modern, state-of-the-art assisted living facility will fulfill a great need – it will give our seniors the option to remain here on Staten Island, close to their family, friends and physicians. The facility includes a recreation center where residents can meet, socialize, and even see a show in a small theater. I would like to thank Speaker Quinn, Councilman Oddo, Randy Lee of the Leewood Real Estate Group, the Met Council and the NYCEDC for paying tribute to the needs of our seniors and protecting their quality of life. They deserve it. They helped make this country what it is and we owe them that commitment.”

The Brielle at Seaview is adjacent to Met Council’s Park Lane at Seaview. This phase of development will be followed by a second phase to create 213 new condominium units for independent living adults on the 15-acre site.

View more photos from the event





View the homepage archives...