NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO’S WNYC LAUNCHES
IN CONVERSATION: THE AFFORDABILITY SERIES
TO ADDRESS NEW YORK CITY’S HOTBED TOPICS OF THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
IN CONVERSATION: THE AFFORDABILITY SERIES
TO ADDRESS NEW YORK CITY’S HOTBED TOPICS OF THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS
WNYC and Gothamist Reporters Talk to New Yorkers and Policymakers About Affordability Issues Around Food, Housing, Childcare, Transit, and Healthcare in Five-Part LIVE Series Launching on July 21
New York, NY – July 15, 2026 New York Public Radio (NYPR)’s award-winning WNYC and Gothamist newsroom is launching a new, five-part live community event series focused on New York City’s affordability crisis, called IN CONVERSATION: THE AFFORDABILITY SERIES. Each event will be recorded on location for later broadcast across WNYC’s diverse line up.
In a city as dense and diverse as New York, political, socio-economic, and cultural divides are not abstract or distant; they often exist between neighbors living just down the street or across the hall. Recent election results suggest that New Yorkers across these lines are making decisions at the ballot box driven by concerns of affordability.
WNYC and Gothamist reporters will visit five communities across the boroughs to explore how residents from across these divides are navigating the affordability crisis in the areas of childcare, housing, food access, healthcare and transportation. Through in-person conversations and community-based reporting, this series will bring New Yorkers together– those who struggle to afford essential goods and services and those who struggle to provide them– to explore where shared interests can lead not to debate, but to deeper understanding and solutions.
The first IN CONVERSATION event will explore how food affordability policies ripple through communities and shape household budgets, neighborhood businesses and access to basic nutrition across the city. Moderated by “All Things Considered” host Sean Carlson, the panel discussion will feature reporter Karen Yi alongside food justice advocates Jilly Stephens of City Harvest and Greg Silverman of West Side Campaign Against Hunger; a community member who will share her lived experience navigating the SNAP program; Francisco Marte, President of the Bodega & Small Business Group; and NYC’s Department of Social Services Commissioner, Erin Dalton. Conversations will focus on the impact of rising food costs and cuts to SNAP benefits on their daily lives. Listeners can RSVP to attend the panel here and will be able to hear excerpts from this event on “All Things Considered” beginning July 22.
“At WNYC and Gothamist, it is our public service mission to provide listeners with rigorous, fact-based reporting about the issues impacting NY communities,” said Stephanie Clary, Editor-in-Chief of the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom and live radio teams. “Our reporters have thoughtfully and consistently covered these issues across the city and are deeply informed on policy. They know that there is no easy answer to solving these problems and are committed to having the difficult conversations that can inspire change.”
“Our responsibility is to reflect the real issues in communities across the city,” said Carla Wills, WNYC’s Community Partnerships and Training Editor. “These community conversations go deep into neighborhoods to tell stories that are personal and impactful, with a goal of expanding the understanding of affordability–and how issues cross neighborhoods, communities and demographics across NYC during a time of sweeping economic insecurity and anxiety.”
IN CONVERSATION will host events in each borough between July and November, with each event focused on a different affordability topic. The panel discussions will be hosted by WNYC’s on-air hosts, featuring the WNYC and Gothamist reporters closely covering these issues alongside members of the community.
July 21, 2026 at 7pm: Food
New York City’s rising food costs are placing pressure on both the people who rely on SNAP benefits and the small groceries that serve them. Conversations will explore how food affordability policies ripple through communities and shape household budgets, neighborhood businesses, and access to basic nutrition across the city. The panel discussions will feature reporter Karen Yi alongside food justice advocates Jilly Stephens of City Harvest and Greg Silverman of West Side Campaign Against Hunger; a community member who will share her lived experience navigating the SNAP program; Francisco Marte, President of the Bodega & Small Business Group; and NYC’s Department of Social Services Commissioner, Erin Dalton. Sean Carlson hosts.
August 20, 2026 at 7pm: Housing
Reporters David Brand and Brigid Bergin will participate in a discussion around escalating housing costs and vulnerabilities for both renters and small-property landlords, supportive housing options and cuts to voucher programs. The event will be held at HANAC Harmony JVL Older Adult Center in Astoria, Queens. Residents in South Queens have been among the most vocal about property tax increases. Janae Pierre hosts.
September: Childcare
Gothamist’s Karen Yi takes part in a conversation with local parents, school teachers and childcare professionals about the rising costs of childcare for both families and small providers, what the expansion of universal childcare means and who will be able to access it. This event will take place at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Sean Carlson hosts.
October: Transit
Public transportation – particularly the long-promised expansion of the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan to address the transit gap in East Harlem – will be the focus of this event’s discussion including transit reporters, neighborhood organizers and reporters Ramsey Khalifeh and Stephen Nessen. What will the construction mean for the community who will be displaced by it and for those who will remain? This event will be held in Manhattan. Michael Hill hosts.
November: Healthcare
With potential Medicaid cuts, uncertainty around the Essential Plan and increasing costs for private coverage, many New Yorkers who rely on Medicare, Medicaid or marketplace plans face difficult choices about maintaining access to care. This conversation – featuring reporter Caroline Lewis – will bring together a Medicaid or Medicare recipient and a provider from a community-based clinic to explore how policy decisions affect both patients and providers. This event will take place in the Bronx. Sean Carlson hosts.
More information about the food affordability event and the series as a whole can be found here.
Lead supporters of WNYC and Gothamist reporting include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robin Hood, The Tow Foundation, and Trinity Church NYC. New York Public Radio’s live civic and cultural programming is supported in part by the New York City Council and Speaker Julie Menin.
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