No Turning Back
Progress Is Happening, and It’s Worth Protecting
Over the past 10 years and counting
RMAPI has built a movement that is reshaping how our community understands poverty and confronting the systemic barriers that keep our people in place, even when individuals work relentlessly to move forward.
Redefining Poverty & Enacting Structural Change
Guided by our PLAN DE ACCIÓN DE UNIDAD and with the involvement of local government and partners, we’ve built strong momentum to address inequalities across wages, housing, education, and more.
Policy wins
Clean Slate
Child Tax Credit
Raise Minimum Wage
Decriminalizing poverty like bail reform
That being said, our work is far from done. Through collective action, we are building pathways to thriving lives for all, guided by more than poverty metrics alone.
Poverty Metrics Alone Do Not Define Progress
People need pathways to a thriving life, not just movement across an arbitrary poverty line.
ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) data shows that many families remain financially unstable even above the poverty line. They may earn above the Federal Poverty level, but still struggle to afford and manage basic needs such as housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and necessary technology.
Of households in our region are below the ALICE threshold (as of 2023)
Of people in American families don’t have the resources to live securely in their community
Tracking the Pathways That Help Communities Thrive
Poverty is the result of long-standing systems and policies that limit opportunity, which is why traditional metrics like the poverty rate don’t tell the full story.
At RMAPI, we track a variety of mobility metrics that give us a more realistic picture of whether our community is truly able to thrive.
How Housing Impacts Upward Mobility
When people can’t access stable, affordable housing in thriving and economically invested neighborhoods, it’s much harder to move up and break the cycle of poverty.
There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to uproot the history of structural and racial discrimination that limits access to high-quality housing in our country. Cities, financial institutions, and our federal government have all participated in redlining and restrictive covenants that still impact black communities and other communities of color from getting good housing to this day.
Housing Mobility Metrics: What We Track
- Rent as a percentage of income
- Homeownership rate
- Inclusive neighborhoods
How Transportation Impacts Upward Mobility
Access to quality transportation provides communities with a sense of power, autonomy, and greater chances of economic success.
People who lack access to reliable transit and live far from jobs face higher risks of unemployment and lower incomes. Those who need medical assistance but can’t reach it may suffer from long-term health problems. Children who can’t reach good schools may miss out on future opportunities. It’s clear that limited transportation has a lasting impact on our communities.
Transportation Mobility Metrics: What We Track
- Transportation as a percentage of income
- Access to transportation
How Living Wages Impact Upward Mobility
Jobs that provide living wages make it possible for people to comfortably meet their financial needs and achieve economic success.
When wages are high enough to cover basic needs, it provides families with stability to reduce financial strains, improve health, support children’s wellbeing and development, and overall increase their chances to build a secure future.
Living Wages Mobility Metrics: What We Track
- Average pay
- ALICE
How Healthcare Impacts Upward Mobility
Having reliable access to resources that support physical and mental health can make a huge difference in our community’s future.
It means families can get regular check-ups, preventive care, and treatment when they need it. Children have fewer unmet health needs, adults can catch problems early, and the stability reduces stress, helps people stay in school and at work, and supports overall well-being.
Healthcare Mobility Metrics: What We Track
- Maternal health
- Life expectancy
RMAPI Supported Initiatives That Aim for Long-Term Change
In partnership with local government and organizations, RMAPI is working hard to support Rochester residents and help our community overcome systemic barriers.
Some of the City’s RMAPI-aligned and supported initiatives that help us achieve this include:
Buy the Block
Buy the Block is a City of Rochester initiative to support neighborhoods with a long history of disinvestment. The program builds new single-family, high-quality homes that are sold to qualified first-time homebuyers who will spend no more than 30% of their income on housing. It is an example of an RMAPI coalition partner addressing one of RMAPI’s guiding principles to build and support our community.
GBI
In 2023, the City of Rochester implemented a year-long program called Guaranteed Basic Income, or GBI. The guaranteed income is a monthly payment of $500 given directly to 351 individuals for 12 months. It is unconditional, which means there are no strings attached, no work requirements, and no restrictions on how the money can be used. The initiative was supported by RMAPI and aligned with our Policy Agenda priority to raise income.
Investments in Emma/Beechwood
New York State is investing $4.75 million to expand early childhood and anti-poverty programs in Rochester’s Beechwood and Marketview Heights neighborhoods. This funding helps families access quality care and contribute toward economic stability.
Anti-Violence Work
Description of the initiative will go here
Housing Quality Task Force
The Rochester Housing Quality Task Force (HQTF) is a collaborative initiative focused on improving housing standards across the city – addressing issues such as substandard housing conditions, housing code enforcement, and tenant rights. RMAPI supported the effort, and Executive Director Aqua Porter served as co-chair of the task force.
Commission on Racial and Structural Equity
The Commission on Racial and Structural Equity (RASE) was appointed in August 2025 to review local city and county laws, policies, and ordinances to identify areas of structural inequity and recommend ways to change those laws to achieve fair application for all citizens. RMAPI and its coalition partners have implemented some of its 200 recommendations aimed at dismantling structural inequities.
How You Can Help Us Maintain Momentum
Poverty and inequity are not inevitable. With collective action from our community, we can build equitable systems that create real pathways to upward mobility.
Your influence, no matter how small it may seem, can shape systems of change.
Add your name to our Unity Agenda.
Let Rochester officials know you believe in systems changes that can make our community more equitable.
Sign the petition to help pass Baby Bucks.
Baby Bucks would provide direct monthly cash support to 15,000 low-income moms and their babies, starting in the third trimester through the first 18 months of life.
Sign the petition to support the end predatory court fees act.
Your signature has the power to help us end the criminalization of poverty.
Fill out the Community Impact Assessment form.
Let representative Joseph Morelle know if you’ve been directly impacted by President Trump’s executive orders and actions.
Contact your legislator.
Let your legislator know that you believe everyone deserves economic success, power, autonomy, and dignity and belonging
Volunteer for Buy the Block.
Help us build affordable, high-quality homes for low-income families.