Letter Report on the New York City Mayor’s Office’s Compliance with Local Law 62 of 2017 Regarding the Creation of a Disconnected Youth Task Force

Introduction

This Letter Report details the findings of the Comptroller’s Office’s review of the New York City (City) Mayor’s Office’s compliance with Local Law 62 of 2017, which requires the creation of a disconnected youth task force (Task Force) composed of 25 members to examine the challenges that prevent disconnected youth from enrolling in school or being employed. In addition, Local Law 62 requires the Task Force to submit biennial reports to the Mayor and Speaker of the City Council beginning March 1, 2018 and ending on March 1, 2022. By statute, the Task Force will cease to exist after submitting its final report on March 1, 2022. The objective of this review was to determine whether the Mayor’s Office has complied with these requirements of Local Law 62. The review was performed in accordance with the responsibilities of the City Comptroller as set forth in Chapter 5, §93 of the New York City Charter.

The term “disconnected youth” is defined in Local Law 62 as being youth between the ages of 16 and 24 years who are neither attending school nor employed. Disconnected youth are also sometimes referred to as “out of school and out of work” (OSOW). These vulnerable youth are often disconnected from social and economic support and consequently face many barriers to being able to live independently and support themselves. In 2019, this population represented approximately 13 percent of New York City youth aged 16 to 24.  Within this disconnected youth population, 18 percent resided in the Bronx, 14 percent in Brooklyn, 12 percent in Staten Island, 11 percent in Queens, and 8 percent in Manhattan.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues impacting disconnected youth. It has resulted in severe job losses that are concentrated in economic sectors that traditionally employ large numbers of young adults and has caused ongoing disruptions to schools and higher education. In June 2020, the Comptroller’s Office released a report that showed that the unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 24 had risen to a staggering 35 percent, up from just under a pre-pandemic rate of under 7 percent.  Under such circumstances, the issues facing disconnected youth will likely continue to worsen if not adequately addressed.

Findings and Conclusions

The review found that the New York City Mayor’s Office did not comply with Local Law 62 of 2017. Local Law 62 required the Task Force to be formed within 30 days of enactment of the law, effectively May 25, 2017.  However, the Mayor’s Office did not form the Task Force until February 2019, nearly two years later than required. Moreover, when finally formed, the Task Force did not have the required number of members or the required member representation. Specifically, although it consists of representatives from various City agencies, community-based organizations that serve disconnected or OSOW young adults, intermediaries, private sector leaders, and young adults who were previously OSOW, the Task Force includes only 23 of the required 25 members, does not include a representative from the Young Women’s Initiative as required, and has only two of the required three youth representatives.

Furthermore, since the Task Force was not formed until 2019, it could not and did not conduct the required minimum of four meetings prior to March 1, 2018. The Task Force’s first meeting, which was hosted by Deputy Mayor J. Phillip Thompson, did not occur until February 1, 2019. After this initial meeting, the Task Force met on 14 occasions between March 2019 and October 2019.

Additionally, the Task Force failed to issue two reports on disconnected youth by March 1, 2020, as required. The Task Force issued its first report, titled “Connecting Our Future” and labeled as the 2020 Disconnected Youth Task Force Report, on January 19, 2021, nearly three years late. Overall, the review found that the report outlines a long-term strategy to keep disconnected youth on the path toward economic and career success, and that the strategy has expanded to include ways disconnected youth can overcome challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, although the report contains most of the information required by Local Law 62, it does not identify high growth industries that generate living wages for youth.

Recommendations

The review recommends that the Task Force begin to comply with Local Law 62 by adding the required representative from the Young Women’s Initiative and the additional youth representative; and by developing and issuing the required report due by March 1, 2022 in a timely manner to ensure it effectively meets the needs of the City’s disconnected youth.