When was the last time it felt like New York City was headed in the right direction? As federal funding for housing, schools, and food security gets cut, New York’s leaders are facing crises of their own: budget cuts, investigations, and rising public frustration. Just about every New Yorker you talk to has a story about something on their block, in their neighborhood, in their borough not working.

In the last year alone, we’ve seen libraries threatened with closures, dozens of neighborhood programs like composting and after-school activities cut, and Community Boards scrambling to fill gaps. Even small joys like open playgrounds, functioning subway stations, or reliable trash pickup feel fragile. It’s no wonder the refrain you hear on the subway or in the bodega line is that “the city’s falling apart.”

It is so easy to feel like New York is broken. But what I see every day in my work tells a very different story.

At the Citizens Committee for New York City (CitizensNYC), we fund and support hyperlocal leaders; neighbors, parents, educators, entrepreneurs, and........

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