Skip to content

In the News

Erie County pilot program to target ‘benefits cliff’

Blog Categories

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Spectrum News 1) — Erie County leaders announced a new pilot program aimed to help the working poor.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz introduced the Live Well Erie Workforce Development Pilot Project that connects employers, employees and community resources to help people who receive social services overcome the “benefits cliff.”

“The cliff works in such a way that if you make one more dollar, you lose 100%,” said Dottie Gallagher, Buffalo Niagara Partnership president and CEO. “There’s no smoothing, which is what there should be to create an incentive for people to actually invest in themselves.”

Related Posts

Buffalo Niagara Partnership Releases 2023 Member Pulse Report

By mcotter@thepartnership.org | October 24, 2023

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the third consecutive year, difficulty finding and retaining qualified talent ranked as the top concern of BNP members, with three quarters reporting that they have unfilled positions. The impact of inflation and higher interest rates raised market conditions to the second concern after spending several years further down the ranking.

Poloncarz, Casilio give divergent views at county exec candidates forum before business group

By mcotter@thepartnership.org | September 22, 2023

Democrat Mark Poloncarz and Republican Chrissy Casilio couldn’t have been more different in their answers Thursday at a forum hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Tech hub competition draws flurry of applications

By mcotter@thepartnership.org | September 22, 2023

BUFFALO, NY (The Buffalo News) — The joint bid by Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse to secure potentially tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for a “tech hub” faces stiff competition.

But the partners in the bid say they believe their regional approach will give them a leg up in the competition.

This Labor Day weekend, consider the need to help ourselves

By mcotter@thepartnership.org | September 7, 2023

As family and friends come together to celebrate Labor Day and honor the working men and women who are the lifeblood of our economy, it seems appropriate to reflect on the kind of workforce our community needs now and in the future.