Percentage of New York State hourly-wage workers who are paid at or below the federal minimum wage requirement ($7.25 per hour), according to 2011 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents roughly 199,000 workers of the 3.9 million hourly workers in the state. On April 12 New York Assembly Democrats announced a series of public hearings across the state to solicit input on a proposal to raise the state’s minimum wage to $8.50. Fifteen states currently have a minimum wage higher than the federal minimum. A public hearing will be held in Buffalo on May 11 at 1pm in Council Chambers in Buffalo City Hall.

Number of people in Erie County who were homeless at some point from October 2010 to September 2011, according to a report released on April 18 by the Homeless Alliance of Western New York. The report cited a 5.3 percent decrease from 5,331 to 5,050 people during the 12-month span but still estimates that, on an average night, some 1,000 people are homeless in Erie County. The previous year’s report estimated there were 8,500 people homeless at some point from 2009-2010.