With New York City and state lawmakers in the throes of finalizing new budgets, residents and advocates alike are pushing for billions of dollars in additional funding that would address public housing needs without privatization efforts.
Changes to the city’s funding formula for adult education programs have left some community organizations with decades of experience without contracts to continue their classes—for the time being. Six organizations that weren’t funded reported waiting lists with thousands of people.
By 2040, researchers estimate the number of city residents aged 65 and older will increase by 40 percent. “We should be doubling, tripping, quadrupling on investments for older adult services to meet and match that population increase,” said Councilmember Crystal Hudson, who chairs the Committee on Aging.
Housing advocates in the City Council scored wins—including an additional $2 billion in capital funds for the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)—but more is needed, they say.
Days before New York City’s final budget for the next fiscal year is due, both advocates and City Council members are urging that funding be maintained to reach a similar number of students served in the fiscal year that is about to end on July 1.
“Efforts to censor and prohibit books are not the same as municipal negotiations about library operating budgets. But they are not entirely unrelated either. Both are clear indications of how the value of public libraries and access to knowledge is under threat across America.”
“By voting on The People’s Money, New Yorkers are not just selecting projects; they are participating in a shared vision for our city’s future.”
The City Council is pushing for an additional $3.66 billion for affordable housing over the next five years, building on the $10.5 billion the mayor earmarked in his executive budget in April.
City Limits rounds up the latest housing and land use-related events, public hearings and affordable housing lotteries that are ending soon.
“It is easy to see how mothers are affected by the prohibitively expensive costs of child care, but perhaps less so to understand it as a communal crisis.”
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Founded in 1976 in the midst of New York’s fiscal crisis, City Limits exists to inform democracy and equip citizens to create a more just city. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundation support, ad sponsorship and donations from readers.
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