{"id":51,"date":"2023-01-18T15:21:29","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T15:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/crystal-hudson\/?page_id=51"},"modified":"2026-09-28T13:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T13:54:44","slug":"press-releases-statements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/crystal-hudson\/press-releases-statements\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Releases & Statements"},"content":{"rendered":"

New York City Council To Pass Legislation To Automatically Enroll Eligible New Yorkers in Half-Price Transit Program<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Council also to pass bill to return unused commissary funds to individuals previously in city custody<\/em><\/p>\n

Wednesday, September 23, 2026<\/p>\n

(New York, NY): <\/strong>Tomorrow, the New York City Council is set to pass two bills introduced by Council Member Crystal Hudson, both aimed at putting cash back into the pockets of New Yorkers. The first bill streamlines enrollment for certain low-income New Yorkers in the Fair Fares program while the second bill would strengthen the process for returning unused commissary funds by giving individuals in custody the option to get all of their remaining funds via cash, check, or prepaid debit card.<\/p>\n

Automatic Enrollment in Fair Fares<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction 248-A<\/a> requires the Department of Social Services (DSS) to establish a streamlined process to enroll certain New Yorkers in the Fair Fares program, which provides half-priced transit fare to low-income New Yorkers on subway and standard bus fares. Under the bill, DSS would be required to provide an option for individuals who apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Cash Assistance to have their information used to be enrolled in the Fair Fares program and notify eligible individuals about the streamlined process. Currently, DSS only uses eligible information to expedite enrollment in Fair Fares for individuals who are renewing SNAP or cash assistance applications. Individuals can apply for SNA or cash assistance through the ACCESS HRA app\/web portal or in person at certain HRA centers and also be enrolled in Fair Fares with their consent.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince entering office, I’ve advocated for policies that make it easier for New Yorkers to access the benefits and services they deserve,\u201d <\/em>said Council Member Crystal Hudson, Chair of the Committee on General Welfare.<\/strong> \u201cAutomatic enrollment is a common-sense solution that saves New Yorkers precious time and makes government do what it should\u2019ve been doing all along \u2014 actually working for the people it serves. This bill will ensure low-income New Yorkers who seek the city\u2019s help for food benefits and cash assistance don\u2019t have to submit extraneous paperwork and can receive half-priced transit if they want by more easily opting in to Fair Fares. This bill is just the start \u2013 we must work to make it easier for New Yorkers to enroll in all city programs and secure necessary data sharing agreements with state agencies to extend expedited enrollment to other eligible New Yorkers who are currently not known to the City.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The bill would also require DSS to make best efforts to establish a data sharing agreement with the New York State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance and other state agencies to obtain information needed to notify individuals who currently are not DSS clients that may be eligible for Fair Fares. It also requires the agency to study the feasibility of automatically enrolling New Yorkers in all city-administered benefits programs.<\/p>\n

As of September 2026, more than 378,000<\/a> New Yorkers have signed up for Fair Fares. According to the Community Service Society of New York, less than a third<\/a> of New Yorkers enrolled in DSS programs like SNAP, Cash Assistance, or CityFHEPS are also enrolled in Fair Fares. The New York City Council successfully secured<\/a> an additional $174.6 million for the program in the FY27 budget to expand eligibility from individuals at 150% of the Federal Poverty Line to 200%. The new investment will raise total eligibility to 1.3 million New Yorkers. The budgeted expansion is planned to go into effect this fall.<\/p>\n

“Commuters struggling just to afford the basics of life in our city don’t have time for extra paperwork and bureaucracy<\/em>,” said Riders Alliance Deputy Director Caitlin Pearce<\/strong>. “Thanks to the leadership of Chair Hudson, Chair Abreu and Speaker Menin, Fair Fares enrollment will be streamlined and more New Yorkers will have easier access to an essential program. Along with expanded Fair Fares eligibility for New Yorkers earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level, streamlined enrollment will save more money and time for the New Yorkers who most need a break.<\/em>“<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen government already has the information needed to determine eligibility, it should make every effort to connect people to the benefits they qualify for. A <\/em>recent CSS survey<\/em><\/a> found that more than one in three New Yorkers receiving SNAP, Cash Assistance, or CityFHEPS were not enrolled in Fair Fares. This legislation will help close that gap, building a more effective benefits system and helping ensure that the cost of transportation is not a barrier to opportunity,\u201d <\/em>said David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“For too many years, low-income New Yorkers entitled to Fair Fares have been stymied by the exceptionally long, complicated, and cumbersome enrollment and renewal processes,”<\/em> said Brian Fritsch, Associate Director for the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC). <\/strong>“We are elated that those days are nearing an end, thanks to Councilmember Hudson’s bill, 248-A, to implement automatic enrollment in the Fair Fares program. Coming on the heels of the largest expansion of Fair Fares since it launched in 2019, this change will make it easier for people to get the benefits \u2013 and rides \u2013 they deserve by simplifying the enrollment process and breaking down frustrating barriers for nearly one million eligible New Yorkers.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFor too many low-income New Yorkers, the problem isn\u2019t eligibility for critical benefits \u2014 it\u2019s navigating unnecessary administrative hurdles to access them,\u201d<\/em> said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-in-Charge of Civil Law Reform at The Legal Aid Society<\/strong>. “Streamlining Fair Fares enrollment for New Yorkers already receiving SNAP or cash assistance is a commonsense step that will help more people afford the transportation they need to get to work, school, medical appointments, and other necessities. We applaud bill sponsor Council Member Hudson and the City Council for advancing Intro. 248-A and for recognizing that New Yorkers should not have to repeatedly prove information the government already has.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“Transportation is the second largest monthly expense for a New Yorker, right behind housing, and New Yorkers facing poverty should be able to afford to use public transit between job interviews, school, doctors, and shelter<\/em>,” said Deb Berkman, Director of New York Legal Assistance Group’s Shelter and Economic Stability Project<\/strong>. “Thanks to these new resolutions by Council Member Hudson that streamline the opt-in process to access Fair Fares for people already receiving SNAP and other public assistance, more low-income subway and bus riders will be able to move on a path toward stability<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Returning Commissary Funds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction 246-A<\/a>, co-prime sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, would require the Department of Correction (DOC) to inform persons in custody how much money remains in their commissary account and return all unused institutional funds \u2014 in cash, check, or preloaded debit card \u2014 prior to an individual leaving the department\u2019s custody.<\/p>\n

“When someone leaves custody, they shouldn’t have to fight the system one more time just to get back money that is rightfully theirs,\u201d <\/em>said Council Member Crystal Hudson.<\/strong> \u201cFor too long, formerly incarcerated New Yorkers have been stuck waiting on checks to be mailed out \u2014 sometimes never seeing that money again. Intro 246 puts an end to that. It gives people the opportunity to walk out the door with what they’re owed at the moment they need it most. No waiting. No fees. No runaround. Just the government finally giving people back what was theirs all along.”<\/em><\/p>\n

As of May 2026, the New York City Department of Correction has 180,753 commissary accounts<\/a> with unclaimed funds totaling more than $4.56 million cumulatively. Currently, individuals are only able to receive up to $200 in cash upon discharge. Any additional funds remaining in the account require the previously incarcerated person to request a check to be mailed. For an individual to check their remaining commissary balance, they must submit a form through the Department of Correction\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

The bill takes effect 8 months after becoming law, with an additional nine months for the preloaded debit card provision \u2014 as the Department will need to issue a Request for Proposals to identify a vendor to provide this service.<\/p>\n

“From their dignity to their well-being to even their lives, so much is stolen from our neighbors every single day on the hellhole that is Rikers Island. That even includes the funds they maintained in their commissary accounts while incarcerated \u2014 money that should remain rightfully theirs upon their release<\/em>,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.<\/strong> “As a lead sponsor of this legislation during my tenure in the City Council, I’m grateful to my elected colleagues and all the criminal justice advocates for keeping up this common-sense fight for fairness. The full Council must immediately pass and the Mayor must immediately sign this legislation.<\/em>“<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s important to think of commissary funds in the context of the extreme economic injustices of pretrial detention. People who can afford to pay their bail are able to stay in the community while their case proceeds, while people with the least wealth wait in jail. Their family members then have to scrape together commissary funds, for items that are too often overpriced. When people are finally able to leave Rikers, getting their commissary funds back should never be an issue. Even a small amount of money can make a big difference to someone coming back to the community and facing all kinds of needs. We’re grateful to Council Member Hudson for sponsoring this legislation to expand the options for people to get their money back,\u201d<\/em> said Darren Mack, Co-Director of Freedom Agenda<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Council Member Crystal Hudson Calls on Adams Administration to Lead Effort to Stop Trump\u2019s Attacks on Older Adults<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

September 22, 2025<\/p>\n

Today, New York City Council Aging Committee Chair Crystal Hudson \u2014 alongside members of the Aging Committee and older adult providers & advocates \u2014 sent a letter <\/a>to NYC Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cort\u00e9s-V\u00e1zquez requesting her assistance in empaneling a group of experts to determine how New York City can protect its 1.5 million older adults from recent programmatic and budget cuts from the Trump Administration.<\/p>\n

In the letter, Hudson and the other signatories urge Commissioner Cort\u00e9s-V\u00e1zquez to convene a quarterly roundtable meeting with elected officials, older adult service provides & advocates, and aging staff from NYC Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and city and state budget officials to discuss recent programmatic and budget cuts and determine how the city and state can continue to serve older adults, many of whom are on fixed incomes and could see a loss of insurance coverage, food access, heating & cooling services, and more as a result of the Trump administration\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n

Hudson wrote the letter after the Trump administration announced more than $1 trillion in funding cuts for programs that older adults rely on, including Medicaid, SNAP, HEAP, and AmeriCorps in recent months. The letter\u2019s signatories include Council Members Lynn Schulman, Linda Lee, and Chris Banks as well as Michael Adams (CEO, SAGE), Catherine Chen (Executive Director, Asian American Federation), Beth Shapiro (CEO, Citymeals on Wheels), Kevin Kiprovski (Director of Public Policy, LiveOn NY), Selfhelp Community Services, and United Neighborhood Houses.<\/p>\n

NYC Aging has proven a leader on intergovernmental coordination under Commissioner Cort\u00e9s-V\u00e1zquez, convening the Cabinet for Older New Yorkers<\/a> (codified under Local Law 64 of 2024<\/a> by Council Member Hudson), a first-of-its-kind interagency effort to ensure an age-inclusive New York City. A full report detailing the cabinet\u2019s actions was recently published and is available here<\/a>. The letter also calls on the Commissioner to incorporate a discussion of these cuts into upcoming Cabinet for Older New York meetings and share the minutes from those discussions publicly.<\/p>\n

The letter comes one day after Council Member Hudson published an op-ed in the New York Daily News<\/em><\/a> that mirrored this call for collaboration.<\/p>\n

The full text of the letter<\/a> is as follows.<\/p>\n

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Council Member Crystal Hudson to Introduce Age In Place 2.0 Legislative Package<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

November 13, 2024<\/p>\n

Today, Council Member Crystal Hudson, chair of the NYC Council Committee on Aging, will unveil the Age in Place 2.0 legislative package ahead of the City Council\u2019s Stated Meeting. The eleven-bill package includes legislation aimed at combating some of the most pressing issues facing older adults, including expanded meal options, stronger interagency coordination, technical support, and fraud education & financial planning resources. The package includes legislation sponsored by Council Members Hudson, Lynn Schulman, Linda Lee, and Jennifer Guti\u00e9rrez.<\/p>\n

The package includes legislation that would:<\/p>\n