“Mayor Adams’ focus on jobs, safety, housing, and care offers many proposals that align with the Council’s priorities to create a safer, healthier, and more equitable city. A strong city government and workforce, supported through our city budget, is essential to the goals that New Yorkers need us to fulfill.
“As we seek to address a dire housing crisis, it is imperative that we advance comprehensive neighborhood planning that helps us build more affordable housing for New Yorkers at an increased pace with equity. Mayor Adams’ administration and Council Members working collaboratively on planning and building housing, as well as the announced investments in tenant protections, represent significant steps forward in our efforts.
“We agree that the path to public safety is preventing crime before it occurs, and this requires adequate resources for a range of preventative investments into communities for jobs, housing, and care that are not present in proposed budgets. The response to recidivism needs to be greater investments in the evidence-based programs that are proven to reduce it. Mayor Adams’ announcement of funding for district attorneys and public defenders to help fill critical staffing shortages that clear backlogs is welcomed. A just legal system requires timely processes that don’t leave people unnecessarily in pre-trial detention within our jails. This is one of many investments needed to ensure that we close Rikers and help keep everyone in our jail system and communities safe.
“We are glad the Mayor’s vision addresses issues that the Council has advanced, which include increasing economic opportunity for New Yorkers with disabilities, women’s health, and expanding composting citywide. The Council has been set to pass a citywide composting law since last year, awaiting the administration’s environmental review, and my own State of the City last year prioritized laws we have passed to support New Yorkers with disabilities. We’re proud the Mayor is moving forward aggressively on these issues.
“I am encouraged by Mayor Adams’ increased support and commitments for our city’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs), as well as education, economic development and workforce opportunities, addiction treatment and harm reduction, food justice, and other areas of human services that deserve stronger investments from our city.
“At the end of the day, budget commitments are necessary to achieve our goals. None of this work is possible without the full capacity of our city agencies that have lost funding, struggled with dangerously high rates of vacancies, and are at risk of losing additional funds and positions. This has undermined the ability to truly confront the housing crisis and deliver essential services to New Yorkers, making it difficult for the City to properly fund housing projects and New Yorkers to access assistance like their SNAP benefits and housing vouchers. To successfully implement the jobs, safety, housing, and care laid out in Mayor Adams’ State of the City, the necessary investments must follow. The Council will continue to be a voice for New Yorkers in ensuring the most important goals for our city are met, working with Mayor Adams and all of our colleagues in government.”
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