As the end of the state budget season draws near, 14 Black New York City elected officials are calling on state leaders to fund a set of policy measures they say would benefit Black New Yorkers.
In a letter to the governor and state Senate and Assembly leaders, the group stressed the need to prioritize “equity” in the budget-making process and reverse the exodus of Black New Yorkers from the city. The letter, dated March 24, was first reported by Politico.
Their 17 proposed “state budget priorities” on a range of issues – from public safety to housing to health – are the culmination of a series of meetings convened by the speaker and public advocate to deliver a state-level agenda for Black New Yorkers. The proposals arrive at a moment considered an apex of Black political power, with high-ranking Black officials in both the city and state governments.
There’s a real hunger to deliver, now that we have a Black speaker of the Assembly, a Black speaker of the council, a Black mayor, a Black attorney general.
The signatories – City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson along with 11 councilmembers – are among a long roster of officials making eleventh-hour pleas ahead of the state budget deadline on April 1, including Mayor Eric Adams.
“It cannot be ignored that 200,000 Black residents left New York City in the past decade due to the cost of raising a family and lack of economic opportunity,” they wrote. “It is imperative we take action to reverse this trend to ensure New York remains home to Black people in our city and state.”
The letter also stated: “When Black people have equitable access to health, safety and opportunity, everyone benefits.”
Though it’s unclear how much sway the local officials will have in the state budget battle, some of their proposals were also included in the state Assembly’s proposed budget – and on the table for budget negotiations – like launching a new voucher program for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness.
Among the list of proposals outlined in the letter were the passage of the Clean Slate Act to seal certain convictions, a boost in local public school funding, increasing the affordability and accessibility of doulas, and a task force to address the disproportionately high number of missing women and girls of color.
The signatories also asked the state to match the city’s five-year, $3.4 billion investment in the local public housing agency and impose a pied-à-terre tax on high-value luxury residential properties not used as primary residences.
“There’s a real hunger to deliver, now that we have a Black speaker of the Assembly, a Black speaker of the Council, a Black mayor, a Black attorney general,” said Kevin Wolfe, senior government affairs manager for the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. “We have Black folk in so many positions of power. There’s a huge emphasis.”
Wolfe’s organization is a recipient of the Homeowners Protection Program, highlighted in the letter, which provides housing counselors and legal services to residents at risk of losing their homes. Wolfe says the program is a crucial resource protecting against displacement, adding that nearly half of its participants are Black, and about 80% are from Black and brown communities.
Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Avi Small, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul, said her executive budget makes “transformative investments” to make the state more affordable and safer.
“She looks forward to continuing to work with the legislature on a final budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers,” Small added.
