Mayor Mamdani Opens New Bridge to Home Facility in Brooklyn, Expanding Path from Hospital Care to Permanent Housing

 

New facility will provide 50 New Yorkers with private rooms, onsite clinical and behavioral health services, and support securing permanent housing   

 

Second Bridge to Home site expands program to serve 100 New Yorkers citywide

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and NYC Health + Hospitals announced the opening of a new Bridge to Home facility in Brooklyn, expanding a program that helps New Yorkers living with serious mental illness move from hospital care into stable housing and continued treatment.

Bridge to Home program provides a critical bridge for patients who are ready to leave the hospital but do not have a stable place to go. Rather than sending New Yorkers from inpatient care to a shelter or the street, the program provides a home-like setting with onsite clinical and behavioral health services, housing application assistance and support throughout the transition to permanent housing.

"Recovery should not end at the hospital doors, and no New Yorker should have to choose between getting the care they need and having a safe place to call home,” said Mayor Mamdani. “By bringing this program to Brooklyn, we are giving more New Yorkers the stability, treatment and support they need to recover and move into permanent homes with dignity.”

"The Bridge to Home program brings together two fundamental commitments of this administration: ensuring New Yorkers can access high-quality mental healthcare and that every New Yorker has access to stable, dignified housing,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “Following the success of our first site in Manhattan, we are proud to expand this model to Brooklyn and provide more New Yorkers with the care and support they need to move into permanent supportive housing.”

“A year ago, we opened Bridge to Home on a simple premise: patients with serious mental illness are far more likely to stay well if they leave the hospital for a stable place with care on-site, rather than a shelter or the street,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Our Manhattan guests and their incredible care team have shown what that stability makes possible — staying engaged in treatment, completing housing applications, and moving into homes of their own. I am grateful for the support of Mayor Mamdani and our city partners who have helped us quickly open our Brooklyn site so that we can offer that same path to a better life for more New Yorkers in need.”

Bridge to Home: Brooklyn will welcome its first guests this week and at full capacity will provide private rooms for up to 50 New Yorkers. Guests can stay for up to 12 months or until they are connected with permanent supportive housing.

Located near NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, the Brooklyn facility will allow guests to remain connected to a broad range of medical and behavioral health services, including substance use disorder treatment, individual and group therapy, social services and around-the-clock medical support.

The first Bridge to Home site opened in Midtown Manhattan in September 2025. During its first year, the program demonstrated strong engagement with clinical care and housing services:

• About 80% of current guests attend weekly clinical visits
• 70% have completed housing applications.
• Among guests who have transitioned into permanent supportive housing, the average length of stay is about seven months.

With the opening of the Brooklyn facility, Bridge to Home can now serve nearly 100 New Yorkers at any given time.

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest provider of behavioral health services in New Yor City, serving more 82,000 patients annually. Nearly half of those patients experience homelessness. For many, housing instability can make recovery more difficult and increase reliance on emergency and inpatient care.

Bridge to Home addresses that gap by giving New Yorkers a stable place to live while they receive intensive clinical support and work with staff to secure permanent housing. The program is designed to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, reliance on shelters and homelessness, while helping New Yorkers build a path toward long-term stability.

“When patients with serious mental illness have a stable place to go after they leave our hospitals, we now have the opportunity to create a lasting change in the course of their lives,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Services and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “What we've learned at our Bridge to Home site in Manhattan is that stability and onsite services will change the trajectory of someone's recovery. Our guests stay engaged in their care, avoid return trips to the emergency room, and work with our teams to prepare to live in permanent supportive housing. I am grateful to Mayor Mamdani and all who have helped us open this second facility in Brooklyn, where more New Yorkers will now have the chance to move from a hospital bed to a home of their own.”

“Leaving the hospital is not the end of recovery — in many ways, it is when the recovery work actually begins,” said Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Behavioral Health Officer. “For people with serious mental illness who are experiencing homelessness, that requires a safe and stable place to live. Bridge to Home is a connection between getting well in the hospital and building a life in the community. It provides the stability and support patients need as they work toward recovery and permanent housing. We have seen the impact of this model in Manhattan, and we are excited to bring it to Brooklyn.”

“At Woodhull Hospital, we understand that a safe place to recover can be just as important as the care provided inside the hospital,” said Sandra Sneed, MBA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. “Bridge to Home strengthens the continuum of care by giving patients living with mental health challenges the clinical support, stability, and housing resources they need to move forward. We are proud to help bring this innovative model to Brooklyn and closer to the communities we serve.”

“Every week, our inpatient teams at Woodhull care for patients who are ready to leave the hospital but have nowhere safe to go, and too often we see them come back to us in crisis because they didn’t have a safe place to live or stay adherent to their medications,” said Rajvee Vora, MD, MS, Chief of Psychiatry at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. “Many of them cite homelessness as the number one reason for their relapse and decompensation. With Bridge to Home: Brooklyn, our psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and peer specialists can continue caring for these patients right here in the community, in a place where they can rest, stay connected to treatment, and begin building the lives they want. This is continuity of care in its truest sense, and it is a proud day for Woodhull and for Brooklyn. This program is Woodhull's commitment to walking alongside our patients through that transition, connecting them to housing, treatment, and community so that leaving the hospital means moving forward, not starting over.”

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE OPPOSES FEDERAL RULE ELIMINATING INTERVIEW FROM ASYLUM PROCESS

 

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams is opposing a federal rule that would eliminate interview requirements for immigrants in the asylum process. The rule, USCIS-2026-0199-0001, was enacted on July 28th as an interim measure but is set to be made final pending the public comment period, which closed last night. If made permanent, the USCIS estimates this will lead to 132,167 immigrants being denied an interview annually.

In his public comment registering opposition, Williams argues that that the rule "unjustly eliminates an important part of the asylum process, essentially for reasons of expediency, rather than justice." While noting the need to address the backlog of asylum applications, he contends that reforms to the system should not come at the cost of fairness. He also notes that the Interim Rule will particularly affect those fleeing gender based-violence, who rely on an interview to share crucial context for their claims.

Further excerpts of the submission are below, and the full document can be read here.

"In the past twenty-months I have witnessed the Federal Government’s hostility to immigrants manifest in numerous ways. Reasonable people can disagree on many issues when it comes to who the administration refers to as “illegal” immigrants (which I think is a cruel dehumanizing phrase, and I more compassionately refer to as undocumented). However, I have heard a refrain from conservative-minded people my entire life: they don’t object to all immigration—they are fine with immigrants who “play by the rules” when trying to find a new home in our great country. This administration, however, seems determined to limit to every possible extent how people can do just that—follow the rules. The Interim Rule flies in the face of this refrain—it is a limitation on what was considered following the rules."

"Both U.S. law and the International refugee Convention (a/k/a the Convention Related to the Status of Refugees), to which the U.S. is a signatory, guarantee people the right to seek asylum. Asylum seekers come to our country “to escape violence, persecution, and other human rights abuses in their home countries.” I believe as the world’s richest country, we have a responsibility to take in refugees. The U.S. should be trying to reform the system in ways that are humane and acknowledge that anyone seeking asylum is coming from circumstances that we would not want to live. Instead, the Administration has been attempting to make it as difficult as possible to make an asylum claim and to successfully obtain asylum."

"Reducing the backlog of asylum applications is a worthwhile goal. The system is in great need of reform, however this should be done at the expense of fairness. The USCIS may be correct when it states that this rule will help reduce the backlog of 1.4 million asylum cases. However, even if it is true, this should not be done purely for reasons of expediency—these asylum seekers deserve every opportunity to plead their cases, and, therefore, the elimination of the interview is unjust. Asylum seekers by-and-large just want to play by the rules, the way many, if not most, Americans think they should—the U.S., therefore, should not be changing the rules in the middle of the game."

DiNAPOLI: NEW YORK REVERTS TO A NEGATIVE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, REFLECTING END OF PANDEMIC-ERA AID

 

NY Ranked 45th Among the States in FF2024

With the historic, multi-year pandemic aid from the federal government mostly in the past, New York returned to a negative balance of payments with Washington for the first time since Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. In FFY 2024, the state generated $353.5 billion in federal taxes and received $341.1 billion in federal spending. New York’s balance of payments amounted to a negative $12.4 billion. For every $1 in federal tax paid to Washington, the state received $0.97 in return, compared with a national level of $1.21.

New York has historically been a state that pays more in federal taxes than it receives in federal spending. This pattern was temporarily altered by substantial increases in federal spending spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. All states had a positive balance of payments in FFYs 2020 and 2021, and New York continued to have one through FFY 2023. In FFY 2024, New York was only one of ten states with a negative balance of payments.

“The state is once again sending more money to Washington than it gets back,” DiNapoli said. “With the impact of the federal pandemic aid largely gone, New York returns to the familiar position of being in the red. With damaging policies being implemented by the federal government, New York could have a disproportionate reduction in federal funding which will only worsen the state’s balance of payments in future years.”

In FFY 2024, every U.S. resident, on average, benefitted from approximately $16,999 in federal expenditures and paid approximately $14,008 on average in federal taxes – a positive $2,991 per capita. In contrast, for New Yorkers, the per capita amount was negative (-$618).

Key findings in DiNapoli’s report include:

• New York generated $17,674 per capita for the federal treasury, ranking it third among states in FFY 2024. The state received $17,056 per capita, ranking it 25^th in per capita federal spending.
• Federal income taxes made up the largest portion of taxes New Yorkers paid, $9,527 per capita – 34.7% higher than the national average of $7,075.
• New York ranked second on per capita for corporate income taxes, at $2,098, which was 35.4% higher than the national per capita amount of $1,549.
• New Mexico continued to rank first in per capita balance of payments (+$18,111), followed by Virginia, Alaska, Hawaii and West Virginia. New York ranked 45^th and New Jersey ranked lowest (50^th).

Programs Where New York Ranks High

In FFY 2024, New York received $60.8 billion in Medicaid funding, or $3,040 per capita, 68.5% higher than the national average of $1,804, ranking it third in the U.S. New York’s robust social safety net encompasses more than public health programs and the state receives strong levels of support from many other areas of federal funding, including: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), public housing and rental assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

For 2024 per capita spending, New York ranked first on rental assistance and public housing, and TANF; fifth on homeless assistance grants; sixth on SNAP and eighth on grants for child and family services. New York also is among the highest in the nation on transit grants (third per capita) and on Pell Grants for undergraduate students (10th per capita).

Programs Where New York Ranks Low

Similar to findings in DiNapoli’s prior analyses, New York’s per capita share tends to be low in areas related to the federal workforce, retirement payments, and veterans’ benefits; much of this related to New York’s relatively smaller number of federal employees and veterans. New York also ranked lower on per-capita highway spending (49^th) and procurement (44^th).

This report is the tenth issued by DiNapoli’s office detailing the differences among the 50 states with respect to what they pay in federal taxes and how much they receive in federal spending. New York’s former U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan pioneered the concept of this balance of payments and issued his first report in 1977.

Report

New York’s Balance of Payments in the Federal Budget, Federal Fiscal Year 2024

Downloadable Excel File with Additional Data

HERNANDEZ DEMANDS DINAPOLI FREEZE AND AUDIT HOCHUL'S $1.1 BILLION NO-BID DELOITTE DEAL

 

Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller Joseph Hernandez today called on Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to halt and investigate an $866 million amendment to a state Medicaid contract with Deloitte that pushed the total value of the deal to approximately $1.1 billion without a new competitive bidding process.

 

The Department of Health originally awarded Deloitte a $177 million contract in 2023 to develop a statewide Medicaid eligibility and enrollment system. Subsequent amendments increased the contract to approximately $317 million before Governor Kathy Hochul added another $866 million in August, bringing its total value to roughly $1.1 billion.

 

The expansion increases the state’s payments to Deloitte from approximately $9 million per month to roughly $25 million per month. Good-government experts have questioned whether an expansion of that magnitude should have been subjected to a new competitive procurement process.

 

“New Yorkers deserve an explanation for how Hochul turned a $177 million contract into a $1.1 billion deal without another company ever getting the chance to compete for the additional work,” Hernandez said. “First it went to $317 million. Then Hochul’s administration added another $866 million. At some point, this stops looking like an amendment and starts looking like an entirely new billion-dollar deal.”

 

State Finance Law §163 establishes New York’s competitive procurement requirements and provides for Comptroller review of covered procurements. State Finance Law §112 separately requires Comptroller approval before many state contracts above statutory thresholds can become effective.

 

“This is exactly the kind of spending New York’s Comptroller should be scrutinizing,” Hernandez said. “Kathy Hochul’s administration added $866 million to this contract without a new competitive bid. Tom DiNapoli should use every authority available to his office to scrutinize this amendment, determine how it was approved and demand answers from the Hochul administration about why an additional $866 million in work was not competitively bid.”

 

Deloitte previously worked on New York’s Excelsior Pass program, which ultimately cost taxpayers more than $60 million. Former State Budget Director Sandra Beattie also admitted this year to violating state ethics law in connection with interactions involving a Deloitte lobbyist while serving in state government.

 

“Kathy Hochul’s administration is handing Deloitte another $866 million without a new competitive bid,” Hernandez said. “Tom DiNapoli should freeze this amendment if his authority permits it, audit the procurement and put every document behind this deal in front of the public. New Yorkers deserve to know how Hochul’s administration allowed a $177 million contract to balloon into a $1.1 billion deal.”

 

“If Tom DiNapoli won’t aggressively scrutinize billion-dollar deals like this, I will when I take office on January 1, 2027.”

Mayor Mamdani Unveils New York City’s First Strategy to Combat Antisemitism

 

Historic strategy doubles hate crime prevention funding for community organizations, with $6.4 million to counter hate and support survivors  

 

$1 million investment will strengthen security at synagogues and other houses of worship 

 

Strategy includes major investments in Jewish historical and cultural institutions, expanded Holocaust education and a new City Human Rights Law awareness campaign   

 

Read the full strategy HERE

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism today released New York City’s first-ever municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, a comprehensive, whole-of-government plan to confront antisemitism, protect Jewish New Yorkers and strengthen Jewish institutions, traditions and communities across New York City.  

  

At a time when Jewish New Yorkers face a disproportionate share of hate crimes in the city, the strategy makes historic investments in prevention, security, education, survivor support and Jewish cultural life. 

  

The strategy includes $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate (P.A.T.H.) grants, doubling last year’s funding to community organizations such as the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) that focus on hate crime prevention and survivor support. It also includes $1 million to strengthen the physical security of synagogues and other houses of worship.   

  

The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will support implementation of Mayor Mamdani’s historic $26 million investment in the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes. The Mamdani administration will also relaunch the once-disbanded interagency Security Infrastructure Working Group, providing technical and strategic support to Jewish houses of worship and cultural institutions seeking to strengthen their security.  

  

“Antisemitism has no place in New York City. Jewish New Yorkers have helped build this city, shaped its culture and strengthened our communities for generations, and they deserve to be safe, celebrated and protected by a city government that stands with them. Our administration’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism makes historic investments in securing Jewish cultural institutions and synagogues, increasing educational opportunities for young New Yorkers and improving public awareness of Jewish history,” said Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Together, we will root out the scourge of rising antisemitism and build a city where Jewish New Yorkers are not only safe but celebrated.”  

  

“As a Jewish New Yorker who is deeply dedicated to the work of combating antisemitism and uplifting Jewish communities, I am honored to release the nation’s first municipal-level Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. Antisemitism is a complex and persistent form of hate, and it cannot be addressed through a single program or agency. This Strategy brings the full power of City government to the work of preventing hate, supporting survivors, protecting Jewish institutions, educating New Yorkers and celebrating Jewish life,” said Phylisa Wisdom, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. “We will continue listening to Jewish New Yorkers across the city and working alongside communities to make New York a place where everyone can live with dignity and without fear.”  

  

Investing in Jewish Life and Education 

The strategy recognizes that to truly combat antisemitism, we must ensure that Jewish history, culture and contributions to New York City are taught and celebrated.  

  

The administration will work with New York City Public Schools to address complaints of discrimination against any of our public school students, including Jewish students. The City will also expand opportunities for students to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage, helping more young New Yorkers learn about Jewish history, the Holocaust and the stories of Jewish New Yorkers.  

  

The City is investing $2 million to complete the Queens Holocaust memorial and $2.5 million in the Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn, strengthening institutions that preserve Jewish history. 

  

Making it Easier to Report Hate and Discrimination 

The administration will launch a campaign to increase awareness of the City Human Rights Law and make clear how New Yorkers can report suspected discrimination to the City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). The campaign will appear on LinkNYC and in other public spaces across the five boroughs. 

  

A Whole-of-Government Approach 

The strategy is organized around seven strategic objectives that will guide the City’s work to combat antisemitism:  

  

•    Prevent hate violence: Encourage and direct sustained investment in programs that prevent hate violence before it occurs.  

•     Combat antisemitism in all its forms: Address physical, verbal and digital antisemitism across New York City through coordinated initiatives led by MOCA and agency partners.  

•   Educate New Yorkers: Invest in education about Jewish New Yorkers’ contributions to the city, the Holocaust, Jewish history and the lived experiences of Jewish New Yorkers.  

•    Support survivors: Ensure victims of antisemitic incidents and hate crimes can access resources, services and support.  

•    Protect and celebrate Jewish life: Preserve New York City as a special place to be Jewish, while working with community partners to strengthen and celebrate Jewish communities across the five boroughs.  

•   Listen to Jewish New Yorkers: Maintain regular, meaningful engagement with Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum so City government can better understand community needs and deliver services with dignity and respect.  

•    Celebrate Jewish culture and tradition: Use City policy, programming and public messaging to celebrate and cherish Jewish culture and traditions as an essential part of New York City’s identity.  

  

The strategy builds on the administration’s existing commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers. In September, Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced heightened security around synagogues, yeshivas and other Jewish institutions during the High Holy Days. The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, continued by Executive Order No. 2 in January 2026, is charged with developing efforts to combat antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes, supporting victims and celebrating Jewish culture and traditions. The office also coordinates with the City’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) and other agencies through an interagency task force.  

  

“Keeping New Yorkers safe means confronting hate in all its forms, while ensuring every community has the support, resources and partnership it needs to live without fear,” said Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Renita Francois. “This strategy puts that commitment into action — strengthening prevention efforts, supporting survivors, helping secure houses of worship, including synagogues, and coordinating City agencies around the shared responsibility to protect Jewish New Yorkers. Antisemitism is a threat to the safety and values of our entire city, and we will meet it with urgency, vigilance and sustained action.” 

  

“Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe living, learning, working and worshipping in our city — free from the fear and trauma of hate,” said Ayesha Delany-Brumsey, Ph.D., Commissioner of the Office of Community Safety. “This first-ever Strategy to Combat Antisemitism brings City agencies and community partners together to prevent violence, strengthen protections for Jewish institutions, support survivors and respond decisively when bias threatens our neighbors. The Office of Community Safety is proud to help lead this whole-of-government effort to ensure Jewish New Yorkers can live openly, fully and safely in every borough.” 

  

“New York City belongs to all New Yorkers, no matter their faith, heritage, or identity,” said Christine Clarke, Commissioner and Chair of the NYC Commission on Human Rights. “Anti-Jewish hate has no place here, and discrimination against Jewish New Yorkers in housing, employment, and public accommodations is illegal. The Commission will thoroughly investigate violations and enforce the NYC Human Rights Law. We look forward to working alongside the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, faith leaders, and community partners to make New York City a safer, more welcoming city for all.” 

  

“For generations, Jewish New Yorkers have built thriving and diverse communities that have helped to define the city we all love. Stopping the disturbing rise in antisemitism cannot be the work of Jewish communities alone, nor can it be left to just one elected official or government agency,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “Combating antisemitism requires a whole-of-government approach to ensure Jewish New Yorkers are protected and able to proudly and safely practice their religion. I commend Mayor Mamdani for bringing together new investments in public safety, education, community engagement, and civil rights enforcement for this comprehensive plan to fight antisemitism and ensure New York City remains open and welcoming to the Jewish people.” 

  

“Safety is the right of every New Yorker, including every Jewish adult and child, allowing them to bring their full selves to daily life, including our civic sphere, public spaces, houses of worship and beyond. In contrast, prejudice is an insidious force, amplifying deep ugliness in the human psyche into corrosive speech and violence. Antisemitism — prejudice against Jewish people and communities — is ahistorical, intellectually lazy and morally indefensible,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “I would not want to be part of a city government or a society where antisemitism was tolerated and allowed to spread unchallenged. Today's release proves that this is not the case. I commend the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism on developing a plan that speaks powerfully, pledges action and commits resources to see the work through. I look forward to hearing Jewish New Yorkers' reaction to the plan and monitoring its implementation in my role as Public Advocate.” 

Attorney General James Stops New York City Landlord Who Ignored Rent Stabilization Laws

John Anderson Will Return Brooklyn Units to Rent Stabilization in First Landlord Settlement Under OAG’s Rent Stabilization Compliance Program 

Compliance Program Has Prevented 27 Evictions and Returned 131 Units to Rent Stabilization

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the first settlement reached with a landlord as part of her office’s compliance program focused on enforcing “de facto” rent stabilization in buildings throughout New York City. As part of the compliance program, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) sent letters to more than 50 New York City landlords who owned buildings that were found to be de facto rent stabilized but had not been registered with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). In June 2026, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against New York City landlord John Anderson for failing to register units in Brooklyn as rent-stabilized with HCR. Today, Attorney General James announced that Anderson will return all units in his Brooklyn apartment building to rent stabilization, provide rent-stabilized leases to all tenants, and fix any hazardous conditions in the building to ensure a safe environment for tenants.

“New York City’s rent stabilization laws are clear, and my office will not hesitate to enforce them,” said Attorney General James. “We created this compliance program to ensure that all New York City tenants are treated fairly and that all landlords are following the law. I am proud of the success this program has already shown, and I will continue to stand up for every New York tenant.”

Buildings can be exempt from rent stabilization laws if a landlord can prove a building was built after 1974 or has fewer than six units. The buildings subject to OAG’s compliance program were all found by a court or HCR to be subject to rent stabilization laws because a current or former landlord had added enough units to bring the total units in each building to six or more. Rent stabilization status remains even if the total units go below six, such as when the owner subsequently removes a newly added apartment. Since its launch in May 2025, OAG’s de facto rent stabilization compliance program has successfully prevented 27 evictions and secured the return of 131 units to rent stabilization.

In August 2025, OAG sent the first of multiple compliance letters to Anderson, but Anderson failed to return his building’s units to rent stabilization. In June 2026, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against Anderson, alleging that for 10 years, Anderson failed to provide rent-stabilized leases to his tenants at 1075 Dean Street (1075 Dean) in Brooklyn. The OAG also alleged that in an attempt to continue flouting the law, Anderson lied about 1075 Dean’s rent-stabilized status on an application with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and even sent his friend to impersonate him in court. A tenant of 1075 Dean reported that Anderson harassed and retaliated against her after she asked for a rent-stabilized lease by cutting off her utilities, including gas, water, and electricity.

As a result of this settlement, Anderson will return all units in his Brooklyn apartment building to rent stabilization and will provide rent-stabilized leases to all tenants. Anderson will also fix any hazardous conditions in the building to ensure a safe environment for tenants.

Through the de facto rent stabilization compliance program, OAG has successfully prevented 27 evictions and has compelled 30 landlords to certify that they have complied with the program, resulting in the return of 131 units to rent stabilization. 

New York City Council and CUNY Announce Launch of New Pilot Program Giving Free, Unlimited OMNY Cards to Students

 Initial cohort of 700 CUNY students will receive the transit cards, funded with $700k secured by the Council in FY27 budget

The New York City Council and the City University of New York (CUNY) launched the CUNY OMNY Pilot Program to give free, unlimited OMNY cards to students. Council Speaker Julie Menin, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, and Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu — together with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the CUNY University Student Senate, and Council Member Harvey Epstein — made the announcement this morning at the City College of New York.

The press conference was streamed here, and photos will be available here.

Speaker Menin and the Council secured $700,000 in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget to fund the new pilot program, which will serve an estimated 700 students in the initial cohort. These students were notified by email last Tuesday, September 22, and instructed to pick up their cards at a designated location on their respective campus. The cards will be active beginning next week.

“I am thrilled about the launch of this new pilot in partnership with CUNY, part of our major push to fund targeted transit affordability programs supporting the New Yorkers who need them most,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “Hundreds of students will no longer have to worry about whether they can afford the journey to school, a barrier that in part forces some to drop out. Instead, students can focus on the destinations that matter most: graduation, a good-paying job, and upward economic mobility.”

“Free, unlimited transit will ease a real financial burden and help CUNY students focus on what matters most: their education,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “This pilot program reflects CUNY’s mission as an engine of opportunity and demonstrates what is possible when we invest in equitable solutions that support students both inside and outside the classroom. We thank Speaker Menin and the New York City Council for recognizing that transportation access is educational access.”

Affordable, reliable transportation is a critical component of student success — a principle already demonstrated through established Council-supported programs, like CUNY ASAP, which provides unlimited OMNY cards as part of a broader package of comprehensive financial support. This new standalone pilot program builds on that model, extending transportation assistance to CUNY students beyond those in the ASAP program.

To participate, students must be Pell-eligible, enrolled full-time with at least 12 credits in both the fall and spring semesters, and taking a minimum of two in-person courses. Students who already receive transportation support through other programs, such as CUNY ASAP, are not eligible for this pilot.

Students selected for the fall cohort will be screened again for continued eligibility before receiving the spring benefit. In addition to the 700 students selected, 300 students were placed on a waitlist to fill spots should current participants become ineligible. Of the approximately 54,000 CUNY students who met these eligibility criteria, more than 28,500 completed an interest form distributed by email, demonstrating a widespread need for and interest in this program.

Participating students will receive a physical OMNY card configured for unlimited usage, active from October 5 through December 25, 2026, for the fall semester, and a 120-day unlimited pass covering the full spring semester beginning January 28, 2027. Students will have the option to add their cards to a virtual wallet once the MTA introduces that capability, projected for the end of 2026.

The OMNY card pilot represents part of the Council’s broad push to support transit affordability programs in the FY27 budget. Importantly, Speaker Menin and the Council secured funding for the largest Fair Fares expansion in program history, increasing eligibility from 150% of the federal poverty level up to 200%. An additional 340,000 low-income residents will soon have access to half-price subway, bus, and paratransit fares, raising total eligibility to approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers. Last week, the Council passed legislation, introduced by Council Member Hudson, aimed at increasing Fair Fares program enrollment by streamlining the application process.

As part of the FY27 Adopted Budget agreement, the Council also secured approximately $20 million for other CUNY programs, including $14.6 million in additional funding for ASAP between the associate- and bachelor’s-degree pathways, beyond the $85 million in baselined funding.

Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Advance Climate Action and Protect Environment

A.2657A Offers Incentives to Commercial Lawn Care Companies To Purchase Electric Mowers

A.9590A Authorizes The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York To Finance the New York Climate Exchange's Construction of A Sustainably-Built Campus on Governors Island That Will Promote Climate Education And Research

S.1986 Extends Time Period for School Districts To Pay Off Clean Energy Upgrades Using Money Saved on Their Utility Bills

Governor Hochul signed three pieces of legislation focused on clean energy upgrades, climate education and research, and environmental protection, including one establishing an electric landscaping equipment rebate program.

“I will never stop fighting to clean up the air we breathe,” Governor Hochul said. “The rebate legislation I signed will encourage the purchase of cleaner and quieter battery-powered lawn mowers and other landscaping equipment that will benefit us all.”

A.2657A is designed to improve air quality, reduce noise pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions by creating a rebate program for commercial landscapers who voluntarily purchase emission-free mowers and other landscaping equipment.

In addition to commercial landscapers, the rebate program would also be available to state agencies and authorities, local governments and school districts, private schools, universities, and non-profit organizations.

A.9590A authorizes the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to provide financing to the New York Climate Exchange, a non-profit consortium led by the State University of New York at Stony Brook, for the construction of facilities on Governors Island that will promote climate education and research. The physical campus is projected to open in 2029.

S.1986 gives school districts more time to pay off clean energy upgrades using money they save on their utility bills by increasing the time period for recovery to up to 25 years, up from the current 18.