MAYOR ADAMS KICKS OFF PUBLIC REVIEW ON ONELIC NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN TO CREATE NEARLY 15,000 HOMES AND OVER 14,000 JOBS, TRANSFORM WATERFRONT ACCESS IN LONG ISLAND CITY

Building on Nearly Two Years of Extensive Community Engagement, Plan Would Revitalize Zoning and Require New Developments to Include Permanently Affordable Housing

Plan Would Create Over 3.5 Million Square Feet of Commercial and Industrial Space 

Fifth Neighborhood Plan to Start Public Review Under Adams Administration,

OneLIC Highlights New York City’s Continued Commitment to Transformative Housing Projects 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today announced the start of the public review process for the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan, an ambitious proposal to deliver tens of thousands of homes and jobs to Long Island City, Queens. This initiative would revamp local zoning and map Mandatory Inclusionary Housing — which requires new developments to include permanently affordable housing — on a wide scale in the neighborhood for the first time, creating nearly 14,700 new homes. Finally, the plan would increase commercial and industrial space in the area, creating 14,400 new jobs and bolstering economic opportunities for residents, workers, and business owners alike. OneLIC is the Adams administration’s fifth neighborhood plan to enter the public review process. If this plan were to be adopted, the Adams administration’s five neighborhood plans would deliver more than 50,000 housing units to New Yorkers over the next 15 years.

OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would transform Long Island City with thousands of new homes and jobs, creating a more affordable neighborhood for New Yorkers. Image Credit: DCP.

“In order to make New York City the best place to raise a family, we need more affordable homes and more good-paying jobs, and the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan will help create both,” said Mayor Adams. “Whether it’s advancing our neighborhood plans, building record amounts of new homes, or passing our historic ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ initiative, no administration has done more to tackle New York City’s housing crisis than we have over the last three years.”

“The Adams administration is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers by creating a record-breaking number of homes in Long Island City,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “The OneLIC plan will bring an additional 14,700 homes — the most the city has done in a neighborhood plan in over two decades — and 3.5 million square feet of commercial space. We are committed to investing in schools, parks, and a new waterfront esplanade to create a strong, vibrant, and inclusive neighborhood. Thanks to Councilmember Won for her engagement in the planning process and her commitment to ensure this neighborhood plan’s success.”

“With its central location, great transit access, and diverse economic base, Long Island City is exactly the kind of place where we should add new homes,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. “This plan updates zoning in parts of the neighborhood still limited by outdated and restrictive rules, allowing more housing and jobs while creating a more accessible and resilient waterfront. These thoughtful changes, along with significant neighborhood investments, can set Long Island City on the path towards a more affordable, equitable, and prosperous future.”

“The OneLIC plan will bring thousands of new homes, commercial space, and neighborhood amenities to a part of the city where new development has been long-envisioned but never materialized,” said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “Today's milestone comes after many months of engagement with the community and local stakeholders who have helped inform a wide array of investments that will support this new development. I look forward to seeing this plan get refined and strengthened through the public review process.”

Long Island City is a fast-growing economic and cultural hub with easy access to transit, housing, and commercial and industrial job opportunities. In recent years, parts of this neighborhood have welcomed thousands of residents, businesses, and public waterfront space. In other areas, however, outdated zoning rules have restricted new housing while significant sections of the waterfront have remained inaccessible to the public. The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is designed to address these challenges.

The plan’s boundaries stretch from the East River waterfront to Crescent Street and Queens Plaza North to 47^th Avenue, with one segment reaching further up to 39^th Avenue between 21^st Street to 23^rd Street.

OneLIC Neighborhood Plan will update outdated zoning and expand access to the waterfront. Image Credit: DCP.

Building More Affordable Homes

The start of public review on the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan is a significant milestone towards creating a more affordable and equitable Long Island City for working-class families. Today, around 46 percent of renters in the neighborhood spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent, and current zoning does not require permanently-affordable, income-restricted homes.

The OneLIC plan would provide more housing opportunities across the neighborhood and apply Mandatory Inclusionary Housing to Long Island City, for the first time. By requiring new developments in Long Island City to include permanently affordable housing, Mandatory Inclusionary Housing is expected to produce roughly 4,000 income-restricted homes, enough to house roughly 10,000 New Yorkers. Additionally, the plan will use city-owned sites to create homes for lower-income households; for instance, at 44-59 45^th Avenue, where the city currently houses New York City Department of Transportation operations, the Adams administration has committed to building 320 income-restricted homes.

To protect tenants and preserve existing affordable housing, the city will partner with community-based organizations and local elected officials to organize trainings and events around tenants’ issues, such as “Know Your Rights” classes and housing resource fairs. Homeowners would have access to the Homeowner Help Desk, which provides counseling, financial assistance, and more, as well as HomeFix 2.0, which connects New Yorkers with low- or no-interest home repair loans.

Creating an Accessible Waterfront

Despite Long Island City’s extensive waterfront, public access has, in the past, been disjointed and, in some cases, restricted entirely. The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would coordinate public and private property owners, update the area’s Waterfront Access Plan, and use additional zoning tools to create a unified, resilient waterfront with improved public access and amenities. This improvement would create vibrant public spaces by incentivizing active street-level uses and active recreation spaces, creating a consistent public space for the neighborhood, and unifying the waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park.

OneLIC Neighborhood Plan would unify the waterfront from Gantry Plaza State Park to Queensbridge Park, creating a consistent public space for the neighborhood. Image Credit: DCP.

Supporting More Jobs and Stronger Infrastructure

The OneLIC Plan would also grow the local economy by creating over 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, generating approximately 14,400 new jobs across a range of sectors. To further support Long Island City residents and workers, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is pursuing a Request for Expressions of Interest for 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, looking for concepts to transform this city-owned site, which currently houses New York City Department of Education operations, into a mix of community-focused uses that could include commercial, cultural, industrial, retail, and more. The administration will continue to coordinate with other city agencies, New York City Councilmember Julie Won, and the Long Island City community to find other opportunities for investment during public review, to ensure that the Adams administration is meeting the needs of current and future residents.

Engaging with the Community

The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan reflects the priorities of neighborhood residents and stakeholders, incorporating feedback from a two-year public engagement process that included 15 public meetings (both in-person and online) with a grand total of 1,600 participants. DCP also received over 5,700 comments and 2,350 survey responses from New Yorkers about the proposal. Alongside today’s certification, DCP has also published the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan booklet, which provides detailed information on the proposal, planning process, and next steps.

In addition to the close collaboration with Councilmember Won, DCP worked closely with many community stakeholders, including the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Queensbridge Houses Tenant Associations, the Long Island City Partnership, Queens Community Board 1 and 2, Queens Public Library, Jacob Riis Community Center, Renewable Ravenswood, and Hunters Point Park Conservancy.

The OneLIC Neighborhood Plan now begins the roughly seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, which includes reviews by Queens Community Boards 1 and 2 and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, followed by hearings and binding votes at the CPC and then in the New York City Council.

Governor Hochul Directs State Flags to be Lowered in Honor of His Holiness Pope Francis

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed flags to be lowered at half staff to honor the life and legacy of His Holiness Pope Francis, who passed away today at the age of 88.

“I join everyone around the world in mourning the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis, as his leadership transcended religious boundaries,” Governor Hochul said. “He embodied the values Christ taught us every day: helping the less fortunate, calling for peace, and ensuring every person is treated as a child of God. Pope Francis led with compassion, humility and inclusivity, emphasizing that God does not disown any of his children, and reminded us of our collective responsibility to protect this beautiful planet, our shared home. We should all strive to carry on his legacy.”

Last year, Governor Hochul visited the Vatican to deliver remarks at a Pontifical Summit to discuss climate change where Pope Francis delivered an address calling on the world to take care of the most vulnerable in our society.

Flags will be lowered from Monday, April 21 through the day of his funeral service.

 

Attorney General James Secures Major Reforms to Protect Mental Health Patients at Westchester Medical Center

 

WMCHealth Must Improve Emergency Room Practices and Restore Capacity for Inpatient Psychiatric Care

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a landmark settlement with Westchester County Health Care Corporation (WMC) and HealthAlliance, Inc. (HealthAlliance), collectively known as WMCHealth, that will expand access to inpatient psychiatric care in the Hudson Valley and overhaul how the hospital system treats patients experiencing mental health crises. An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found that three WMCHealth hospitals in the Hudson Valley – Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla (WMC-Valhalla), MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, and HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston – put vulnerable patients at risk by discharging them without adequate mental health crisis evaluation or stabilization and improperly left much-needed inpatient psychiatric beds closed for years. Under the settlement, WMCHealth has agreed to restore inpatient psychiatric beds that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and implement extensive reforms to better serve emergency room patients experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

“For too long, vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing mental health or substance use crises have been met with inadequate care when they went to an emergency room for help,” said Attorney General James. “Mental health care is medical care, and mental health crises must be treated as the emergencies they are. This settlement should serve as a patient care model for hospitals in every corner of our great state. My office will continue to fight to ensure all New Yorkers have access to quality, compassionate emergency mental health care.”

This is the first settlement in the nation reached by an attorney general for an investigation of a hospital’s inadequate treatment of mental health and substance use disorder patients under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to screen and stabilize any patient who presents with an emergency medical condition. The OAG investigation also found violations of the New York Public Health Law, the New York Mental Hygiene Law, and state regulations that provide minimum standards for treatment of patients in emergency departments and prohibit hospitals from taking licensed inpatient psychiatric beds offline without state approval.

The OAG launched an investigation in 2022 after hearing and receiving powerful testimony at Attorney General James’ Mental Health Hearings, which highlighted the serious impact of inpatient psychiatric bed closures at HealthAlliance Hospital and raised questions about inadequate care of young children in mental health crisis at WMC-Valhalla. The ensuing investigation uncovered troubling lapses in patient care at the three hospitals, including:

• Discharging patients with active suicidal ideation or other emergency psychiatric conditions without proper stabilization;
• Improperly medicating agitated children without sufficiently attempting to de-escalate their behavior or documenting those efforts;
• Failing to follow protocols to protect vulnerable patients from leaving the hospital before being properly discharged, leading to preventable tragedies;
• Failing to obtain vital input from family members and community providers; and
• Maintaining incomplete or inaccurate medical records and violating WMCHealth’s own policies. 

The investigation revealed that many patients who sought care at WMCHealth emergency rooms were discharged prematurely or received inadequate care or supervision. For example:

• In one instance, an adolescent who had recently attempted suicide was deemed actively suicidal and recommended for inpatient care by a WMCHealth psychiatrist. Instead, she was discharged without properly reassessing and monitoring her behavior to ensure she was stable enough for discharge.
• In another case, a teenager in acute distress was physically restrained and heavily medicated within minutes of arrival. Although she was so agitated that staff administered medications twice more, she was discharged quickly thereafter, without adequate time for monitoring to ensure her condition had stabilized and with insufficient documentation that emergency room staff first tried non-invasive interventions or de-escalation techniques.
• In a third instance, an emergency room psychiatrist ordered constant monitoring for a patient, noting that he had recently left a treatment facility against medical advice. Despite this, the patient remained unsupervised, necessary precautions were not taken, and the patient successfully left the hospital without discharge, tragically passing away shortly thereafter.

The OAG investigators also found that WMCHealth kept an inpatient psychiatric unit at HealthAlliance Hospital closed for far longer than allowed by the state, forcing patients in crisis to travel longer distances for care and filling up local emergency rooms with mental health or substance use patients awaiting beds. In March 2020, HealthAlliance Hospital closed the 40-bed unit to increase capacity for COVID-19 patients – but the beds were never ultimately used to treat any COVID patients, and the beds remained out of service long after June 2021, when pre-COVID regulatory requirements went back into effect.

Declining capacity for inpatient psychiatric beds has harmed communities across the state, especially in the Hudson Valley, where there are very few other hospitals in the region that provide this service. As one WMCHealth nurse testified at Attorney General James’ 2022 Mental Health Hearing, the continued closure of HealthAlliance Hospital’s psychiatric unit “eliminated all in-patient psych beds in Ulster County” and forced patients to instead travel up to 90 minutes for care. Another mental health provider called the loss of beds “horrible for the patients” and said, “85 percent of the patients I used to see on a regular basis are gone and I have no idea where they are.” The provider testified that as a result of the lost capacity, “patients are spending more time in the ER than they should,” and that people were “stuck for days waiting for a bed,” often sleeping on stretchers in hallways, and that the emergency room was “just not set up to hold patients for longer periods.”

Following OAG’s investigation, WMCHealth finally reopened 20 of the psychiatric beds at HealthAlliance Hospital in December 2024 and has announced plans to construct an additional 20-bed psychiatric unit at MidHudson Regional Hospital. These additions will finally restore pre-COVID inpatient psychiatric capacity across the three hospitals, and as part of today’s settlement, WMCHealth cannot close any of its reopened inpatient beds for the next three years. For the two years thereafter, the health system must consult with OAG before making any changes to inpatient capacity.

As a result of the investigation, WMCHealth must implement extensive reforms at its emergency rooms in Valhalla, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. For one, the hospital must modify its policies and procedures to ensure adequate screening for suicide risk, substance use disorders, violence risk, and elopement safety risk for all patients who come to the emergency room. The settlement requires WMCHealth hospitals try to gather information about patients’ conditions from past medical records, family members, treatment providers, or other sources, and to consider this information when making determinations about the patients’ treatment plans. WMCHealth must also establish relationships and open lines of communication with community behavioral health agencies and residential facilities that frequently send patients to the emergency room – making it easier to coordinate care and ensure all relevant providers are connected to best treat the patient.

To set patients with complex needs (including patients who repeatedly visit the emergency room for mental health conditions) up for success post-discharge, staff will be required to evaluate whether patients may struggle to transition to community-based care after being discharged. For these patients, WMCHealth must develop individualized discharge plans to ensure patients have access to necessary follow-up mental health care and, where appropriate, develop care plans to improve treatment for patients upon any return visit to the emergency room.

In addition, WMCHealth must develop new protocols for using restraints and medication to treat agitated patients, particularly children – meaning emergency room staff will be required to clearly and thoroughly document all uses of restraints or medication to treat agitation, provide adequate clinical justification for use, and demonstrate and document specific efforts to use less restrictive alternatives to deescalate the patients’ behavior.  

To guarantee these changes are made, Attorney General James and WMCHealth have agreed to robust oversight measures. WMCHealth will develop a training protocol to enact the settlement requirements and appoint an internal compliance administrator, who will ensure all three hospitals adhere to the agreement and submit compliance reports to OAG every six months for at least two years. WMCHealth must pay $400,000 in penalties and fees and/or costs to New York state and, if it fails to comply with the terms of the agreement, it will be liable for an additional $10,000 penalty per violation.

WMCHealth has also committed to making new and meaningful investments in implementing a new behavioral health service, such as deploying peer counselors in the emergency room, making mental health providers available at its primary care clinics, expanding substance use disorder treatment at the HealthAlliance Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital emergency rooms, and enacting an evidence-based procedure to make post-discharge follow-up calls to patients who are screened for moderate or high-risk of suicide. 

U.S. Attorneys for Southwestern Border Districts Charge More than 1,220 Illegal Aliens with Immigration-Related Crimes During the Third week in April as part of Operation Take Back America.

 

Since the inauguration of President Trump, the Department of Justice is playing a critical role in Operation Take back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Last week, the U.S. Attorneys for Arizona, Central California, Southern California, New Mexico, Southern Texas, and Western Texas charged more than 1,220 defendants with criminal violations of U.S. immigration laws.

The Southern District of Texas filed 216 cases in immigration and security-related matters. As part of those cases, 86 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, or prior immigration crimes. A total of 119 people face charges of illegally entering the country while 11 cases involve various instances of human smuggling. Some of those charged with felony reentry include Mexican national Alejandro Contreras-Zapata, who was allegedly found near Roma. The charges allege he had been previously sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon before his removal March 7.

The Western District of Texas filed 378 new immigration-related criminal cases. Among the new cases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents in San Antonio received notification that Mexican national Netsai Moreno-Suarez was arrested for a traffic violation on April 11. Moreno-Suarez was transferred into ICE ERO custody, charged with illegal re-entry. She was previously removed from the United States in August 2023 after being convicted for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and being sentenced to five years of probation. If convicted, Moreno-Suarez faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 328 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 130 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 179 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 18 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.

The Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances. A sample of border-related arrests this week: On April 15, Jesus Manuel Zuniga Huerta and Jose Alberto Flores Avalos of Mexico were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with importing deadly fentanyl into the U.S. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 148 pounds of fentanyl in the rear frame well of a tractor-trailer driven by Zuniga Huerta. On April 15, Brian Jaime Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant concealed in the trunk of Sanchez’s car as he attempted to cross the border at the Tecate Port of Entry. On April 17, Sergio Villalba-Serrano, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Departed Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Villalba-Serrano was taken into custody near the Tecate Port of Entry after his vehicle was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Villalba-Serrano had previously been deported on Oct. 26, 2019, from Laredo, Texas.

The Central District of California filed criminal charges against 34 defendants who are alleged to have been found in the United States following removal, the Justice Department announced today. Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses prior to their removal from the United States, including domestic violence, unlawful sex with a minor, and assault with a deadly weapon.

The District of New Mexico brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 68 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326), 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324), and 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325).  Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, aggravated driving under the influence and possession of a forgery writing/device.

We are grateful for the hard work of our border prosecutors in bringing these cases and helping to make our border safe again. 

NY's Balance of Payments With DC Remains Positive for Now, But Federal Actions Could Drastically Change NY's Financial Picture

 

State Comptroller DiNapoli's Analysis Finds NY Received $1.06 for Every $1 Sent to DC in FFY2023

Federal pandemic relief funds resulted in New York having a positive balance of payments with Washington, with the state ranking 42^nd in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023 on a per capita basis, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

This is the fourth year in a row that New York has had a positive balance of payments, after a long history of sending more tax dollars to Washington than it receives back. For every tax dollar paid to Washington in FFY 2023, the state received $1.06 in return;  the national average was $1.32.

“With the end of pandemic aid, this may be the last year we find New Yorkers with a positive return from Washington,” DiNapoli said. “Actions taken by the Trump Administration and Congress may cut health care, food assistance, infrastructure and other critical programs to the detriment of all New Yorkers. Major cuts in federal funding simply cannot be replaced by state taxpayers, will reduce the services the state provides and will exacerbate the long-standing history of New Yorkers sending more of their hard-earned tax dollars to the federal government than they get back.”

New Jersey, Massachusetts and Washington were the only states to have a negative balance. Prior to the pandemic, New York consistently ranked among the states with the largest negative balance of payments.

DiNapoli warned that actions currently being taken and under consideration by the new administration in Washington may significantly change the relationship between the federal government and states. Unprecedented cuts have been announced to education, health,  and environmental programs, and additional actions may reduce grants to state and local governments, limit aid to individuals, and decrease federal spending on payrolls. Most states would lose from such actions, although which will be most impacted remains to be seen.

Key findings in DiNapoli’s report:

• In FFY 2023, federal expenditures for each U.S. resident were on average $4,089 more than they paid in federal taxes; for New York residents, it was $912 per capita.
• New York generated $16,355 per capita, ranking it 3^rd in per capita contribution to the federal treasury, and received $17,266 per capita, ranking it 21^st in per capita federal spending.
• Federal expenditure areas where New York ranks high include Medicaid ($3,082 per capita, 2^nd), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP ($533 per capita, 4^th), rental assistance and public housing ($295 per capita, 1^st), and Supplemental Security Income ($238 per capita, 6^th).
• Federal expenditure areas where New York ranks low include federal employee wages and salaries ($459 per capita, 42^nd), veterans benefits ($445 per capita, 49^th), federal employees retirement ($216 per capita, 50^th), and highways ($103 per capita, 49^th).

New York generated approximately $320.1 billion in tax collections, 7.5% of all U.S. tax collections in FFY 2023, while the state represented 5.8% of the nation’s population. At $16,355, New York’s per capita contribution to the federal treasury was 27.8% more than the national level, and New York’s per capita tax contribution ranks highly in most tax categories.

Individual income taxes represent the largest portion of taxes paid; New York’s were $8,745 per capita – 35.9% higher than the national average of $6,433. The second largest component of federal revenues reflects payments for social insurance taxes and contributions, including sources that finance programs for Social Security and Medicare, among others. New York’s per capita contribution for such payments, $5,472, was 14.2% above the national level of $4,792, ranking it 7^th. The state ranked first on per capita corporate income taxes with $1,840, 47% higher than the national per capita level of $1,252.

The report notes the federal budget plays an integral role in state economies and budgets. Millions of New Yorkers rely on Social Security as a staple of household income, Medicare and Medicaid for essential health care, and SNAP for basic food needs. In education, federal grants provide important support for services to children with disabilities or limited English proficiency, breakfast and lunch programs, and college loans. Other federal funds pay for essential capital projects and services. These include highway and mass transit construction and maintenance, housing, job training, environmental protection, public safety initiatives and more.

Executive Orders issued by the President paused disbursement of funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The state expected to receive $13.6 billion in IIJA funds and $2 billion from the IRA, backing projects ranging from roadways and bridges to mass transit to broadband to clean energy and resiliency. While some funding has been unfrozen, it is unclear how much the state and local governments and state residents can rely on these funds.

Other federal actions have also impacted the receipt of funds by states. In New York, these include the potential claw back of approximately $158 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief aid from school districts and the freezing of $367 million in funds for public health, addiction services, and mental health programming. This loss of federal funding translates into weaker state services in crucial areas such as virus surveillance, laboratory support and testing, transitional housing for individuals in recovery, and mental health supports.     

This report is the ninth 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. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan pioneered the concept of this balance of payments report with his first report in 1977.

Report

New York’s Balance of Payments in the Federal Budget, Federal Fiscal Year 2023

Interactive Map with Balance of Payments Breakdown in the United States

Downloadable Excel File with Additional Data

IN CASE HE MISSED IT: NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE RENEWS CALL FOR MAYOR TO FOLLOW PUBLIC SAFETY LAWS THAT SUPPORT NEW YORKERS IN NEED

 

Last week, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams called for the city and state to make use of mental health incident review panels, following the laws in place rather than pushing for new ones which could do more harm than good. Comments from the mayor over the weekend appear to make it clear that the mayor did not understand the request or the law, so the Public Advocate issued the following statement in response.

“I have to assume that the mayor did not understand the practice or purpose of mental health incident review panels – it is the only explanation for his response. I know that this mayor has a long history of ignoring laws (and the truth) when not politically beneficial to him, but it is negligent of him not to use all the tools available to help people in need before demanding new, harmful ones. These panels – which again, have never been used despite over a decade of the state law –  are intended to review circumstances, address missteps, and prevent future harm. This isn’t solely about individual incidents like last week’s shooting –it's about understanding how one gets to the point of crisis. To suggest that it is not helpful to trace the cause of mental health incidents is like arguing against autopsies because they can’t prevent the death that took place.  

“We have to examine the spaces where people get left behind in order to make the changes that will actually help people get the services they need and protect public health and safety. The mayor has never used the power to request this review. Willful ignorance is not an option – either of the gaps in our systems which allow New Yorkers in need to suffer, or of the laws on books to help correct them.”

Under Mental Hygiene Law § 31.37, the Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health has the power to establish a mental health incident review panel, either by their own initiative or at the request of a local government unit following a serious incident involving a person with mental illness. However, as affirmed in a February 5 hearing in Albany, these panels have never been requested.

The Public Advocate sent letters to both City Hall and Albany, questioning the mayor on why the city has not asked for these reviews in the past and asking the state’s mental health commissioner to convene one for a recent incident. Read more here. 

 

MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR AVILES-RAMOS EXPAND SIGNATURE INITIATIVES NYC READS AND NYC SOLVES, CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN LITERACY AND MATH INSTRUCTION IN NEW YORK CITY

 

With This Expansion, Over 490,000 Students Will Benefit From NYC Reads and NYC Solves By 2025-2026 School Year

NYC Reads Will Be Implemented in Middle Schools for First Time

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos today expanded NYC Reads and NYC Solves to 186 additional schools across 14 districts, expanding high-quality, evidence-based foundational reading and math curricula to middle school students across the five boroughs. With this expansion, over 490,000 students will benefit from NYC Reads and NYC Solves by the 2025-2026 school year. NYC Reads — already implemented at all K-5 schools and early childhood education programs — will be expanded, for the first time, to middle schools, starting with 102 middle schools in eight school districts, and supporting nearly 26,000 students. NYC Solves will also expand to an additional six middle school districts, supporting 84 additional schools and 32,000 additional students. Additionally, Mayor Adams announced that NYC Reads and NYC Solves will be fully implemented in middle schools across all districts by the 2027-2028 school year.

“As mayor and a proud product of New York City public schools, I know firsthand the impact of not receiving the vital foundational support needed to thrive. As a student, I prayed my teacher wouldn’t call on me because our public school system didn’t provide the opportunities needed to improve educational outcomes for students at every level. But through the implementation of NYC Reads and NYC Solves, we have brought evidence-based curricula to our public schools as we zero in on what’s needed to teach our students how to read and do math,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we are expanding these opportunities to now support a total of nearly 500,000 students across the city to make an impact that will last a lifetime. By broadening these initiatives to reach more students, we are continuing our track record of improving math and English language arts scores in New York City and helping ensure kids don’t have to worry about being called on in class going forward.”

“Literacy and math skills form the foundation for bold futures, but for too long, our Black and Brown students were left behind,” said Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos. “We launched NYC Reads and NYC Solves — grounded in high-quality, evidence-based instructional materials and strategies — to support all of our students as they build these critical, foundational skills. We are thrilled to be able to expand these transformative initiatives to reach even more students in even more grade bands.”

NYC Reads focuses classroom instruction on proven, research-based curricula, supported by intensive coaching and professional learning for educators aligned with those specific curricula, in order to ensure all public school students, in every neighborhood, regardless of their background or identity, are experiencing rigorous, relevant, engaging reading instruction that works. Early signs of progress in NYC Reads include a 1.8-point increase in K-2 screener data. Schools in Districts 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13 will be using middle school curriculum from EL Education, while schools in District 19 will use middle school curriculum from Wit & Wisdom.

NYC Solves is expanding to middle schools in districts 5, 6, 8, 17, 25, and 31, and schools will have the option to choose between Illustrative Mathematics, Amplify Desmos, and IReady Mathematics curricula. Districts that are already participating in NYC Solves will continue to use Illustrative Mathematics. Currently, all public high schools and 101 middle schools use high-quality curriculum for math instruction, as announced under the first phase of NYC Solves.

Beginning this spring, teachers will begin professional development for NYC Reads and NYC Solves. As in prior phases for both initiatives, there will be 12 days of job-embedded coaching in the fall, with the opportunity for additional training as requested. The Adams administration has long prioritized literacy and mathematics instruction, championing the standardized use of high-quality, research-backed curricula options across districts. NYC Reads and NYC Solves are the largest and most ambitious districtwide efforts in the country, ensuring that all students are benefiting from high-quality curricula.

Through both initiatives, educators are receiving an unprecedented level of intensive training and coaching, and visits to over 9,000 classrooms reveal that the curricula are being consistently used. Additionally, surveys have shown that more than 75 percent of leaders and teachers believe the support they’re receiving is effective. As part of NYC Reads, over 1,200 families have signed on as NYC Reads Ambassadors to support readers in their community, giving away over 10,000 books to 1,600 families. Over 57 percent of families have also reported an immediate positive impact in their child’s reading. Twenty-one literacy hubs were also established in nine districts, adding books and other learning materials to public spaces, community centers, and small businesses across New York City.