BROOKLYN MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR VICIOUS ASSAULT WHILE JAILED IN RIKERS ISLAND

 

Defendant Beat Another Inmate for Disturbing His Sleep

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to five years in prison for stomping on an inmate’s head when he was jailed in Rikers Island. 

District Attorney Clark said, “While he was incarcerated in Rikers Island, the defendant brutally attacked another inmate who disturbed his sleep. Violence by anyone or against anyone in the jail will not be tolerated.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Eric McKenzie AKA Eric Belmar, 59, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced today to five years in prison and three years post release supervision on second-degree Assault by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Tara Collins. The defendant pleaded guilty to that charge on April 7, 2025.

According to the investigation, on December 13, 2021, at approximately 4:40 p.m., the defendant became upset with inmate Jose Matias for being too loud while McKenzie was trying to sleep. McKenzie chased Matias and threw him to the floor, stomped on his neck and head, and kicked and punched him in the head. Matias was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he was put in a medically induced coma. He was transferred to NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue and remained at the facility until February 16, 2022. Matias sustained a brain injury and needed extensive physical rehabilitation.

District Attorney Clark thanked Investigator Walter Holmes, New York City Department of Correction Liaison, Investigator Cecil Phillips, and the Department of Correction’s Intelligence Bureau for their assistance.

Attorney General James Secures Major Victory as Federal Government Releases Billions in Withheld Education Funds

 

More than $463 Million in Federal Education Funding for New York Released Just Weeks Before Students Head Back to School 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today celebrated a major victory for students, families, and schools across the country as the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released nearly $7 billion in critical education funding that had been unlawfully frozen by the Trump administration. The reversal follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Attorney General James and 22 other attorneys general, as well as the governors of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, challenging ED’s abrupt decision to halt this funding. Today, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) received notice that all previously frozen grant funding has been awarded and will be released.

“This is a huge win for our schools, our students, and the rule of law,” said Attorney General James. “When the administration abruptly froze billions in education funding, they jeopardized afterschool childcare programs, teacher support services, and vital classroom resources just weeks before the new school year. Earlier this month, we took swift legal action, and today we are celebrating the results. I will always stand up to protect our students and New York State.”

“We are grateful that the federal government has fulfilled its commitment to the students of New York state by reinstating the grant funds that were previously withheld,” said NYSED Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. “These vital resources will empower both schools and districts to provide critical supports and services to their students, educators, and school communities. We thank the Attorney General and our congressional delegation for their collaboration in advocating for the restoration of this funding. The State Education Department and Board of Regents remain committed to working with all levels of government to ensure every student receives the high-quality education they deserve.”

On June 30, the Trump administration unlawfully froze funding for six congressionally authorized education programs just weeks before schools were set to open in many states. The funding supports a wide range of services, including education for English learners and immigrant children, classroom technology, after-school enrichment programs, adult education, mental health services, and workforce development initiatives. In New York, more than $463 million in federal funding was frozen overnight, leaving many summer programs unfunded and threatening services set to begin in the fall. The funds that were frozen constitute 13 percent of the state’s total K-12 education funding, and the majority goes directly to New York’s 730 school districts, which had to scramble to address major budget shortfalls.

On July 14, Attorney General James and the coalition filed their lawsuit and a motion for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the freeze violated multiple federal laws, including statutes authorizing and appropriating funds for the affected programs, federal budget procedures, and constitutional provisions like the separation of powers and the Presentment Clause. Today, ED sent New York grant award notices for all six of the impacted programs, confirming that the frozen funding would be released in its entirety. 

The release of this federal education funding means that critical programs can now resume just in time for the upcoming school year. This includes more than $125 million for teacher training and development, $107 million to improve school safety and classroom environments, and $102 million to support after-school and summer programs that working families rely on for childcare and enrichment. English language learners – especially in New York City, where nearly half of public school students speak a language other than English at home – will once again have access to vital literacy and language instruction. The funds also restore $52 million for adult education and workforce development programs, as well as $10 million to support immigrant students. Thousands of students will now be able to return to summer learning programs that had been canceled, and at least 67 full-time jobs at NYSED will be preserved.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Summer Concert Series Continues!

 

MOST PRO-HOUSING ADMINISTRATION IN CITY HISTORY: MAYOR ADAMS’ ADMINISTRATION SHATTERS AFFORDABLE HOUSING RECORDS (AGAIN)

 

Adams Administration Produced Record Number of Affordable Rental Units in Fiscal Year 2025

Set Back-to-Back-to-Back Records for Producing Permanently Affordable Homes for Formerly-Homeless New Yorkers, Placing Homeless New Yorkers Into Housing, Connecting New Yorkers to Housing Through City’s Housing Lottery for Third Fiscal Year in a Row

Announcements Bring Total Number of Housing Units Created, Preserved, or Planned Through Adams Administration Efforts to Date to Approximately 426,800 Homes

Announcement Part of Mayor Adams’ “Housing Week” Highlighting City’s Efforts to Create More Homes, Connect More New Yorkers to Homes, and Keep New Yorkers in Homes They Already Have   

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city broke multiple records for producing and connecting New Yorkers to affordable homes in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, delivering the affordable housing that New Yorkers need and reinforcing the Adams administration’s position as the most pro-housing administration in city history. Additionally, Mayor Adams announced that his administration has created, preserved, or planned approximately 426,800 homes through its efforts to date. In FY 2025 specifically, through new construction and preservation programs, the Adams administration produced a total of 33,715 affordable homes — including 28,281 affordable homes through the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), as well as 5,434 apartments that will be renovated through the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) program.

Over the course of FY 2025, the Adams administration:

• Produced the most affordable rental units in city history.
• Produced the most affordable housing for formerly homeless households, for the third fiscal year in a row.
• Placed the most homeless New Yorkers into permanent affordable housing, for the third fiscal year in a row.
• Connected the most New Yorkers to affordable homes through the city’s affordable housing lottery, for the fiscal third year in a row.

For the first time, Mayor Adams today also announced the total number of affordable and market-rate homes created, preserved, or planned through the Adams administration’s housing initiatives to date. Between historic efforts by the Adams administration to finance the creation and preservation of housing; speed up the production of new homes through new initiatives like the Office Conversion Accelerator and the Green Fast Track; rehabilitate public housing through the PACT program and the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust; pass landmark rezoning initiatives such as “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” and the administration’s five neighborhood plans; successful advocacy in Albany to pass a historic housing deal last year; initiatives to build new homes on city-owned sites such as Executive Order 43 and the “24 in 24” plan; and much more, the Adams administration has created, preserved, or planned for approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers — including at least 250,000 affordable homes — over the next 15 years.

“Others may have talked about affordable housing, but we actually built it. Others may have talked about citywide rezoning, but we actually passed it. Others may have talked about taking on our city’s housing crisis, but we actually did it, and we’re continuing to do it every single day,” said Mayor Adams. “The numbers don’t lie: We have already laid the groundwork for over 426,000 homes across the five boroughs in the coming years, connecting over 31,000 New Yorkers to affordable homes. There’s no denying, we are the most pro-housing administration in city history, and we are continuing that work every day as we make New York a more affordable city for working-class families.”

“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “This administration has proven that we are the most pro-housing administration in this city's history. We have broken record after record in planning, preserving, and building over 426,000 units of housing. Every one of these numbers represents a person, a family, and a New Yorker that will be put on the path to stability and success.”

Producing the Affordable Housing New Yorkers Need

From day one, the Adams administration has focused on creating the affordable homes New Yorkers need, breaking affordable housing records in FY 2023 and again in FY 2024. The administration continued those efforts in FY 2025, with HPD and HDC financing the creation or preservation of 28,281 affordable homes — including a record 26,087 affordable rental apartments. HPD has now produced a total of 85,962 affordable homes since the start of the Adams administration, with the last three fiscal years representing the most new affordable homes ever created in a three fiscal-year stretch (FY 2023 – FY 2025).

Following Mayor Adams’ successful advocacy in Albany to pass a historic housing deal last year, the Adams administration also produced a record 6,593 421-A standalone units and advanced the first 467-M and 485-X projects in FY 2025.

The Adams administration remains focused on making sure that every New Yorker can find an affordable place to live, with more than 95 percent of subsidized new construction designated for low-income New Yorkers. This is the second highest percentage on record, eclipsed only by last fiscal year.

HPD’s historic successes come despite steep challenges facing the city — including high interest rates, federal tariffs, economic uncertainty, and increasing costs for maintenance and operations — reinforcing, once again, the Adams administration’s record as the most pro-housing in our city’s history.

Furthermore, the Adams administration is committed to supporting the most vulnerable New Yorkers, especially those struggling with homelessness or in need of additional services. In FY 2025, HPD produced a historic 4,178 homeless units, breaking the record for the third fiscal year in a row and bringing the total number of homeless units produced under the Adams administration to 12,920. Within those homeless units, HPD produced 1,962 supportive units in FY 2025, for a total of 6,714 affordable, supportive units financed under the Adams administration. These historic numbers follow Mayor Adams’ announcement, earlier this year, that the city will reimagine the 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative and invest $339 million over several years to create and preserve more congregate site supportive housing.

The Adams administration has put public housing first, becoming the first mayoral administration to include NYCHA in its housing plan and advocating for the creation of the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust. In FY 2025, NYCHA conducted votes at five developments where residents chose between joining the Trust, the PACT program, or remaining in Section 9 housing. Residents at Hylan Houses and Coney Island I (Site 1B) selected the Trust while residents at Randall Avenue-Balcom Avenue chose the PACT; because of these votes, over 650 apartments will be transferred to Project-Based Section 8 funding and renovated to address the capital needs at the developments. Since the start of these votes in fall of 2023, four developments have voted in favor of joining the Trust, with a total of 1,776 units planned to receive comprehensive renovations as a result.

In FY 2025, NYCHA also converted 5,434 apartments to the Project-Based Section 8 program through the PACT, representing $2.2 billion in capital repairs. To date, NYCHA has now used the PACT program to convert over 27,000 apartments at 101 developments, representing over $7.9 billion in capital repairs across the city. Overall, 145 NYCHA developments — representing over 39,000 apartments — are in pre-development, are under construction, or have completed construction through the program; this represents over $13.5 billion in capital repairs for public housing. Finally, NYCHA has doubled the number of New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) placements from last fiscal year to this fiscal year and are on track to complete the most DHS placements in over three years.

Connecting a Record Numbers of New Yorkers to Affordable Homes

In addition to creating historic amounts of affordable housing, the Adams administration once again broke records for connecting New Yorkers to critically-needed affordable housing. In FY 2025, HPD connected a record 10,336 households to affordable homes through the city’s Housing Connect affordable housing lottery, breaking the record for the third fiscal year in a row and bringing the total number of households connected to affordable housing through Housing Connect under the Adams administration to 31,118 New Yorkers.

Additionally, for the third straight fiscal year, the Adams administration placed more formerly homeless households into permanent housing than ever before. A total of 4,651 homeless households were placed into affordable housing in FY 2025, with a total of 12,432 homeless households — representing approximately 26,000 New Yorkers — moving into permanent, affordable housing since the start of the Adams administration.

The New York City Department of Social Services also continued to build on its record-breaking progress, helping over 16,200 households move from shelter to subsidized permanent housing in just the first 11 months of FY 2025, a 30 percent increase over the same period in the last fiscal year and more than all of FY 2024. City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) continues to serve as the primary support for those exiting shelter, with over 11,000 households — the majority of households — exiting with the support of a CityFHEPS voucher. An additional 2,400 households used a CityFHEPS voucher to remain in their homes without entering shelter, meaning over 13,500 households were able to obtain or retain safe, stable, affordable housing thanks to the CityFHEPS program; this represents a 17 percent increase over FY 2024.

New Metrics, Greater Depth

Beyond HPD’s affordable housing production, the agency also assists with the creation of market rate housing through tax incentive programs, zoning rules, and certain HPD-funded projects.  Combining these units with HPD’s affordable new construction production, the Adams administration helped create nearly 27,000 new units in FY 2025. HPD provided additional assistance to 8,600 existing homes outside of its traditional preservation work. Similarly, at NYCHA, 3,696 homes are undergoing Comprehensive Modernization with city capital investments.

How the Adams Administration Got it Done

The housing numbers unveiled today are a direct result of smart, focused strategies pursued by the Adams administration to boost housing production. The administration has committed $24.7 billion towards affordable housing through the city’s 10-Year Capital Plan. Additionally, the Adams administration rolled out major updates to the way HPD markets and leases-up affordable housing in New York City — cutting down on paperwork, streamlining eligibility, and connecting more New Yorkers to homes and homeownership opportunities faster.

The Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History

The Adams administration is using every tool available to produce the homes New Yorkers need and make generational progress against the city’s housing crisis. Since the start of the Adams administration, the city has supported the creation of 95,100 homes, including nearly 46,000 affordable homes, 47,000 additional market-rate units in mixed-income developments, and 2,300 units of office-to-residential conversion or Green Fast Track housing. Moreover, the Adams administration supported the preservation or stabilization of 134,700 homes, which includes 41,000 affordable homes and the ongoing stabilization of nearly 16,100 additional homes through the NYCHA PACT program, and the NYCHA Comprehensive Modernization Program to rehabilitate NYCHA units

In addition to tens of thousands of homes already created or preserved by city agencies, the Adams administration has launched ambitious initiatives that are expected to create tens of thousands of new homes as well. These include the Adams administration’s landmark City of Yes for Housing Opportunity rezoning plan passed by the New York City Council last year to create over 80,000 new homes; the administration’s five neighborhood plans to create nearly 50,000 new homes in the Bronx-Metro North area of the Bronx, along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, throughout Midtown South in Manhattan, and in both Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens; initiatives to build new homes on city-owned sites such as Mayor Adams’ Executive Order 43; private rezoning applications to build new homes supported by city agencies such as the New York City Department of City Planning; the Adams administration’s “Green Fast Track” initiative to streamline the environmental review of modest housing projects and build homes faster; the NYCHA PACT; the NYCHA Trust; and the Adams administration’s “Office Conversion Accelerator” to turn underutilized offices into much-needed housing. Altogether, the Adams administration has planned for the creation of another 197,800 new homes over the next 15 years through these initiatives.

Number of Homes Created, Preserved, or Planned
Through Adams Administration’s Efforts to Date

Created	Homes
HPD Affordable New Construction	45,900
HPD Other New Construction	46,900
Office Conversion Accelerator and Green Fast Track	2,300
Total Created	95,100
Preserved
HPD Affordable Preservation	40,100
HPD and Other Stabilization Assistance	78,500
NYCHA PACT Program	12,400
NYCHA Comprehensive Modernization Program	3,700
Total Preserved	134,700
Planned
City of Yes for Housing Opportunity	82,000
Adams Administration’s Neighborhood Rezoning Plans	47,100
Additional Public and Private Rezonings	25,500
Redevelopment of Public Land	31,000
NYCHA PACT	5,500
NYCHA Trust	1,800
Green Fast Track Homes and Office Conversion Accelerator	4,100
Total Planned	197,000
Total Homes Thanks to Adams Administration Efforts to Date	426,800

Through its efforts to date, the Adams administration has supported the creation of 95,100 homes, supported the preservation or stabilization of 134,700 homes, and planned for another 197,000 homes. Altogether, these historic efforts have produced or will produce a total of approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers, including at least 250,000 affordable homes.  

Making New York City the Best Place to Raise a Family

In addition to producing and placing New Yorkers in housing, the Adams administration is focused on making New York City the best place to raise a family. Building on the success of his signature City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative, Mayor Adams launched “City of Yes for Families” earlier this year to create more family-friendly neighborhoods across the five boroughs. Under City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is advancing ambitious initiatives to support homeownership by expanding the city’s downpayment assistance program and helping affordable housing tenants report their rental payments to credit bureaus and build up their credit scores. Through City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is also creating more affordable homes for inter-generational families and building more housing alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores, accessible transit stations, and libraries.

In addition to building more family-friendly neighborhoods, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant and homeowner protections. The “Partners in Preservation” program was expanded citywide in 2024 through a $24 million multi-year investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combat harassment in rent-regulated housing while the Homeowner Help Desk, a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations, was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $13 million multi-year funding commitment.                              

RECOGNIZING ADAMS ADMINISTRATION’S CONTINUED STRONG FISCAL MANAGEMENT, LEADING CREDIT RATING AGENCIES AGAIN AFFIRM NEW YORK CITY’S STRONG FINANCIAL STANDING AND STABILITY

 

Four Internationally-Recognized, Independent Credit Rating Agencies — Moody's, S&P, Fitch, and Kroll — Indicate Strong Confidence in City's Stability, Resilience, and Fiscal Outlook 

17^th Consecutive Time NYC GO Bonds Have Been Given AA Category Ratings Under Adams Administration 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today celebrated that four internationally-recognized, independent credit rating agencies — Moody's Ratings, S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings, and Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) — have, once again, affirmed the city's strong bond ratings and stable outlook. Based on the strength of the city's fiscal management, resilient economy, strong post-pandemic recovery, record-high private employment, and more, all four agencies assigned double-A category ratings and stable outlooks to the city's upcoming sale of approximately $1.8 billion of General Obligation (GO) bonds. The city's strong GO bond ratings and outlooks have been repeatedly upgraded or affirmed by all four rating agencies over the course of the Adams administration. On each occasion, the four agencies cited the city's ongoing strong fiscal management in support of their decisions.

“It’s not a mystery that the four internationally-recognized, independent credit rating agencies have for the 17^th time confirmed what we all know: that our administration has done an incredible job skillfully managing our city’s finances, which has allowed us to stabilize our city’s economy, grow jobs to record levels, and instill confidence in New York City,” said Mayor Adams. “I am proud of the tremendous work our team has consistently done to sustain this progress, and I thank the outside observers for recognizing our success.”

Maintaining a strong bond rating is an indication of the city's financial strength and encourages continued investment in the city's bonds, which help support funding to build and maintain schools, streets, parks, and other critical infrastructure that spans the five boroughs.

Moody’s Ratings affirmed the Adams administration’s measures to close budget gaps in the face of the unprecedented asylum seeker crisis, stating, “The Aa2 general obligation rating, the same as the city's Aa2 issuer rating, reflects New York City's post pandemic economic recovery, including record-high private employment, positive trends in assessed property values despite commercial real estate challenges, and steady tax revenue growth.”

Moody’s also noted that, “the expanding economy is driven by the city's competitive advantages: a young, highly skilled labor pool that over time has helped make New York City households wealthier; strong higher education and medical centers that also contribute higher paying jobs; and strong domestic and international transportation links that support New York City's position as a global economic, financial and cultural hub. Very strong institutional strength and financial governance have allowed successful implementation of budget control measures to close budget gaps primarily caused by now-waning asylum seeker costs.”

S&P Global Ratings affirmed the city's strong bond rating, noting, “our ‘AA’ long-term rating on New York City is anchored by its governance strengths, as well as the dynamism and resilience of its economy, which we believe support stable credit quality over the outlook horizon. At the onset of fiscal 2026, we believe that the city’s fiscal trajectory remains stable, and budgetary reserves — while not projected to increase from current levels over the near-term — provide the city with financial flexibility to navigate near-term risks.”

 

S&P continued, “the stable outlook is also predicated on the city's continuing ability to navigate potentially disruptive economic uncertainties and sustain financial stability in the near term, particularly amid a shifting federal and state funding landscape.”

 

KBRA lauded “the City's role as an international business and cultural center, and its position as the hub of the country's largest metropolitan economy highlight the diversity and resilience of the resource base supporting G.O. Bonds. Institutionalized, long-range financial management and capital planning practices support financial stability.”

Fitch’s Ratings praised “New York City's 'AA' Long-Term Issuer Default Rating and GO bond rating reflect the city's exceptionally strong budget monitoring and controls, supporting Fitch Ratings’ 'aa' financial resilience assessment…The city experienced record revenue performance and strong economic recovery following the pandemic, as well as improvement in reserve levels, which will help management navigate future economic downturns.”

The credit rating and stable outlook affirmations follow the passage of the city’s $115.9 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Adopted Budget, which builds on Mayor Adams’ FY 2026 Executive Budget — often called the “Best Budget Ever” — that prioritizes investments that will make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family. Additionally, this fiscal year, for the first-time ever, New York City personal income taxes for eligible low-income New Yorkers will be abolished. Thanks to ongoing careful fiscal management, including remaining focused on saving taxpayer dollars and strong revenue performance due to a robust New York City economy, the Adams administration overcame unprecedented challenges in this budget cycle to manage the budget responsibly, support essential services, and make upstream investments that will benefit New Yorkers for generations to come.