Page 14 - The Indian EYE 070524

COMMUNITY OP-ED JULY 05, 2024 | The Indian Eye 14

A Budget That Prioritizes

Working-Class New Yorkers and Seeks to

Make Our City More Affordable

rangers, Green Thumb programs,
and tree stump removals.
We are committed to improving
the physical, emotional, and mental
health of all New Yorkers. That is
why our administration previously
launched “HealthyNYC,” an am-
bitious plan to extend the lifespan
of all New Yorkers. We have also
released a sweeping mental health
agenda with $20 million in commit-
ments to invest in the mental health
of children and families and canceled
$2 billion in medical debt that New
ERIC ADAMS Yorkers owe. This year’s Adopted
Budget further invests in programs
to help keep New Yorkers healthy by
expanding the Office of Health Care
ew Yorkers deserve a city bud- Accountability to bring rising health
get that delivers for them and New Yorkers love their parks, and we are taking care of our green spaces by funding additional
Ntackles our affordability crisis park rangers, Green Thumb programs, and tree stump removals (File/Agency photo) care costs down and ensure hospitals
and health care providers are not
head-on. Alongside Speaker Adams gouging New Yorkers, as well as by
and our City Council partners, we are investing in key services, such as HIV
proud to announce the passage of a also going further to ensure 3-K is STEM, and Brooklyn Recovery
$112.4 billion Adopted Budget that more equitable than ever, with ad- Corps at Medgar Evers College. related programs.
Finally, affordable housing is
invests in the future of our city and ditional investments totaling $80 Our cultural institutions and our critical to making our city more af-
the people who make New York the million for extended day seats and libraries are also a critical part of our fordable and more livable. With this
greatest city in the world. to serve undocumented families and city’s social fabric, and with the City in mind, we have added $2 billion in
Thanks to our strong fiscal man- students with disabilities. Council, we are investing $53 mil-
agement, as well as better-than-ex- Additionally, we are deepening lion in our cultural institutions. And capital funds to NYCHA and the De-
partment of Housing Preservation &
pected revenue growth, we have our commitment to our public edu- we know that our libraries provide a Development to develop more af-
passed a collaborative budget that cation system with over $600 million lifeline to countless communities, so
addresses the three things that cost to protect programs previously fund- we are putting over $58 million back fordable housing. This will support
our administration’s moonshot goal
New Yorkers the most: childcare, ed with short-term federal stimulus into their operations, so they can of building 500,000 new homes by
health care, and housing. What’s dollars like teacher recruitment, re- keep their doors open seven days a 2032, as well as our commitment to
more is, this was done despite facing storative justice, computer science week and provide the services New transforming NYCHA so every New
unprecedented challenges, including and arts programming, and more. Yorkers rely on.
a $7.1 billion budget gap, an interna- And, because we want our children Public safety has been our top Yorker has a clean, safe place to live.
This $2 billion investment will bring
tional humanitarian crisis that has to start out ahead in the coming priority from the start, and one of the our investment in affordable housing
already cost our city $4.9 billion and school year, we are investing $75 ways we’re protecting New Yorkers over our current 10-year capital plan
is expected to cost billions more, and million to ensure schools do not lose is by stopping illegal cannabis sales. to more than $26 billion — a new re-
hundreds of millions of short-term funding even if they face declining This budget allows us to continue our cord level.
stimulus dollars previously used to enrollment. crackdown on illegal cannabis sales
Early in our administration, we
fund crucial long-term programs — We know that our investments while supporting legal outlets. made it clear that our mission is to
a major feat. in young people don’t end when the We are also continuing to sup- support working-class New Yorkers
So, what does the city’s budget school day runs out. That is why we port our efforts to make our streets
deliver for you? are restoring extended days for Sum- safer by providing funds for staff po- by protecting public safety, invest-
ing in our economy, and making the
We are investing $100 million in mer Rising, Friday programming for sitions at our new 116th Precinct in
early childhood education to reimag- middle school Summer Rising par- Queens, which is due to open this fall, city more livable. The budget we just
passed delivers on that mission, as it
ine the outdated 3-K system that was ticipants, and supporting community and by funding security at 55 New helps us continue to build a city that
no longer working for working-class schools. This allows young people York City Housing Authority (NY- is safer, cleaner, and more affordable
families. With a $20 million invest- to learn and grow during the sum- CHA) buildings to protect our senior for all New Yorkers.
ment for up to 1,700 new seats this mer, and families to work without residents.
school year, we will make sure the worrying about their kids. For older New Yorkers love their parks,
seats are filled and children and fam- students, we are funding essential and we are taking care of our green Eric Adams is the Mayor of
ilies are served immediately. We’re programs like CUNY ACE, CUNY spaces by funding additional park New York City, NY

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