Mayor Adams' Statement of 2023 State Legislative Session

June 23, 2023

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today hailed the state Legislature’s passage of a number of significant priorities for the City of New York, following the New York State Assembly's return to Albany this week. Key priorities passed on behalf of the City of New York include:

• Community Hiring legislation allowing the city to leverage its purchasing power to connect low-income New Yorkers and those residing in economically-disadvantaged areas with good jobs.
• Key recommendations of the city's Capital Reform Task Force, which will increase opportunities for minority and women owned firms to secure city design and construction contracts, creating good jobs for New Yorkers.
• The Affordable Housing Rehabilitation Program, which will help preserve rent protections in many New York City apartment buildings and prevent affordable housing stock from falling into disrepair.
• Expanding and modernizing the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s ability to finance more affordable housing.
• Increased rental support for older adults and New Yorkers living with disabilities, and expanded protections for victims of deed theft.
• Legislation related to making Diwali a school holiday.
• Critical finance extenders ensuring the continuity of operations.
• Measures to support the legal cannabis industry.

Mayor Adams issued the following statement on the 2023 legislative session:

“I want to thank Majority Leader Stewart Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and the sponsors and supporters of the many pieces of legislation we proposed that have passed this post-budget session. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul to see them enacted into law so they can improve the lives of millions of New Yorkers.

“Thanks to these efforts, we will be able to protect more of our affordable housing and help vulnerable New Yorkers stay in their homes. New Yorkers who have struggled to find good-paying jobs will have better access to the opportunities created by city investments. Minority and women business owners will have the chance to grow their companies and create more jobs for their neighbors. And the city will be able to deliver critical infrastructure projects faster, better, and with fewer taxpayer dollars. 
“We remain extremely concerned about a number of significant policies, including key pieces of our affordable housing agenda, that did not yet pass — and we will continue fighting to get those done in the months ahead. But New Yorkers should celebrate the important progress we have made in partnership with the state, and we look forward to even more opportunities for collaboration with Governor Hochul and the state Legislature.”

 ###