New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and immigrant advocacy groups in New York on Tuesday condemned Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address, saying that it was insufficient to meet the needs of Caribbean and other immigrants and New Yorkers in general.
“The state of our state may be strong, but far too few of the proposals in this agenda were strong enough to meet the needs New Yorkers face,” Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, told Caribbean Life.
“New Yorkers deserve to be safe and feel safe,” added Williams, who had unsuccessfully challenged Hochul for Governor of New York two years ago. “Unfortunately, in her State of State, the governor’s emphasis on low-level crimes will likely make people feel less safe, and over-incarcerating low-income New Yorkers for low-level offenses will cause more damage than it prevents, as we’ve learned from decades of similar attempts.”
The public advocate said Hochul’s strategy “showed a focus solely on law-enforcement and carceral solutions, without even an attempt at holistic approaches that have been proven to improve public safety.”
Additionally, he said, “There was no real mention of addressing gun violence across the state.”
But Williams said health is a component of public safety that Hochul “did thankfully address, both in a commitment to combat maternal health injustice and inequity, and in a need to center mental health, especially for young people.
“As with other areas, though, it is essential that mental health is met with resources, not a criminal response,” he declared, stating that, “given her acknowledgement that housing affordability is an urgent crisis and priority for New Yorkers, it is striking how little of the address was spent on addressing that crisis.
“More housing is absolutely essential, and building on state sites is welcome, but it is far short of the broad plan the governor proposed but failed to collaborate with communities on last year,” Williams continued. “The answer to make up the additional shortfall is not handouts to developers in exchange for minimal so-called affordable units. This includes any converted commercial spaces, which again, is a vital element.”
He said social housing, controlled by residents, “must be central to a plan that can actually meet this crisis.
“And to help people access the housing we do create, the governor must support the Housing Access Voucher Program,” he urged. “Yet again, there was no effort in this agenda to keep tenants in the homes they have, through passing Good Cause eviction protections, expanding rent stabilization, and holding predatory landlords accountable.
“The governor must recognize this and work with the Legislature to get it done,” Williams added. “Last year’s impasse and inaction is something New Yorkers cannot afford.”
He said, while housing was “under-discussed, at least it was not given any time at all, unlike the ongoing effort to support migrants arriving here.
“With the mayor evicting children and families from shelters today, these two crises are intertwined, and it is inexplicable that the governor has gone through another State of the State without addressing one of our most pressing issues,” Williams lamented.
The New York Immigration Coalition New York (NYIC), an umbrella policy and advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York State, also condemned the governor’s State of the State address.
NYIC Executive Director Murad Awawdeh told Caribbean Life that, while Hochul’s address was focused on ways in which the state hopes to support and uplift working families, she “failed to mention any plans to significantly support and integrate immigrant New Yorkers, including renewing her landmark investment in legal services funding for immigrant New Yorkers.
“New York has welcomed over 150,000 asylum seekers in less than two years, and is home to over 4.4 million immigrants, but we are nowhere to be found in the Governor’s State of the State address,” he said. “In order to create a vision for New York that works for the collective advancement of everyone who calls our great State home, Governor Hochul must expand and support immigrant rights, which will power our state into the future.”
Awawdeh said immigrant communities have been the “economic engine” of the state, with immigrant New Yorkers contributing over $60 billion in taxes every year.
“New York will only thrive when our state shows all immigrants the same care that allowed previous generations to succeed as new Americans,” he said.
Additionally, he said, while Hochul shared a long list of challenges that New Yorkers face in accessing housing, education and healthcare, “her list of solutions was short and excluded the specific needs of immigrant New Yorkers.
“We must make investments in legal services, tax credits for working families, and housing vouchers, while ensuring language accessibility for newer initiatives,” Awawdeh said. “As Governor Hochul knows, New York is a state of immigrants. We need leadership in Albany to stand up for all New Yorkers, whether they arrived here 30 years ago or 30 days ago.
“We look forward to seeing how Governor Hochul addresses these exclusions in her executive budget,” he added.
Make the Road New York (MRNY), another immigrant advocacy group, said it was “extremely frustrating to see the governor continue to exclude immigrant New Yorkers from health care access and the state’s safety net.”
“All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, should have a right to access full medical care and a social safety net,” said MRNY’s Co-Executive Director Theo Oshiro. “The Governor must fully support Coverage for All legislation to expand health care coverage.
“Governor Hochul should not leave federal money on the table, when that money can save the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and free up more state resources available to meet community needs,” he added. “Plus, it is crucial we work to expand our unemployment safety net by passing the Unemployment Bridge Program, so every worker, regardless of the immigration status or the work that they do, has access to economic support.”
But New York City Mayor Eric Adams welcomed the governor’s State of the State address, saying that “she laid out a clear vision that will make New York City a stronger, safer, and more affordable city.
“Her proposals on housing, public safety, mental health, education, our economy, and more will help us deliver on our commitments to working-class New Yorkers.,” Adams said. “There is no question that our partnership has been centered around public safety, and the governor and I agree that public safety and justice are the prerequisites to prosperity.
“Governor Hochul has continued to prioritize keeping New Yorkers safe, and by investing in our criminal justice system, we will break the logjams and simultaneously deliver both safety and justice to New Yorkers,” he added. “With the additional authority that the governor has proposed, we’ll also have new tools to tackle the illegal smoke shops that have popped up on too many corners in our city, giving us the opportunity to get cannabis right in the five boroughs.
“We eagerly await Governor Hochul’s budget address next week, where we’re hoping to hear details on how New York state will offer additional financial support to its largest city and the heart of the nation’s economy as we continue to manage the asylum seeker crisis,” Adams continued.
New York City Speaker Adrienne Adams also said Governor Hochul’s State of the State address “presents important proposals that can expand support for maternal health, swimming and water safety, and mental health, which are shared priorities that the Council has advanced.
“It is critical that the State delivers solutions that can help us solve our housing crisis, and I’m encouraged Governor Hochul has put forward several important proposals,” she said. “It will require a comprehensive approach to tackle the lack of affordability and housing instability that is hurting New Yorkers, including investments in affordable housing production.
“As we face economic headwinds that contribute to significant budget gaps, and as we continue supporting new residents seeking asylum in our country, it will be imperative that New York City is provided with critical support,” the Speaker added. “The city will require additional state aid and authorization to explore new revenues that would allow us the flexibility to fund our schools, early childhood education, and other essential services.”
In delivering the 2024 State of the State Address and releasing her “Our New York, Our Future” agenda, Hochul said the State of the State includes 204 “bold initiatives to make New York more affordable, more livable and safer.”
“The State of New York is stronger, healthier, safer and more affordable than it was two years ago when I became governor, but there is more work to do,” Hochul said. “Every proposal announced today serves to improve our state and ensure our communities are not just surviving, but that they are thriving. Our New York is our future, and the future is brighter than ever.”
Since taking office two years ago, the governor said shootings and murders have declined by double digits.
To build on that progress, she proposed cracking down on retail theft with a dedicated State Police “Smash and Grab” unit and an interagency Joint Operation on retail theft; new initiatives from Office of Gun Violence Prevention to continue progress in fight against gun violence; providing new funding and tools to prosecutors to hold domestic abusers accountable; allowing additional crimes, such as graffiti and arson, to be prosecuted as hate crimes; and new legislation to crack down on illicit cannabis storefronts “that undermine public health and disturb communities.”
To stabilize and transform the state’s health care system, Hochul announced a “bold” health care agenda that includes expanding affordable health care options through NY State of Health and better access to primary care; continuing aggressive efforts to combat the opioid crisis and support individuals struggling with addiction; supporting providers by launching the Health Care Safety Net Transformation Program and strengthening cybersecurity; and improving access to mental health and addiction services by expanding out-of-network coverage when timely appointments are not available for in-network coverage.
In addressing New York’s housing crisis, Hochul said she will focus in 2024 on giving New York City “the tools they need to construct more housing.”
Her four-part proposal includes helping New York City increase its housing supply by “incentivizing construction of new housing”, including affordable housing; encouraging affordable in office conversion projects; allowing New York City to add residential density on certain projects; and legalizing basement and cellar apartments.
