Overview of the New York City Fiscal Year 2024 Preliminary Budget

Budget Analysis & Priorities

January 23, 2023

By: Alice Bufkin, Rebecca Charles, Caitlyn Passeratti, Jenny Veloz, Juan Diaz

On January 12, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams released a $102.7 billion Preliminary Budget for City Fiscal Year 2024. The City’s Preliminary Budget included $551 million in savings over FY23 and FY24 and $8.3 billion in reserves.

In his address on the Preliminary Budget, Mayor Adams emphasized his disciplined fiscal approach and caution regarding new investments. This approach was reflected not only in the significant savings detailed in the budget, but also in the limited areas of proposed new funding. The Preliminary Budget includes modest investments in neighborhood rat reduction and asthma prevention, as well as investments in affordable housing and housing support programs. In addition, the Budget includes capital investments in areas including affordable housing, open spaces, school security, and environmental initiatives.

Among the savings in the Budget, approximately $350 million in FY24 are due to vacancy reductions across agencies, including to the Department of Education, Department of Housing Services, Department of Youth and Community Development, and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Mayor Adams has insisted that these vacancy reductions will not impact the provision of services. However, CCC remains deeply concerned about the impact of reducing staff at the agencies that serve as the backbone for essential benefits and services for communities. Already, we have seen the effects of understaffing at HRA, which has resulted in families unable to access food stamps, cash assistance, or housing assistance. Families are losing their homes, unable to leave city shelters, and facing hunger because our city agencies are understaffed and under-resourced. The escalating effects of the further proposed reductions in staffing are impossible to overstate. The city’s focus should be on filling vacancies rather than eliminating them.

Moreover, the proposed budget reflects significant cuts made in the City’s November Budget Modification. These include a $568 million reduction to Pre-K for three-year-olds, effectively ending the planned expansion developed under Mayor de Blasio. This represents an enormous blow to children and families and sends the city backwards in its quest to create an equitable and affordable city for families with children. Moreover, the November modification cuts public libraries by approximately $20 million, and makes other reductions to social services. As families and communities continue to recover from the pandemic, this is not a time to be disinvesting from essential community resources.

While we acknowledge fiscal challenges facing the city, we must also acknowledge that austerity now results in future generations denied the basic resources and community supports they need to grow, develop, and become healthy and thriving adults. CCC believes this year’s budget must not only reverse course on proposed cuts but enhance investments in key areas.

These areas include expanding access to child care and 3-K and ensuring a sustainable Early Care and Education system; expanding and enhancing summer and afterschool programs for young people; increasing funding for anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs; enhancing behavioral health supports in schools and communities; and preventing family homelessness, improving the well-being of children and families in shelters, and supporting the long-term stability of families with children who leave shelter.

Summary of Actions Taken in the New York FY24 Preliminary Budget

The FY23 November Budget Modification Reduces Funding for the Following Initiatives in FY24:

$20.5 million in FY24 and outyears in reductions to operating expenses across NYC’s public libraries
$568 million in FY24 for 3-K right sizing
$284 million in FY25 and FY26 in 3-K cost avoidance
$5 million in FY24, $2.5 million in FY25, and $1.2 million in FY26 for supportive housing realignment in HPD
$29.27 million in FY24 and outyears for less than anticipated spending in DYCD
$1.97 million in FY24 and outyears to the Young Men’s Initiative across agencies

The FY23 November Budget Modification Adds Funding for the Following Initiatives in FY24:

$824,000 in FY24, $706,000 in FY25 and FY26 for Neighborhood Rat Reduction expansion in Harlem
$8.98 million in FY24, $9.32 million in FY25, and $9.84 million in FY26 for highway and pedestrian space cleaning
$3.34 million in FY24, $3.45 million in FY25, and $3.54 million in FY26 for park perimeter and greenway cleaning

The Preliminary Budget for FY 2024 Adds Funding for the Following Initiatives:

$1.14 million in FY24 and $903,000 in outyears for the Neighborhood Rate Reduction Program
$1.2 million in FY24 and outyears for End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Microgrants Program
$17.29 million in FY24, $16.87 million in FY25, and $21.47 million in outyears for Housing Blueprint initiatives within the Housing Preservation and Development department, including funding for home down payments, expanding enforcement against tenant harassment, and loans for home repairs
$700,000 in FY24 and outyears for the Be A Buddy Program in DOHMH, a program to help communities during severe weather
$568,000 in FY24 and FY25 and $562,000 in outyears for the Medicaid Together to Improve Asthma program
$656,000 in FY24 and $665,000 in outyears for a Neighborhood Rat Reduction Plan in Harlem
$772,000 in FY24 and outyears for a workforce enhancement for the Department of Homeless Services
$2.6 million in FY24 to implement a citywide buildings code for alteration of existing residential and commercial buildings

The Preliminary Budget for FY 2024 Reduces Funding Across Agencies

Overall, PEG reductions across agencies amount to $340.6 million in FY24 in the Preliminary Budget, rising to $2.0 billion when combined with reductions in the November Budget Modification. Within key social service agencies, the following PEG amounts in the Preliminary Budget are due to vacancy reductions:

Education: $42m in FY24 rising to $46m in FY27 for vacancy reductions
ACS: $107,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears
DSS: $20,274,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears
DHS: $4,270,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears
DYCD: $2,308,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears
HPD: $1,355,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears
DOHMH: $18,814,000 for vacancy reductions in FY24 and outyears

The Preliminary Budget for FY24 Fails to Fund Key Initiatives that Were Funded in the FY23 Adopted Budget

These are investments that the City Administration funded in the FY23 Adopted Budget for one year only.

Health

$5.0 million in FY23 to implement a Mental Health Continuum.
$2.02 million in FY23 for Clubhouse Expansion.
$10 million in FY23 for Groceries to Go.

Housing

$118.5 million in FY23 for Rental Assistance.
$1 million in FY23 for Emergency Housing Vouchers.
$24 million in FY23 for HASA Housing.
$20.3 million in FY23 for Prevailing Wage for Shelter Security.
$1.0 million in FY23 for the HomeFix Program.
$118,500,000 in FY23 for Rental Assistance

Education

$3.3 million in FY23 for DOE Community Coordinators to support students experiencing homelessness.

$10 million in FY23 for Child Care for Undocumented Families.
$9.2 million in FY23 for Child Care Vouchers.
$17.75 million in FY23 for Community Schools and Restoration.
$4 million in FY23 to Extend Immigrant Family Engagement.

Safety and Youth Opportunity

$14 million in FY23 for Benefits Access in the Department of Social Services.
$60 million in FY23 for Foster Care Funding.
$9.7 million in FY23 for Work Learn Grow and Year-Round Employment.
$578,787 in FY23 for Family Justice Centers.
$1 million in FY23 for recruitment for DOC.
$11 million in FY23 for SYEP Metro cards.
$2.99 million in FY23 for youth homelessness.
$2.6 million in FY23 for the GreenThumb program.
$4.1 million in FY23 for the Urban Park Rangers.
$86,000 in FY23 for Financial Literacy for Vulnerable Youth.
$54 million in FY23 for the Precision Employment Initiative.
$409,500 in FY23 for the Gun Violence Prevention Team.
$1.7 million in FY23 for the Hate Crimes Unit.
$234,964 in FY23 for the Youth Diversion Adjustment.

The Preliminary Budget for FY 2024 Does Not Fund City Council’s FY 2023 Initiatives

These are restorations and investments that were funded by the City Council in FY23 only.

Community Development

$5.0 million for Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Support
$7.5 million for Community Development Initiatives
$3.7 million for Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund.
$4.59 million for Digital Inclusion and Literacy Initiative.
$5.225 million for LGBT Community Services
$3.275 million for Trans Equity Programs.

Community Safety and Victim Services

$5.1 million for Community Safety and Victim Services Initiative.

Criminal Justice Services/Juvenile Justice

$14.487 million for Alternatives to Incarceration programs.
$250,000 for Discharge Planning.
$2.525 million for Diversion Programs.
$4.21 million for the Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault, which includes child advocacy centers.
$2.638 million for Innovative Criminal Justice Programs.
$1.2 million for Support for Victims of Human Trafficking.
$4.435 million for Support for Persons Involved in the Sex Trade.

Domestic Violence

$11.5 million for Domestic Violence and Empowerment (DoVE) Initiative.
$2.45 million for Supportive Alternatives to Violent Encounters (SAVE), which includes $600,000 for Project CONNECT at ACS.

Early Childhood Education

$5.45 million for the City’s First Readers Initiative
$600,000 for CUNY Child Care Expansion.

Education

$1.74 million for College and Career Readiness
$3.75 million for Community Schools.
$7.143 million for Educational Programs for Students, which includes programs such as Chess in the Schools, and the Middle School Quality Initiative
$10 million for the Education Equity Action Plan to support the creation of a K-12 Black Studies curriculum
$500,000 for the Jill Chaifetz Helpline operated by Advocates for Children.
$2.8 million for LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum.
$1.175 million for Physical Education and Fitness
$1.917 million for Social and Emotional Supports for Students, including $777,000 for the Child Mind Institute
$4.4 million for Support for Educators, which funds professional development, training, and mentorship for teachers.
$2 million for Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists.
$3 million for Support for Arts Instruction.

Environmental Initiatives

$5.1 million for A Greener NYC.
$14.2 million for NYC Cleanup

Economic Security

$2.8 million for the Anti-Poverty Initiative.

Food Initiatives

$7.630 million in FY22 for food pantries
$2.134 million for Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education, which funds farmers markets, urban farms, community gardens, and programs to expand the use of SNAP benefits.
$1.5 million for the Food Access and Benefits Initiative (HRA).

Health Services

$3.699 million for Access Health NYC ($300,821 reduction over FY22).
$664,719 for Child Health and Wellness, which includes programs such as obesity prevention, asthma programs and oral health services
$3.728 million for the Maternal and Child Health Services initiative
$1.014 for the Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program
$554,423 for Reproductive and Sexual Health Services

Homeless and Housing Services

$1.35 million for Children and Families in the NYC Homeless System.
$820,000 for the Citywide Homeless Prevention Fund.
$3.65 million for Community Housing Preservation Strategies.
$1.5 million for the Community Land Trust.
$450,000 for Financial Empowerment for NYC’s Renters.
$4.25 million for the Foreclosure Prevention Program.
$2 million for the Home Loan Program.
$650,000 for Housing Court Answers.
$300,000 for the Housing Information Project.
$0 for Lien Sale Outreach and Assistance
$3.75 million for Stabilizing NYC, a citywide coalition to prevent the loss of affordable housing.

Immigrant Services

$17.350 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project
$3.982 million for the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative.
$2.4 million for Immigrant Health Initiative.
$2.6 million for Immigrant Opportunities Initiative.
Cut $700,000 for Key to the City.

Legal Services

$3.0 million for Family Advocacy and Guardianship Support.
$485,000 for Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT).
$5.8 million for Legal Services for Low-income New Yorkers, which includes citywide legal services and the SSI advocacy project.
$3.205 million for Legal Services for the Working Poor.

Mental Health Services

$3.316 million for the Autism Awareness Initiative
$1.787 million for the Children Under 5 Initiative, which funds community-based mental health services for children under 5
$3.425 million for the Court-Involved Youth Mental Health Initiative
$2.255 million for Developmental, Psychological and Behavioral Health Services.
$1.2 million for the LGBTQ Youth All-Borough Mental Health Initiative.
$3.933 million for Mental Health Services for Vulnerable Populations, which included the Samaritans Suicide Prevention hotline
$3.5 million for Opioid Prevention and Treatment.

Parks and Recreation

$5.1 million for Parks Equity Initiative.

Young Women’s Initiative

$973,126 for a Dedicated Contraceptive Fund
$250,000 for HRA Teen RAPP Enhancement.
$530,000 for an Initiative for Immigrant Survivors of Domestic Violence.
$350,000 for the Prevent Sexual Assault (PSA) Initiative for Young Adults.
$174,000 for Step in and Stop it Initiative to Address Bystander Intervention.
$714,500 for Work-Based Learning Internships.
$1.23 million for Wrap-Around Supports for Transitional-Aged Foster Youth.
$1.806 million for Young Women’s Leadership Development.

Youth Services

$8.3 million for the Afterschool Enrichment Initiative
$1.2 million for Big Brothers and Big Sister of New York City.
$500,000 for Civic Education in New York City Schools
$1.87 million for COMPASS elementary after-school programs.
$1.472 million for Sports Training and Role Models for Success Initiative (STARS).
$2.1 million for Youth Build Project Initiative.
$17.34 million for Cultural After-School Adventure (CASA).
$1 million for Citywide Young Adult Entrepreneurship Program Initiative.

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