On February 17, 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani released the $127 billion Fiscal Year 2027 Preliminary Budget. The budget proposes closing funding gaps through one of two methods: increasing personal and corporate taxes at the state level, or by raising New York City property taxes and drawing down funds from the Rainy Day Fund and the Retiree Health Benefits Trust. The Mayor is also requiring city agencies to develop savings goals of 1.5% in the current fiscal year and 2.5% in the next fiscal year. Due to the uncertainty of State and City budget decisions related to tax revenue, it will be critical for advocates to maintain pressure to ensure that proposed investments in the Preliminary Budget become a reality.

The Preliminary Budget includes essential funding for programs serving children, families, and communities, including:

• $70 million for Preschool Special Education evaluations, services and staffing
• $106.2 million in NYC Public Schools and $19.6 million in the Department of Youth and Community Development for Summer Rising
• $53.6 million for Community Food Connection, which provides funding to more than 700 community kitchens and food pantries citywide

However, the FY27 Preliminary Budget fails to fund a several vital programs funded in last year’s budget including:

• $5 million for the Mental Health Continuum
• $5 million for Early Childhood Education outreach
• $25 million for Promise NYC
• $10 million for infant/toddler (0-2) programs in high-needs communities
• $31 million for Learning to Work programs that support over-age, under-credited students to earn a high school diploma and develop a post-secondary plan
• $1.6 million for Runaway and Homeless Youth Peer Navigators
• $1.6 million for Runaway and Homeless Youth Housing Navigators
• $14.9 million for City Libraries

The Preliminary Budget also cuts $8.8 million from the Runaway and Homeless Youth System, which provides services to runaway and homeless youth ages 14 to 24, and $31.7 million from the City Library system.

To ensure every child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe, CCC continues to uplift the need for critical investments in programs including school and community-based youth mental health, homelessness prevention and rental assistance, youth services and alternatives to incarceration, as well as overdue investments to ensure a sustainable Early Care and Education system.

Summary of Actions Taken in the New York City FY2027 Preliminary Budget

The FY27 Preliminary Budget ADDS or RESTORES:

Administration for Children’s Services

• $1.1 million baselined for Child Care Program Integrity
• $2 million baselined through for Children’s Center Staff and Support Services
• $8.1 million baselined for Juvenile Justice Staff and Support Services
• $263.1 million in FY27 and $312.9 million in outyears for the State Foster Care Mandate

Department of Education/New York City Public Schools

• $542.9 million in FY27 and $942.9 million in outyears to support class size reduction mandate in school year 2026-27 and beyond
• $550 million in FY27 and $600 million baselined to support costs of Due Process Cases
• $6.5 million baselined for Early Childhood Education Headcount, providing support for renewed investment in 3-K and the launch of 2-K
• $380 million baselined for Early Childhood Education Support, addressing structural shortfall in Early Childhood Education
• $130 million in FY27, $85 million in FY28, $160 million in FY29 and $180 million in FY30 for Pupil transportation
• $106.2 million baselined for Summer Rising (a $26.2 million increase over FY26)
• $70 million baselined for Preschool Special Education services, evaluations and staffing to meet the needs of children with disabilities[*]*
• $234.8 million for Universal Pre-Kindergarten Universal Pre-K Revenue Adjustment*
• $73 million in FY27 and $425 million in FY28 for Universal Pre-Kindergarten 2K*

Department of Youth and Community Development

• $19.6 million baselined for Summer Rising restoration.

Department of Social Services

• $53.6 million baselined for Community Food Connection
• $2.6 million baselined to restore funding for the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)
• $1.5 million baselined for Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) English Learning and Support Centers
• $21.3 million in FY27, $20.9 million in FY28, and $19.2 million in outyears to expand legal defense for immigrants facing deportation and other immigration legal services
• $57 million baselined for the Indigent Care Pool
• $11.6 million to fund MOIA Legal Support Centers
• $10.1 million for homelessness prevention and shelter move out enhancements
• $6.4 million in FY27, $6.6 million in FY28, $6.7 million in FY29, and $6.9 million for SNAP Eligibility Specialists
• $1.9 million baselined for SNAP Trainers for HRA’s Office of Policy Procedure and Training

Department of Homelessness Services

• $31.1 million in FY27, $29.9 million in FY28, $30.8 million in FY29, and $31.7 million in FY30 for outdoor structures for New Yorkers experiencing street homelessness.

Department of Health and Mental Health

• $1.5 million in FY27, $2.3 million in FY28, and $2.9 million in outyears for 2-K regulation, monitoring, and inspections, as well as Early Intervention connection
• $5.4 million baselined for childcare regulation, monitoring, and inspection
• $3.1 million baselined for Get the Good Stuff food assistance program

Health + Hospitals

• $7.5 million in FY27 for comprehensive adolescent care
• $11.9 million baselined for outdoor structures to support New Yorkers experiencing street homelessness

Housing Preservation and Development

• $0.9 million baselined to fund Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants

Libraries

• $2 million in FY26 for 7 days of service at the Research Library, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library (note: the FY27 Preliminary Budget also includes cuts to public libraries detailed in the section below)

The FY27 Preliminary Budget CUTS:

Department of Youth and Community Development:

• $8.8 million cut to the Runaway and Homeless Youth system (crisis, vouchers, outreach)

Libraries

• $31.7 million cut to City Libraries

The FY27 Preliminary Budget FAILS TO FUND:

Investments included in the FY26 Adopted Budget for one year only and not funded in the FY27 Preliminary Budget.

Department of Education/New York City Public Schools:

• $5 million for Early Childhood Education Outreach
• $31 million for Learning to Work programs to support over-age, under-credited students to earn a high school diploma and develop a post-secondary plan
• $12 million for Sensory Exploration, Education & Discovery (SEED) programs for students with intensive sensory needs
• $6 million for Restorative justice to reduce overreliance on suspensions and promote conflict resolution
• $889,000 for Mental Health Continuum to provide mental healthcare to students at 50 schools
• $4 million for Immigrant family communications and outreach to help families receive information about their child’s school in a language and mode they can access
• $3.3 million for Student Success Centers to allow trained youth leaders to build a culture of college-going and help their peers with the college admissions process
• $10 million for Infant and Toddler Child Care Pilot expanding child care access to families with children 0-2 years old in high need neighborhoods

Department of Youth and Community Development

• $3.3 million in FY26 for Student Success Centers
• $325,000 in FY26 for LGBT Inclusive Curriculum
• $990,000 in FY26 for Equity and Racial Justice
• $1.6 million in FY26 for Runaway and Homeless Youth Peer Navigators
• $1.6 million in FY256 for Runaway and Homeless Youth Housing Navigators
• $15 million in FY26 for Feeding Our Communities

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

• $472,000 for Mental Health Continuum
• $1 million in FY26 for Emergency Medical Services Mental Health and Wellness
• $100,000 in FY26 for Maternal Health Campaign
• $2.5 million in FY26 for Crisis Respite Centers
• $11 million in FY26 for Intensive Mobile Treatment Expansion
• $583,000 in FY26 for Maternal Infant Reproduction Expansion
• $1.5 million for Nurse-Family Partnership
• $5 million in FY26 for NYC 988 Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Hotline
• $4.5 million in FY26 for Assertive Community Treatment Expansion

Health + Hospitals

• $3.6 million for Mental Health Continuum

Administration for Children’s Services

• $25 million for Promise NYC
• $150,000 in FY26 for Youth Mentoring: Future Force Internship

Libraries

• $1 million in for the Research Library
• $5.58 million for the New York Public Library
• $4.18 million for the Brooklyn Public Library
• $4.18 million in FY26 for the Queens Public Library

Department of Social Services

• $2 million in FY26 for Rapid Response Legal Collaborative Funding
• $100 million in FY26 for Rental Assistance
• $2 million in FY26 for Domestic Violence Legal Services Pilot
• $15 million in FY26 for Immigrant Legal Services Enhancement
• $3 million in FY26 and $10 million in outyears for Civil Legal Services
• $5 million in FY26 for Fair Fairs
• $12.5 million in FY26 for Unaccompanied Minors

Office of Criminal Justice

• $2 million in FY26 for the South Bronx Community Justice Center
• $1.3 million in FY26 for the Alternatives to Incarceration Adjustment

Department of Parks and Recreation

• $9.8 million in FY26 for Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) Security Officers
• $6.2 million in FY26 for Park Maintenance Workers

The FY27 Preliminary Budget DOES NOT FUND FY26 City Council Initiatives:

These are restorations and investments funded by the City Council in FY26 only.

Community Development

• $5.1 million for Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Support
• $6.2 million for Adult Literacy Initiative
• $8.2 million for the Adult Literacy Pilot Project $3.7 million for Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund
• $4.59 million for Digital Inclusion and Literacy Initiative
• $5.2 million for LGBTQIA+ Community Services
• $6.4 million for Trans Equity Programs
• $1.4 million for Community Interpreter Bank
• $700,000 for Diversity, Inclusion and Equity in Tech Initiative
• $2.4 million for Language Services Worker Co-operatives

Community Safety and Victim Services

• $5.1 million for Community Safety and Victim Services Initiative

Criminal Justice Services/Juvenile Justice

• $19.96 million for Alternatives to Incarceration and Reentry programs
• $4.16 million for the Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault
• $2.638 million for Innovative Criminal Justice Programs
• $2.1 million for Justice Involved Supportive Housing
• $1.02 million for Support for Victims of Human Trafficking
• $3.476 million for Support for Persons Involved in the Sex Trade

Domestic Violence

• $12.01 million for Domestic Violence and Empowerment (DoVE) Initiative
• $2.45 million for Supportive Alternatives to Violent Encounters (SAVE)
• $1.5 million for Home Plus

Early Childhood Education

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

Education

• $8.88 million for Educational Programs for Students
• $3.75 million for Community Schools
• $7.5 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 LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Curriculum.
• $925,000 million for Physical Education and Fitness
• $2 million for Social and Emotional Supports for Students
• $4.650 million for Support for Educators, which funds professional development, training, and mentorship for teachers
• $4 million for Support for Arts Instruction
• $7.4 million for Cultural Immigrant Initiative
• $4.6 million for Digital Inclusion and Literacy Initiative
• $2 million for Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists

Environmental Initiatives

• $5.1 million for A Greener NYC
• $14.3 million for NYC Cleanup
• $6.2 for Community Composting

Economic Security

• $2.8 million for the Anti-Poverty Initiative

Food Initiatives

• $8.5 million for food pantries
• $2.1 million for Access to Healthy Food and Nutritional Education
• $1.4 million for the Food Access and Benefits Initiative
• $15 million for Feeding Our Communities

Health Services

• $850,000 for Abortion Access Fund
• $3.620 million for Access Health NYC
• $4.4 million for Healthy Beginnings (formerly Child Health and Wellness and Maternal and Child Health Services)
• $2 million for the Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program
• $654,423 for Reproductive and Sexual Health Services
• $743,908 for Cancer Services
• $11.3 million for HIV/AIDS Pathways to Care
• $2.3 million for Viral Hepatitis Prevention

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 million Guaranteed Income Program

Housing

• $3.65 million for Community Housing Preservation Strategies
• $1.5 million for the Community Land Trust
• $2 million for Estate Planning and Resolution
• $450,000 for Financial Empowerment for NYC’s Renters
• $4.15 million for the Foreclosure Prevention Program
• $1.8 million for the Home Loan Program
• $650,000 for Housing Court Answers
• $300,000 for the Housing Information Project
• $3.7million for Stabilizing NYC, a citywide coalition to prevent the loss of affordable housing

Immigrant Services

• $3.35 million for CUNY Citizenship NOW! Program
• $2.4 million for Immigrant Health Initiative
• $2.6 million for Immigrant Opportunities Initiative
• $33.2 million for Legal Services for Low-Income Immigrants
• $24.9 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project
• $1.2 million for Rapid Response Legal Collaborative
• $16.4 million for the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative
• $1.8 million for Welcome NYC

Legal Services

• $3.485 million for Family Advocacy and Guardianship Support
• $9.255 million for Legal Services for Low-income and Working-Class New Yorkers
• $1 million for Prisoners’ Rights Project
• $2.17 million for Low Wage Worker Support

Mental Health Services

• $3.26 million for the Autism Awareness Initiative
• $1.56 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
• $2.25 million for Developmental, Psychological and Behavioral Health Services
• $1.2 million for the LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health
• $3.66 million for Mental Health Services for Vulnerable Populations
• $3.08 million for Opioid Prevention and Treatment
• $300,000 for mental health Workforce Retention and Development
• $5 million for NYC988 Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Hotline
• $4.5 million for Peer Specialists Support
• $250,000 for Youth Peer Support Pilot
• $4.8 million for Trauma Recovery Centers

Parks and Recreation

• $5.4 million for Parks Equity Initiative

Public Safety

• $1.225 million for the Hate Crimes Prevention Initiative
• $4.49 million for Violence Prevention and Intervention for Youth and Young Adults

Young Women’s Initiative

• $973,126 for a Dedicated Contraceptive Fund
• $250,000 for HRA Teen RAPP
• $3 million for Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Initiative (formerly 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
• $1.096 million for Wrap-Around Supports for Transitional-Aged Foster Youth
• $1.74 million for Young Women’s Leadership Development

Youth Services

• $8.2 million for the Afterschool Enrichment Initiative
• $1 million for the Artificial Intelligence Community Engagement
• $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)
• $1.4 million for Youth Build Project Initiative
• $1 million for Citywide Young Adult Entrepreneurship Program Initiative
• $1 million for Empowering Black Communities
• $5 million for LGBTQIA+ Youth Support and Services

[*] Programs are funded through New York State funding.