On June 30, 2023, the City Council and Mayor Adams agreed on a $106.7 billion budget for the City Fiscal Year 2024. This budget included a number of important restorations and investments, including restorations to libraries, Community Schools, Promise NYC, the Mental Health Continuum, and newly invested money to pilot the conversion of seats within 3K to full-year, -full-day options. However, these bright spots must not distract from the overwhelming failure of the Adams Administration to adequately invest in children, families, and communities.

Importantly, the City budget fails to include an adequate investment in the human services workforce critical to addressing economic insecurity, hunger, housing, child care, and the physical and behavioral health needs of New Yorkers across the five boroughs. The budget includes approximately $40 million workforce enhancements across agencies, which are urgently needed. However, this funding falls far short of the 6.5% COLA in FY24 – rising to 16.4% over multiple years – that advocates have stressed is essential for sustaining human services in our city.

Furthermore, it is concerning to see cuts to the city agency staff, who are essential to facilitating access to cash aid and food and housing benefits, and to contract services for homelessness and early care and education services, among others. The loss of these city agency positions and reductions in contract services will have devastating ripple effects on New York families for years to come. Additionally, the Adopted Budget retains 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. We are also disappointed to see reductions across the City Council’s Mental Health initiatives at a time when accessing mental health supports for young people, families, and communities has never been more urgent.

Alternatively, the FY24 budget does include a number of urgently-needed investments and restorations. Among these, the Budget restores $5 million for the Mental Health Continuum, an innovative, multi-agency project providing behavioral health supports to students in high-needs schools across the City. The Budget also includes $20.5 million in restored Administrative funding for public libraries, as well as $16 million in FY24 for PromiseNYC, which provides child care services to undocumented children and families. The Adopted Budget also includes $50 million in capital funding to redesign school cafeterias; $15 million for Extended Early Childhood Education to convert additional school-day, school-year seats to extended-day, extended-year seats; $20 million to expand the Fair Fares program for low-income New Yorkers; and $10 million in FY24 for the Right to Counsel Program, among other investments.

However, as noted earlier, the Budget fails to invest in priority areas identified by communities, advocates, and other stakeholders. City leaders have missed the opportunity this year to invest adequately in school-based mental health supports; secure preschool special education for all students; advance Early Care and Education parity; and guarantee bus services for children in foster care, among areas.

Overall, we remain extremely troubled that the fiscal choices of this budget ignore the magnitude of the impact that the devastating social and economic fallout of the pandemic has had on Black, Brown, and immigrant Yorkers and the workforce serving communities across this city every day. We must continue to fight for a budget that supports recovery and a more just future for all New Yorkers.

Summary of Actions Taken in the NYC FY2024 Adopted Budget

These budget proposals are in addition to those proposed in the Mayor’s FY24 Preliminary and Executive Budget. You can find CCC’s analysis of the FY24 Preliminary Budget here and Executive Budget here.

The Adopted Budget for FY 2024 Adds or Restores Funding for the Following Initiatives:

Workforce Investments

• The FY24 Budget includes $40 million in workforce enhancements for contracted human services providers in FY24, growing to $90 million in FY25.

Libraries

• $20.5 million in FY24 for Restoration of Operating Subsidy Reduction
  • $1.45 million in FY24 for Restoration of Operating Subsidy Reduction of New York Public Research Library
  • $7.5 million in FY24 for Restoration of Operating Subsidy Reduction of New York Public Library
  • $5.678 million in FY24 for Restoration of Operating Subsidy Reduction of Brooklyn Public Library
  • $5.87 million in FY24 for Restoration of Operating Subsidy Reduction of Queens Public Library

Mental Health

• $5 million in FY24 for the Mental Health Continuum ($889,459 through DOE $472,473 through DOHMH, and $3,638,068 through H+H)

Early Care and Education

• $16 million in FY24 for PromiseNYC, which provides child care services to undocumented children and families.
• $15 million baselined for Extended Day Early Childhood Education to convert additional school-day, school-year seats to extended-day, extended year seats.

K-12 Education

• $150 million in FY24 for Carter Cases, which provides reimbursement to families who choose to pay for private education for their child with special needs.
• $19.6 million baselined for Nurses for Medically Fragile Children
• $20 million in FY24 to hold schools harmless from federal funding lapses
• $24 million in FY25, $63 million in FY26, and $92 million in FY27 to reissue licenses for charter schools with unused licenses that were in limbo (also known as Zombie Charter Schools).
• $4 million in FY24 for Immigrant Family Engagement in schools
• $3.2 million in FY24 and $5.4 million in FY25 for Career Connected Early College Credit
• $14 million in FY24 for Community Schools (represents a $3.75 million reduction over FY23)
• $1.6 million in FY24 for Outward Bound Crew Model

Housing

• $10 million in FY24 and $20 million in outyears for Right to Counsel Program
• $30.7 million restored in FY24 for NYCHA Vacant Unit Readiness Program to address repairs at NYCHA vacant units.

Youth and Community Investments

• $1.56 million in FY24 for Youth Homelessness (represents a $1.4 million reduction over FY23)
• $5.5 million in FY24 for SYEP Metro cards (represents a $5.5 million reduction over FY23)
• $6 million baselined for Out of School Out of Work (OSOW) Youth
• $22.5 million baselined for Work, Learn, Grow Year-Round Employment (represents a $12.8 million increase over FY23)
• $1.89 million baselined for Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) expansion, which provides resources and social services to people on probation in specific communities in NYC.
• $250,000 baselined for Apprenticeship Accelerator
• $2,622,000 baselined for Borough Based Jails (BBJ) Integrity Monitorship
• $36.8 million in FY24 for supervised release

Food

• $5.2 million in FY24 for Groceries to Go
• $140,000 baselined for Community Gardens

Community and Environment

• $800,000 in FY24 for Menstrual Products Pilot
• $5.3 million baselined for Swim Safety Expansion
• $5 million in FY24 for 100 park workers
• $2.5 million in FY24 for forestry management
• $2.6 million in FY24 for GreenThumb
• $4.1 million in FY24 for the Urban Park Rangers

Economic Security

• $20 million baselined to expand Fair Fares and provide more access to lower-cost transportation to low-income New Yorkers.

Other

• $515,000 in FY24 and outyears for establishment of Office of Racial Equity
• $411,200 baselined for participatory budgeting online platform

The Adopted Budget for FY 2024 Fails to Fund Key Initiatives:

Investments that the City Administration funded in the FY23 Adopted Budget for one year only and are not funded in the FY24 Adopted Budget.

Health

• $2.02 million in FY23 for Clubhouse Expansion

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 Home Fix Program

Education

• $9.2 million in FY23 for Child Care Vouchers

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
• $578,787 in FY23 for Family Justice Centers
• $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

City Council Initiatives FY 2024

These are investments funded by the City Council for FY24 only. Initiatives are level-funded with the previous year unless indicated otherwise.

Community Development

• $5.06 million for Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Support (an increase in $60,000 from FY23)
• $3.7 million for Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund
• $4.59 million for Digital Inclusion and Literacy Initiative
• $4.405 million for LGBT Community Services (a reduction of $819,375 from FY23)
• $3.225 million for Trans Equity Programs (a reduction of $50,000 from FY23)

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
• $350,000 for Discharge Planning (an increase of 100,000 from FY23)
• $2.525 million for Diversion Programs
• $4.61 million for the Initiative to Combat Sexual Assault (a reduction of $50,000 from FY23)
• $2.638 million for Innovative Criminal Justice Programs
• $1.02 million for Support for Victims of Human Trafficking (a reduction of $177,935 from FY23)
• $3.476 million for Support for Persons Involved in the Sex Trade (a reduction of $958,000 in FY23)

Domestic Violence

• $12.01 million for Domestic Violence and Empowerment (DoVE) Initiative (an increase of $510,000 from FY23)
• $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
• $7.14 million for Educational Programs for Students, which includes programs such as Chess in the Schools, and the Middle School Quality Initiative (distributed between DOE and DYCD)
• $5 million for the Education Equity Action Plan to support the creation of a K-12 Black Studies curriculum ($5 million decrease from FY23)
• $500,000 for the Jill Chaifetz Helpline operated by Advocates for Children
• $2.8 million for LGBTQ Inclusive Curriculum
• $925,000 million for Physical Education and Fitness ($250,000 decrease from FY23)
• $2 million for Social and Emotional Supports for Students, including $777,000 for the Child Mind Institute (100,000 increase from FY23)
• $4.4 million for Support for Educators, which funds professional development, training, and mentorship for teachers.
• $4 million for Support for Arts Instruction ($1 million increase from FY23)
• $7.4 million for Cultural Immigrant Initiative (distributed among DCLA, DYCD, CUNY, DOE)
• $4.6 million for Digital Inclusion and Literacy Initiative (distributed among DYCD, DCLA, DFTA, DOE, and QBPL)
• $714,500 for Work-Based Learning Internships

Environmental Initiatives

• $5.1 million for A Greener NYC
• $14.3 million for NYC Cleanup

Economic Security

• $2.8 million for the Anti-Poverty Initiative

Food Initiatives

• $7.26 million in FY24 for food pantries ($370,203 reduction over FY23)
• $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

• $3.620 million for Access Health NYC ($78,969 reduction over FY23)
• $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
• $953,787 for the Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program ($60,327 reduction over FY23)
• $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
• $4.15 million for the Foreclosure Prevention Program ($100,00 reduction over FY23)
• $1.8 million for the Home Loan Program ($200,000 reduction over FY23)
• $650,000 for Housing Court Answers
• $300,000 for the Housing Information Project
• $3.75 million for Stabilizing NYC, a citywide coalition to prevent the loss of affordable housing ($50,000 reduction over FY23)

Immigrant Services

• $16.6 million for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project ($750,000 reduction from FY23)
• $3.982 million for the Unaccompanied Minors and Families Initiative
• $2.4 million for Immigrant Health Initiative
• $2.6 million for Immigrant Opportunities Initiative
• $700,000 for Key to the City ($700,000 increase over FY23)

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
• $3.455 million for Legal Services for the Working Poor ($25,000 increase over FY23)

Mental Health Services

• $3.26 million for the Autism Awareness Initiative ($55,000 reduction from FY23)
• $1.56 million for the Children Under 5 Initiative, which funds community-based mental health services for children under 5 ($231,000 reduction from FY23)
• $3.425 million for the Court-Involved Youth Mental Health Initiative
• $2.23 million for Developmental, Psychological and Behavioral Health Services ($30,000 reduction from FY23)
• $1.2 million for the LGBTQ Youth All-Borough Mental Health Initiative.
• $3.66 million for Mental Health Services for Vulnerable Populations, which included the Samaritans Suicide Prevention hotline ($270,000 reduction from FY23)
• $3.08 million for Opioid Prevention and Treatment ($425,000 reduction from FY23)

Parks and Recreation

• $5.4 million for Parks Equity Initiative ($255,000 increase above FY23)

Public Safety

• $720,000 for Arts as a Catalyst for Change
• $3.77 million for the Crisis Management System (distributed among DOE, DOP, DYCD, and HHC) (a reduction of $155,000 from FY23)
• $125,000 for Cure Hate
• $1.225 million for the Hate Crimes Prevention Initiative (an increase of $225,000 from FY23)

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
• $1.096 million for Wrap-Around Supports for Transitional-Aged Foster Youth (a reduction of $133,212 from FY23)
• $1.74 million for Young Women’s Leadership Development (a reduction of $65,000 from FY23)

Youth Services

• $8.2 million for the Afterschool Enrichment Initiative (a reduction of $65,000 from FY23)
• $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).
• $1.75 million for Youth Build Project Initiative (a reduction of $350,000 from FY23)
• $17.34 million for Cultural After-School Adventure (CASA).
• $1 million for Citywide Young Adult Entrepreneurship Program Initiative.

Community Development

• $5.06 million for Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Support ($60,000 increase above FY23)

Community stabilization

• $3.7 million for Communities of Color Nonprofit Stabilization Fund.