FPWA Statement on Mayor de Blasio’s FY 2019 Executive Budget

FPWA applauds New York City Mayor de Blasio for a FY 2019 Executive Budget that continues to exemplify his commitment to improving opportunities for low-income New Yorkers. The Mayor’s Executive Budget proposes $89.06 billion in total funding, which is a $390 million increase over the Preliminary budget—25% of which was added to mitigate State-level funding cuts. The Mayor’s proposed budget includes funding for important social programs aimed at increasing fairness and equity in New York City, including welcome funding increases in the following areas:

• $7.1 million to expand the Career Pathways workforce initiative that aims to connect more New Yorkers with career opportunities;

• $20 million to address the backlog in NYCHA repairs;
• $12 million to hire more social workers to support students living in homeless shelters;
• $1.8 million for the Cure Violence initiative and to ensure a Mobile Trauma Response unit in every borough by 2019 to disrupt and prevent violence.

The Executive budget also includes a number of additional investments designed to make up for funding gaps rolled out in the New York State budget earlier this year, including $31 million to fund the Close to Home program; $108 million in funding for Raise the Age implementation; $125 million in Fair Student funding for public schools; and $254 million for the MTA.

In other areas, however, the Mayor’s budget falls short of the values this Administrations espouses as it works to bolster the social services on which so many of our residents rely. FPWA is particularly disappointed that the Executive Budget does not include $212 million in critical funding for the Fare Fairs initiative—much-needed funding that would provide discounted MetroCards to an estimated 800,000 low-income New Yorkers. The Administration missed additional opportunities to shore up gaps in service and invest in needed programs for older adults and low-income families, including:

• $22.1 million in needed baseline funding for core DFTA services;
• $200 million in funding needed to address critical shortfalls affecting human services nonprofits: indirect rates, fringe benefits, escalating occupancy and insurance costs;
• $20.35 million to fund essential summer camp programs for 34,000 middle school children;
• The restoration of $16 million in funding to several City Council-funded afterschool programs affecting 9,000 children.

FPWA urges the Mayor to enhance his Administration’s FY 2019 investments in our City’s children and low-income families, especially given the marginal cost and outsize impacts such investments have in making New York City more accessible, livable, and equitable for all our residents. FPWA will continue working closely with our coalition partners and member agencies to advance our budget priorities and ensure critical public investments in the programs and services that New York City residents depend on as this budget season progresses.