State Budget Delivers for New York City

NYC residents benefit
from nearly $1.4 billion
in additional state aid

Despite a dire economic climate that forced budget cuts across the board, Assemblymember Robinson fought for a state budget that delivers nearly $1.4 billion in state aid to New York City.

Landmark housing investment

Assemblymember Robinson fought for a final state budget that provides $304.4 million—a $200 million increase over the executive’s recommendation—for affordable, supportive and workforce housing and to combat the subprime lending crisis.

Maximizing housing availability

Ensuring that working families have decent places to live, affordable rents, and can keep their homes are top priorities.

The budget includes $54 million for Mitchell-Lama Rehabilitation and Preservation, and the All Affordable program, both necessary in delivering affordable housing in New York City’s competitive market.

The budget also contains $17.8 million for the Public Housing Modernization program for capital improvements and a $4 million expansion of the state’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program to encourage the development of affordable housing.

In addition, the budget provides $25 million for the Assembly-created Subprime Foreclosure Prevention Services Program for counseling, mediation and legal representation for subprime lending victims facing default or foreclosure.

Low Income Housing Trust Fund	$60 million



Affordable Housing Corporation	$45 million



Homes for Working Families	$17 million



Homeless Housing Assistance	$36.5 million



HOPE/Restore	$4.4 million



Urban Initiatives	$3.5 million

“I fought for a state budget that delivers $304.4 million to address basic housing needs. The funding will improve access to vital affordable and workforce housing.”

—Assemblymember Robinson

Assemblymember Robinson fought for and passed bills to strengthen New York’s rent laws so hardworking families can continue to call our neighborhood home.

The Assembly’s rent-regulation package includes:

	Keeping apartments in the rent-regulation system (A.7416-A)
	Increasing penalties on landlords who harass tenants or violate rent-regulation orders (A.10823)
	Limiting an owner’s ability to recover a rent-regulated apartment for personal use (A.799)
	Giving New York City – not Albany – control over our rent laws (A.4069)
	Limiting landlords’ ability to raise rents after a vacancy (A.2894)
	Extending the length of time over which major capital improvement expenses may be recovered and requiring that rent surcharges to pay for them end when the cost of the improvement has been recovered (A.6510)
	Preventing landlords from exploiting loopholes to raise rents when leases are renewed (A.10055-A)

Record education funding

Honoring the state’s longtime commitment to New York City schools, this year’s budget came through with an additional $644 million in school aid, bringing the state’s contribution to city schools to $8.33 billion.

The budget provides $19.6 million in operating aid restorations to CUNY senior colleges and ensures no tuition increases in 2008-09. In addition, $2 million is provided for the expansion of nursing programs across CUNY campuses. The budget also fully restores a cut in community college aid, meaning $7.5 million more for CUNY community colleges.

Other direct benefits to New York City include:

	Continuing the Medicaid cap and Family Health Plus takeover, saving New York City over $522 million in 2009
	Increasing revenue sharing for NYC, rejecting the executive’s $164 million cut and providing a total of $328 million in assistance for the city’s upcoming fiscal year
	Increasing the Wicks Law threshold from $50,000 to $3 million, which will reduce the city’s long-term capital construction costs by more than $200 million
	Providing $31 million for New York City Waterfront Parks Funding for improvements at Governor’s Island and Hudson River Park

Assemblymember
Annette M. Robinson
1360 Fulton Street, Room 417
Brooklyn, NY 11216
718-399-7630

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