By Bill Parry
The city’s public housing authority is the first victim of the Trump administration’s budget cuts as $35 million in aid has been slashed in NYCHA’s largest decrease in funding in half a decade. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development notified NYCHA of the 5 percent reduction in late February before Dr. Ben Carson was confirmed as secretary.
“This troubling federal cut will directly impact half a million New Yorkers who call NYCHA home,” NYCHA CEO Shola Olatoye said. “It will mean slower repairs, less maintenance to our aging buildings and fewer services for our residents. This is not business as usual, it is a serious situation and we need all of our allies to stand with us to protect the 600,000 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home.”
City Comptroller Scott Stringer has been warning the de Blasio administration to prepare for devastating cuts in federal funding of city programs since mid-November after Trump was elected.
“And so it begins. We have long known that leadership in Washington seeks to shred the social safety net by slashing funding for those who need it most,” Stringer said. “Last year, we put out a report laying out those potential federal cuts to our city. Now it’s happening — and it’s starting with NYCHA. The White House is actively targeting our most vulnerable citizens. It’s wrong. NYCHA houses 5 percent of the city, including tens of thousands of children. It mitigates our affordability challenges, and if future cuts happen, it could exacerbate an already record homeless crisis.”
Stringer added the city must take steps to save more money and prepare a safety net. City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), the Council’s Majority Leader, concurred.
“With the backwards budget priorities coming out of Washington, it’s important for the city of New York to be ready for serious cuts in federal funding to crucial city programs, like housing and funding for our city’s treasured arts and culture,” Van Bramer said. “We are calling on the mayor to increase our city’s planned savings so we can be best prepared for a period of potentially reckless irresponsibility from the Trump administration.”
Seven fellow Council members, including Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst), the chairwoman of the Council’s Finance Committee, co-signed a letter with Van Bramer to Mayor de Blasio expressing their concerns and the need for the city to strengthen its financial position.
“We all agree on the fact that New York City gets 10 percent of our budget from federal funds, which impacts Section 8 recipients, child protective services, and public assistance grants,” they wrote. “Both the NYPD and public hospital system could also be extremely vulnerable. While these federal funding battles are played out in the political and judicial arenas, this only underscores the need to control our budget as tightly as possible.”
Meanwhile, the New York City Independent Budget Office issued a new report this week warning that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed 421-a replacement to encourage developers to build more affordable housing could cost the city $1.2 billion over 10 years.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
