Hudson explains vote - SNAP, Fair Fares, CityFEPs, Rentals Within Reach
Council Member Hudson discloses multiple cultural institution associations. She highlights $78 million for Fair Fares, SNAP educators, baselined Crisis to Care mental health programs, CityFEPs expansion, and deed theft funding. She abstains on Intro 929A, votes aye on the rest.
Hudson.
I'm disclosing on the record of the council proceedings at the Brooklyn Museum, Botanical Garden, Academy of Music, Museum of the City of New York, New York City.
Commission on Gender Equity and Unlocal are funded in the budget we are adopting, and I, my spouse, and my business associate, respectively, are associated with those entities.
Permission to explain my vote.
Permission granted.
Thank you.
One of the most challenging but crucial roles of this body is our charter mandate to approve the city's budget.
And while no budget is perfect and there is never enough money to fully fund every item, there's always something to be grateful for.
And this budget includes meaningful wins.
It properly budgets HRA programs like cash assistance, adds SNAP eligibility specialists, invests $78 million to expand fair fares to 200% of the federal poverty line,
and for the first time funds SNAP educators to help New Yorkers access benefits after the Trump administration eliminated federal support for this work.
And the Progressive Caucus's fiscal year 26 campaign, Crisis to Care, is now baselined, while this budget secures tens of millions of dollars to fill supportive housing and NYCHA vacancies as demanded by the Progressive Caucus's fiscal year 27 rentals within REACH campaign.
I also want to call out this budget's commitment to city FEPS, $175 million in additional funds to stabilize the program and get us closer toward the expansion
this council has fought for since 2023, which would not have happened without the leadership of the Progressive Caucus and tireless advocacy of social service providers and impacted New Yorkers.
We will not stop fighting for additional funding to implement these laws, and I'm committed to continuing my advocacy for budget priorities that meet the urgency this moment demands.
including allowing people to remain in their homes by funding the tools they need to combat deed theft.
Lastly, I want to thank council finance staff as well as those at OMB for getting us to this point, quite literally.
I want to especially thank Julia Haramis, Elizabeth Childers-Garcia, and Farah Rahman from the general welfare team.
And thank you to the speaker and mayor for their leadership.
I vote aye with the exception of intro 929A, for which I abstain.
Thank you.