State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez speaks within the State Senate. Picture courtesy of workplace of State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez.
Could 14, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez touted numerous measures launched within the recently-approved state funds that may assist working households fight inflation however stated the funds might have been “bolder” in its efforts to deal with the cost-of-living disaster.
Gonzalez, who represents areas in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, lauded the inclusion of a number of measures that she says will help residents in Queens, together with an allocation of $400 million for childcare entry throughout the state and $110 million to construct or renovate baby care facilities.
Nevertheless, she stated the funds represented a missed alternative to introduce common baby care throughout New York State, stating that the rising price of kid care is likely one of the driving elements for younger households deciding to go away New York Metropolis.
“It can be, for the most part, equivalent to rent,,, and New Yorkers are already struggling to pay their rent,” Gonzalez stated. “So it could be life changing.”
Equally, Gonzalez welcomed a $50 million dedication to a pilot housing voucher program that would supply low-income New Yorkers with state-funded vouchers for homeless households or households at imminent threat of dropping their housing.
She additionally stated the enlargement of the Empire State Baby Tax Credit score, which raised the credit score from $330 to $1,000 for each baby beneath the age of 4, will assist present advantages for younger households within the metropolis. The enlargement additionally raises the credit score from $330 to $500 for every baby between the ages of 4 and 16.
Nevertheless, she stated the funds might have gone additional towards addressing the cost-of-living disaster and making housing a human proper in New York State.
“It (the budget) could have been bolder,” Gonzalez stated. “We could have made this the year we had universal child care. We could have made this the year that we made housing a human right, and invested in green social housing. This could have been a year where we certainly expanded health care access in a substantive way, and we failed to do those things.”
Gonzalez did be aware the addition of $71 million for supportive housing within the funds, together with provisions for social and wraparound providers for people who find themselves struggling to pay hire.
“Expanding supportive housing is another key piece to addressing the housing crisis,” she stated. “It’s just a first step to make sure that someone has a roof over their heads and some stability by having a safe place to live, but it’s not the full picture. (We need to) make sure that we’re meeting working people who may be struggling in multiple ways.”
Gonzalez heralded the inclusion of funding for numerous non-profits that serve the district, together with $500,000 in funding for City Upbound, which goals to interrupt “cycles of poverty” in New York Metropolis’s public housing by offering underserved youth and adults with the instruments and sources wanted to realize financial prosperity. Gonzalez stated City Upbound offers a few of the wraparound providers which might be important to offering supportive housing to metropolis residents.
She added that it was essential that the funds ensured the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan was absolutely funded by plugging a $33 billion funding hole. She described the transit system as a “lifeline” for New Yorkers, together with Queens residents.
“I am really proud that we were able to fully fund the capital plan. I do think that the funding is going to be used well to be able to keep our system running and make necessary upgrades,” Gonzalez stated.
Senator Kristen Gonzalez joined MTA officers and neighborhood leaders to rejoice the opening of the third elevator at Queensboro Plaza. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
Within the Queens portion of her district, Gonzalez pointed to a number of initiatives which have helped enhance the subway system, together with sign upgrades alongside the G line and the addition of two elevators at Queensboro Plaza. Gonzalez famous that a number of extra accessibility tasks are anticipated alongside the NW line in Queens as a part of the brand new capital plan and praised the MTA for coming in “on time and on budget” with the G line and Queensboro Plaza upgrades.
In the meantime, Gonzalez stated the funds’s plans to situation $2 billion price of inflation refund checks to eight million New York tax payers wouldn’t have been her “first method” for addressing the cost-of-living disaster.
She stated cash for the initiative, which can present as much as $400 for joint filers and as much as $200 for single filers, would have been higher spent on rising funding for non-profits and neighborhood organizations throughout the town as nicely making a “social safety net” within the face of a slew of proposed federal funding cuts.
Gonzalez stated the common particular person is “drowning” in payments and stated Hochul’s inflation refund initiative will do some good, noting that “every dollar counts.”
“I am sure that whoever receives their rebate checks will use it t in whatever way that is most necessary for them and I certainly think that’s a good thing,” Gonzalez stated.
Having stated that, Gonzalez stated she would quite put money into the long-term well being of the state and help New Yorkers with a mess of providers that may assist them stay a dignified life.
“The lens that I’ve is for long-term take care of New Yorkers and ensuring that each New Yorker you already know secures a dignified life by investing in our social security web and providers that help New Yorkers by that journey coping with a number of challenges.
“I think that $2 billion could have gone a very long way to achieving that.”
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