New Police Officer Requirements, “Best Budget Ever,” Affordable Homes In Willets Point, Lawsuit Against New Grant Conditions, Connecting Bodegas Directly To NYPD, 

MAYOR ADAMS RELEASES “BEST BUDGET EVER,”  FISCAL YEAR 2026 EXECUTIVE BUDGET MAKES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN SAFETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE,  EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKING-CLASS NEW YORKERS  

$1.4 Billion to Protect Critical Programs Previously Facing Spending Cliffs,  Maintaining Funding to CUNY, Cultural Institutions, Libraries, Education Programs, Sanitation, Social Services, and More  

“After-School for All” Will Bring 20,000 Seats Online in Next Three Years, Increasing Budget by 75 Percent and Expanding After-School Access to at Least 184,000 Total K-8 Students by 2027 

Adams Administration’s Actions Keep New York City on Path to Have 35,000 Uniformed Officers by Fall of 2026 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the “Best Budget Ever” — the balanced, $115.1 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Executive Budget that makes new investments safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family. Through strong fiscal management, the Adams administration has, once again, set the table for strategic investments that protect funding for critical services, invests in public safety by allocating funding for key criminal justice reform programs, and puts the New York City Police Department (NYPD) on track to reach a uniformed headcount of up to 35,000 officers by the fall of 2026. Additionally, this budget increases affordability, cleans city streets and parks, builds more affordable housing, fulfills massive generational projects, and expands educational opportunities like early childhood education and universal after-school for New York City’s children and their families, among other initiatives, all while maintaining record-high reserves and ensuring a strong fiscal future for the City of New York.  

“Today, I am proud to present our Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget: Our ‘Best Budget Ever,’” said Mayor Adams. “This budget is a testament to our commitment to making New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family. From prioritizing access to child care and launching ‘After-School for All’ to investing in permanent funding for libraries, CUNY, and our world-class institutions that make New York City what it is, to tackling quality-of-life issues and making our streets safer, the $1.4 billion we’re investing to protect and lift up critical programs will make lives better for families across all five boroughs. We are doing all of this while maintaining record-high reserves to help us face anything that comes our way. And, with the city’s largest 10-year capital plan at $173 billion, we are delivering on infrastructure improvements and transformative generational projects that were talked about for decades but never achieved. This is the budget my mom needed, that my family needed, and, with it, we’re saying to working families: your city has your back.”  

Keeping New Yorkers Safe and Improving Quality of Life 

Since taking office, the Adams administration has invested in safer streets and communities. As part of this work, the city has launched a $500 million blueprint to keep communities safe from gun violence, surged police officers into the subways multiple times to help reduce crime in the transit system, released plans to crack down on auto thefts and combat retail thefts, hired additional mental health clinicians to support people with untreated severe mental illness and announced plans to pilot new technology in the subways, expanded the “Saturday Night Lights” youth program to keep young people safe and engaged, and supported a record 100,000 summer job opportunities annually for young people. To get more NYPD officers on city streets, Mayor Adams recently announced that, combined with expanded eligibility requirements, the administration is putting the NYPD on a path to having 35,000 officers by the fall of 2026. The FY 2026 Executive Budget makes New York City safer and improves quality-of-life by:  

• Funding to invest in alternatives to incarceration services, including case management, substance abuse programming, group counseling, housing placement assistance, health care, and other services for adults charged with a crime ($7.6 million, baselined).  

• Covering the indirect rate for non-profits that provide re-entry services, indigent defense, supervised release, and other criminal justice programming that was previously funded with stimulus dollars ($6.5 million, baselined). 

• Helping to stabilize recently decarcerated individuals with re-entry services, including job readiness training; mental, physical, and behavioral healthcare; counseling; housing assistance; and mentoring ($4.7 million, baselined). 

• Extending Project Reset and Rapid Reset, which offer adults who are issued desk Appearance Tickets for eligible non-violent misdemeanors the option to engage in voluntary community-based programming as an alternative means of resolving their criminal cases ($4 million, baselined).  

• Accelerating Fire Department of the City of New York inspections and plan reviews by adding 58 additional staff to the Bureau of Fire Prevention ($3.5 million). 

• Increasing the New York City Department of Building’s capacity to review and process inspection reports and enforce guidelines related to parking structures ($700,000). 

Making New York City More Affordable for Working-Class People 

Following several back-to-back years of shattering affordable housing records, Mayor Adams announced new investments to create more homes, connect more New Yorkers to homes, and keep more New Yorkers in the homes they have. This builds on the Adams administration’s successful housing record, which led the effort to pass Mayor Adams’ historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” plan, the most pro-housing proposal in New York City history that will create 80,000 new homes over the next 15 years. Through the administration’s neighborhood rezonings and City of Yes, the city is projected to create 30 percent more units of housing in less than four years than in the previous 20 years combined. The administration has successfully advocated for the first expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit, which put over $345 million back in the pockets of hard-working New Yorkers and their families. The FY 2026 Executive Budget builds on these achievements by making key investments that make New York City more affordable for working-class people, including: 

• Ongoing support for “Big Apple Connect,” the Adams’ administration’s program to offer high-speed internet and cable to over 150,000 New York City Housing Authority households across 220 developments ($38.8 million). 

• Supporting over 700 food pantries across the city through the “Community Food Connection” program at maintained FY 2025 funding levels ($36.1 million).  

• Supporting The City University of New York (CUNY) including funding for the “Accelerate, Complete, and Engage” program, the “Accelerated Study in Associate” program, and the Brooklyn Recovery Corps at Medgar Evers College ($30 million). 

• Creating more supportive housing by reimagining the “NYC 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative” by increasing both the base rental assistance rates and annual voucher inflation rates for congregate units ($2.6 million in FY 2027, growing to $29.3 million in FY 2029). 

• Funding to maintain investment in the “Fair Fares NYC” to make public transportation more affordable for even more New Yorkers by maintaining eligibility at 145 percent of the federal poverty level ($20 million).  

• Funding to provide MetroCards to this summer’s Summer Youth Employment (SYEP) participants ($11 million).  

• Funding to support 139 staff to provide legal services and benefits eligibility screenings at housing court, as well as assistance in processing rent arrear one-shots ($10.1 million).  

• Funding to continue the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development’s “Adult Literacy Initiative” to provide literacy and English-language services for adults and out-of-school youth over 16-years old ($10 million).  

• Continuing funding for the New York City Department of Homeless Services End-Of-Line subway station outreach work to bring unsheltered New Yorkers to intake centers and low-barrier shelter bed sites ($9 million).   

• Funding for the “NYC Benefits ” program to connect New Yorkers to eligible public assistance benefits through contracted community-based organizations ($7.2 million).  

• Funding to expand immigration legal services through the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Immigration Legal Support Centers to provide legal screenings, pro se application assistance, case support services, immigration rights workshops, and more ($4.4 million).  

• Expanding the New York City Department of Small Business Services’ capacity for outreach and one-on-one technical assistance to local small businesses ($2.1 million). 

• Helping unemployed New Yorkers connect with job opportunities and career support across the city’s public workforce and investing in staffing for the citywide workforce outreach team that coordinates hiring halls ($700,000). 

• Supporting creation of the “Manhattan Plan” to unlock an additional 100,000 units of housing across the borough ($500,000). 

Implementing a Bold Vision for Educating Young People 

To make New York City more affordable and the best place to raise a family, the Adams administration is making key investments in initiatives that help students thrive both in and outside of the classroom and improve education outcomes, including: 

• Launching “After-School for All” that will bring universal after-school to New York City, beginning with over 20,000 more K-5 students by the fall of 2027, totaling 184,000 students. To achieve the Adams administration’s vision for universal after-school, the city will conduct a needs assessment to gather input on future expansion (growing to $331 million in FY 2028, for a total budget of $755 million). 

• Hiring up to 3,700 new teachers across the public school system to reduce class sizes and provide more individualized care to students (initial city investment of $150 million growing to $200 million annually, state funding to be reflected later). 

• Funding to support over 700 early childhood education seats for three- and four-year-olds in special education ($55 million).  

• Funding to ensure every 3-K student will be offered a seat ($20 million). 

• Funding for Promise NYC, which provides child care to undocumented children and their families who are not eligible for federally-subsidized extended day and extended year child care ($25 million). 

• Funding for community outreach to maximize awareness of and enrollment in early childhood education seats, first announced as part of the city’s 10-point plan to make high-quality child care more affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers ($5 million). 

• Funding to address potential communication gaps between schools and parents who do not speak English fluently or who communicate in a language outside of the nine in which New York City Public Schools documents are routinely translated, including through sending postcards, conducting robocalls, and disseminating flyers to help cultivate increased access for families ($4 million). 

• Expanding support for the Intensive Reading Education and Development program for early literacy and dyslexia ($3.4 million, growing to $7 million annually, baselined). 

Permanent Funding for Educational Programs Once Funded by Federal Pandemic-Era Stimulus Dollars

In the FY 2026 Executive Budget, the city is committing, for the first time, to permanent, annual funding of $199 million in critical education programs to support families and their children that were once funded by federal pandemic-era stimulus funding. Highlights include: 

• Supporting the citywide 3-K program with permanent funding ($92 million, baselined). 

• Funding for arts education in schools to ensure resources for school leaders, teachers, and students while ensuring diversification and reach to schools and communities previously underserved ($41 million, baselined). 

• Funding for “Project Pivot” to offer counseling, mentoring, and learning opportunities for young New Yorkers through recreational outings, sports, and arts programs ($15 million, baselined). 

• Investing in teacher recruitment at New York City Public Schools ($10 million, baselined). 

• Restorative justice programming designed to reduce the reliance on suspensions or punitive discipline across city schools ($6 million, baselined). 

• Digital learning resources for all students and teachers ($5 million, baselined). 

• Computer science education programs that offer computer science exposure, access to computer science-related college and career pathways, and build more inclusive access to computer science education for all students ($4 million, baselined). 

• Tutoring support for kindergarten through second grade literacy and sixth through eighth grade math education at select schools across the city ($4 million, baselined). 

• Investments in “Civics for All” resources, including materials, professional learning, and student-facing programming focused on culturally responsive civic education models where students demonstrate the necessary skills and disposition to protect and expand democratic ideals ($2 million, baselined). 

• Parent and family engagement resources that support New York City Public Schools’ “Family Community Engagement” initiative, which focuses on parent empowerment and engagement ($1 million, baselined). 

Keeping New Yorkers Healthy 

Mayor Adams is committed to improving the physical, emotional, and mental health of all New Yorkers. That’s why his administration launched “HealthyNYC,” an ambitious plan to extend the lifespan of all New Yorkers with ambitious targets to address the greatest drivers of premature death, including chronic and diet-related diseases, screenable cancers, overdose, suicide, maternal mortality, violence, and COVID-19. The Adams administration also previously released “Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City,” a sweeping mental health agenda with $20 million in commitments to invest in the mental health of children and families. Mayor Adams also released a $650 million plan to tackle homelessness and support people experiencing severe mental illness, first announced as part of his 2025 State of the City address. The FY 2026 Executive Budget further invests in programs to help keep New Yorkers healthy by: 

• Providing funding for the “Groceries to Go” program that helps eligible food insecure New Yorkers purchase groceries for delivery or pick up ($10 million).  

• Allocating funding to support tuberculosis case management at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) ($7.2 million).  

• Delivering funding to support existing Trauma Recovery Centers, which provide case management, therapy and crisis intervention services to underserved victims of violent crime ($4.8 million).  

• Investing funding to support clubhouses, an evidence-based model for psychiatric rehabilitation that provides peer support and access to services for people experiencing severe mental illness ($4 million).  

• Investing funding for sanitary inspection and grading for mobile food vending units across New York City through DOHMH ($2.8 million).  

Delivering Financial Stability for Human Services Providers, Nonprofits, and Contractors 

The Adams administration is committed to supporting human services workers and ensuring non-profits are able to thrive. In 2024, Mayor Adams announced a $741 million investment for an estimated 80,000 human services workers employed by non-profit organizations that contract with the city as part of a new cost-of-living adjustment. Building on that, in this Executive Budget the Adams administration is:  

• Funding indirect rate growth for human services providers that contract with the New York City Department for the Aging (NYC Aging), New York City Public Schools, and the New York City Human Resources Administration ($45.1 million).  

• Addressing a backlog of payments to vendors, including human services providers, by adding 20 additional positions to the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services’ help desk and making system improvements ($8.9 million). 

• Making cost-of-living adjustments for criminal justice nonprofits ($5.9 million). 

Protecting a Historic Level of Funding for Programs and Services That Keep New York City Safe, Clean, Affordable and Help the Most Vulnerable New Yorkers  

In this plan, the Adams administration will invest $1.9 billion in new needs in FY 2026 and is taking the unprecedented step of allocating $1.4 billion of these funds to protect programs that were not previously funded in the upcoming fiscal year, with more than $675 million of them funded permanently — many for the first time. This brings total programs and needs newly baselined in the FY 2026 Executive Budget to more than $1.3 billion. 

 Highlights of this major investment include: 

• Funding to support school nurses ($298 million, growing to $307 million in FY 2027, baselined). 

• Funding to backfill expiring stimulus dollars and restore previous Program to Eliminate the Gap (PEG) initiatives for NYC Aging’s core programs, including the Community Cares initiative, Older Adult Centers, Home Delivered Meals, and more ($102 million, growing to $113 million in FY 2027, baselined). 

• Restoring CUNY savings in full ($96 million, baselined). 

• Investing in mobile treatment teams, like Intensive Mobile Treatment teams, that provide care, treatment, and support to individuals with severe mental illness to ensure that New Yorkers have a continuum of care ($47.3 million). 

• Funding to continue current level of litter basket pick-ups citywide ($29.7 million, growing to $31 million in FY 2028, baselined). 

• Providing annual funding for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Cultural Development Fund that supports more than 1,000 cultural organizations and neighborhood-based groups citywide ($23.5 million, baselined).  

• Increasing support for the 34 Cultural Institution Group member organizations, which include nonprofit museums, performing arts centers, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens across the city ($21.5 million, baselined). 

• Funding for additional attorneys for indigent defense providers that offer constitutionally-mandated services for criminal defendants at the trial and appellate levels to address increased caseloads ($20 million, baselined). 

• Funding for 7,000 Summer Youth Employment (SYEP) seats that had been covered with expiring stimulus dollars ($18.9 million, baselined). 

• Adding more funding to support library operations across the three public library systems ($15.7 million): 

• New York Public Library ($5.8 million) and New York Research Library ($1.1 million) 

• Queens Public Library ($4.4 million)  

• Brooklyn Public Library ($4.4 million)  

• Continuing funding for the intensive case management pilot that provides enhanced supervision for 1,100 defendants who have a recent persistent pattern of recidivism, non-compliance, and mental health concerns who need enhanced guidance while on supervised release ($9.1 million). 

• Funding to support 18 positions at the New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY)’s Park Perimeter and Greenway Litter Basket program to service litter baskets on the perimeter of city parks and greenways as part of Mayor Adams’ “Get Stuff Clean” initiative ($1.4 million, baselined).   

• Funding to support 21 positions for DSNY’s Precision Cleaning Initiative to provide targeted, request-based cleaning, including for homeless encampments ($1.1 million, baselined).   

Protecting Another $840 Million in Critical Social Services in This Fiscal Year 

By carefully managing the city’s budget, and due to strength in national and local economies in the current fiscal year, in this plan, the Adams administration was able to invest nearly $840 million in FY 2025 to protect services for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, in addition to the nearly $1.2 billion similarly invested in the FY 2026 Preliminary Budget. Highlights include: 

• Sustaining New York City’s Medicaid contribution ($251 million). 

• Protecting rental assistance, including the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement (CityFHEPS) program ($176.6 million). 

• Protecting New York City’s Cash Assistance contribution ($129.4 million). 

• Investing in the city’s foster care system to protect the city’s youth ($102.8 million). 

• Conducting shelter-needs alignment through the New York City Department of Homeless Services ($99.8 million). 

• Investing in the HIV/AIDS Service Administration program for housing and services for New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS ($43.1 million). 

• Supporting affordable housing vouchers and services for formerly homeless households and seniors ($30.7 million). 

• Investing in domestic violence shelters to support vulnerable New Yorkers and their families ($5.5 million). 

FY 2026 Budget Details 

The FY 2026 Executive Budget remains balanced at $115.1 billion, with gaps of $4.6 billion in FY27, $5.8 billion in FY28, and $5.7 billion in FY29. 

The city’s strong economy — notably in job creation and tourism — reflects the Adams administration’s strong fiscal management and laser-focus on policies that keep New York City a safe and clean place to live, work, and raise a family. Tax revenue is expected to increase by nearly 8 percent in FY 2025, driven by growth in income and business taxes, though, as the economy slows, growth is forecast to decline to around 1 percent in FY 2026. This results in an upward revision over the FY 2026 Preliminary Budget of $1.7 billion in FY 2025 and $1 billion in FY 2026, and puts the city forecast on-par with fiscal monitors and the New York City Council. 

This baseline forecast is predicated on economic conditions, as well as federal fiscal and trade policy known prior to April 2025. The unprecedented and unpredictable federal trade policy recently announced in early April and the subsequent impact on financial markets poses a potential impact to the city’s economy as well as its tax base. The outlook may be updated in the upcoming Adopted Budget, if necessary. 

The Adams administration remains focused on saving taxpayer dollars. Total citywide savings in this plan are $1.9 billion over FY 2025 and FY 2026, and were achieved without a PEG program, service cuts, layoffs, or raising taxes. This includes asylum seeker savings of $298 million in FY 2025 and $1.2 billion in FY 2026, with $1 billion of the savings achieved in FY 2026 used to offset $1 billion in assistance the city assumed the state would, but did not, provide in FY 2026. 

Maintaining budget reserves as a safeguard against the unexpected is a critical part of the Adams administration’s strong financial management strategy. The FY 2026 Executive Budget maintains a record level $8.5 billion in reserves, including $1.2 billion in the General Reserve, $5 billion in the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund, $250 million in the Capital Stabilization Reserve, and a record level of $2 billion in the Rainy-Day Fund. 

Taking Bold and Innovative Action to Meet New York City’s Ambitious Climate Goals 

Last April, under the leadership of Mayor Adams and New York City Office of Management and Budget Director Jacques Jiha, Ph.D., New York City became the first big city in the United States to implement climate budgeting, a system that integrates climate targets and considerations into the budget process to support achieving the city’s goals of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and resiliency to climate threats. In this Executive Budget, the Adams administration will be releasing the second annual Climate Budgeting publication, which showcases the city’s commitment to funding climate action, including nearly $8 billion in capital funding for decarbonization and almost $13 billion for flooding and extreme heat resiliency. Climate budgeting is an ongoing and evolving process that will continue to demonstrate how New York City’s leadership will advance sustainability and resiliency in a cost-effective way.  

Investing in the City’s Largest-Ever 10-Year Capital Plan 

In the FY 2026 Preliminary Budget, Mayor Adams announced the city’s largest 10-year capital plan at $170 billion. Now, the city is beating that record, to increase the capital plan even further, to a record $173.4 billion over the next decade. This will improve the city’s infrastructure, including its roads, bridges, schools, water and sewer facilities, libraries, and transportation systems in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. As the largest 10-Year Capital Plan in city history, it includes: 

• $33.3 billion for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.  

• $32 billion for transportation and $400 million for mass transit. 

• $24.7 billion for affordable housing. 

• $23.8 billion for New York City Public Schools. 

• $16.1 billion for the New York City Department of Correction, courts, and the NYPD. 

• $10.4 billion for New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. 

• $3.2 billion for DSNY. 

• $29.5 billion for other city services, including $6.6 billion for economic development and $3.1 billion for cultural institutions and libraries. 

New investments funded within the 10-Year Capital Plan include: 

• Completing the funding for the “Future of Fifth” project that will transform Fifth Ave between Bryant Park and Central Park into a pedestrian-focused boulevard ($250 million). 

• Addressing maintenance and renovations across all three library systems, including nearly $51 million designated for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and $50 million towards a comprehensive renovation of the landmarked Seward Park Library branch ($169.1 million). 

• Adding matching funds to support reconstruction and revitalization at the Brooklyn Marine Terminal to support the “Harbor of the Future” ($109.3 million). 

• Adding resources for the reconstruction of the historic Tony Dapolito Recreation Center to fully fund the project, including a fully accessible pool, a pool house building, a new indoor recreation center, and preservation of the iconic Keith Haring mural ($51.8 million). 

• Replacing the pedestrian bridge at East 25th Street over the FDR Drive as part of the Science Park and Research Campus Kips Bay project that will create a state-of-the-art life sciences, health care, and public health hub ($42 million).   

• Funding to continue investments near the Hunts Point Market by improving and expanding public waterfront access next to the Market ($28.3 million).  

The FY 2026 Executive Budget builds on the administration’s $114.5 billion FY 2026 Preliminary Budget, which deepened the administration’s commitment to strong fiscal management, achieved savings and reduced asylum seeker costs, invested in critical programs and services, and made the city safer, more affordable, and more livable for working-class New Yorkers. These achievements were also made possible due to the strength of the national and local economies.   

MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES “SILENTSHIELD,” INVESTING $1.6 MILLION IN TECHNOLOGY TO IMMEDIATELY CONNECT BODEGA OWNERS TO NYPD IN EMERGENCIES  

Funding Will Go Toward Equipping Estimated 500 Bodegas With Buttons to Immediately Contact NYPD in Cases of Emergencies, Keeping Bodega Staff and Customers Safe 

Follows Mayor Adams’ “Budget Week,” Unveiling “Best Budget Ever,” Which Invests in Affordability, Public Safety, and Quality-of-Life Issues New Yorkers Care Most About  

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced $1.6 million in funding to equip an estimated 500 bodegas across the five boroughs with “SilentShields” buttons that bodega staff can press to immediately call the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in cases of emergency. Distributed through an emergency grant to the United Bodega Association (UBA), these buttons will be installed in bodegas with the highest levels of crime to improve staff and customer safety. SilentShields will be directly connected to cameras in the bodega and to the NYPD, allowing officers to see crimes unfold in real time, respond faster, and help save lives, and will work in direct coordination with another program Mayor Adams launched last year to help local business to voluntarily share information in real-time with the NYPD through existing closed-circuit television cameras as they seek to solve crimes. Included in Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — the “Best Budget Ever” — this investment will help build a safer city and ensure that bodegas, critical small businesses that support every neighborhood across the city, have the security and support they need to keep both their staff and customers safe.  

“Bodegas are part of the heart and soul of New York City. They are on every corner; they are there for us at all hours. As we continue rolling out our ‘Best Budget Ever,’ I’m proud to announce $1.6 million in funding to equip an estimated 500 bodegas across the five boroughs with ‘SilentShields’ that will immediately connect bodega staff with the NYPD in cases of emergency,” said Mayor Adams. “This program will bring peace of mind to our bodega owners, while protecting the working-class New Yorkers who work and frequent bodegas. Our bodegas are essential to New York City, and, with this investment, we’re telling these small businesses: Your city has your back.”  

 “Bodegas aren’t only engines of economic growth for our neighborhoods, they’re community cornerstones where families, youth, and every kind of New Yorker come together,” said First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro. “We heard the call loud and clear from our small businesses, and true to the Adams administration’s unshakeable commitment, we’re doing all we can to make sure that our communities are safe for all. With this investment in an estimated 500 Silent Shields, bodegas in high-need areas will now have a direct line to NYPD, establishing real-time viewing and increased response times, ultimately saving the lives of patrons and workers alike.”   

 “Bodegas are essential to life in this city — and the people who run them deserve real protection,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “With this new technology, we’re giving them a direct link to the NYPD, so we can see what’s happening in real time and respond immediately. This is what smart policing looks like: precise, fast, and built on the trust of the communities we serve. Thanks to Mayor Adams’ investment, we’re protecting New Yorkers where they live and work.”  

“‘SilentShields’ are a game changer for New York City Bodega workers,” said Fernando Mateo, spokesman, UBA. “For too long, bodega workers have suffered in silence, while help was out of reach. But today, that silence ends. Thanks to Mayor Adams, SilentShields will give our workers a lifeline directly to the NYPD. This is about saving lives, restoring peace of mind, and making it clear: New York will no longer abandon its essential bodega workers.” 

“We thank Mayor Adams for taking real action,” said Radhamés Rodríguez, president, UBA. “We came to the mayor and he didn’t hesitate to offer his support because our blue-collar mayor knows just how important bodegas are to their communities.”   

UBA will solicit competitive bids for SilentShield technology and aims to begin installation in the coming months.  

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of Mayor Adams’ “Budget Week,” where the Adams administration unveiled signature investments in the “Best Budget Ever,” which will make New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family, while maintaining record-high reserves and ensuring a strong fiscal future for the City of New York. Funding announcements included, among others, investments to create more homes, connect more New Yorkers to homes, and keep more New Yorkers in their homes, as well as funding for an ambitious plan to achieve “After-School for All.” Thanks to expanded eligibility requirements and continued funding, Mayor Adams also announced that New York City is on a path to reaching 35,000 uniformed NYPD officers by fall of 2026.  Thanks to expanded eligibility requirements and continued funding, Mayor Adams also announced that New York City is on a path to reaching 35,000 uniformed NYPD officers by fall of 2026.   

Since taking office, Mayor Adams has invested in safer streets and communities. As part of this work, he has launched a $500 million blueprint to keep communities safe from gun violence, surged police officers into the subways multiple times to help reduce crime in the transit system, released multiple plans to crack down on auto thefts and combat retail thefts, hired additional mental health clinicians to support people with untreated severe mental illness and announced plans to pilot new technology in the subways, expanded the Saturday Night Lights youth program to keep young people safe and engaged, and supported a record 100,000 summer job opportunities annually for young people. 

MAYOR ADAMS, STUDENT LOAN BENEFITS COMPANY SUMMER LAUNCH PARTNERSHIP TO HELP WIPE OUT ESTIMATED $360 MILLION  IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT FOR 100,000 PUBLIC SERVANTS 

First Unveiled in 2025 State of the City Address, Initiative Will Help  City Employees and Qualifying Family Members Enroll in Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and Income-Driven Repayment Plans for Free 

ACS, DSS, and NYCHA Will Be First Agencies in Pilot Program Starting Today,  Full Program to Roll Out for All City Employees Starting in September 

Announcement Follows Mayor Adams’ “Best Budget Ever,” Which Invests in Affordability, Public Safety, and Quality-of-Life Issues New Yorkers Care Most About  

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga, and New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis Molina today announced a new effort to help more than 100,000 city employees enroll in the federal government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and Income Driven Repayment (IDR) plans to reduce or cancel an estimated $360 million in student loan debt. Through a partnership with Summer — a leading company that helps borrowers navigate student loan repayment options — New York City will provide public servants and eligible family members with free access to student loan experts and online debt assistance tools to help enroll in affordable repayment options and the PSLF program.  

City employees at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) are now eligible as part of the pilot phase of the program, which launched today; the full service will begin a phased rollout for all New York City government employees this September. Originally announced in his State of the City address earlier this year, the investment to launch this program is funded as part of Mayor Adams Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget and builds on the Adams administration’s ongoing work to make the city more affordable for working-class families. The Adams administration has launched ambitious initiatives to eliminate and cut city income taxes for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, wipe out more than $2 billion in medical debt, invest hundreds of millions of dollars in early childhood education, and more. 

“Public servants wake up early and stay up late to keep our city running, but too many of them still struggle with expensive student loan debt. But our administration is helping to change that by putting hundreds of millions of dollars back into the pockets of our city employees and giving them the peace of mind they deserve through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program,” said Mayor Adams. “Connecting city employees and their dependents to a benefit they are entitled to is just another way our administration is helping make this city more affordable for working-class New Yorkers. Whether it’s eliminating city personal income taxes for working-class families, cancelling $2 billion in medical debt for New Yorkers, or saving people $30 billion through city, state, and federal programs, our administration is fighting every day to make life more affordable all across the five boroughs.”  

“Student loans should not be a barrier to pursuing a lifetime of financial success. Expanding access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is an important way we can set city employees up for long-term financial freedom and put money back in their pockets. I know firsthand how liberating that can be,” said DCWP Commissioner Mayuga. “With the federal government set to resume collecting on defaulted student loans this week, the supports we are announcing today are well-timed to help borrowers and the many millions navigating the rapidly-evolving student loans landscape. Thank you to Mayor Adams, Commissioner Molina, and our new partners at Summer for sharing our commitment to help New Yorkers reduce millions in student loan debt and make our city more affordable for working-class families.” 

“Student loan guidance and education are monumental tools for empowering individuals, and with this initiative, we are bringing these resources directly to public servants and their loved ones,” said DCAS Commissioner Molina. “Those who serve our communities should not feel encumbered by their student loans, and we are proud to play a key role in administering this loan assistance platform citywide. The Adams administration remains committed to supporting its workforce and providing necessary relief to all city employees through innovative and accessible solutions.” 

“This initiative will provide a critical resource to thousands of New York City employees and their families,” said Will Sealy, founder and CEO, Summer. “Paying back student loans shouldn’t be a barrier to pursuing a career in public service. We’re proud to partner with the City of New York to deliver the tools and expertise needed to navigate student loan assistance programs, ensuring public servants get the debt relief they’ve earned.” 

PSLF is among the most expansive loan forgiveness initiatives in the country, helping reduce burdensome student loan debt while encouraging Americans to pursue careers in public service. After 120 months of payments while working full-time at a qualifying not-for-profit organization or any level of the city, state, or federal government — including New York City government — individuals can get the remainder of their student loan debt forgiven. Unfortunately, complex criteria and hard-to-navigate requirements have made it difficult for many eligible applicants to successfully enroll in PSLF and receive loan forgiveness. One in six New Yorkers have student loan debt, but, since 2017, less than 11 percent of eligible borrowers submitting loan forgiveness forms to the federal government had their loans successfully forgiven. Many New York City municipal employees are eligible for debt relief through PSLF but have not enrolled in the program or have struggled to recertify year after year.  

To break down these barriers and help save New Yorkers money, the new partnership between the Adams administration and Summer will offer city employees free access to Summer’s online portal, as well as free expert guidance from Summer’s team in verifying their eligibility for PSLF, managing their paperwork for enrollment and completion of the program, and staying on track for loan forgiveness. Through the partnership, city employees will be able to identify the best repayment and forgiveness strategy for their individual situation. Additionally, the family members of public servants who independently qualify for PSLF — either by working for another branch of government or for a qualifying not-for-profit organization — will be able to take advantage of the program as well. Following a pilot phase with city employees from ACS, DSS, and NYCHA, the program will begin expanding to include all city employees in September 2025. As a Certified B Corporation, Summer has generated over $1.8 billion in total student loan savings to date.  

This program between New York City and Summer is the largest of its kind implemented by any municipal government in the United States, solidifying New York City’s position as a national leader in addressing the student debt crisis. The support program will not only strengthen the city’s ability to recruit and retain top-tier talent but help public servants save money as well. By freeing up income that would otherwise go to debt payments, participating employees will have more money to spend locally, helping stimulate New York City’s economy. 

“New York City and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has long been a leader on what cities can do to help their residents struggling with student debt,” said Winston Berkman-Breen, legal director, Student Borrower Protection Center. “We are excited to see New York City continue to serve as a model for how cities as employers can work to support their employees with their student loan debt. Public Service Loan Forgiveness is a critical tool for maintaining and building the bench of committed public servants across the country, and we hope more cities follow New York’s lead.” 

The Adams administration has already saved New Yorkers more than $30 billion by connecting local residents to city, state, and federal programs, including a historic expansion of the New York City Earned Income Tax Credit that has already returned over $345 million to New Yorkers. Since the start of the Adams administration, DCWP’s “NYC Free Tax Prep” program has helped New Yorkers save nearly $57 million in tax preparation fees by helping filers file approximately 257,000 tax returns for free. NYC Free Tax Prep providers also offer drop-off services and virtual tax preparation services. To bolster these efforts, Mayor Adams last year unveiled “Axe the Tax for the Working Class,” an ambitious proposal to bring significant tax relief to working-class families by eliminating cutting city personal income taxes for more than 582,000 filers and their dependents, returning over $63 million to these New Yorkers. Axe the Tax would eliminate the New York City Personal Income Tax for filers with dependents living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, as well as lower city personal income taxes for filers immediately above that threshold too. If passed into law, Axe the Tax for the Working Class could bring relief to working-class families as soon as tax year 2025. 

Today’s announcement also builds on Mayor Adams’ ongoing efforts to wipe out burdensome debt and put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets. The Adams administration has already partnered with Undue Medical Debt to relieve over $2 billion in medical debt — the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States — for hundreds of thousands of working-class New Yorkers, with more than $80 million in medical debt already forgiven. 

Today’s announcement follows Mayor Adams’ “Budget Week” last week, where the Adams administration unveiled signature investments in the “Best Budget Ever,” which will make New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family, while maintaining record-high reserves and ensuring a strong fiscal future for the City of New York.   

Banner Image: Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at the kickoff for the 19th annual Dance Parade and Festival. City Hall. Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.