Commercial Trucking License Reentry Program, Conserve Energy During Peak Heat Season, Good Credit Through Rent Payments, Outdoor Pool Season Continues, New Judicial Appointments, Budget Passes Unanimously, Rent Stabilized Apts Rate Hike: NYC Mayor
Commercial Trucking License Reentry Program, Conserve Energy During Peak Heat Season, Good Credit Through Rent Payments, Outdoor Pool Season Continues, New Judicial Appointments, Budget Passes Unanimously, Rent Stabilized Apts Rate Hike: NYC Mayor
Editor’s note: Last week, readers learned about Brooklyn, Bronx, and Manhattan affordable housing proposals, along with financial literacy education in public schools. We also learned about the mayor’s efforts to make this city more affordable for working-class New Yorkers.
MAYOR ADAMS AND MOCJ DIRECTOR LOGAN CELEBRATE INAUGURAL GRADUATES OF COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE TRAINING REENTRY PROGRAM, HIGHLIGHT GRADUATES’ IMMEDIATE SUCCESS
19 Former Justice-Involved New Yorkers Now Beginning Trucking Careers Thanks to City-Sponsored Workforce Development Program
Research Finds Poverty and Lack of Access to Vocational Training Are Key Drivers of Incarceration and Recidivism
ALL Program Participants Landed Jobs Paying Upwards of $80,000 Per Year Immediately After Graduation
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) Director Deanna Logan today announced that 19 New Yorkers have graduated from an innovative new program that pairs formerly justice-involved adults with Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training — addressing two critical needs: providing financial stability to individuals formerly incarcerated and helping fill workforce gaps in an industry facing significant labor shortages. Recognizing that financial stability and meaningful employment can reduce recidivism and improve community safety, MOCJ forged a public-private partnership with Emerge Career — a one-stop workforce development platform that recruits, assesses, trains, and places justice-involved individuals into high-demand, high-wage careers — and local driving schools to develop a tech-forward program that participants can access both from their phones and behind the wheel of a big rig.
The unemployment rate for individuals reentering society after incarceration is 60 percent, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — 12 times New York City’s unemployment rate. Yet, 100 percent of the city’s recent CDL program graduates have already secured well-paying jobs that pay nearly $125,000 annually, and MOCJ is planning to expand the program in 2026.
“One mistake should not destroy a person’s life because every New Yorker deserves a second chance,” said Mayor Adams. “That’s why we launched this innovative Commercial Driver’s License training program — to pair formerly justice-involved individuals with real economic opportunity. All of today’s graduates are now on the path to financial stability, with jobs that pay up to $125,000 a year. This is an outcome in which we all win: our graduates, our economy, and society at large. We cannot expect people to reintegrate into society if we do not provide them with the means and opportunity to earn a decent living. That is exactly what our CDL program does, and that’s exactly why we will be expanding it next year. Our CDL program is an upstream solution to a downstream problem — and it is yet another example of how we are working hard every day to keep New York City the safest big city in America.”
“We’re working with partners to provide innovative solutions to problems that have long confounded our society,” said MOCJ Director Logan. “Even after serving their time, it can be next to impossible for justice-involved people to find good jobs. That’s why we’re so passionate about reentry programs like this — and impressed with its outcomes.”
Last December, Emerge Career began recruiting and training a cohort of justice-involved New Yorkers with the goal of placing them in trucking careers within a year. Through a combination of online and in-person training, all 20 participants quickly earned their Commercial Learner’s Permits.
Within five months, 10 participants had graduated with a CDL and started full-time jobs, while seven others are currently in the hiring process as the program completes its sixth month.
According to the American Trucking Association, the U.S. is facing a shortage of more than 60,000 drivers. CDL training provides a fast, accessible path to high-wage, stable employment in a critical industry that urgently needs talent — making it especially well-suited for ideal justice-impacted individuals who are often excluded from licensed professions.
“This outstanding program shows our city has not given up on the previously incarcerated, and neither should our society,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “This valuable CDL training will help formerly incarcerated people fill important roles in the job market and give them a true second chance at leading productive, responsible lives. I wish all of today’s graduates great success, and I encourage others who have previously been incarcerated to take advantage of similar opportunities that can help them turn their lives around.”
“Because unemployment is one of the root causes of recidivism, the real risk lies not in offering these New Yorkers second chances, but in denying them,” said Uzoma “Zo” Orchingwa, co-founder, Emerge Career. “Virtually every person incarcerated in New York City will eventually return to our communities, and the vast majority simply want the opportunity to rebuild their lives and create a better future. By investing in reentry and workforce development, we not only transform individual lives — we also make our communities safer and stronger.”
“This initiative is more than a training program,” said David Hennis, a newly licensed truck driver from the Bronx. “It’s a lifeline, a community, and a place where second chances turn into success stories.”
MOCJ — and its Community Innovations team — relies on data to guide its outreach efforts. Research consistently shows that poverty and limited access to vocational training and education are major contributors to incarceration and recidivism. According to a 2018 Brookings study, more than 80 percent of incarcerated men were jobless and had no income in the year prior to their incarceration. After release, only 20 percent reported earning at least $15,000 in their first year back in the community. By contrast, newly employed graduates of the city’s CDL program have secured positions with starting salaries ranging from $78,000 to $124,800.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams hosts a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) resident leadership reception at Gracie Mansion on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Image Credit – Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR ADAMS ON CONSERVING ENERGY
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement encouraging New Yorkers to conserve energy:
“We’re approaching a period of peak energy use, and I’m asking all New Yorkers to help ease the strain on our power system. If you can, set your air conditioner temperature to the highest comfortable setting, turn off any appliances you’re not using, and hold off on running large appliances until after 10 PM. If you have more than one air conditioner, try to use just one. This heat wave is almost over. Let’s keep looking out for one another and keep our city running strong.”
Mayor Eric Adams announces an additional $80 million in funding to support New York City families and expand access to childcare and early childhood education. P.S. 6 Annex, Brooklyn. Thursday, July 10, 2025. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
MAYOR ADAMS LAUNCHES RENT REPORTING PILOT TO HELP TENANTS BUILD CREDIT THROUGH MONTHLY RENTAL PAYMENTS
New Pilot Program Will Enable Tenants in Affordable Housing to Report On-Time Rental Payments to Major Credit Bureaus for Free, Strengthen Credit Scores
Announced in Mayor Adams’ Fourth State of the City Address, “City of Yes for Families” Initiative Will Help New Yorkers Build Wealth and Support Homeownership
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced a new pilot program to help tenants in affordable housing developments report on-time rental payments to major credit bureaus, in an effort to strengthen their credit scores. The free program — an effort by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and rent reporting platform Esusu — will allow eligible tenants in select HPD- and HDC-financed affordable housing developments to opt in to having their rent payments reflected in their credit scores. The pilot — launched in June 2025 and which will run for 15 months — is expected to reach about 500 households. The initiative is a key component of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Families” plan, first unveiled in his State of the City address earlier this year, as well as the “Where We Live” fair housing plan for New York City, to help more families achieve homeownership. Today’s pilot program follows Mayor Adams’ announcement earlier this year that the his administration is doubling the city’s investment in the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program, to provide even more qualified first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs of a one-to-four family home, a condominium, or a co-op in the five boroughs.
“We shattered affordable housing records two years in a row, passed landmark zoning changes to build tens of thousands of new homes, and invested historic amounts of funding in new housing through our budget. There’s no other way to say it: we are the most pro-housing administration in New York City history — full stop,” said Mayor Adams. “Unfortunately, too many of our city’s residents, especially Black and Brown New Yorkers, are still struggling to make the jump from renter to homeowner and build generational wealth. If you’re paying rent on time every month, you should see that reflected in your credit score, and with this program, we will help make that a reality. We will unlock the promise of homeownership for more New Yorkers and double down on our efforts to make New York a more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family.”
“From day one, our administration has committed to supporting New Yorkers’ ability to achieve financial stability and avail themselves of opportunity,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “This commonsense pilot will allow renters to enjoy the benefits of their financial responsibility, helping New Yorkers to build their credit scores and achieve their dream of homeownership.”
“Rent is often an individual or family’s largest monthly expense — and it’s absurd that, for so long, the payments being made never counted toward building credit,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Today, we’re taking an important step towards addressing this issue. This pilot is about fairness and about financial opportunity and builds on our efforts to expand access to homeownership for New Yorkers. If you pay your rent, you should see your credit go up. And now, for those who are a part of this incredible pilot, it will. Thank you to our partners, in and out of government, for helping us reach this important milestone.”
“Traditional methods of calculating credit scores have contributed to barriers faced by low-income households when seeking a safe, stable, and affordable home — further perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “As we continue our efforts to expand access to New York City’s affordable housing supply, we are proud to partner with our colleagues at HPD to deliver solutions that will further strengthen residents’ financial well-being and promote economic mobility for New Yorkers citywide.”
Credit scores play an essential role in determining one’s financial future, with higher credit scores often unlocking lower premiums for home and car insurance, lower interest rates on mortgages, and more. Unfortunately, rental payments do not currently count towards one’s credit score. Across the country and here in New York City, this practice has excluded renters — particularly Black and Brown New Yorkers who are more likely to rent their homes than other demographics — from building up their credit scores, despite years of responsible financial behavior, and ultimately achieving homeownership. To date, Esusu has helped renters establish 200,000+ new credit scores and unlock over $50 billion in capital through new credit tradelines. With an average credit score increase of 45+ points, residents of Esusu-enrolled buildings have accessed $30 billion in mortgages, $2 billion in student loans, and over $9 billion in auto loans.
Rent reporting offers a practical, proven solution to this issue. The pilot will launch in select HPD- and HDC-financed affordable housing developments with a high proportion of low-income tenants. Following an initial three-month outreach period, beginning this month, eligible tenants who enroll can have their rent payments reported for 12 consecutive months, from September 2025 to September 2026, through Esusu. Following the completion of this pilot program, the city will evaluate the results for potential future expansion citywide.
Today’s pilot program follows Mayor Adams’ commitment to help more New Yorkers purchase their first home and build generational wealth as part of his City of Yes for Families strategy. The Adams administration has doubled the city’s investment in the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program to provide even more qualified first-time homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs of a one-to-four family home, a condominium, or a co-op in the five boroughs. Mayor Adams also announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help older adults afford to remain in the communities they call home but also help build generational wealth. In addition to creating more housing opportunities, the Adams administration is actively working to strengthen tenant protections and support homeowners. The Partners in Preservation program was expanded citywide in 2024 through an $11 million investment in local organizations to support tenant organizing and combat harassment in rent-regulated housing. The Homeowner Help Desk, a trusted one-stop shop for low-income homeowners to receive financial and legal counseling from local organizations, was also expanded citywide in 2024 with a $9.85 million funding commitment.
Today’s announcement also fulfills a key commitment in Mayor Adams’ “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness” plan. The blueprint, released in 2022, laid out five key housing pillars for tackling the city’s affordable housing crisis and getting New Yorkers into the safe, high-quality, affordable homes they deserve. As part of that plan, Mayor Adams’ committed to developing a rent reporting pilot to help communities build wealth and achieve homeownership.
“Esusu is proud to partner with HPD and HDC to create transformative, credit-building opportunities for renters in New York, helping them work towards financial equity and ultimately generational wealth,” said Samir Goel and Wemimo Abbey, co-founders and co-CEOs, Esusu. “Families using the Esusu platform gain access to a hand-picked list of services and programs focused on fostering economic mobility and wealth creation. Together, Esusu and HPD will continue building solutions to create positive housing outcomes for low-income families across New York.”
“In a high-cost city like New York, affordable housing is a vital public resource, a place for low- and moderate-income families to experience housing stability,” said Baaba Halm, interim co-president of Solutions Division and senior vice president of programs, Enterprise Community Partners. “However, we must also be doing more to make it a place where wealth-building and access to economic opportunity is a priority. Through Enterprise’s Rent to Build Credit pilot, we explored the promising potential for rent payments to improve credit scores, and we are thrilled to see our partners at HPD take this concept further.”
Since entering office, Mayor Adams has made historic investments toward creating affordable housing and ensuring more New Yorkers have a place to call home. In addition to keeping more New Yorkers in the homes they already have, Mayor Adams is working to build more homes as well. The Adams administration is advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver more than 50,000 units over the next 15 years to New York neighborhoods. In addition to the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan and the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, both of which have been passed by the New York City Council, the Adams administration is advancing plans in Midtown South in Manhattan, as well as Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens. Moreover, last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. Last June, City Hall and the City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.5 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Mayor Adams celebrated back-to-back record breaking fiscal years, as well as back-to-back calendar years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. Last spring, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.
Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey Inc.’s celebration for the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. Phuntsok Deshe – Tibetan Community Center of New York & New Jersey, 57-12 32nd Avenue
Woodside, NY. Sunday, July 6, 2025. Image Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
AS “WE OUTSIDE SUMMER” CONTINUES, MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES START OF OUTDOOR POOL SEASON AND CELEBRATES OPENING OF NEW GOTTESMAN POOL IN CENTRAL PARK
City’s Newest Outdoor Pool Opens at Davis Center in Harlem Meer
Outdoor Public Pools Open Citywide Starting Friday, June 27, Will Remain Open Until Sunday, September 7
City Has Hired 680 Lifeguards This Year, Increase of Nearly 10 Percent From This Time in 2024; Lifeguard Certification Will Continue Through Mid-July
City Announces Return of Adult Lap Swim, Expansion of Free Learn to Swim Programming
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa today continued New York’s “We Outside Summer” by celebrating the opening of city public pools starting tomorrow, Friday, June 27. Adams administration officials were joined by Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Betsy Smith and community members to celebrate the start of the citywide outdoor pool season at the city’s newest outdoor pool, the Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center in Central Park. The Adams administration announced that New York City now has 680 lifeguards as of today, an increase of nearly 10 percent from this time in 2024, and a number that is expected to continue to grow as lifeguard certification continues through mid-July. Finally, Mayor Adams announced the return of Adult Lap Swim and the expansion of free Learn to Swim programming.
“New York City’s pools are incredible places for New Yorkers to come together, learn to swim, and beat the heat. During days of extreme heat, like this week — the need for public pools is greater than ever,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re diving into summer and continuing our ‘We Outside Summer’ by opening the new Gottesman Pool at the Harlem Meer and 64 other public pools across the five boroughs. During a heat wave, one of the greatest responsibilities we have as a city is to provide access to resources that keep our most vulnerable New Yorkers cool and safe — and that means opening our public pools and giving our children access to free swim lessons and trained lifeguards, so they are protected in and around the water this summer. This is just another way we are making our city safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family.”
“Our free outdoor pools are synonymous with summer for so many New Yorkers — they’re incredible amenities that allow people to cool off, have fun, and stay fit,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Rodriguez-Rosa. “We’re thrilled to welcome people, for the first time, to the Gottesman Pool, a new crown jewel for the Harlem community, which will serve as a dynamic and welcoming space for recreation and public programs. In addition, this administration continues to prioritize investments in public pool infrastructure and increase access to free swim instruction for young people. We’re looking forward to seeing New Yorkers make a splash this summer at our pools citywide!”
“The Central Park Conservancy is proud to welcome New Yorkers to the Davis Center’s new, state-of-the-art public pool for the 2025 season,” said Central Park Conservancy President and CEO Smith. “This $160 million investment in the park’s north end, the most significant and complex project in our organization’s history, exemplifies how public parks can evolve to better serve their communities. The Davis Center will provide much-needed, year-round access to swimming, skating, and nature for Harlem and northern Manhattan. We are deeply grateful to the city for its partnership in bringing this transformative space to life.”
Outdoor pool hours are from 11:00 AM through 7:00 PM daily, with a break for pool cleaning between 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. NYC Parks operates 53 outdoor pools throughout the five boroughs. New Yorkers can visit the city’s Outdoor Pools page for more information and the Cool It! NYC map for cooling features in every neighborhood — including pools, spray showers, drinking fountains, and more.
This summer, NYC Parks is pleased to expand free Learn to Swim programming from six to 10 outdoor pools throughout the city, furthering the Adams administration’s commitment to increasing access to free classes that help New Yorkers develop critical water safety skills; this includes a new program at Gottesman Pool due to the generous support from Central Park Conservancy. The registration lottery will be available on the NYC Parks website.
Additionally, NYC Parks is pleased to bring back Adult Lap Swim this summer. One pool per borough, including at Van Cortlandt Park pool in the Bronx, Kosciuszko pool in Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson Park pool in Manhattan, Astoria Park pool in Queens, and Lyons Pool Recreation Center on Staten Island, will allow fitness-minded New Yorkers to take to the water without interruption from other swimmers. Senior Splash will continue at one pool per borough, including at Van Cortlandt Park pool, Kosciuszko pool, Thomas Jefferson Park pool, Astoria Park pool in Queens, and Lyons Pool Recreation Center. All programming will run from July 7 to August 29, 2025.
Last month, Mayor Adams announced the newly named “Elyjha Chandler and Christian Perkins Swim for Life” class at Erasmus High School in Flatbush, Brooklyn in honor of two teenagers who drowned off the coast of Jacob Riis Beach in the summer of 2024. The Adams administration has also invested $5.5 million more to expand free swim safety classes to a total of 18,000 second graders, as first announced in Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City address earlier this year.
In June 2024, Mayor Adams and NYC Parks announced “Let’s Swim NYC,” a $1 billion capital investment over five years to improve and expand the city’s public pool network over the course of five years.
The new Gottesman Pool — part of the recently opened Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, which opened in April — was a $160 million project led by the Central Park Conservancy and was funded with $60 million in city funding, in addition to private donations. Replacing the Lasker Pool and Rink, which was beyond repair, the new elongated oval pool measures 285 by 120 feet, larger than an Olympic-size pool and among the largest public pools in New York City. Built into the site’s natural topography, the pool will transform into an ice rink in the winter and a multi-use turf field in the spring and fall, called the Harlem Oval, ensuring year-round use.
The Davis Center was designed by Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture & Design and Mitchell Giurgola Architects as part of larger re-envisioning of the site by the Central Park Conservancy’s landscape architecture team and is managed seasonally in partnership with NYC Parks.
New Yorkers can be notified about the status of their local pools and beaches by signing up for New York City Emergency Management’s Notify NYC system, and then selecting which pools and beaches they are interested in to be notified by text and/or email of significant updates or temporary closures.
Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, and New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) Commissioner Keith Howard celebrate the first day of the 2025 Summer Rising season. P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman, Manhattan. Wednesday, July 2, 2025. . Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
MAYOR ADAMS MAKES SIX JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced six new judicial appointments — two appointments to Criminal Court and four appointments to Civil Court.
“It is my honor to appoint six distinguished New Yorkers to serve as judges in Criminal and Civil Court as they help make New York City safer and the best place to raise a family,” said Mayor Adams. “Our judicial branch is a crucial part of our democracy and helps deliver on our core mission every day. I thank these New Yorkers for their service and commitment to the rule of law.”
“I join Mayor Adams in thanking these talented and dedicated judges for their service,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Allison Stoddart. “New Yorkers deserve a judiciary that treats litigants with respect and is fundamentally fair, and these lawyers have each demonstrated those qualities.”
Mayor Adams appointed the following judges to Criminal Court:
Judge Orville Reynolds was appointed as a Criminal Court judge in June 2025. Judge Reynolds is a former Bronx County assistant district attorney and supervising assistant district attorney, having served for over a decade in the Criminal Court, Grand Jury, Narcotics, Trial, and Homicide Bureaus. He previously served with the New York City Law Department as deputy bureau chief of the Major Case Unit. He was the chief of Advanced Litigation Strategies and Major Case Unit until his appointment to the bench.
Judge Shirin Zarabi was appointed as a Criminal Court judge in June 2025. Judge Zarabi served with The Legal Aid Society, Nassau County as a criminal division attorney before joining the Brooklyn Defender Services as a senior trial attorney. Thereafter, she left to join the New York state Unified Court System, where, prior to her appointment to the bench, she served as a principal court attorney in Supreme Court, Kings County, Criminal Term.
Mayor Adams appointed the following judges to Civil Court:
Judge Jacqueline Cabrera was appointed as an interim Civil Court judge in June 2025 and has been serving in Family Court. Judge Cabrera was an associate attorney at a private firm handling family court cases on behalf of a foster care agency. She then established a private practice litigating matters as a member of the Attorneys for Children and Assigned Counsel Plan, 18b, as well as being a New York City impartial hearing officer for the New York state Education Department. After nearly 20 years of maintaining her private practice, Judge Cabrera joined the New York state Unified Court System as a support magistrate in Family Court, Richmond and Kings Counties, until her appointment to the bench.
Judge Lauren Norton-Lerner was appointed as an interim Civil Court judge in June 2025 and has been serving in Family Court. Judge Norton-Lerner is a former investigative attorney with the United States Department of Labor, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration. She served with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, Division of Legal Services as an attorney level III/team leader and was briefly a bank attorney/title closer and litigation associate with two private firms before returning to the public sector. Judge Norton-Lerner joined the New York state Unified Court System as a court attorney in Family Court, Queens County before becoming a court attorney referee in both Bronx and Queens counties until her appointment to the bench.
Judge Erik Pinsonnault was appointed as an interim Civil Court judge in June 2025 and has been serving in Family Court. Judge Pinsonnault briefly worked as a part-time contract attorney and legal assistant for private law offices before joining the New York state Unified Court System in the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department. There, he first served as an appellate court attorney then as a principal law clerk. Judge Pinsonnault then left to serve as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the New York Attorney General in the Litigation Bureau before returning to the Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department as a principal appellate court attorney. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he served as a senior principal law clerk to a New York Supreme Court justice in the Appellate Division, Second Department.
Judge Scott Schwartz was appointed as an interim Civil Court judge in June 2025 and has been serving in Family Court. Early in his career, Judge Schwartz practiced at a private firm as an associate, litigating bank and real estate matters. He went on to serve with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney. Thereafter, Judge Schwartz opened and managed his own solo practice for 20 years, handling matters including abuse and neglect, custody and visitation, and juvenile delinquency. Judge Schwartz was a member of the Assigned Counsel Plan and Office of Attorneys for Children and Felony Panel until his appointment to the bench.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at his Caribbean American Heritage Reception. Gracie Mansion. Monday, June 30, 2025 Photo Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
“BEST BUDGET EVER” GETS EVEN BETTER: MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON UNANIMOUS PASSAGE OF FISCAL YEAR 2026 ADOPTED BUDGET
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after the New York City Council voted unanimously to pass the $115.9 billion Fiscal Year 2026 Budget agreed upon on Friday:
“Today, all 51 members of the City Council joined us in making the ‘Best Budget Ever’ even better by unanimously passing a budget that invests in the public-safety, affordability, and quality-of-life initiatives New Yorkers deeply care about.
“To put more money back in the pockets of our city’s residents, this budget includes major new, visionary initiatives that will deliver a groundbreaking pilot program to provide free child care for children aged two and under for low-income families, funding for more child care vouchers, increased funding for ‘NYC Fair Fares’ to provide highly-discounted subway and bus access to more New Yorkers, backfilled funding for the federal AmeriCorps service program to foster opportunity and civic engagement, more funding for library operations with greater seven-day service, more funding to help minority- and women-owned businesses thrive, funds to help runaway and homeless youth find safe and affordable housing, and so much more.
“To protect public safety and improve quality of life, we are establishing the ‘LGBTQ+ Emergency Support Fund’ to aid community-based organizations at risk of losing federal funding, allocating more funding to our city’s district attorneys, creating the Department of Sustainable Delivery to regulate commercial e-bikes, establishing the South Bronx Community Justice Center, and adding funding for parks, cleanliness, and sanitation.
“To help people in mental crisis, we are adding funding to the 988 crisis intervention and suicide prevention lifeline, expanding the number of intensive Mobile Treatment teams and Assertive Community Treatment services, and developing additional Crisis Respite Centers, which are proven strategies to deliver help to those who need it most.
“And at a time when many immigrants in our city live in fear of being detained or deported, we will use every legal means possible to keep them safe. That is why, in this budget, we are funding over $55 million in immigration-related legal services for New Yorkers; more than any other major city in America.
“This adopted budget builds on our administration’s previously announced priorities of ‘After-School for All,’ record-levels of capital investment in affordable housing, the transformation of Fifth Avenue, the revitalization of public space known as ‘The Arches,’ baselining funding for 3-K citywide expansion and special education pre-K, and our landmark ‘Axe the Tax’ plan that will make New York City more affordable by eliminating personal income taxes for low-income families for the first-time ever.
“Every day, our administration continues to work to deliver our core mission: to make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family — and this budget is an embodiment of how we are carrying out that mission each-and-every day. I thank Speaker Adams and our partners in the City Council, as well as OMB Director Jiha and all the members of our administration who worked so hard to pass our fourth on-time, balanced, and fiscally responsible budget that continues to deliver for working-class New Yorkers.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams marches in the Heritage of Pride 2025 New York City Pride March. New York, NY. Sunday, June 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Mayoral Photography Office
MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON RENT GUIDELINES BOARD FINAL VOTE
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams tonight released the following statement after the Rent Guidelines Board took a final vote for rent-stabilized lease adjustments of 3 percent for one-year leases and 4.5 percent for two-year leases:
“For the last three-and-a-half years, our administration has worked every day to make our city more affordable for working-class New Yorkers — lowering the cost of childcare to less than $5 per week for low-income families; winning the power to eliminate city personal income taxes for over half-a-million low-income New Yorkers and put $63 million back in their pockets; providing free high-speed internet to NYCHA residents; cutting the cost of riding the subway and buses in half for low-income New Yorkers; and putting up to 500,000 New Yorkers on the path to have more than $2 billion in medical debt cancelled. This is real work that has delivered real results and made New York City more affordable.
“Another massive cost for New Yorkers each month is rent, and the city’s historically low rental vacancy has millions of us feeling the squeeze, which is why, earlier today, I urged the Rent Guidelines Board to adopt the lowest increase possible, as I’ve done in the past. While the board exercised their independent judgment, and made an adjustment based on elements such as inflation, I am disappointed that they approved increases higher than what I called for.
“While our administration is always fighting to make this city more affordable, what we will never do is sell New Yorkers on an idea that would ultimately leave them in worsening housing conditions. Rent may be on the rise, but so are deteriorating housing conditions — including inadequate heat and heating breakdowns, mice and rat problems, mold, and leaks — especially for New Yorkers in rent-stabilized housing. Demands to ‘freeze the rent’ would exacerbate these harmful health and safety issues inside the homes of more than 1 million New Yorkers by depriving owners of the resources needed to make repairs — a cruel and dangerous proposal. While freezing the rent may sound like a catchy slogan, it is bad policy, short-sighted, and only puts tenants in harm’s way. As the mayor of this city, I will never choose a politically advantageous position over what I know in my heart to be best for New Yorkers.
“We know that the city’s housing crisis cannot be solved by the Rent Guidelines Board alone. Doing so will require preserving our existing housing stock and building an abundance of new housing across our city, which our administration continues to do at record levels. We’ve created an unprecedented number of new affordable homes in back-to-back years, pushed Albany to help spur the development of new affordable housing, and passed the most pro-housing citywide zoning reform in the city’s history through the ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ — but we’re not stopping there. If our five neighborhood rezonings are approved, we will open the door to more than 130,000 homes to be built in New York City over the next 15 years — more than the 20 years of the last two mayoral administrations combined. Simply put, our administration is the most pro-housing administration in New York City’s history, and we continue to prove it every single day.”
Banner Image: New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey Inc.’s celebration for the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. Phuntsok Deshe – Tibetan Community Center of New York & New Jersey, 57-12 32nd Avenue Woodside, NY. Sunday, July 6, 2025. Image Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
[…] note: Earlier this year, the Mayor’s Office announced multiple affordable housing related items, including the ability …. He also announced the breaking of many affordable housing records across the […]