‘Bridge To Home,’ Arts Center/Affordable Homes In Brownsville, Civics Program Expansion, All Charter Questions On November Ballot, Adding WTC Names To Wall, Opposing Military Deployment In Cities, Record-Breaking NYC Ferry Riders, Historic Rat Sighting Decline: Mayor Adams 

‘Bridge To Home,’ Arts Center/Affordable Homes In Brownsville, Civics Program Expansion, All Charter Questions On November Ballot, Adding WTC Names To Wall, Opposing Military Deployment In Cities, Record-Breaking NYC Ferry Riders, Historic Rat Sighting Decline: Mayor Adams 

Editor’s note: Readers can see Mayor Adams rundown last week here, and his op-ed about the “Bridge to Home” program here.  The Mayor also made a statement in support of banning horse-drawn carriages on city streets, published with comments by other politicians and organizations. 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz today announced the opening of NYC Health + Hospitals’ “Bridge to Home” facility, a new, innovative support model designed to help patients living with severe mental illness who are ready to be discharged from the hospital but do not have a place to go. Bridge to Home is funded as part of the Adams administration’s $650 million plan to address homelessness and support New Yorkers experiencing serious mental illness. The Bridge to Home program aims to fill this critical gap between inpatient treatment and permanent housing placement, offering patients a stable, home-like environment with onsite clinical services and behavioral health care to ensure they can continue their recovery while transitioning to permanent housing. The Midtown West facility will welcome its first guests this week, and provide single rooms to 46 guests, when at full capacity, with dedicated on-site clinical, behavioral health, and administrative support. The first-of-its-kind model was first unveiled as part of Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City address.

“For decades, New Yorkers struggling with serious mental illness have been caught in a cycle between hospitals and streets. But now, with ‘Bridge to Home,’ we are finally breaking that cycle and creating an off-ramp to ensure New Yorkers leaving the hospital have a nurturing and safe environment to maintain their progress,” said Mayor Adams. “Since the start, our administration has been laser focused on supporting our most vulnerable New Yorkers, especially those struggling with serious mental illness. From launching innovative co-response programs that engage New Yorkers on the streets to investing over $650 million in a comprehensive plan to address homelessness, and even helping pass legislation in Albany that allows us to finally ensure people get help even when they don’t even recognize their own need for it, our administration has been committed to bringing real change, and this is yet another example of the transformation we are making across our city. I thank Dr. Katz and the entire team at NYC Health + Hospitals for their vision and their dedication to realizing this innovative model, which will impact countless lives.”

“The launch of ‘Bridge to Home’ marks a significant step forward in our ability to improve the lives of our most vulnerable New Yorkers living with serious mental illness,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Too often, without the stability they need to heal, patients leave the hospital only to return to shelters or the street. ‘Bridge to Home’ offers a safe place to land — with on-site support, clinical care, and a path forward. By combining transitional housing with coordinated, compassionate services, we’re helping people rebuild their lives and find a more permanent home.”

By offering patients intensive treatment and comprehensive support, Bridge to Home aims to keep patients on a path toward sustained success, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, decreasing homelessness and reliance on shelters, and lowering interactions with the criminal justice system.

Today’s announcement also builds on Mayor Adams’ “End the Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, which highlights the work the administration has done, to date, to change the culture and laws that prevented people with severe mental illness from getting the help they needed, while simultaneously making the investments necessary to support outreach, harm reduction, wraparound services, and housing — all in an effort to make lasting impacts in lives and communities. Mayor Adams is bringing the same energy and approach that proved to be successful in carving a new path to help people with severe mental illness to address other health crises, like drug addiction, playing out on city streets, and recently laid out plans to realize that vision by connecting those suffering with treatment.

Approximately 78,000 behavioral health patients receive services annually at NYC Health + Hospitals and nearly half of them experience homelessness. For these patients, however, recovery is often delayed due to the instability of housing. The Bridge to Home program provides a key solution by offering a place to stay with comprehensive on-site support while patients transition to permanent housing, reducing reliance on emergency care and improving long-term stability for patients as they prepare for permanent housing.

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The Bridge to Home facility on West 36th Street ensures patients are in close proximity to Bellevue Hospital and the full spectrum of services offered within the NYC Health + Hospitals system, including behavioral health care, medical treatment, and housing navigation. The building will be staffed 24/7 by NYC Health + Hospitals professionals and feature a comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment team consisting of psychiatric providers, social workers, nurses, and peer specialists. Behavioral health services will include medication management, individual and group therapy, substance use disorder treatment, and around-the-clock support.

During their stay, Bridge to Home guests will also receive access to crucial wraparound services such as case management and housing navigation to assist in securing permanent, supportive housing. The facility will offer three meals a day, daily group activities, and a range of therapeutic and recreational opportunities designed to support both privacy and socialization.

Bridge to Home creates a new link in the behavioral health continuum of care, providing the city’s public hospital system a discharge option for individuals who no longer meet inpatient criteria but need additional supports in the community. The program expands the public hospital system’s care options, which include three Extended Care Units. Extended Care Units offer inpatient care for patients with serious mental illness who have been historically disconnected from health and social services for up to 120 days, compared to an average of 21-day stay for patients in acute psychiatric inpatient care.

Bridge to Home will work in concert with NYC Health + Hospitals’ “Housing for Health” program, which has housed nearly 1,500 patients, and is expected to improve engagement in outpatient care, reduce emergency room visits, and support successful transitions from homelessness to permanent housing. Housing for Health community partners will work with guests at the Bridge to Home facility to help secure permanent housing placements. NYC Health + Hospitals’ lease of the entire Hudson River Hotel on West 36th Street will provide single rooms to 46 guests at full capacity with dedicated on-site clinical, behavioral health, as well as administrative support. The three-year lease of the facility — approved by the NYC Health + Hospitals Board of Directors in late July — marks an important milestone in the city’s effort to support patients transitioning from hospital care to long-term stability. The program aims to reduce reliance on emergency care, prevent hospital readmissions, and improve overall outcomes for vulnerable New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.

“Patients with serious mental illness who are ready for discharge need ongoing clinical and housing support — without it, their recovery may be disrupted, leading them back to the hospital or the street,” said Dr. Ted Long, senior vice president for ambulatory care and population health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “With ‘Bridge to Home’ we are ready to address that unmet need with compassion and precision. It’s not just a roof over someone’s head, it’s a clinical and community-based lifeline. With this model, we are building a seamless bridge between hospital care and long-term stability, ensuring patients stay connected to the care they need while gaining the housing security to heal and get back on their feet.”

“As the largest provider of behavioral health services in the city, we feel a deep responsibility to continue to develop clinical models of care that support our most complex patients,” said Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, chief of behavioral health services, NYC Health + Hospitals. “This week, we are proud to launch a new initiative — one that will provide clinical services to homeless individuals with serious mental illness in a home-like environment, while comprehensively addressing their needs in a patient-centered way to help them attain stability and permanent housing.”

“‘Bridge to Home’ is an innovative transitional housing model that bolsters the city’s continuum of care and adds to a robust safety net of specialized resources for New Yorkers who may be in danger of falling into unsheltered homelessness,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “Congratulations to the clients who will soon benefit from this supportive and nurturing facility as they take the next steps toward achieving self-sufficiency.”

“The challenges of helping patients with severe mental illness maintain stability in the community after inpatient care are well known,” said Dr. Eric Wei, chief executive officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “‘Bridge to Home’ will be an essential part of Bellevue’s continuum of care, improving patient outcomes by providing a holistic approach that includes housing, access to onsite clinical staff, and interventions designed to enhance functioning as patients transition into permanent housing. This transformative program will fill a critical gap in community treatment for individuals living with serious mental illness.”

“Psychiatrists working in public settings have long hoped for a program like ‘Bridge to Home,’” said Dr. Bipin Subedi, chief of psychiatry NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “Discharging patients with serious mental illness has often meant sending them into uncertain housing situations, despite the significant progress made during hospitalization. Access to a facility that meets both housing and clinical needs — while fostering a sense of community and improving day-to-day functioning — will be a powerful asset in supporting both short- and long-term recovery. ‘Bridge to Home’ will extend the high-quality care we provide at Bellevue into the community, offering vital continuity for our patients. It will truly transform how we support individuals with serious mental illness who are also struggling with unstable housing.”

“‘Bridge to Home’ is a compassionate and necessary addition to our city’s behavioral health care system,” said New York City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse. “As chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Hospitals, I commend NYC Health + Hospitals for taking a bold step to ensure patients aren’t left behind after discharge. In my years as a nurse, I was often pained during the discharge process, knowing some patients still needed care and stability to truly heal. ‘Bridge to Home’ aims to fill that gap. Transitional housing with integrated care helps stabilize lives, reduce hospital readmissions, and bring dignity to those struggling with serious mental illness. This is the kind of thoughtful investment that saves lives and strengthens our communities.”

“We at Praxis Housing welcome ‘Bridge to Home’ to our neighborhood,” said Floyd Cuevas, director of operations, Praxis Housing Initiatives, Inc. “Over the last 30 years, we have seen many homeless persons with special needs struggle after they leave the hospital and return to living on the street. We hope that by improving medical care coordination and creating a path towards permanent housing, this model will help reduce the recidivism of homelessness for this marginalized population and be replicated across our city.”

Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz today announce the opening of NYC Health + Hospitals’ “Bridge to Home” facility. Dyer Avenue & West 36th Street, Manhattan. Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

MOST PRO-HOUSING ADMINISTRATION IN CITY HISTORY: MAYOR ADAMS, GILBANE DEVELOPMENT, BLUE SEA DEVELOPMENT, ARTSPACE BREAK GROUND ON 283 AFFORDABLE HOMES, NEW ARTS CENTER IN BROWNSVILLE 

Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments Project Will Bring Hundreds of New Affordable Homes, Residential Space, and Cultural Arts Center to Brooklyn

All-Electric Project Earned NYSERDA’s Blue Ribbon Award for Design Excellence, Construction Expected to Start in July 2025 and Finish in December 2027 

Groundbreaking Builds on Recent Announcement That Adams Administration Has Created, Preserved, or Planned Over 426,000 Homes for New Yorkers Through Efforts to Date

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development, and Artspace Projects, Inc. today broke ground on the Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments (BACA) project. Located on a city-owned site at 366 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn, BACA will create 283 new affordable rental apartments available to households earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income, including a mix of studio to three-bedroom apartments, as well as dedicated units for formerly homeless individuals. Additionally, BACA will deliver a 28,000 square-foot cultural arts center with a 3,440 square-foot multi-purpose performance, rehearsal, and studio space for community arts groups. Along with nearly 263,000 square feet of residential space, the new cultural arts center and affordable housing development will serve as a vibrant and inclusive community hub. BACA is expected to cost $254 million, with the Adams administration contributing nearly $100 million in city subsidies. BACA marks a major step forward in bringing transformative, affordable housing and dynamic community-centered space to the heart of Brownsville and builds on the Adams administration’s record as the most pro-housing administration in city history; the Adams administration has created, preserved, or planned over 426,000 homes through its efforts to date alone.

“Making New York City the best place to raise a family means creating affordable homes and delivering high-quality community spaces; that is what this project is all about,” said Mayor Adams. “We’ll bring hundreds of new affordable homes to Brownsville and give New Yorkers a vibrant place to dance and perform. From Brownsville to University Heights, we’re building much-needed homes across the entire city and reinforcing our reputation, once again, as the most pro-housing administration in city history.”

“Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments furthers the Adams administration’s commitment to delivering on affordable housing and the arts. By investing in Brownsville’s future, putting 283 families into affordable housing, and delivering a new arts and cultural center for the neighborhood, we are a ‘City of Yes,’” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “I congratulate Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development, and Artspace for reaching a monumental milestone.”

“The entire BACA project — including the housing, cultural space, and intentional commitment to this neighborhood — is a perfect embodiment of the Brownsville Plan, a bold, community-driven vision that committed to creating more than 2,500 new affordable homes alongside substantial city fundings for investments in culture, health, youth, and public spaces,” said HPD Acting Commissioner Tigani. “In that same spirit, BACA will deliver 283 deeply affordable apartments, including homes for formerly homeless households, and a 28,000-square-foot cultural arts center with performance, rehearsal, and studio space. This project is more than housing — it’s a vibrant cultural hub that will spark creativity, foster opportunity, and instill pride, showing what’s possible when we pair deeply affordable housing with spaces that honor community and expression. I am profoundly grateful to my colleagues, the development team and their partners, and our essential local leaders whose vision made this transformative project a reality.”

Following the completion of a competitive request for proposals process led by HPD, BACA will pair deeply affordable housing with opportunities for cultural expression and community connection. Gilbane Development, Blue Sea Development, and Artspace Projects, Inc. will serve as joint venture development partners; Gilbane Building will serve as general contractor; and Aufgang Architects will serve as architect. Gilbane Development is the real estate development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, Inc. With over $11.8 billion in development and more than 25,000 units of housing either completed or underway, Gilbane Development’s projects incorporate every aspect of real estate, including multifamily housing (market rate apartments, student housing, and affordable housing); mixed-used developments; health care facilities; K-12 schools; government facilities; and many types of facilities delivered through public-private partnerships. Additionally, Blue Sea Development Company is a real estate development company known for high-performance multifamily and mixed-use buildings, including the first affordable Energy Star, LEED-Platinum, and Partnership for a Healthier America Active Design-Verified developments in New York state. With its deep commitment to community engagement, every project reflects a belief in providing quality, affordable, sustainable homes to the people who need them most.

Designed as an all-electric building, BACA targets high environmental and building standards, including the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) 2021 CORE standard, LEED Platinum, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Multifamily New Construction Program, EPA’s Indoor airPlus, and Fitwel certifications. BACA has been recognized by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of its Buildings of Excellence and Building Cleaner Communities Competitions. With construction starting in July 2025 and completion expected in December 2027, BACA represents a transformative investment in the social and cultural fabric of the Brownsville neighborhood.

This project will be made possible through funding from HPD and HDC, who collectively provided $88.1 million in housing subsidies. Funding for the project also includes $8.2 million of city capital subsidy provided by DCLA for the arts center, as well as grants from NYSERDA and the Empire State Development Corporation. Additional funding sources also include $2 million in RESO A funding provided by former New York City Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel, $1 million in Reso A funding provided by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brownfield Tax credit equity and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits syndicated by Raymond James, and construction financing provided by TD Bank.

BACA is part of the city’s ongoing Brownsville Plan, a community-led process to identify neighborhood goals, form strategies to address local needs, and find resources to help fill the gaps. As a result, it will bring more than 2,500 new affordable homes to the neighborhood, an investment of over $1 billion. New development on city-owned land will support the goals of improving health, safety, community economic development, and the arts in the form of a new cultural center in Brownsville, a new center for innovation and entrepreneurship, and new neighborhood retail and space for community organizations — all paired with affordable housing.

“The Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments will be so much more than a home — it will be a thriving hub for people to gather for performances, for students to learn about the arts, and for local cultural organizations to grow,” said Yarojin Robinson, senior vice president, Affordable & Mixed-Income Housing, Gilbane Development. “We are grateful to our partners, Blue Sea Development and Artspace, and for the critical financial support from the city and state. Together, we’re working to make Brownsville more affordable, sustainable and connected.”

“At the heart of the Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments is a belief in connection: connection to home, to culture, and connection to one another,” said Jacob Bluestone, Blue Sea Development Company. “It means a great deal to all of us at Blue Sea Development and Gilbane Development to be part of a project that treats cultural infrastructure and affordable housing not as separate needs, but as shared pillars of community life.”

“The Brownsville Arts Center & Apartments shows what’s possible when affordable housing and the arts are woven together to serve a community,” said Will Law, president and CEO, Artspace. “With strong local partnerships and a shared commitment to creativity, BACA will be a place where artists and neighbors can create, connect, and grow — ensuring Brownsville’s cultural life continues to flourish for generations to come.”

Since entering office, Mayor Adams has made historic investments to create more affordable housing and ensure more New Yorkers have a place to call home. Earlier this year, Mayor Adams announced that his administration has created, preserved, or planned approximately 426,800 homes for New Yorkers through its work to date. Mayor Adams also announced that, in Fiscal Year 2025, the Adams administration created the most affordable rental units in city history and celebrated back-to-back-to-back record-breaking years for producing permanently-affordable homes for formerly-homeless New Yorkers, placing homeless New Yorkers into housing, and connecting New Yorkers to housing through the city’s housing lottery.

In addition to creating and preserving record amounts of affordable and market-rate housing for New Yorkers, the Adams administration has also passed ambitious plans that will create tens of thousands of new homes as well. 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.

The Adams administration is also advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver nearly 50,000 homes over the next 15 years to New York neighborhoods. In addition to the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan, the Midtown South plan, and the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan — all of which have already been passed by the New York City Council — the Adams administration is also advancing plans in Jamaica and Long Island City in Queens.

Building on the success of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, Mayor Adams unveiled his “City of Yes for Families” strategy in his State of the City address earlier this year to build more homes and create more family-friendly neighborhoods across New York City. Under City of Yes for Families, the Adams administration is advancing more housing on city-owned sites, creating new tools to support homeownership, and building more housing alongside schools, playgrounds, grocery stores, accessible transit stations, and libraries.

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 a $24 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 $13 million funding commitment.

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that are already helping 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.

BACA will bring hundreds of new affordable homes and a world-class cultural center to Brownsville, Brooklyn. Credit: Aufgang Architects

ADAMS ADMINISTRATION COMMITS $3.2 MILLION TO EXPAND NYC CIVIC CORPS SERVICE PROGRAM TO ALL FIVE BOROUGHS

Best Budget Ever Expands NYC Civic Corps Program to All Five Boroughs with 150 Positions Available at More than 80 Participating Organizations and Agencies

NYC Service Now Accepting Applications to Serve 10-month Terms in the City, Building Capacity of Public and Nonprofit Sector Organizations

NEW YORK, NY — NYC Service is now recruiting 150 individuals to serve full-time at one of more than 80 public sector organizations due to the Adams Administration’s $3.2 million dollar investment to scale and supplement its AmeriCorps grant. In the June 2026 Best Budget Ever, the Adams Administration allocated funding to safeguard NYC Civic Corps, a service-based workforce program for individuals 18 years and older, after nationwide cuts to AmeriCorps. Since the City’s initial commitment to protect service and volunteerism in June, NYC Service received a formula AmeriCorps grant through the New York State Commission on National and Community Service to continue offering key benefits for those participating in NYC Civic Corps, such as education awards. The Adams Administration’s investment allows for six-times more opportunities for individuals to support the delivery of social services with more organizations than the AmeriCorps grant alone.

“From day one, we’ve fought to protect programs that strengthen communities and open doors for public service careers,” said Deputy Mayor for Administration and Chief of Staff to the Mayor Camille Joseph Varlack. “Today, we celebrate a hard-won victory to keep NYC Civic Corps strong with maximum support for nonprofits, expanded opportunities for New Yorkers, and proving once again that AmeriCorps members are the lifeline of this city, from classrooms to clinics to community centers.”

“NYC Civic Corps is a program that bridges divides, makes communities healthier, and creates a sense of belonging to this city we all love and champion. Organizations depend on the support of NYC Civic Corps members to reach New Yorkers in underserved communities with dignity and crucial resources,” said Chief Service Officer Laura Rog. “The City’s $3.2 million dollar investment to expand on our AmeriCorps program is a commitment to strengthening New York City communities. This investment means we will be able to support to more than 80 nonprofit and City agency partners across all five boroughs and offer 150 opportunities for individuals to enter and grow in the workforce.”

“AmeriCorps has long been an essential program in fostering civic engagement and delivering services to build a New York where everyone can thrive,” said Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor and Chief Engagement Officer Crystal Price. “For every $1 invested in these programs, we see a $17 return in community value. By strengthening our commitment to service, we are galvanizing the city’s civic infrastructure to continue to deliver essential services for New Yorkers.”

As the first City of Service and a leading municipality in service programming, New York City is offering a model of how local governments can preserve vital service programs. NYC’s investment shows how local action can safeguard impacts for residents and strengthen the public workforce pipeline. NYC Civic Corps members get things done for New Yorkers, such as supporting education programs for youth or formerly incarcerated individuals, helping families access resources, and strengthening community organizations with volunteer programming, while also gaining valuable skills from NYC Service’s support team and workforce experience at their service site. NYC Service programs have significant impact on social service delivery and public engagement with members directly impacting 88,033 New Yorkers, recruiting and managing 14,050 volunteers at more than 50 organizations, and coordinating 893 events/trainings to deliver essential resources and programming from September 2024 through March 2025 alone.

This year, NYC Service is offering 150 full-time opportunities for eligible individuals to serve a 10-month term at a community-based organization or City agency through the NYS AmeriCorps Formula grant and investment from the City. Interested applicants have until September 28th, 2025 to complete an application at nyc.gov/servenyc.

“For over 30 years, AmeriCorps New York programs have exemplified resilience and community. Despite facing some difficult challenges this year, the service community in New York State stands proud and ready to transform obstacles into opportunities for service and growth. The mission of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service is to strengthen communities and improve lives through service and volunteerism, and NYC Service has been a valued partner in that effort for more than 15 years,” said Beth Tailleur, Acting Executive Director of the New York State Commission on National and Community Service. “I greatly appreciate NYC Service’s commitment to serving others. I congratulate them on being awarded a new AmeriCorps grant for the NYC Civic Corps program, and I look forward to our continued partnership.”

The cohort of NYC Civic Corps members will begin their 10-month service term in October and will receive 150 hours of training, a living allowance, and other added benefits such as free metro cards, Citi bike memberships and eligibility to test into a new civil service application designation for those serving in the program. Individuals who complete their service term are also eligible to receive an Eli Segal AmeriCorps Education Award valued at approximately $5,176 to be applied to future or prior educational costs.

NYC Service has ushered more than 2,200 individuals into service to the city and public sector careers over the last 16 years through AmeriCorps programs. A longitudinal study of NYC Service’s AmeriCorps program alumni found they were well-prepared for their jobs or careers and highly rated their service-site experience with 83% of alumni citing their NYC Service AmeriCorps experience as helping them succeed in their lifelong career plans. In addition to the experience gained, more than 20% of public service organizations that host AmeriCorps members hire members upon completion of the service year commitment.

For more information on NYC Civic Corps, visit nyc.gov/servenyc.

Mayor Eric Adams participates in a ceremony adding names to the World Trade Center (WTC) wall for Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) members who died of 9/11 related illnesses. FDNY Headquarters, Brooklyn. Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT AFTER NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF ELECTIONS VOTES TO PLACE ALL OF CHARTER REVISION COMMISSION’S QUESTIONS ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today issued the following statement after the New York City Board of Elections voted to place all the 2025 Charter Revision Commission’s questions on the ballot this November:

“Today — in the face of the City Council’s illegal attempt to usurp democracy and strip New York City voters of their right to have a voice on issues that would eliminate barriers to housing — New Yorkers prevailed. I am pleased that the Board of Elections did not bend to pressure and did the right thing by following the law, allowing New Yorkers to vote on important proposals to address our city’s historic housing crisis.

“New York City faces an extremely low vacancy rate, and the independent Charter Revision Commission has identified key ways for voters to weigh in on city laws that have prevented us from building more housing faster. These ballot proposals will allow voters to decide to maintain the status quo or revise the process for building affordable housing and smaller projects, while preserving local voices. After extensive public hearings and input, the independent Charter Revision Commission voted to place these proposals on the ballot. Now, this November, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to decide — despite every attempt by the Council to strip those rights away.

“Despite this failed attempt by the City Council to limit the housing supply and make rent prices go even higher, when people show you who they are, believe them. This Council will now be remembered for trying to block voters from having a say in eliminating New York City’s barriers to housing and bringing down the cost of rent, but, in stark contrast, the Adams administration stands as the most pro-housing administration in the city’s history.

“To New Yorkers: we encourage you to read each of these proposals and come to your own decisions. And regardless of whether you decide to vote ‘yes,’ or ‘no,’ the important thing — and the thing that makes this the best country in the world — is that you get to decide without politicians trying to stifle your constitutional right to vote.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Attends Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E.’s Event Marking National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims 2025. 306A West 128th Street, New York, NY. Thursday, September 25, 2025. Photo Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

MAYOR ADAMS PARTICIPATES IN CEREMONY OF ADDING NAMES TO WTC WALL 

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. As I was sitting here on the stage, I was watching in the second row this mother hold her baby and thinking about 2001, Jordan was six. And I remember coming home that night and talking with him. He asked about his uncle, Bernard, my brother, and he asked about my other cousins that were members of the New York City Police Department. 

And he asked about the large number of people we lost. And every year around this time, we sit down and we talk about this because we’re living in a society now where our heroes are demonized. It is unimaginable when you watch on social media some of our young people were lifting up the name of bin Laden, and thought that America deserved what happened. 

We have to reclaim the lives of our children and realize that they’re living in the greatest country on the globe and that there are many people who hate our way of life, both foreign and domestic. And we have an obligation as we hold our children and our family members as Chief Esposito stated. These were parents. These were sons. These were brothers. These were sisters. 

We need to humanize what happened those 24 years ago and [not] allow time to erode how significant it was. The countless number of men and women ran towards danger, and we’re still losing their lives every day. And when we add these names on this wall to give honor to them, let’s also educate the young people of our society that this is the greatest country on the globe and this city is representative of that. 

I’m proud to have served as a first responder, and I’m proud to be the mayor of this city. And we will never, never forget. Never forget. And the terrorists thought they broke our spirits and broke our resiliency on September 11, 2001. 

But, as you and I know, September 12th, we showed them who we were. We got up. Teachers taught. Builders built. Retailers sold their goods. And because we got up, America got up, and America knew what our resiliency represents. 

And so I want to thank the current commissioner who’s here serving this department, but also want to thank Sal and Dan and others who were here during those difficult times and rebuilt the department to make sure we can do what we always have done, respond to danger and save the lives of New Yorkers. God bless the FDNY, and God bless America.

New York City Mayor Eric Adam meets with clergy leaders of The Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater New York and Vicinity at Gracie Mansion on Thursday, September 25, 2025. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

CITY OF NEW YORK TAKES ACTION OPPOSING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S MILITARY DEPLOYMENT IN AMERICAN CITIES

New York City and Coalition Support California’s Case Against Federal Administration

Brief Contends That Cities — Not the Military — Hold Lawful Expertise and Authority Over Domestic Law Enforcement, Are Better Suited to Ensure Public Safety While Protecting First Amendment Rights

NEW YORK – The City of New York — as part of a coalition of 13 localities from around the nation — has filed an amicus brief supporting California Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing case against the federal government’s unlawful deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. In the brief, the coalition urges the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to affirm a district court ruling in Newsom v. Trump, which enjoined the federal government from deploying federal troops in Los Angeles. The coalition calls the federal deployment of armed soldiers on city streets an “unprecedented assault on fundamental American values” that has no basis in law and undermines public safety.

The federal government has also sent troops to Washington, D.C. and has repeatedly made clear that New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland, and other cities are next. The brief encourages the court to put an immediate end to this unchecked federal overreach and violation of the principles of federalism.

“New York City is the safest big city in America and home to the best police force in the world, and our results speak for themselves: crime is plummeting across the five boroughs, with major violent crimes reaching record lows,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Collaboration with state and federal law enforcement has always been a key part of our public safety strategy. We do not need a deployment of the National Guard to our city. Instead, we hope to continue to work with the federal government to stop the flow of illegal guns to our city from other cities and states. We remain committed to keeping New Yorkers safe through smart, precision-driven policing.”

“This brief highlights the risks of allowing the National Guard to become President Trump’s personal police force,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “An unlawful military presence trampling on the sovereign rights of cities and undermining local law enforcement efforts should not be tolerated in any of our communities.”

In June 2025, the Trump administration federalized the National Guard in Los Angeles in response to protests of immigration enforcement operations. On June 12, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled that the deployment violated federal law because the president had exceeded the narrow authority granted to him by Congress and violated the Tenth Amendment. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit stayed the district court ruling while it considered the merits of the federal government’s appeal.

In the amicus brief — prepared by the City of Los Angeles — the coalition argues that the federal government’s appeal provides no legal justification for deploying federal troops in Los Angeles. The coalition asserts that there was no invasion or rebellion directed toward the federal government that would have allowed the federal government to lawfully deploy the National Guard under Title 10 of the U.S. Code (10 U.S.C. § 12406), nor did false claims of “lawless mob violence” permit the federal government’s extreme response.

Further, the brief highlights how the federal deployment of combat-trained soldiers to Los Angeles impeded the city’s ability to carry out policing activities, sowed chaos, and escalated violence at protests. The brief contends that cities — not the federal government — hold the lawful expertise and authority over domestic law enforcement and are better suited to ensuring public safety while protecting First Amendment rights.

Joining the City of New York and the City of Los Angeles are the cities of Bell Gardens, Long Beach, Monterey Park, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, and West Hollywood, California; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; and Baltimore, Maryland; as well as the County of Los Angeles, California.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers remarks at Ground Zero 360’s 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony. City Hall. Monday, September 8, 2025. Photo Credit: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball today announced that the NYC Ferry system shattered daily, weekly, and monthly ridership records in the summer of 2025 — reinforcing, once again, the strength of the city’s growing ferry system. This summer, NYC Ferry set records for the:

New York City Mayor Eric Adam hosts a reception welcoming the high-level delegations attending the 80th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly High-Level Week at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office