“Governor Cuomo’s decision to include in his 30-day amendments the affordable housing rent contribution cap to low-income people in the City’s HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) rental assistance program will prevent homelessness and dramatically improve the health and well-being of more than 10,000 vulnerable New Yorkers.

I applaud Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio for working together to secure this affordable housing protection that will reduce emergency shelter and healthcare costs and bring the HASA Rental Assistance Program into line with other state and federal low-income housing programs. No longer will low-income HASA clients have to choose between paying for rent or other basic essentials.

Thank you to my colleagues in the Senate Democratic Conference, especially Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for keeping the rent contribution cap at the forefront of the conference's agenda. With the continued partnership of VOCAL-NY, other advocates, and fellow elected officials, I will keep fighting to secure inclusion of this fair and cost-effective public health intervention in the final enacted budget.”