NEW YORK – November 16, 2023 – In response to the Fiscal Year 2024 November Plan, UNH Executive Director Susan Stamler commented:

“Despite the Mayor’s warnings to expect a difficult November Plan as a result of the City’s fiscal challenges, the cuts announced today are indeed painful for New Yorkers. Across every agency, critical services are facing reductions, and the Administration continues to signal that it will only get worse in the coming months.

“As the membership organization for New York’s settlement houses, United Neighborhood Houses is concerned by the inequitable impact of these cuts, which will be felt hardest by the New Yorkers who rely most on local government. Through poor management, Mayor Adams and the Department of Education have undermined our early childhood education system. Now, an additional $120 million in cuts will potentially leave 10,000 children without Pre-K and 3-K options. Older youth also stand to lose out through the reduction of summer program hours and cuts to Community Schools.

“We urge the Administration to take a measured approach, using scalpel-like precision as we continue to navigate a tight budget. Now more than ever, it is important to protect our communities, who are plagued by record-high cost of living and cannot afford private alternatives to the City-funded programs upon which they rely. The City must carefully analyze the impact of cuts, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of partners to ensure community needs are not overlooked.

“Ultimately, New York City cannot get through this moment alone. We call upon our representatives in Albany and Washington to step up and help mitigate the City’s financial burden. The federal government must move quickly to grant migrants work authorization, and both the federal and state government must provide New York City with additional funding.”