REMARKS
Speaker Adams summarizes New York City Council achievements in 2024
0:12:52
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4 min
Speaker Adrienne E. Adams provides a comprehensive summary of the New York City Council's accomplishments in 2024. She highlights various initiatives and legislation that have made a significant impact on the lives of New Yorkers.
- Mentions advancements in maternal health, including a guaranteed income program for expectant mothers
- Highlights efforts to support small businesses and economic growth
- Discusses the restoration of funding for essential services like libraries and early childhood education
- Emphasizes public safety initiatives, including increased police transparency and support for crime victims
- Details significant housing reforms, including the passage of the Fair Act and zoning reforms to increase affordable housing
- Expresses pride in the council's united efforts to deliver results for New Yorkers
Adrienne E. Adams
0:12:52
And finally, as this is the last stated meeting of 2024, I wanna take a moment to acknowledge the impact of the council's work this year to make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers.
0:13:06
We have remained laser focused on the work of the people in our city, consistently delivering results for working class New Yorkers.
0:13:16
We advanced a legislative package to address the disparities in maternal health outcomes by increasing maternal mental health services to confront a major driver of maternal mortality.
0:13:28
We launched a first of its kind guaranteed income program for expectant mothers to improve maternal health and reduce child poverty.
0:13:40
We reduced unnecessary regulations and fines for small businesses and updated the city's outdated commercial zoning regulations to support economic growth and opportunities for small businesses, the industrial sector, and growing industries to create and sustain jobs for New Yorkers.
0:14:00
This council fought together with the people of our city against budget cuts to essential services, restoring funding for full library service, cultural institutions, and to chart a path forward that improves early childhood education for the city's families.
0:14:21
Through these efforts, the CUNY Reconnect program that we launched 2 years ago hit the milestone of reenrolling 40,000 former working age students in college to access new opportunities for career advancement.
0:14:37
To ensure that New Yorkers can access opportunities across our city, we expanded fair fares to reach even more low income New Yorkers.
0:14:46
We advanced holistic solutions to public safety by increasing police transparency and accountability while expanding services for underserved victims of crime.
0:14:58
This city council established and opened our state's 1st trauma recovery centers that help survivors of violence access the help to recover that stops cycles of crime and trauma in communities.
0:15:12
And over the last month, we have delivered historic solutions to make housing in our city more affordable to working class New Yorkers.
0:15:22
1st, we passed the fair act to prevent residents seeking apartments from being forced to unfairly pay fees for brokers they did not request that are serving landlords' interests.
0:15:35
Then we passed zoning reforms with $5,000,000,000 secured for our city for all housing plan to advance more housing, greater affordability, and infrastructure investments.
0:15:49
This was one of the most significant advancements of housing solutions in New York City history, paving the way for 82,000 new homes over the next 15 years and 1,000,000,000 of dollars to address housing and infrastructure issues within our communities.
0:16:06
The accomplishments of this council throughout this year are way too numerous to list and our body has united as a pillar of city governance that is committed to delivering results for New Yorkers.
0:16:22
Good clap for yourself.
0:16:26
Thank you colleague.
0:16:30
And while there is more work ahead of us, I'm proud, just like my colleague Narcisse, I'm proud of the foundation for success that we have built, the impact it will have on future generations of New Yorkers, and the continued work that we have started and we will build upon.
0:16:55
Thank you colleagues for your hard work to create a stronger, more equitable city for all.
0:17:02
And as we continue to celebrate the holiday season, I hope everyone has a happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any holiday with that you celebrate with your family and your loved ones and I wish you all a very, very happy, healthy New Year.
