Public Employee Press

State budget wins: more for education, new housing funding

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $142 billion operating state budget for 2015-2016 failed to include several expenditures that DC 37 supported, such as an increase in the state minimum wage, a property tax relief program for low- and moderate income taxpayers, and funding for the Dream Act, which provides financial aid for the college bound children of undocumented families.

But the governor and the state legislature did take care of luxury yacht owners State budget wins: more for education, new housing funding by giving them sales tax relief for boats purchased for more than $230,000.

The budget did, however, increase aid to city schools. It allocates $6 billion to city schools, adding $505 million over the past year.

Around $100 million will be spent on the expansion of universal pre-kindergarten and for afterschool programs.

With a record number of homeless people in New York City, the budget includes $275 million for prevention initiatives through rental assistance programs. Another $40 million will be spent for rent assistance for working families at risk of eviction.

The Health and Hospitals Corp. will receive $1.4 billion in new capital investment funds to improve its infrastructure.

The budget includes $500 million for the creation of the new NY Broadband Program, which will ensure broadband access for all New Yorkers by 2018.

In a victory for the union, the state will spend $100 million on the New York City Housing Authority. These funds will be used for muchneeded capital improvement for the city's aging public housing stock.