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Today, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams sent a letter to Mayor Adams demanding swift action to uphold the city’s legal and moral commitments to racial equity and economic justice. The letter underscores the administration’s failure to release the legally mandated 2024 Racial Equity Plans and to implement the True Cost of Living standard, both of which are critical to addressing systemic disparities and ensuring a fair distribution of city resources.

The letter follows prior notifications from the New York City Commission on Racial Equity (CORE) and the New York City Progressive Caucus highlighting the administration’s noncompliance with its obligation to publish the 2024 Racial Equity Plans, warning that further delays are not just bureaucratic failures but active barriers to transparency, accountability, and equity in governance. 

“The administration’s continued failure to release these plans obstructs the Council’s ability to conduct a truly equitable and informed budget review,” said the Public Advocate. “New Yorkers—especially working-class and low-income communities of color—deserve leadership that takes their struggles seriously and prioritizes justice over neglect.”

Read the Public Advocate’s full letter below:  March 20, 2025     

Mayor Adams,

I write today to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the administration’s failure to uphold New York City’s legal and moral commitments to racial equity and economic justice. 

As outlined in a previous letter from the New York City Commission on Racial Equity (CORE), the administration has failed to release the 2024 Racial Equity Plans, a legally mandated step to ensure city agencies address systemic disparities. This failure is unacceptable, and undermines the very principles of justice and opportunity that New York City must uphold. 

Additionally, the administration has yet to implement the True Cost of Living standard, a critical measure designed to ensure our policies reflect the real economic burdens faced by New Yorkers. The lack of action on this front further exacerbates inequities, leaving working-class and low-income communities—particularly communities of more color—without the transparency and resources they deserve. This inaction is particularly urgent given that the New York City Council has demanded the preliminary 2024 Racial Equity Plans this week. Without these plans, the Council cannot conduct a truly equitable and informed budget review. 

The failure to provide necessary racial equity data and assessments obstructs the Council’s ability to evaluate whether city resources are being allocated fairly, further entrenching disparities in housing, education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. These delays are not just bureaucratic oversights—they actively prevent elected officials from ensuring that the budget serves all New Yorkers equitably.

New Yorkers deserve leadership that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and justice. I implore you to immediately release the required Racial Equity Plans and implement the True Cost of Living standard. The communities most affected by inequality cannot wait any longer for leadership that takes their struggles seriously. New York City’s future depends on real action—not just rhetoric—when it comes to building a more just and equitable city.

Sincerely,

Jumaane D. Williams