Press Room

"Passing Proposal One is a vital victory for New Yorkers, strengthening reproductive freedom and more broadly codifying anti-discrimination protections. With continued conservative attacks on fundamental rights and marginalized communities, I am grateful for this result and the work that went into it.

"At the same time, I am disappointed that most of the mayor’s self-serving charter amendment process and proposals – and the misinformation that drove them – are also poised to pass. This was a power grab by a mayor in whom trust has been shaken to say the least. I'm also concerned about the long-term consequences of this process. Despite this political maneuver by the mayor, I will continue to work to hold City Hall accountable, both to the people of our city and to the standards we set."

In an effort to expand opportunities for and access to higher education in New York City, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams is pushing to pass his legislation that would create a college counseling program available to high school students throughout the city. At a City Council hearing on the bill today, he spoke about the need to combat inequities in the education system that create barriers to opportunity for many students in underserved communities.

“New York City’s public schools are among the most segregated in the nation, which begins early in students’ education and persists through graduation,” said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams at the hearing. “Some of the barriers to students attending college include the high cost of tuition and application fees, the need for timely financial aid education, and lack of access to quality school counseling… High school counselors play an important role in access to college opportunities, but many under-resourced and overcrowded schools either lack a counselor or have too few counselors for their student population.”

The legislation, Intro 700, would require the Department of Youth and Community Development to establish a program that provides counseling, resources, and other support to high school juniors and seniors and their families in applying to college. Specifically, that program would:

• Provide general information regarding the college admissions process and college readiness, as well as a checklist of information required to successfully complete a college application.
• Provide information regarding how to access and assemble the data and records required to apply to college.
• Counsel students and families regarding college options, including tips on how to present a competitive application.
• Refer students and families to resources regarding financial aid, scholarships, and other college funding options.  
• And lastly, require DYCD to engage in outreach to inform students and families about this program.

Access to this kind of counseling and information is invaluable for students. According to data collected by the US Department of Education, high school seniors who talked one-on-one with a school counselor were more likely to complete a FAFSA, attend college, and enroll in a bachelor’s degree program.

“While not every student wants to attend college,” closed the Public Advocate, “We should be ensuring that all students have the opportunity and are fully equipped to make the best decision for their futures. As a public school baby myself, from preschool to Master’s, I’m very proud of the public school system, and there is a lot more to do to make sure people access what’s available to them”

The Public Advocate’s full comments at the hearing are below, and video is available here.   

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES ON EDUCATION AND CHILDREN AND YOUTH OCTOBER 30, 2024

Good morning,

My name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I thank Chairs Joseph and Stevens and the members of the Committees on Education and Children and Youth for holding this hearing.

New York City’s public schools are among the most segregated in the nation, which begins early in students’ education and persists through graduation. Students of more color are disproportionately likely to attend under-resourced and overcrowded schools and, despite comprising 70 percent of the city’s student population, receive just a small fraction of specialized high school offers. Black and Brown students, as well as students with disabilities, English Language Learners, students experiencing homelessness, students in foster care, and students living in poverty are less likely to graduate from high school than their more privileged peers.

Some of the barriers to students attending college include the high cost of tuition and application fees, the need for timely financial aid education, and lack of access to quality school counseling. The same disparities that we see in achievement in our public schools are reflected in college, with Black, Brown, and low-income students having lower rates of enrollment in bachelor’s degree programs. Bachelor’s degree attainment can differ by as much as 76 percent between neighborhoods—for example, a Center for an Urban Future report found that 89 percent of those living on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island had a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 13 percent in Morris Heights and Mount Hope.

High school counselors play an important role in access to college opportunities, but many under-resourced and overcrowded schools either lack a counselor or have too few counselors for their student population. According to data collected by the US Department of Education, high school seniors who talked one-on-one with a school counselor were more likely to complete a FAFSA, attend college, and enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. 

For these reasons I introduced Intro 700—being heard today—which  requires the Department of Youth and Community Development to establish a program that provides counseling, resources, and other support to high school juniors and seniors and their families in applying to college. This program would: 

Provide general information regarding the college admissions process and college readiness, as well as a checklist of information required to successfully complete a college application.

Provide information regarding how to access and assemble the data and records required to apply to college. Counsel students and families regarding college options, including tips on how to present a competitive application. Refer students and families to resources regarding financial aid, scholarships, and other college funding options.   And lastly, require DYCD to engage in outreach to inform students and families about this program.

While not every student wants to attend college, we should be ensuring that all students have the opportunity and are fully equipped to make the best decision for their futures. As a public school baby myself, from preschool to Master’s, I’m very proud of the public school system, and there is a lot more to do to make sure people access what’s available to them. I do want to shout out CUNY and SUNY for making some recent changes, and hopefully we’ll get more students into college. There’s still a lot more to do.

Thank you.

As the City Council deliberates on the Adams administration’s ‘City of Yes for Housing Opportunity’ proposal, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams made the following statement on the plan, highlighting both the positive intentions of City of Yes and several areas of concern, where he believes changes to the framework would prevent potential negative impact and unnecessary challenges.

The Public Advocate spoke about the proposal at City Hall today as it was considered by the Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. His statement on the plan is below, and video of his comments at the hearing is available here. 

“I want to start off with some questions I normally ask people all across the city:

How many people think housing and homelessness are the number one or number two issue? Everybody raises their hand.

How many people think the answer is housing at a price point people can afford? Everybody raises their hand.

And how many people would like to live next to a taller building? And no one raises their hand.

Those questions are answered the same anywhere I go in the city, across socioeconomics, race, religion, political affiliation. Which I always use to show – we sometimes know what the answer is, but it’s still difficult to still get it done, and I think it’s up to us to walk people through it. 

Although the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the right lens to try and build a framing, and it’s  well-intentioned, there are a number of challenges and potential negative impacts that include possible gentrification and the risk of this proposal not producing a lot of affordable housing units. Some things I wanted to highlight include:

Gentrification Risk: When market rate housing units are built and rented at higher rates than current residents pay, property values can rise causing displacement of existing residents. We know we need some market rate housing, but we need affordability as well. Whether through the increase in property taxes for longtime residents forcing people to sell their homes, often to developers exacerbating the issue, or through a rise in rents as property values rise, if there are no preventative measures in place, vulnerable communities can be pushed out and it is critical to understand the long-term impacts and whether there are risks of racial and ethnic displacement. How does the City of Yes comply with Local Law 78 of 2021? How does the administration plan to address and mitigate heightened risk of displacement from tax increases or management companies taking advantage of an already overburdened rental market?

Lack of Affordable Units: While the plan emphasizes affordable housing, it does not guarantee any number of truly affordable units. Currently, this does not require Universal Affordability Preference (UAP) and lacks any regulatory system  – it may be adhered to, but I want to make more of it mandatory. This was one of the problems I had with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing  – a lot of it wasn’t mandatory, particularly the lower income. Stronger enforcement mechanisms are needed to ensure deep affordability so that developers are not prioritizing building luxury housing. The same applies to residential conversions. How will this proposal guarantee deep affordability? 

As for recommendations, I want to highlight the following:

Affordability Guarantees: The administration should strengthen UAP enforcement to ensure a significant percentage of units are guaranteed to be and remain affordable. Another option would be to extend rent regulations to protect existing tenants from evictions where rents are exorbitantly and inexplicably increased making someone’s dwelling unaffordable from one minute to the next.

Tenant Protections: No proposal centered around affordable housing can be truly authentic without other key protections in place for residents of the city. Increasing tenant protections through the proper funding of right to counsel legislation, as well as exploring aspects of universal rent control, tenant purchasing options and expanding voucher subsidies should not be excluded from this conversation. Further, we should dig deeper into the tens of thousands of rent-stabilized apartments currently not counted in the 1.4% vacancy rate that has been the cornerstone of this proposal. I'm sure we can find a little more housing in every neighborhood if we count those. I urge you to consider a parallel pathway to strengthening housing rights alongside access to affordable housing.

Infrastructure Investments: Increased housing density will burden existing infrastructure, including transportation, schools, and healthcare facilities. The administration must plan on funding infrastructure improvements alongside housing development that will strengthen and improve quality of life. 

Removing Parking Mandates: Eliminating mandates in public transportation deserts will be harmful to many neighborhoods. If this proposal were to move forward, I urge that it be limited to areas within a half-mile of a railroad or subway station. There are some areas that definitely need the parking, and we may want to talk about some municipal parking program that utilizes a multi-tiered, need-based assessment of areas where public transportation is inaccessible and in high density areas where prioritizing low-income commuting to these high volume areas where parking is limited, because every place doesn't have the kind of access to parking that other folks would have.  

Community Engagement: We want to make sure communities are engaged early and often, giving them a chance to really be heard. It is important that communities are engaged early on and that concerns are explained and addressed. Educating, collaborating, and communicating with residents, community boards, and local organizations is crucial.

Sustainable Design: An increase in construction and population density will strain natural resources and contribute to pollution. To prevent this, the plan should incorporate sustainable practices that promote green buildings, energy efficiency, and open spaces. 

Faith Based Development: While the city does not have a detailed description of the ways faith based organizations can develop their land, it is important that houses of worship be protected from predatory practices, as well as prioritized for engagement to develop supportive housing partnerships. A structure is needed that can extend housing opportunities for organizations that are limited by current zoning restrictions 

Lastly, I really want to make sure that the public sees what the City Council is doing, which is really important – really taking the feedback folks have been hearing, really having an opportunity to hopefully adjust the City of Yes plan right now to address many of the concerns that we have heard and will continue to hear, because people are really concerned. 

I know if we looked the way we did 100 years ago, we wouldn’t be here now. We were able to look this way because of building up, and because of our subway system. If we look the same way in 100  years, we will have failed our children’s children – there’s no way around it. We have to do this, but we have to do it correctly. The way I’ve put it is if we preserve some areas of the fabric of the neighborhood, we can ask the neighborhood to give up some density – but we do want to make sure if they’re giving it up, they’re actually getting the housing the city needs. 

From today’s hearing, I hope to hear updates from the administration regarding the City of Yes including clear proposals on the amount of affordable housing guaranteed. I hope to learn more from advocates, residents, and developers about their recommendations. I hope we can all work together to ensure that real affordability is prioritized throughout the entire process. We must adequately invest and support New Yorkers who deserve fair housing and opportunities. Let’s do what we can for the people who most need it.”

"Like many in our city, I mark two holidays today, each truthfully deserving of their own day for commemoration – Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Italian Heritage Day. I choose to celebrate these communities and histories, rather than Christopher Columbus. For countless indigenous and historically oppressed people, to glorify Columbus is to celebrate the devastation he helped to initiate, and to misrepresent his deeds and purported accomplishments. 

"On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we have the obligation to acknowledge the historical and ongoing harm of oppression against Indigenous communities in our country. At the same time, we uplift and honor the rich and resonant traditions and heritage of Indigenous people nationwide. We can neither diminish the tragedy nor allow Indigenous culture to be defined by it alone. Somber reflection and celebration are each possible and essential.

"And in celebrating Italian-American heritage, we recognize the contributions of both individuals of Italian descent and the broader community, the role of this vibrant culture in shaping the city and nation.

"What unites these holidays is the opportunity for dialogue and collaboration as we stand together to elevate the best of our shared culture and values, while standing opposed to the injustices in our history and today."

“This evening begins the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. I wish an easy and meaningful fast to everyone preparing to mark the Day of Atonement.”

“On Yom Kippur, we are called to take up two great challenges – to ask forgiveness for ourselves, and to grant it to others. Showing empathy and compassion are signs of strength, not weakness, and recognizing the humanity in ourselves and others is critical to healing. In moments of great sorrow and strife, we must seek understanding, reconciliation, and redemption.

“By extending grace, tolerance, and mercy, we draw closer to our fellow man and to G-d. May G-d bestow blessings and absolution on us all, and may we all be sealed in the Book of Life. G'mar Chatima Tova.”

"The alleged ‘deadlocking’ of mentally ill individuals on Rikers Island, if true, is inhumane and indefensible. Rikers has been called the largest mental health facility in the country, but at least at mental health facilities, treatment is provided to people who are suffering. Not only is the city failing to provide mental health support on Rikers, these and other alleged DOC practices are actively harming the mental health of vulnerable incarcerated New Yorkers. This violates not only the Board of Correction minimum standards, but the minimum morals to which we should hold our city. 

"These reports are disturbing, alarming, but not surprising from an administration that has actively refused to even attempt to implement the law banning the prolonged isolation of solitary confinement in city jails. Combined with these latest allegations, it appears the administration believes isolation is an acceptable tool, despite the irreversible damage it causes and irrefutable data showing that harm. No matter what name it goes by– “deadlocking,” shower cages, or emergency lock-ins, we are left with the same results.

"If there is an explanation for these reported practices and incidents, a plan to correct them, then the city needs to be clear about its inability to provide adequate care and commit to its moral and legal mandates. They cannot simply hope Rikers stays out of sight, out of mind, and out of the headlines. "