Comptroller Brad Lander Calls Out Risks to NYC in Trump’s Proposed Federal Budget

New York, NY—Today, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander called out budget risks to New York City in Trump’s proposed federal discretionary budget cuts—including cuts to housing, food pantries, universities, and AmeriCorps. In his latest weekly Protecting New York City from Trump, Comptroller Lander renewed his calls to add money to reserves to blunt the impact from federal spending slashes. 

“Mayor Adams would rather dig his head in the sand than face the facts—his savior President Trump put out a budget that will irreparably harm New York City,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “Without a doubt, slashing the federal budget will increase homelessness, hunger, and unemployment. Our reserves are meant to protect us during a financial storm, yet the Adams Administration is doing nothing to protect the City from a hurricane on the horizon.”  

Potential City Budget Risks in Trump’s Budget  

 Overview of City Budget Risks  

• New York City’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget includes $10.5B in federal funding, of which over $4B is discretionary.  

• Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD)’s budget includes $269M in non-emergency Community Development Block Grant funding  

• NYC Department of Education (DOE)’s budget includes $229M (out of $2B) in programs that could be cut  

• The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DoHMH)’s budget includes $114M in Ryan White funding  

• New York City’s Section 8, administered through HPD (within the City’s budget) and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) (outside of the City’s budget). 

Trump Budget’s Impact on Housing  

• The Trump budget proposes a $33.6B (444%) cut to U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). 

• According to analysis by the New York Housing Conference, that cut would dismantle the housing safety net for over a million people across New York State, upend rental payment assistance contracts to landlords, and place an incredible financial burden on the state and New York City. The cut would also put a two-year limit on able-bodied adults receiving assistance. 

• At least 200,000 households could be forced to move after 2 years of assistance, flooding housing courts and homeless shelters and hurting thousands of landlords across the State. 

• New York City could lose approximately $2 billion if HPD and NYCHA receive commensurate reductions in HUD funding. 

Trump Budget’s Potential Harm to New Yorkers  

Food Assistance  

• Proposed cuts would eliminate the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides funding to food pantries for low-income seniors, instead proposing “MAHA” boxes be sent directly.  

• The Trump administration already cut funding for emergency food assistance, cutting funding for food banks and stopping food deliveries.  

• Over 1 million New York City residents experience food insecurity, including 1-in-4 New York City kids  

Higher Education  

• The Trump budget proposes cuts of $18 billion (37%) to National Institute of Health funding and $5 billion (50%) for National Science Foundation  

• The city’s various private and public universities receive over $3 billion in federal funding for Research and Development, largely from these two departments.   

• The Trump budget proposes drastically cutting student aid programs:   

• Cuts to the Federal Work Study program ($980 million out of $1.23 billion)  

• Eliminates the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants ($910 million), TRIO and GEAR UP ($1.579 billion), and several other smaller programs.  

• Additionally, proposed language in the Budget Reconciliation would additionally eliminate direct subsidized student loans, substantially cut Pell Grants and overhauls repayment options  

Americorps  

• Trump Administration unilaterally cancelled roughly 41% of AmeriCorps’ annual budget and placed 85% of AmeriCorps’ full-time workforce of 500 on administrative leave, with the intention to terminate later this spring.    

• New York Attorney General along with 23 states sued to stop the administration from dismantling AmeriCorps.  

• New York State has most AmeriCorps members in the country 

• In NYC, 6,476 members are placed at 616 nonprofit organizations and City agencies  

• $30 million in grants to New York and more than 1,000 New York City-based AmeriCorps members were terminated without notice  

• For every federal dollar provided through AmeriCorps, there is a $17 return on investment for communities.  

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