Statement from Comptroller Brad Lander on Governor Hochul’s 2022 State of the State Address

(New York, NY) – “Today, Governor Kathy Hochul outlined a hopeful vision for what New York must do to tackle the ongoing public health crisis and invest in our communities. The governor’s commitments to health care workers, including raising wages, are critical steps toward stabilizing a workforce that has been on the frontlines all throughout the pandemic.

“In addition to proposals aimed at accelerating the green energy transition, I commend the governor for committing to a Net-Zero investment target for all State investments by 2040, a move which mirrors the policy set last year by New York City.

“And I was glad to hear the Governor highlight the boondoggle that is the 421-A tax abatement program. Reforming our regressive and opaque property tax system, and making better use of our affordable housing dollars are essential.

“Tenants need protections and support too, especially as real estate values and rents rise. The eviction moratorium and rent relief program have been a lifeline for many and should be extended. “Good cause” eviction protections are also needed urgently, as I’ve seen up close in talking to scores of tenants being cruelly evicted by Greenbrook Partners.

“This spring in Albany, we have an opportunity and, indeed, an immense responsibility to deliver on ambitious policies that will keep families in their homes, help New Yorkers access living-wage jobs, ensure our schools are safe places of support and learning, reduce our emissions, and protect the health and safety of essential workers, incarcerated New Yorkers, and all our neighbors. But the resources we invest must be both bold and strategic to address cascading challenges and emerge from the pandemic stronger and more economically secure than we entered it.

“I look forward to reviewing the proposed State budget and to working with the Governor and the State legislature to make progress on issues critical to New Yorkers’ collective success and wellbeing.”

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