Speaking for more than an hour in the Queens Theatre Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams unveiled his vision, “The Working People’s Agenda,” for his second year in office.
“Your early mornings, late nights and double shifts keep us moving, keep us healthy, keep us safe — especially over the last few years. You have done everything for us, and this city must do more for you,” said Adams.
Some of the plans that were announced for the first time include expanding composting citywide by 2024, providing free health care to New Yorkers who spend more than seven days in the city shelter system and tackling repeat criminal offenders through state legislation.
What You Need To Know
- On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams delivered his State of the City address, "The Working People's Agenda."
- The address mostly focused on issues facing everyday New Yorkers, such as housing, jobs, healthcare and education
- One topic Adams notably left out of his address was the future of the city’s jails complex on Rikers Island, which is slated to be closed by 2027
- Adams will appear on "Inside City Hall" Friday night
“We cannot allow a small number of violent individuals to continue terrorizing our neighbors over and over again,” he said when referencing the recidivism rates.
Adams also made it a point to praise Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose help he will need to get some of his agenda accomplished.
“This governor is the steady hand we need at the wheel right now,” said Adams.
Lawmakers started to weigh in on the plans with mixed reactions.
“We can put people on probation or have regular check-ins or give them access to the housing. People don’t need to have to go straight to Rikers Island,” said Assemblymember Latrice Walker of Brooklyn.
“[W]ithout new housing being created, it’s going to create a tremendous, tremendous rise in rents and housing prices, and that would be catastrophic for New York City,” said Councilmember Erik Bottcher of Manhattan.
Adams avoided talking about the future of the city’s jails complex on Rikers Island, which is slated to be closed by 2027.