Hochul proposes housing, electrification, safety in State of the State

Under the umbrella theme “Achieving the New York Dream,” Gov. Kathy Hochul this afternoon delivered her 2023 State of the State Address to the legislature in Albany. Hochul highlighted public safety initiatives and investments, a goal to build 800,000 new units of housing in the next 10 years and a plan to end the sale of fossil-fuel-powered heating equipment New York by 2030.

Hochul wants to expand to 25 the number of New York State Police Community Stabilization Units, hire more state police, expand efforts to get guns off the streets and increase the money state district attorneys’ offices spend on prosecution. She also promised to protect individual rights for residents of New York state.

“Public safety is my top priority,” Hochul said. “I am committed to using every tool at my disposal to protect the people of this state, crack down on gun violence and violent crime, and invest in proven solutions that keep New Yorkers safe.” 

Hochul also promised to protect individual rights for New Yorkers while other states continue putting laws on their books that interfere with established rights, a clear reference to abortion rights and the right to vote.

“We will open doors to the communities and people who’ve historically been blocked from equal chances at success,” Hochul said. “As other states continue to slide backwards when it comes to basic and fundamental rights, we will protect and enshrine those rights. And, we will continue to be nation-leading in every way.”

Hochul proposed creating the New York Housing Compact, which will work toward creating 800,000 new housing units over the next 10 years. She proposed that any community with a commuter train station rezone the area within a half-mile of the station to make it more attractive for residential development.

Hochul proposed improving mental health care in the state by adding 1,000 beds for in-patient psychiatric care and adding 3,500 housing units to serve individuals with mental illness.

She said that there should be annual increases in the minimum wage throughout the state, with the increases indexed to the rate of inflation. She also proposed easing the burden many New Yorkers face when trying to make ends meet by providing $165 million in relief to more than 800,000 low-income electric utility customers, while at the same time promoting switching to electricity as a major method for cutting the use of fossil-fuels.

“Homes that electrify will be eligible for a first-in-the-nation Energy Affordability Guarantee, a promise that they will never spend more than 6% of their income on electricity,” Hochul said. “We know that the key to long-term sustainability – for our wallets and our planet – is weaning ourselves from fossil fuels. To set us on that path, I’m proposing a plan to end the sale of any new fossil-fuel-powered heating equipment by 2030.”

Hochul said that all new construction in New York needs to be zero-emission. She said that should be the policy starting in 2025 for small buildings and 2028 for large buildings. She said the action is necessary because climate change remains the greatest threat to the planet.

“My goals are straightforward and clear. We will make New York safer. We will make New York more affordable. We will create more jobs and opportunities for the New Yorkers of today and tomorrow,” Hochul said. “The task ahead of us is daunting and the stakes could not be higher.”