State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez speaks in the State Senate. Photo courtesy of office of State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez.
May 14, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez touted a number of measures introduced in the recently-approved state budget that will help working families combat inflation but said the budget could have been “bolder” in its efforts to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
Gonzalez, who represents areas in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, lauded the inclusion of several measures that she says will aid residents in Queens, including an allocation of $400 million for childcare access across the state and $110 million to build or renovate child care centers.
However, she said the budget represented a missed opportunity to introduce universal child care across New York State, stating that the rising cost of child care is one of the driving factors for young families deciding to leave New York City.
“It can be, for the most part, equivalent to rent,,, and New Yorkers are already struggling to pay their rent,” Gonzalez said. “So it could be life changing.”
Similarly, Gonzalez welcomed a $50 million commitment to a pilot housing voucher program that would provide low-income New Yorkers with state-funded vouchers for homeless families or families at imminent risk of losing their housing.
She also said the expansion of the Empire State Child Tax Credit, which raised the credit from $330 to $1,000 for every child under the age of four, will help provide benefits for young families in the city. The expansion also raises the credit from $330 to $500 for each child between the ages of four and 16.
However, she said the budget could have gone further toward addressing the cost-of-living crisis and making housing a human right in New York State.
“It (the budget) could have been bolder,” Gonzalez said. “We could have made this the year we had universal child care. We could have made this the year that we made housing a human right, and invested in green social housing. This could have been a year where we certainly expanded health care access in a substantive way, and we failed to do those things.”
Gonzalez did note the addition of $71 million for supportive housing in the budget, including provisions for social and wraparound services for people who are struggling to pay rent.
“Expanding supportive housing is another key piece to addressing the housing crisis,” she said. “It’s just a first step to make sure that someone has a roof over their heads and some stability by having a safe place to live, but it’s not the full picture. (We need to) make sure that we’re meeting working people who may be struggling in multiple ways.”
Gonzalez heralded the inclusion of funding for a number of non-profits that serve the district, including $500,000 in funding for Urban Upbound, which aims to break “cycles of poverty” in New York City’s public housing by providing underserved youth and adults with the tools and resources needed to achieve economic prosperity. Gonzalez said Urban Upbound provides some of the wraparound services that are essential to providing supportive housing to city residents.
She added that it was crucial that the budget ensured the MTA’s $68 billion capital plan was fully funded by plugging a $33 billion funding gap. She described the transit system as a “lifeline” for New Yorkers, including Queens residents.
“I am really proud that we were able to fully fund the capital plan. I do think that the funding is going to be used well to be able to keep our system running and make necessary upgrades,” Gonzalez said.
Senator Kristen Gonzalez joined MTA officials and community leaders to celebrate the opening of the third elevator at Queensboro Plaza. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
In the Queens portion of her district, Gonzalez pointed to several initiatives that have helped improve the subway system, including signal upgrades along the G line and the addition of two elevators at Queensboro Plaza. Gonzalez noted that several more accessibility projects are expected along the NW line in Queens as part of the new capital plan and praised the MTA for coming in “on time and on budget” with the G line and Queensboro Plaza upgrades.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez said the budget’s plans to issue $2 billion worth of inflation refund checks to eight million New York tax payers would not have been her “first method” for addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
She said money for the initiative, which will provide up to $400 for joint filers and up to $200 for single filers, would have been better spent on increasing funding for non-profits and community organizations across the city as well creating a “social safety net” in the face of a slew of proposed federal funding cuts.
Gonzalez said the average person is “drowning” in bills and said Hochul’s inflation refund initiative will do some good, noting that “every dollar counts.”
“I am sure that whoever receives their rebate checks will use it t in whatever way that is most necessary for them and I certainly think that’s a good thing,” Gonzalez said.
Having said that, Gonzalez said she would rather invest in the long-term health of the state and support New Yorkers with a multitude of services that will help them live a dignified life.
“The lens that I have is for long-term care for New Yorkers and making sure that every New Yorker you know secures a dignified life by investing in our social safety net and services that support New Yorkers through that journey dealing with multiple challenges.
“I think that $2 billion could have gone a very long way to achieving that.”
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