Governor Kathy Hochul promoted her state budget plan in the Southern Tier on Apr. 2, focusing on making New York more affordable and supporting working families. The Governor said her agenda aims to increase housing, lower auto insurance costs, move toward universal child care, and keep utility prices stable.
The proposed budget addresses concerns about the high cost of living in New York. It includes efforts to build more housing by cutting regulatory barriers, reduce car insurance rates through anti-fraud measures, expand access to child care with significant investments, and manage rising energy costs.
“I will never stop fighting for your families, especially when it comes to lowering costs of auto insurance and utilities, and cutting red tape to build more housing,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers know all too well that the cost of daily necessities are just too damn high, and it is time that we deliver a budget that makes this state more affordable and livable.”
According to the Governor’s office, last year’s budget returned up to $5,000 per household through inflation refund checks sent to over 8.2 million residents. It also expanded the child tax credit program significantly and lowered middle-class taxes.
This year’s Executive Budget builds on those steps by investing $4.5 billion in childcare and early education programs—including a $1.7 billion increase aimed at making pre-K universal—and launching pilot programs with counties focused on expanding affordable care for children under three years old.
Hochul’s “Let Them Build” initiative seeks reforms to speed up construction projects by exempting certain housing developments from some environmental reviews if they meet specific criteria for low environmental impact. The plan also proposes faster permitting processes using new technologies.
Addressing climate change while managing costs is another priority highlighted in the proposal. The Governor called for updates to climate legislation so that New York can meet clean energy goals without placing extra financial burdens on residents or businesses facing high utility bills.
The Ratepayer Protection Plan would hold utilities accountable by reforming rate-setting procedures, making affordability programs easier for families to access, reducing hidden fees from bills, linking executive pay with customer affordability outcomes, and requiring data centers either pay higher rates or supply their own power.
