Governor Kathy Hochul rallied with community leaders and elected officials on Long Island on March 26 to promote her state budget plan, which she said is designed to make New York more affordable and support working families. The Governor outlined proposals aimed at lowering the costs of housing, auto insurance, and utilities, as well as expanding access to child care across the state.
The agenda matters because many New Yorkers face high living costs, from housing shortages to expensive car insurance and utility bills. Hochul said her mission since taking office has been “to make New York safer, more affordable and more livable for working New Yorkers across the state.” She added, “I will never stop fighting for your families, especially when it comes to driving down the cost of necessities — from housing to utilities to car insurance. It’s time we get this done.”
Hochul’s plan builds upon measures enacted in last year’s fiscal year 2026 budget that included inflation refund checks for over 8.2 million residents, expansion of the child tax credit, lower middle-class taxes—the lowest rate in seventy years—and free school meals for all students. This year’s executive budget seeks further progress by proposing reduced auto insurance costs and expanded subsidies that would move toward universal child care.
A key part of the proposal is a $4.5 billion investment in childcare and early education—an increase of $1.7 billion over previous funding—to make pre-K universal and extend subsidies to tens of thousands more families statewide. Additionally, pilot programs are planned with counties investing a combined $60 million in new childcare models targeting children aged zero through three.
To address high housing costs and infrastructure delays attributed to regulatory red tape, Hochul is advocating reforms that would modernize environmental review processes (SEQRA), exempting certain projects without significant environmental impact from lengthy reviews. The Governor also proposes clear permitting timelines and technological upgrades intended to speed up construction of essential infrastructure like clean water systems and childcare facilities.
On climate policy, Hochul pointed out changes since the passage of the Climate Leader & Community Protection Act (CLCPA) in 2019—including inflationary pressures—that have increased energy costs for residents. To balance climate goals with affordability concerns amid these challenges, she is proposing updates that maintain emissions reduction commitments while prioritizing ratepayer protections such as cutting hidden fees from utility bills and requiring data centers either pay higher rates or supply their own power.