On Jan. 14, Governor Kathy Hochul gave her fourth State of the State address to a packed crowd at the Egg in Albany. In her 2025 address, she focused on making the state safer and more affordable for families, building housing, and implementing a contentious plan to involuntarily remove homeless individuals with mental illness off the streets and subway.
“Your family is my fight — and I will never stop fighting for the people of New York,” Hochul said. “New Yorkers expect results, and that’s why I fight day in and day out to make New York safer, healthier, cleaner, more affordable for you and your family — and that is what we’re doing with the initiatives announced as part of my 2025 State of the State.”
Her plans called for a “sweeping” middle-class tax cut, an expanded child tax credit, and full restoration of state and local tax (SALT) deductions to beat back rapidly rising inflation costs. She also promised a push for universal free school meals and capital funding toward universal child care, which organizations like No Kid Hungry New York applauded.
“Every child in New York deserves access to three healthy meals a day, and Governor Hochul’s State of the State agenda is a promising step toward making that a reality,” said No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella in a statement. “With proposals like an expanded Empire State Child Tax Credit, no-cost universal school meals, and the return of Summer EBT, the Governor seems ready and willing to address the child hunger crisis — and it couldn’t come at a more urgent time.”
Hochul said she intends to fight sexual assault and domestic violence, ensure fair trials, crack down on fare evasions, deploy more than 1,250 state personnel to assist the NYPD with bag checks in the subways, install security cameras in train cars, increase patrol levels on subway platforms for the next six months, and increase outreach and involuntary commitment of homeless individuals with serious mental illness.
Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch were very much in agreement with Hochul’s plans for subway safety.
“As the governor stated today, her top priority is public safety,” said Adams in a statement. “She understands that we must tackle street homelessness in the five boroughs, and one of the key pieces to getting that done is addressing the epidemic of severe mental illness we are facing on our streets and in our subways. Our administration has publicly called for and urged the state to take action that will make it easier for the city to help those suffering from severe mental illness — even in cases when an individual does not recognize that they need assistance — and we are encouraged that the governor was vocal in her support for these measures in her address today.”
Tisch said that the governor’s budget correctly recognizes that the NYPD needs more resources to continue to improve safety, but that adding more officers to patrol trains can only do so much without addressing the root of the issue: surging recidivism. “We must stop the revolving door of our criminal justice system that has allowed too many violent and repeat criminals back onto our streets,” she said.
Other electeds took issue with Hochul’s criminal justice policies and stance on bail reform.
“New York is the only state that prohibits judges from considering the public safety risk of violent repeat offenders when setting bail, yet the governor’s State of the State makes no commitment to closing the most dangerous and deadly loophole in the system,” said Congressmember Ritchie Torres. “The governor’s speech doesn’t even acknowledge the victims of crimes. No mention of Caleb Rios, a 14-year-old stabbed to death by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Ray Hodges, a postal worker stabbed to death by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Joseph Lyndsey, a straphanger shoved in front of an incoming subway car by a violent repeat offender. No mention of the two New Yorkers stabbed on New Year’s Day by a violent repeat offender with 54 priors. No mention of the 83-year-old senior citizen who was pummeled by a violent repeat offender. No mention of Debrina Kawam, who was barbarically burned alive in the subway.”
Some New York City nonprofits, such as Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), blasted Hochul’s approach to subway safety and addressing homeless people with mental health issues.
“Forcibly institutionalizing people with mental health complexities is violent, dangerous, and only creates more harm for our communities and New Yorkers in need of care,” said Loyda Colon, CPR spokesperson and Executive Director of the Justice Committee. “These removals disproportionately impact communities of color — especially Black people — and do not address the root causes of why so many New Yorkers struggle with their mental health and cannot access healthcare services.”
New York Apartment Association Chief Executive Officer Kenny Burgos said that Hochul’s proposals didn’t address the scale of the housing problem.
“Limited government subsidies for a small number of nonprofits is not going to reduce rents or increase housing availability for the vast majority of New Yorkers,” said Burgos. “We are in a housing crisis that gets worse every year. We cannot ignore the severe lack of supply that is driving up costs or the rising operating costs that are putting the existing housing stock at risk. The path to fixing this is through regulatory reforms that will spur investment in housing.
Others called for Hochul to pass the Livable New York Act, which would use a wealth tax to fund 100,000 units of affordable housing and transition buildings in New York off of fossil fuels over the next 10 years.