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Gov. Kathy Hochul's  2025 budget proposal  is missing key funding priorities for rural housing, according to a coalition advocating for the issue. The new budget cuts funding for programs to help rural areas address housing needs, including cuts to the Rural Preservation Program used by nonprofits in their communities. Mike Borges, executive director of the Rural Housing Coalition of New York,...

Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State initiatives are ambitious for the state's future. The focus now is on how to make them a reality. In particular, children's advocates feel the governor's promises to  bolster literacy  and child  mental health  are much needed. New York has  ranked poorly  in both focus areas in recent polls and studies. Community hospitals have received $50 m...

A solution to rural New York's housing problems could lie in manufactured homes. A  2023 report  found manufactured homes comprise around 2.5% of New York's housing stock. In rural counties, it jumps to more than 10%. Local and state groups have been working to improve this form of housing. Ben Carver, director of manufactured homes for Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, said the benefi...

Worsening mental health? That's what the data says for New Yorkers.

Government accountability groups want increased transparency in New York criminal court decisions. This comes after a  new report  finds only 6% of decisions are published annually.

New York isn't going to meet its 2030 climate goals. Here's why.

Some state and local lawmakers are on a long list calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to require big oil companies to help offset the costs of damages caused by climate change. More than 60 New York elected officials have  signed a letter  emphasizing the need to keep up with climate extremes through local projects to protect coastlines, restore wetlands, elevate or buy out threatened homes, imp...

Legislation to allow medical aid in dying bill has been introduced in New York State every year since 2015, and its backers say 2024 could be the year it finally passes. The bill  would allow terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option  rather than endure unending pain. Proponents point out that numerous safeguards are key components of the bill, including requiring two p...

Rural New York organizations are working to tackle issues with rural housing. Rural counties throughout the state are suffering from aging housing stock and an ever dwindling supply. In 2021, the New York State Comptroller found 10 rural counties had  5,500 fewer housing units  than in 2016. Megan Murphy, executive director of the rural housing organization  Adirondack Roots , said places like Ess...

Congress'  proposed cuts  to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children will have significant effects on New York families. Should the cuts come to fruition, 328,000 families in the state could lose WIC benefits. Nationally, the cuts would affect more than  5 million families . David Nemiroff, president and CEO of Harmony Health Care Long Island, said draconian...

New York has made a  massive investment  in renewable energy. The state is committing $300 million to create the nation's first offshore wind blade and nacelle manufacturing facilities. In addition to three massive offshore wind projects, 22 solar and wind projects across the state are also being funded. Altogether, these projects will generate around 6.5 gigawatts of electricity - enough to p...

New York environmental groups want Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill making it easier to know where lead pipes are located. The  Lead Pipe Right to Know Act  would require information about the location of lead pipes be made accessible online for New Yorkers to easily access. The Natural Resources Defense Council finds there are more than  360,000 lead pipes  across the state. Robert Hayes, directo...

A  report  from the U.S. Department of Defense finds 245 of its 275 installations are close to groundwater sources, including 13 in New York State. The danger is, these installations could be leaching PFAS "forever chemicals" into primary water sources of nearby towns and cities. Comments from Jared Hayes, senior policy analyst, Environmental Working Group.

New York health experts are preparing people for the health-care coverage open-enrollment period. Between 2010 and 2021,  the number of New Yorkers without health insurance  declined from almost 12% to a little more than 5%. As people consider their coverage, Stacy Villagran chief operating officer with the Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York, said people need to be aware that Medicaid's au...

Flood risk will soon have to be required on individual properties in New York. Here's what that state law means for homeowners.

Interest on federal student loans will begin accruing for borrowers in New York and across the nation starting this month. The  Education Data Initiative  finds $93 billion in federal student loan debt belongs to New Yorkers. The average amount of debt is almost $38,000 among the almost 2.5 million student borrowers in the state. Brian Walsh, director of advice and planning with the personal finan...

As 'Gen Z' New Yorkers enter the workforce, their healthcare needs and concerns are varying from previous generations. Along with differences in their healthcare needs, how people in their teens to mid-20s learn about healthcare options is changing, too. While older generations took more expert opinions to heart as they selected their healthcare plans, studies find  Millennials  have been...

Congress is divided on how to fund the  Head Start  program in its upcoming appropriations bill. While the Senate is keen on investing more money for the program, the House is looking to cut around $750 million.  In New York , these cuts would eliminate a little over 4,300 seats in the HeadStart program. Larry Marx, CEO with The Children's Agenda, said the implications of this funding cut and...

Who should have final say on where cell phone towers are located? This Congressional bill would limit local authority.

In honor of  National Honey Bee Day , New York environmentalists want Gov. Hochul to sign the  Birds and Bees Protection Act . The bill prohibits selling  neonicotinoids  and use of seeds coated with the pesticides. It also requires the state's Department of Environmental Conservation to review the latest science concerning active ingredients in them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency f...

New Yorkers and people across the nation are being victimized by a plethora of scams. The Federal Trade Commission reported impostor scams cost New Yorkers  almost $600 million  between 2022 and 2023. Across the country,  investment scams  have caught more people than any other. Scammers cashing in on the cryptocurrency craze took around $4 billion from people in the U.S. in 2022, double the amoun...

As construction on the new Buffalo Bills stadium gets underway, Western New Yorkers are preparing for the jobs the project will create. Along with myriad  community benefits , construction will create 10,000 union labor jobs for the region.

The New York State Legislature is considering a bill to end court fees many consider predatory. Senate Bill 313  takes aim at numerous fines, fees and surcharges added to any crime, from traffic violations to felonies.

A group of New York state social workers wants more funding for a veterans' mental-health program. The  Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative  educates community providers about veteran-specific issues and cultural competency for working with them. The group seeks $100,000 to fund a position to link the  Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project  with the clinicians in the initiative....

The New York State Public Employees Federation is launching a campaign to improve publicly employed social workers' conditions.