What's The [DATA] Point

97 - that's the number of days between this conversation and the release of the Governor's Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget. But how the State will close its $16 billion structural gap isn't the only important issue facing New York State. How will the State buttress resiliency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve student achievement (since it already spends 85% more per student than the national average), fund the MTA's next capital plan, hold the line on taxes, and deal with the City administration's current issues? Fortunately, we have Governor Hochul’s top 2 aides—Secretary to the Governor Karen Persichilli Keogh and Director of State Operations and Infrastructure Kathryn Garcia—on the Datapoint today to talk about these issues and more.

3 is the number of current and former Comptrollers who sat down to discuss the City and State's finances, economy, population loss and more. While jobs and tourism have recovered, New York continues to face challenges with hybrid work affecting downtowns and the office market, housing affordability, future budget gaps, and needed infrastructure investment. Former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson moderated a discussion during which NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander dig into what the City and State is doing with your money and New York's future.

109,000. This is the number of new homes New York City aims to create over the next 15 years through its City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning proposal. Despite broad agreement on the need for more housing, the path is fraught with obstacles. Development is expensive and outdated regulations and zoning have impeded development of new housing and conversion of office buildings. How will New York overcome these challenges and turn promise into progress? To shed light, we’re joined by Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission. In WTDP’s new episode, he helps us unpack the Administration’s proposals, the role of City Planning, and what’s at stake if we fail to address this critical crisis.

Listen to NYC Planning Director Dan Garodnick on:

-15:41: Explaining City of Yes benefits to potential opponents

-20:05: Parking requirements

-25:04: How Universal Affordability Preference will deliver

-28:08: Office to residential conversions

-29:22: Impacts of 485-X

-31:15: Importance of Green Fast Track

-33:45: Being a former City Councilmember talking to current Councilmembers

$116 billion is the total NYC adopted budget for FY 2025, including the $4 billion of FY25 bills that were prepaid. This year’s budget talks between the Mayor and City Council took several twists and turns, ending with the narrowly on-time arrival of an adopted budget. New York City Council Member Justin Brannan, Chair of the Council’s Finance Committee, joined the podcast to discuss the budget, the Council’s role, and his prior career as a musician.

$8.8 trillion is the total combined assets of the nearly 3,000 financial institutions that are regulated and supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). In addition to navigating serious banking crises in recent years, DFS faces challenges on the horizon: artificial intelligence, cyber security, and cryptocurrency, to name a few. Joining the podcast is DFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris, who shares with us the important work state leadership is doing to ensure a strong and secure financial services sector, while navigating this rapidly changing landscape.

6,632 is the number of NYC households who responded to CBC's 2023 NYC Resident Survey: "Straight from New Yorkers." The survey provides the most comprehensive, statistically valid, post-pandemic view of how New Yorkers are feeling about the City's quality of life and the quality of government services. Among the many eyebrow-raising pieces of feedback coming Straight from New Yorkers: Only 30% of rate their quality of life as excellent or good, down from 50% in 2017. Joining the pod to discuss the survey results and the City's priorities is New York City First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright.

1.4% is the current--and historically low--apartment vacancy rate in New York City. NYC and many parts of New York State are in the throes of a housing crisis caused by decades of underproduction. Solving the housing crisis is key to stemming the tide of New Yorkers leaving the state and to rolling out the welcome mat to new New Yorkers. Joining us to discuss the latest housing policy news affecting both NYC and the state is national housing expert Vicki Been, a professor at NYU's Furman Center and former New York City Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.

$60 billion is how much the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) estimates it should invest in its infrastructure over the next 5 years. NYCHA faces persistent challenges: recurring budget gaps, rising expenses, weakening rent collection, deteriorating physical conditions, and more. NYCHA's CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Chair Jamie Rubin both spoke with CBC at a recent event to discuss the plans and strategies they've put in place to better manage the nation's largest public housing system.

$233 billion is the total NYS budget proposed by Governor Hochul for fiscal year 2025, and that is the talk of the town in Albany as executive and legislative leaders work on a new budget agreement in time for the April 1st deadline. NYS Budget Director Blake Washington, who is at the center of budget negotiations happening right now, spoke with the CBC at a recent event. He and CBC President Andrew Rein discussed the state's current fiscal picture and details regarding the state's large structural gap, and more.

$39.5 billion is how much NYC spends to educate our students each year. The New York City Public Schools has an enormous and challenging task: to educate and develop 900,000 students who come from a wide diversity of backgrounds and needs. And it’s important to ask: Are we getting the return we need on our dollars? How are our students doing? To answer this and other pressing questions is NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks and Deputy Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Emma Vadehra.