🍎 citymeetings.nyc #28
Stated Meeting, HASA, Taxi Reforms, Retail Consumer Financial Protection
Hi!
Budget hearings are around the corner and March will be a busy month for citymeetings.nyc (and, well, many of you).
Full meeting breakdowns will continue to be published same-day, even in March.
And, finally, professional research tools that come with increased coverage across NYC and NY state are arriving in the next few weeks.
Stay tuned!
Vikram
Folks appreciated the broadly-relevant highlights at the top of the last issue, so here they are again.
- Adrienne Adams comments on the Trump administration, Justice Department, and Eric Adams in her Stated Meeting address here and here.
- Re: federal funding at DOHMH & HIV/AIDS programs --
- Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV and STI @ DOHMH: "It is true that that this critical work to support people with HIV in the city is largely reliant on federal funding." Link
- Diana Ayala brings up potential funding cuts. HASA is 26% federally funded. Link
- Newly-minted Republican Minority Leader Joann Ariola popped in for one question about federal funding cuts. Link
- Re: congestion pricing --
- The TLC commissioner shares that taxi trips were up 10% in January 2025 over January 2024. Link
- CM Brooks-Powers introduces a resolution to call on the MTA to conduct a "comprehensive, ongoing study on the environmental, economic, and social impacts of congestion pricing throughout New York City". Link
- Re: Arrow Linen project in Windsor Terrace --
- It passed. Shahana Hanif's comments start here and continue for a few chapters. Link
This week's highlights are from last week's Stated Meeting and hearings on:
- Retail consumer financial protection
- Oversight of the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) program
- The taxi industry's insurance and accessibility requirements
For a complete listing of published meetings, visit https://citymeetings.nyc.
Hearing on consumer financial protection in NYC retail
District Leader Ron Thomas testifies at last week's consumer and worker protection hearing.
The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) discussed its enforcement efforts and three bills addressing credit card minimums, gas station payment holds, and flexible benefit card acceptance.
- DCWP has delivered more than $1B back to New Yorkers over the last three years through enforcement actions, with over 40K inspections and 50K summonses in recent years. Link
- DCWP issued a judgment against Van Leeuwen ice cream after the business repeatedly violated the city's cashless ban, which took effect in 2020. Link
- DCWP secured a $1.8M settlement with secondhand auto dealer 26 Motors and obtained a $3.7M default judgment against moving company Dorm to Dorm for deceptive practices. Link
- When Julie Menin served as DCWP commissioner, the agency discovered Whole Foods was overstating weights of prepackaged products, leading to a $500,000 settlement and corrective measures. Link
- In 2014, DCWP (then DCA) created a small business relief package allowing businesses to cure minor violations, after finding that bodegas were being hit with extremely high fines for minor errors like incorrect pricing on a can of peas. Link
- Consumer complaints have remained relatively stable, with about 23,000-26,000 complaints annually in recent years. Link
- Violations have increased from 14,000 in 2022 to over 19,000 in 2024, with DCWP focusing efforts on tobacco and e-cigarette retail dealer enforcement. Link
- DCWP supports prohibiting credit card minimum purchases over $10 but expresses concerns about additional signage requirements that could overburden businesses. Link
- Gas stations commonly place pre-authorization holds exceeding $100 when customers pay at the pump with credit, debit, or benefit cards. Link
- A constituent reported using their benefit card for $20 of gas, only to have a $150 pre-authorization hold placed for three days, resulting in the loss of their monthly benefits. Link
- Constituents in Lower Manhattan report having to travel to Brooklyn to find businesses that accept their Over-The-Counter (OTC) benefit cards. Link
- District Leader Ron Thomas, who received a kidney transplant in 2018, credits the OTC program with helping maintain his health but notes rising costs, citing examples like eggs costing $9 per dozen. Link
Hearing on HASA's services
Jason Cianciotto from GMHC gives testimony at last week's oversight hearing on HASA.
The council held a hearing on the HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) program, examining service challenges and and the program's impact on New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.
Discussions primarily centered around housing assistance, staffing issues, and service delivery problems.
- HASA, established in 1985 by NYC Human Resources Administration, provides comprehensive case management, housing assistance, and support services to low-income New Yorkers living with HIV. Link
- HASA currently serves over 33K households totaling more than 42k people, offering Medicaid, SNAP benefits, cash assistance, housing assistance, home care, and mental health treatment referrals. Link
- Over 21K households receive HASA rental assistance for private market apartments, and 5.5K units of HASA supportive housing are available. Link
- In 2023, NYC recorded 1,686 new HIV diagnoses, with Black and Latino New Yorkers accounting for 83% of cases. Link
- The average HASA caseload is currently 48 clients per caseworker. Link
- HASA reports approximately 400 vacant supportive housing units, while 2,186 individuals reside in temporary housing with an average stay of 150 days. Link
- HASA's transportation and nutritional allowance remains at $158 per month, unchanged for approximately 40 years. Link
- A supportive housing provider in December 2024 received only 45% of expected referrals, resulting in 22 vacancies and the loss of a federal grant when occupancy dropped from 95% to 80%. Link
- Legal aid attorneys report that HASA clients face months-long delays for services that should be provided within 30 days. Link
- Multiple HASA clients have lost housing benefits due to Social Security Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) increases pushing them marginally over income limits, including cases where clients exceeded limits by as little as $0.57. Link
- A trans client with chronic health issues was repeatedly denied emergency housing assistance despite extensive hospitalizations and imminent eviction risk. Link
Hearing on NYC's taxi industry's insurance and accessibility requirements
Bhairavi Desai from New York Taxi Workers Alliance gives testimony at last week's TLC hearing.
The council and NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) examined proposals to reform taxi insurance requirements and improve ride accessibility amid rising costs and competition.
- NYC taxi operations remain at 55% of pre-pandemic levels. Link
- TLC Commissioner David Do reports that medallion values currently range from $90,000 to $200,000, with 777 medallion transfers in 2023 and 1,003 in 2024. Link
- Intro 1050 proposes reducing required Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage for TLC vehicles from $200,000 to $50,000, matching state requirements for other vehicles. Link
- The TLC's Green Rides initiative requires high-volume for-hire services to dispatch 100% of trips to electric or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030. ~20% of current trips meet this requirement today. Link
- Intro 193 would require taxis and for-hire vehicles to display decals warning passengers about cyclists when opening doors, following at least one fatality from "dooring" incidents in each of the past three years. Link
- The Taxi Medallion Owner Relief Program has provided over $471 million in debt relief to 2,034 medallion owners, with $65.7 million in city grant funding to incentivize participation. Link
- Taxi trips increased by 10% in January 2025 compared to January 2024 following congestion pricing implementation, while for-hire-vehicle trips saw a slight 1% decline. Link
- The yellow taxi fleet is currently 44.8% wheelchair accessible (4,235 vehicles), approaching but not yet meeting the 50% mandate. Link
- Uber supports reducing PIP requirements, citing that 98% of settled claims in 2021-2022 were under $50,000 and that the reduction could save drivers $600 annually. Link
- The New York Taxi Workers Alliance opposes reducing PIP coverage, arguing that the $600 annual savings is insufficient compared to the loss of crucial coverage for drivers who lack workers' compensation. Link
- Disability advocates warn that the Accessible Dispatch program, which helps wheelchair users book accessible taxis, faces potential discontinuation. Link
Last week's Stated Meeting
Speaker Adrienne Adams gives her Stated Meeting address.
- Speaker Adams outlines the Trump administration's attacks on the NYC and emphasizes the importance of a "strong local democracy in the face of increasing tyranny". Link
- CM Ariola takes office as the new Republican minority leader, leading a five-member minority caucus focused on being a "voice of reason, common sense, and solutions in City Hall". Link
- CM Brooks-Powers introduces Resolution 735 calling for the MTA to conduct a comprehensive study on congestion pricing's environmental, economic, and social impacts throughout NYC. Link
- Two bills addressing sexual violence in city jails pass, requiring electronic case management for tracking investigations and mandating reporting on incidents against staff. Link
- The council approves two deed theft prevention bills requiring the Office of the Homeowner Advocate to provide financial planning support and mandating disclosure of estimated market value for unsolicited property purchases. Link
- CM Hanif introduces the Tip Theft Prevention Act, requiring daily tip reports and mandating that businesses accepting card payments must also accept tips via card. Link
- CM Nurse introduces legislation to evaluate and simplify the supportive housing application process, which currently can take up to a year to complete. Link
- CM Salaam introduces legislation requiring contractors to provide written notice about necessary permits to homeowners, along with resolutions supporting the Earned Time Act and Mayfield Act for criminal justice reform. Link
- The council approves the SPARC project in Kips Bay, expected to create 15,000 jobs and include new CUNY facilities, a high school, and life sciences space. Link
- CM Zhuang introduces legislation requiring the Department of Sanitation to study religious accommodations for garbage collection times, addressing conflicts with the current 6 PM rule. Link
Thanks for reading!
Comments, questions, or feedback? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc
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