Adams insists 'no one will fight harder' for NYC during State of the City address
NEW YORK CITY - NYC Mayor Eric Adams delivered his State of the City address from Manhattan's Apollo Theater.
Despite facing possible criminal charges, Adams made his case for another term Thursday, insisting that "no one will fight harder" for New York City.
Adams discussed his administration's achievements over the past three years, the current state of the city and how the administration will continue to make the city even safer and more affordable for working-class families.
"How can we make sure that the greatest city in the world is also the greatest place to raise a family? That starts with keeping families safe," Adams said.
At the address, Adams acknowledged it’s about more than crime statistics and said that is why they are deploying additional officers to the subway.
"Whether it's taking thousands of illegal guns off our streets, shattering affordable housing records over and over again, or putting billions of dollars back into the pockets of New Yorkers, our administration has fought every day to create a safer, more affordable city for working-class New Yorkers," Adams said in a press release.
Adams said the city is launching a new program to connect soon-to-be parents applying for shelter with services that help people find permanent housing before their child is born.
"No child should ever be born in our shelter system," Adams said.
Adams said under Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom's leadership the city has been able to move 8,000 people from the subways into shelters.
Featured
Was New York City crime up or down in 2024?
On the subway, felony assaults were up 65% from 2019 to 2024, according to the MTA. In 2019, 374 felony assaults were reported, while in 2024, 579 were reported.
Adams unveiled "The Manhattan Plan", which will create 100,000 new homes in the city and reach a total of a million homes in the next decade.
Again, Adams proposed the "Axe the Tax", which would eliminate income taxes "for working-class families making 150% of the federal poverty line or less." "Axe the Tax" would have to be approved by Albany.
Adams is now calling on Albany to pass the "Supportive Interventions Act".
"We have seen the tragic, tragic consequences when severe mental health illnesses on our streets and subways go unchecked," Adams said.
"Thanks to our efforts, New York City is not only back; we are better than ever," Adams said. "But as we look to the future, we know there is even more we can do to uplift working-class families across the five boroughs, protect our streets and subways, tackle the cost of rent, create more housing, and put even more money back into New Yorkers' pockets."
National Day of Mourning
Also today, a national Day of Mourning is in place in honor of former President Jimmy Carter's official state funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
This means the embattled mayor addressed the state of America’s most populous city – just as the nation hit pause to honor the late President Jimmy Carter with a state funeral.
"On Jan. 9, at the historic Apollo, we'll present our vision for an even safer and more affordable New York City in both 2025 and in the decades to come," Adams said in a statement.
President Joe Biden declared the National Day of Mourning shortly after Carter’s passing at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia. In his proclamation, Biden described Carter as a "man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history."