Mayor Eric Adams

January 18, 2023

NYC signs $275M deal to provide hotel rooms for migrants

Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to a $275 million contract with the Hotel Association of New York City to provide housing for at least 5,000 migrants–$55,000 per asylum-seeker–the New York Post reports. The emergency agreement between the city's Department of Homeless Services and the Hotel Association, which put in a formal bid to provide shelter amid the current migrant crisis, will include up to 55 smaller hotels, according to the association's president, Vijay Dandapani.
Find out more
January 10, 2023

NYC’s plan to convert office space into housing could create 20,000 homes

In December, Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a plan to address the needs of post-pandemic New York by creating mixed-use neighborhoods in central business districts to draw more residents, businesses, and tourists. The plan advocated for the much-discussed idea of converting vacant office buildings into homes, a solution that tackles both the city's housing crisis and lagging retail growth by making zoning laws more flexible. On Monday, Adams announced a list of specific recommendations for converting underused offices into 20,000 homes for 40,000 New Yorkers over the next decade.
Find out more
December 6, 2022

NYC nixes $157M ‘Internet Master Plan’ for universal public broadband access

Nearly three years ago, Bill de Blasio's administration announced the Internet Master Plan, which would build municipal broadband infrastructure in poor neighborhoods. Under the plan, a collection of internet service providers would make use of the city's own infrastructure–rooftops and utility poles, for example–to offer fiber optic networks to underserved zones. NYCHA buildings would also get wired under the plan, guaranteeing residents of the city's public housing developments affordable high-speed internet access. The city was prepared to spend $157 million on the plan. Now, after being put on hold when Mayor Eric Adams took office, the city’s Office of Technology and Innovation (OTI) has confirmed that the plan is officially off the table, Gothamist reports.
Find out more
December 1, 2022

NYC is hiring a rat czar with a ‘virulent vehemence for vermin’

Though there may be bigger battles, New York City's war against rats is an arduous and ongoing affair. Mayor Eric Adams has positioned himself as a sworn enemy of the scurrying horde: During his time as Brooklyn Borough President, Adams expressed his distaste for the resilient rodents. Now, as mayor, Adams is seeking a fearless lieutenant to lead the extermination effort, Gothamist reports. According to a new job listing published by the city for Director of Rodent Mitigation, the individual sought for this position–"rat czar," says a City Hall spokesperson–will have a "Swashbuckling attitude, crafty humor, and general aura of badassery” and a “virulent vehemence for vermin.” In return, they can expect a salary of up to $170,000.
Rat eradication strategy ahead
November 30, 2022

NYC to involuntarily hospitalize people with severe mental illness

Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday an 11-point mental health legislative agenda for the next session in Albany aimed at addressing a growing need to provide care for people living on New York City's streets and subways with untreated severe mental illness. A controversial part of the new plan includes a directive for emergency medical workers to hospitalize those who are deemed too mentally ill to provide basic care for themselves, even if they pose no threat to the public.
Find out more
November 23, 2022

NYC unveils plan for car-free streets in Midtown to reduce holiday crowds

Some streets in Midtown Manhattan will be closed to cars during the holiday season to provide New Yorkers and visitors a safe way to enjoy the festivities, Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday. Under the plan, the city will open 11 blocks to pedestrians, including a strip of Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street, the first time in 50 years the iconic thoroughfare will close to traffic. Starting next week, certain streets around Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall will only be open to pedestrians during the busiest hours.
Get the details
February 27, 2022

Adams to end school mask mandate, most indoor vaccine requirements on March 7

New York City will no longer require masks in public schools or proof of vaccination for indoor dining and entertainment starting March 7 if there is no spike in Covid-19 cases before then, Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday. The announcement comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the indoor mask mandate statewide for schools. In addition to ending the mask mandate in schools, Adams said the "Key to NYC' initiative, which has required proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms, and indoor entertainment venues since August, will also be lifted. An official decision is expected on March 4.
Find out more
February 16, 2022

Former illegal Upper West Side hotel will become apartments for homeless and low income residents

As part of a larger plan to create much-needed affordable housing, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his support for converting hotels to residential units. In the first such attempt by his administration, Adams announced on Monday plans to convert what had been an illegal hotel at 258 West 97th Street on the Upper West Side into 80 new units of housing primarily for formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers.
More on illegal hotels and new housing