New York City Council urged to allocate $1M for hypertension law funding

The Committees on Finance, Health, and Mental Health convened on May 26, 2025, to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget for New York City. The meeting featured a series of testimonies from various advocates and organizations, focusing on critical health and mental health funding needs.

The session began with a representative from the American Heart Association advocating for an additional $1 million to fully implement the hypertension law. They emphasized the importance of funding initiatives that provide matching dollars for SNAP recipients to purchase healthy foods, highlighting the positive impact on community health.

Following this, Anthony Feliciano from Housing Works addressed urgent priorities related to healthcare funding, particularly in light of potential federal cuts affecting Medicaid and ACA funding for transgender individuals. He called for increased funding for HIV prevention initiatives and overdose prevention centers, stressing the need for evidence-based solutions to address homelessness and mental health crises.

Jennifer Parrish from the Urban Justice Center Mental Health Project urged the city to allocate $4.5 million to ensure competitive compensation for peer specialists in the mental health crisis response team. She argued for a 24/7 crisis response system that prioritizes compassionate care over police intervention, advocating for a shift in funding from the Department of Corrections to support mental health services.

Mbaki Thiani from the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York highlighted the necessity of integrating mental health counselors into emergency response teams to prevent police brutality during crises. Thiani also called for increased mental health support in schools and funding for independent living centers, emphasizing the need for accessible mental health resources for students and families.

The meeting concluded with a consensus on the urgent need for increased funding across various health and mental health initiatives to better serve New Yorkers, particularly marginalized communities. The discussions underscored the importance of compassionate care and the need for systemic changes in how mental health crises are managed in the city.