Make the Road New York, the immigrant and working-class advocacy organization headquartered on Grove Street in Bushwick, said the Fiscal Year 2027 New York City budget deal cuts more than 500 officer positions in the NYPD, expands the CityFHEPS program for tenants, and invests in legal representation for immigrants and queer New Yorkers, according to a statement the group released on July 1.
The deal was reached between Mayor Mamdani and City Council Speaker Menin, according to Make the Road. The organization credited its members and “immigrant and working-class communities of color” for driving the outcomes it highlighted.
“The budget agreed upon today between Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin makes important gains toward providing support for working-class, immigrant, Trans and queer, tenant, and student New Yorkers,” Make the Road said in its statement. The organization said it secured key funding for programs to help those on the brink of homelessness, legal representation for immigrant and queer neighbors, and cuts of more than 500 officer positions in the NYPD, the largest police force in the world.
Among the specific items the group named: funding for the Rapid Response Legal Collaborative, continued support for health access initiatives and adult education, an end to the Vincent v. Adams litigation, and an expansion of the CityFHEPS program. Make the Road also said some vacant school police positions were cut and that funding for a range of student support programs was extended for one more year.
The group framed the budget wins against what it called growing federal pressure on low-income New Yorkers, saying the community is “struggling under the burden of skyrocketing prices, unaffordable childcare, and crushing healthcare costs, which have grown as billionaire-backed federal representatives slash crucial programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.”
On the school police cuts, Make the Road attributed the result to “relentless organizing by students” and said its goal is to redirect that funding toward restorative justice programs, school counselors, Student Success Centers, and mental health professionals. The group said it will continue pushing to broaden access to the CityFHEPS program in future budget cycles.
Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Jackson Heights, Port Richmond, Brentwood, and White Plains.
Featured image: Make the Road New York
