CACF Statement On NYC’s FY 24 Budget
NEW YORK (July 10, 2023) -- On June 30th, 2023, New York City adopted a $107 billion Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, which after the tireless efforts of community advocates and allies in the New York City Council, restored critical initiatives and essential services that Mayor Adams had initially cut with a deeply unjust and economically negligent Executive Budget proposal.
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) applauds the Members of the New York City Council for their advocacy and solidarity to ensure that the services most essential to New Yorkers were restored and protected. However, CACF stands opposed to an austerity budget that diverts resources away from individuals and families who have been disenfranchised by historic exclusion and starves low-income and working class communities from culturally responsive social safety nets - because victories in the name of restoration are rooted in the perpetuation of class stagnancy and the disruption of socioeconomic mobility.
The Fiscal Year 2024 New York City Budget does not meet the expectations of a value doctrine which should represent and reflect the people. Though a number of key initiatives and essential services were restored, we are alarmed by the divestments in holistic initiatives which support our most disenfranchised New Yorkers which include mental health services, older adult services, housing services, and criminal justice services. New Yorkers require comprehensive restorations and critical enhancements to alleviate the experiences and struggles that have continued to oppress our most vulnerable. There is no room to negotiate when lives are at stake.
The 18% and Growing Campaign centers itself with the guiding principles of solidarity and collective advocacy as we mobilize our diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora to continue and join the fight to ensure that our communities are no longer forced to remain isolated and vulnerable, but are guaranteed with rooted opportunities to quality of life, mobility, and capital.
Our campaign of over 100 AAPI community based organizations continues to resist the narrative that our communities do not deserve more. We do this by working as a collective to create new ways to advocate for our communities, break the rhetoric of the model minority myth, build power through people and community grounded efforts, and stand with conviction against the systemic stagnancy that attempts to sow division amongst communities of color through a zero-sum approach to governance.
This past year, we led a campaign that quickly evolved to be one of the most community engaged, unifying, and culturally responsive that New York City has ever seen. From the addition of over 30 new members to our campaign, to making our presence known by activating communities across the Boroughs, and mobilizing untapped AAPI communities and organizations to engage in unprecedented advocacy, we have stood strong with the conviction to demand for investments in resources our communities need.
Our diverse diaspora holds no limitation of vision to what our communities deserve, and we will continue to fight to disrupt the stagnant vision that leaders in power hold that continue to limit our communities from what we deserve. Our campaign and communities remain resistant to fiscal conformity and austerity.
For more information, please contact Lakshmi Gandhi, CACF’s Senior Communications Coordinator, at lgandhi@cacf.org.
