Advocacy groups on Monday urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo take sign several bills approved at the end of the legislative session that are broadly meant to aid low-income families and children in the criminal justice system, housing and child care. 

Taken together, the bills would seek to address poverty in New York that is believed to have been made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

One bill would raise the maximum rent paid under the state's Family Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement, raising the rent cap from 85% of HUD's fair market rent to 100%. 

Another measure would end the arrest of children as young as 7 as juvenile delinquents and separately allow people to apply for youthful offender status. And several bills would address the affordability of child care, including measures that would aid providers, expand the scope of the Child Care Availability Task Force. 

"We urge the governor to sign these bills into law without delay. If he fails to do so, thousands of New York families will fall deeper into poverty and even more lives will be at risk," said the Citizens Committee for Children, a research and advocacy group. "CCC looks forward to working with the Governor, our state partners and state leaders to ensure all of New York’s children and families have access to the resources they need to not only recover from the pandemic, but thrive.”