Gov. Kathy Hochul is holding out hope to get something done on housing, although it may not happen before the legislative session concludes early next month.
A massive housing plan put forward by the governor fell apart during state budget negotiations.
What You Need To Know
- Gov. Kathy Hochul says she is not very confident about reaching a deal on housing with legislative leaders before next month
- Hochul’s ambitious housing plan unveiled earlier this year fell apart during budget talks when legislative leaders balked
- Hochul now says she is looking at options, including what she can do by executive order
With just a few weeks to go before the Albany legislative session concludes for the year, Hochul says she is not confident her housing plan can be resurrected and passed before then.
“Certainly by the end of the session, there is an opportunity,” Hochul told reporters in Albany. “But the same forces that were divided on the correct approach are still very real. So, that creates a challenge.”
A key pillar of Hochul’s agenda this year was an ambitious plan to build affordable housing all throughout the state. But negotiations with legislative leaders proved contentious on this issue, and the plan wound up being pulled out of the budget, with nothing getting done on housing at all.
Without much partnership from the legislature, Hochul says she is now considering what she can do unilaterally.
“What else can we accomplish by executive order,” Hochul said. “What opportunities I have as governor to find ways to create more housing on state-owned properties, for example. Areas where I can achieve more.”
.@GovKathyHochul says conversations are ongoing with legislative leaders on housing, but she also sees some of the same challenges that forced them to drop the issue from budget. Still unclear what, if anything, can get done before the legislative session ends early next month.
— Zack Fink (@ZackFinkNews) May 15, 2023
Days after the budget passed earlier this month — it was more than a month late — Hochul told reporters she is setting her ambitions a little lower for the end of session. Her priority will be to work with the legislature on their bills.
“I’ll be working with them more closely,” Hochul told reporters earlier this month. “Last year, they delivered 1,007 bills to me. I said, you know, we can avoid a lot of vetoes if we work together and work on language that makes sense.”
Last year, Hochul wound up vetoing several bills passed by the legislature outside of budget with a financial impact. That caused tensions between the governor’s office and the legislature heading into this year’s new Albany session.