Center for an Urban Future Statement on Mayor Adams's State of the City Address 

The Center for an Urban Future commends Mayor Adams for focusing today's State of the City address on making New York more affordable for working families, and for his promising proposals to put money back into families' pockets. But one of the best ways to help people afford this city is by ensuring a lot more New Yorkers can springboard into better paying careers. That's exactly what the City University of New York does for tens of thousands of New Yorkers each year—but CUNY was strikingly absent from today's speech.

Last year, the final city budget reduced funding for CUNY by 6 percent. New York can't afford to do that again. Instead, policymakers should help more New Yorkers get ahead by investing in CUNY. These investments should include:​

• Boosting graduation rates by expanding the highly successful CUNY ACE program;
• Eliminating unpaid balances that deter students from returning to college to complete credentials;
• Baselining funding for CUNY Reconnect to bring back more adults with some college credits but no degree;
• Launching CUNY Flex, a pilot program to provide part-time students with wraparound supports.

The Center for an Urban Future is a leading NYC think tank focused on boosting economic mobility in New York City.