In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams delivered his annual State of the City address Wednesday.
“We are going to navigate NYC out of the crisis we are facing,” said Adams.
Mayor Adams reassured New Yorkers that the Big Apple is stronger than ever.
“When we came into office two years ago, we had a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make this city more livable. Two years in, we are seeing real results,” he said.
Adams said the humanitarian crisis with migrants is not over.
“This is a national crisis that calls for a national solution,” said Adams.
Adams says more than 172,000 asylum seekers have come through the city’s shelter system since 2022. Almost 70,000 remain in the city’s care today.
“It is time for the federal government to deal with this federal crisis and make sure we can give them the opportunity. Let them work! Let them work!” said Mayor Adams.
Single adult migrants in city shelters are now facing 30-day stay limits, while families with children have 60 days. Adams has insisted without the new rules the city shelters would be overwhelmed. The mayor touted his record on crime, which he said is low in the city.
“We’ve taken over 14,000 illegal guns off our streets, driven down the number of shootings and homicides by double digits,” added Adams.
Adams also praised his newest medical debt relief program.
“Two billion dollars of debt relief. The number one cause of bankruptcy is medical debt,” he said.
The Adams administration says half a million New York City residents could see their medical bills forgiven. But 2023 wasn’t an easy year for Adams.
Law enforcement officials are examining whether Adams’ election campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive donations from foreign sources.
In late November, Adams was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993, an assault that allegedly happened when they both worked for the City of New York. The mayor has denied the allegations.
In December, a Quinnipiac University poll gave Adams a 28% job approval rating, the worst of any New York mayor in the history of the 27-year-old survey.
NYC program will erase $2 billion of medical debt for some residents
New York is working with a nonprofit organization called RIP Medical Debt, which buys up delinquent medical accounts.
