Liberal Metropolis Council members are pushing a invoice that might robotically enroll residents in applications to obtain social advantages — even when they’re unlawful immigrants.
Council member Crystal Hudson is pushing the measure, which might have the Division of Social Companies mine tax knowledge, social providers rolls and different authorities information to establish New Yorkers who high quality for “city-created profit applications” and signal them up with out a lot as having to file an software.
The price is anticipated to huge — however neither lawmakers nor Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration might estimate how a lot the auto enroll program would value taxpayers.
“All of us need to do the best factor, however forms makes it very troublesome,” Hudson stated at a Metropolis Council listening to the place the invoice was heard Wednesday.
The division must ship every particular person a discover explaining which program they’ve been enrolled in, what it gives and any related prices. The discover would additionally define any steps wanted to finish enrollment and choose out.
Hudson argued the invoice is required as a result of many individuals by no means make it by means of town’s pink tape. She pointed to Truthful Fares, a program that gives half-priced subway and bus rides for low-income New Yorkers, the place solely about 37% of eligible riders have been enrolled as of late 2025.
“I’m making an attempt that can assist you assist New Yorkers,” Hudson informed Division of Social Companies officers who testified on the listening to.
“I believe with just a little chutzpah and creativeness — and with the best investments — we might make it occur.”
However the council’s personal Fiscal Affect Assertion concedes lawmakers have no idea what the invoice would value.
The Finance Division wrote that the laws “might necessitate elevated funding for the Division of Social Companies, however at the moment there’s not adequate info accessible to evaluate the associated fee.”
The town’s Workplace of Administration and Finances additionally didn’t present an estimate.
The invoice is cosponsored by a slate of Progressive Caucus members and allies, together with Lincoln Restler, Julie Received, Carmen De La Rosa, Gale Brewer, Shahana Hanif, Harvey Epstein and Farah Louis.
At a Metropolis Council listening to Wednesday, HRA Chief Program Officer Rebecca Chew stated the administration remains to be reviewing the proposal, together with funds concerns, and he or she raised alarms about privateness and consent.
She warned that advantages eligibility usually hinges on delicate info — from immigration standing and earnings to being pregnant, HIV standing and home violence historical past — and that constructing a centralized auto-enrollment database might conflict with state and federal privateness guidelines.
The invoice doesn’t identify particular applications, but it surely applies to any city-created profit administered by the social providers commissioner.
That definition might cowl Truthful Fares, which is open to unlawful immigrants in addition to different New York residents.
It might additionally attain city-run assured earnings pilots, a few of which settle for unlawful immigrants.
Relying on how the invoice is interpreted, it would even apply to CityFHEPS, the rental help program whose prices have greater than tripled lately, from about $500 million in fiscal 2023 to a projected $1.7 billion in 2026.
If CityFHEPS have been pulled into automated enrollment, the value of a invoice that already lacks a fiscal estimate might snowball.
Speaker Julie Menin signaled assist for auto-enrollment in Truthful Fares, however stopped in need of explicitly endorsing Hudson’s laws, which might mandate automated enrollment throughout the complete vary of city-created profit applications administered by DSS.
“Speaker Menin strongly helps increasing entry to Truthful Fares, which gives focused reduction to riders in a approach that funds watchdogs agree is cost-efficient.” a spokesperson for Menin informed The Publish. “Following right this moment’s testimony, the Speaker will think about suggestions from all stakeholders as Council Member Hudson’s invoice strikes by means of the legislative course of.”
Hudson’s blank-check invoice lands as Gotham is already staring down a funds disaster with metropolis companies ordered to trim prices amid a projected $5.4 billion funds shortfall for fiscal yr 2026 and a $10.4 billion shortfall looming in fiscal yr 2027, based on estimates from town comptroller’s workplace.
Hudson didn’t reply to an inquiry from The Publish.
