May 3, 2023
SFY 2023-24 Budget Includes Historic $30 Million to Provide Critical Services for New York's AAPI Communities
Speaker Carl Heastie and Asian Pacific American Task Force Co-Chairs Grace Lee and Zohran K. Mamdani today announced that the Enacted State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023-24 Budget includes $30 million to support critical services for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) New Yorkers and to combat bias crimes.
“The Assembly Majority is committed to getting AAPI New Yorkers and communities the resources they need to thrive in our state,” Speaker Heastie said. “This year’s budget invests in programs that improve access to mental health care, and in community organizations that are doing hard work in our communities to combat discrimination and hate.”
“The steep rise in anti-Asian hate has put New York’s AAPI community in a historic moment of need,” said Assemblymember Lee. “The legislature has an obligation to protect its vulnerable communities, and this funding is an important step in that direction. As the Co-Chair of the Assembly’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, I am proud to deliver this crucial funding to AAPI communities across New York state.”
“AAPI New Yorkers are the fastest growing group in our state and the investments we’ve put forward in our final budget are a historic step towards providing those very communities the resources they need to thrive here in our state,” Assemblymember Mamdani said.
The spending plan includes a historic $30 million to support crisis intervention programs for New York’s AAPI communities, as well as community-based programs to combat bias crimes. This is a $10 million increase over funding in the SFY 2022-23 Budget. AAPI New Yorkers comprise 11 percent of New York State’s population, or approximately 2.1 million New Yorkers. New York has the largest AAPI community in the country and the 2020 census shows that it continues to grow at a faster rate than any other group.