Courtesy Empire Justice Center

MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Housing and legal advocates are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to fully fund the New York State Homeowner Protection Program as part of her 2026 Executive Budget, warning that rising insurance costs, foreclosure risks and predatory practices continue to threaten homeowners across the state.

In a joint statement responding to Hochul’s State of the State address, Christie Peale, CEO and executive director of the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, and Kristin Brown, president and CEO of the Empire Justice Center, said they welcomed the governor’s focus on housing affordability but emphasized that legal protections for homeowners must remain a central pillar of that effort.

“We appreciate Gov. Hochul’s focus on tackling rising home insurance costs and the real pressures New Yorkers face in affording and keeping their homes,” the statement said. “That’s why the New York State Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP) must be a part of any comprehensive housing affordability agenda, and why we urge the Governor to again fully fund the program at $40 million in the Executive Budget.”

The Center for NYC Neighborhoods is one of the co-anchor organizations that administers HOPP statewide. Kevin Wolfe, the center’s deputy director for advocacy and public affairs, said the program is unmatched nationally in scale and scope.

“HOPP stands for homeowner protection program, and it is probably the largest foreclosure prevention sort of state-run initiative in the country,” Wolfe said. “There’s really not too many systems that are analogous.”

According to Wolfe, the program supports more than 90 nonprofit organizations across New York City and the rest of the state that provide legal representation, housing counseling and financial counseling to homeowners facing foreclosure.

“There are over 90 different nonprofits from across New York City and New York State that receive funding, that receive training, that are supervised in the HOPP program to provide assistance to a homeowner who’s in foreclosure,” he said.

New York established the program in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to ensure homeowners would not face foreclosure alone, Wolfe said, adding that the state has continued funding those services for nearly two decades.

“New York was one of the few states, basically the only state, that, in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, set up a system so that homeowners are sort of never again in a situation where they are losing their home and have no one to turn to help,” Wolfe said.

Advocates say the need for HOPP has grown as insurance costs rise, particularly for multifamily buildings, co-ops and condominiums in New York City. Wolfe said those increases have become a major financial strain.

“Because of our unique housing market that we have in New York City, where we have a lot of multifamily home ownership at scale, we’ve seen rising insurance costs be the number one driver in expenditures,” he said.

While insurance costs have not yet been definitively linked to foreclosure filings, Wolfe said New York continues to experience higher foreclosure rates than the national average.

“About 6% of New York City’s mortgages are currently in foreclosure,” he said. “If you look at the rest of the country, it’s about 4%.”

Certain communities face disproportionate risk, particularly in Queens. Wolfe pointed to Southeast Queens, flood-prone neighborhoods and areas with high concentrations of immigrant homeowners.

“Definitely the sort of Southeast Queens, immigrant heavy neighborhoods, predominantly African American neighborhoods, they are hit very hard by foreclosure,” he said.

Wolfe also cited delayed federal flood mapping and historic discriminatory lending practices as compounding factors, particularly in communities with limited access to traditional banking products.

“A lot of those individuals get into home ownership, and then they may have a predatory model,” he said. “They may have been duped because they don’t have the same access to traditional banking that a comparable white homeowner or home buyer would have.”

HOPP-funded legal representation can dramatically change outcomes, advocates say. Legal services help homeowners understand their rights under New York law, including the right to settlement conferences and protections against unlawful foreclosures.

“The legislature has passed good laws that are on the books,” Wolfe said. “But a lot of times these laws are ignored because homeowners are not aware of their rights.”

Without that guidance, Wolfe said, some homeowners abandon their properties after receiving foreclosure notices, contributing to the spread of vacant “zombie homes” across the city.

“Just because you are behind on your mortgage, it doesn’t mean it’s too late,” he said. “You can still receive assistance. You may be able to keep your home.”

Wolfe said fully funding HOPP at $40 million is critical as federal financial oversight weakens and housing pressures intensify in New York.

“In some ways it’s the last line of defense,” he said. “We really need to make sure that New York State is properly funding the legal services on the ground, so that the homeowners have that line of defense against the banks, against the lenders, against the unscrupulous professionals in the real estate industry.”

Advocates argue that preserving homeownership, particularly for long-term residents in communities of color, is essential to housing stability statewide. As Peale and Brown said, the program has proven its value for more than a decade and must remain a permanent part of New York’s housing safety net.

Courtesy Governor and Mayors Office

Mamdani, Hochul Launch Free Child Care Program 

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

Mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Just days after taking office on Jan. 1, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a far-reaching partnership to launch free child care for two-year-olds in New York City, fast-tracking one of Mamdani’s central campaign promises and signaling an unusually swift alignment between City Hall and Albany.

The initiative, part of a broader statewide push toward universal child care, will expand New York City’s early education system by introducing a new “2-Care” program while strengthening the existing 3K program to finally achieve universal access. Hochul committed the state to fully funding the first two years of the city’s rollout, with the program initially targeting high-need neighborhoods before expanding to all interested families citywide by its fourth year.

The announcement comes less than two weeks into Mamdani’s mayoralty and reflects an early effort by the new administration to translate campaign pledges into policy. Free child care was a centerpiece of Mamdani’s bid for office, framed as a necessary response to rising living costs and the financial strain facing working families across the city.

The city-state agreement is also a major component of Hochul’s latest plan to deliver affordable, universal child care for children under five across New York. Through a combination of universal Pre-K expansion, the launch of 2-Care in New York City, new community-based care pilots and expanded child care subsidies, the state estimates nearly 100,000 additional children will gain access to affordable care.

“There’s one thing that every family in New York can agree on, the cost of childcare is simply too high,” Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom Governor, fighting for New York’s families has always been at the core of my agenda. Since taking office, I’ve put families front and center, fighting to make our state more affordable and laying the groundwork to deliver universal childcare. Today, I’m proud to partner with Mayor Mamdani and leaders across our state to make this a reality, turning that foundation into a concrete roadmap that will transform the lives of working parents and kids across our state.”

Mamdani described the agreement as the culmination of a grassroots political movement and a demonstration of what coordinated government action can deliver. “Over the past 14 months, a movement was born to fight for a city where every New Yorker could afford a life of dignity and every family could afford to raise their kids. Today, Governor Hochul and I meet that movement as we celebrate our joint commitment to universal child care,” he said. “This victory represents much more than a triumph of city and state government working in partnership—it is proof that when New Yorkers come together, we can transform the way government serves working families.”

Beyond New York City, Hochul’s plan commits the state to making Pre-K truly universal. While four-year-olds in many districts already have access, dozens of school systems statewide still lack full programs. Under the proposal, all four-year-olds in New York will have access to Pre-K by the start of the 2028–29 school year.

To achieve that goal, the state will fund additional seats while also increasing support for existing programs, raising per-pupil funding to at least $10,000 or the district’s foundation aid level, whichever is higher. The combined investment is expected to total roughly half a billion dollars and is aimed at ensuring children enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Hochul’s announcement builds on years of increased state spending on child care. Since taking office, she has more than doubled the number of children served by child care vouchers, expanded eligibility by raising income thresholds, capped weekly costs at $15 for most families receiving subsidies and increased reimbursement rates for providers by nearly 50%. The state has also invested more than $150 million in capital funding to support the creation of thousands of new child care seats.

In New York City, the new 2-Care program is designed to extend the city’s early education system downward in age, complementing universal Pre-K and 3K. The state’s commitment to fund the first two years of implementation is intended to stabilize the program as the city builds capacity and enrollment. At the same time, Hochul and Mamdani said they will work together to address long-standing challenges within the 3K system to ensure it delivers on its promise of universal access.

The governor also announced plans to expand child care assistance statewide, with an additional $1.2 billion investment that will bring total spending on subsidies to more than $3 billion. That funding would support tens of thousands of additional families, most of whom would pay little or nothing out of pocket for care.

Outside of New York City, the state will pilot new community care models beginning in 2026, partnering with counties ready to move toward universal, full-day, year-round child care regardless of family income. Those programs will be developed jointly by local governments, child care coordinating entities and the state.

To oversee the sweeping changes, Hochul said the state will launch a new Office of Child Care and Early Education, tasked with coordinating universal Pre-K, 3K expansion, the rollout of 2-Care, subsidy programs and workforce development.

For Mamdani, the early announcement underscores an effort to demonstrate momentum at the start of his term. For Hochul, it reinforces a broader vision of universal child care as both an economic policy and a quality-of-life issue. Together, the two leaders framed the agreement as a turning point — and as proof that rapid city-state collaboration can deliver tangible results for families almost immediately after an election.

Courtesy NYC.Gov

Record Flu Cases Hit New York City 

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

Mfarghaly@queensledger.com

Millions of Americans are grappling with influenza as the 2025-2026 flu season intensifies across the United States, sending hospitalizations soaring and prompting renewed public health warnings. Health experts say the outbreak, fueled by a particularly severe strain of the virus, may continue for weeks as people return to work, school, and other public spaces following the holiday season.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 41 states are reporting “high” or “very high” flu activity, and visits to doctors for flu-like symptoms have reached levels not seen in nearly three decades. Nationwide, the CDC estimates that influenza has already sickened more than 15 million people, led to roughly 180,000 hospitalizations, and claimed the lives of at least 7,400 individuals, including 17 children. Experts caution that the actual numbers are likely higher, as many cases go unreported.

The 2025-2026 season is outpacing last year’s epidemic, which the CDC had classified as “high severity.” Public health officials are urging vaccinations, especially as some of the most heavily impacted areas, including New York, are experiencing record-setting outbreaks.

“When people refer to a ‘super flu,’ they’re describing how intense and widespread this flu season feels, not a new virus. What we’re seeing in New York is a combination of high community transmission, lower vaccination rates, and winter conditions that allow flu to spread more easily. Together, those factors can lead to more severe illness” said  Dr. Maja Castillo, Healthfirst Medical Director.

In New York State, hospitals in the Capital District have reinstated mask requirements for visitors amid the surge, signaling a temporary return to precautions reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Masks are making a comeback in 2026,” one official noted, highlighting the seriousness of the current outbreak.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported that flu cases this season have already exceeded the peak levels of the previous two seasons. A strain of Influenza A, known as H3 or H3N2, has dominated the state’s cases. Ninety-five percent of reported cases in New York have been Influenza A/H3, while just 5% were Influenza A/H1, according to the department’s latest data. Nationwide, H3N2 has also been the dominant strain, accounting for roughly 86% of Influenza A infections.

Influenza, a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, can infect the nose, throat, and lungs, leading to mild to severe illness and, in some cases, death, the CDC said. Typical symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and fatigue.

This season, some doctors have noted unusual gastrointestinal symptoms among patients infected with the H3N2 “super flu.” Reports indicate that many individuals, particularly children, have experienced vomiting of yellow bile, likely caused by suppressed appetite and stomach irritation. Diarrhea has also been observed more frequently in children than adults, raising concerns about dehydration and complications such as bacterial pneumonia.

Data from the New York State Department of Health shows Staten Island alone reported 1,297 flu cases in a single week ending Dec. 27, including 1,035 Influenza A cases, 24 Influenza B cases, and 238 unspecified strains. New York City, unsurprisingly, leads the state in overall cases due to its population density, though statewide totals have reached unprecedented levels this season. Flu activity generally peaks between December and February, suggesting the outbreak may continue for several more weeks.

Medical experts caution that the current H3N2 strain is only moderately covered by this year’s flu vaccine, which was formulated months in advance. Combined with declining vaccination rates nationwide, this leaves more people vulnerable to infection and increases the potential for widespread transmission. The CDC recommends that individuals at high risk—such as older adults, young children, pregnant people, and those with underlying medical conditions—seek antiviral treatment promptly if they develop flu symptoms.

Public health officials are urging all eligible individuals to get vaccinated, practice hand hygiene, and stay home when sick to limit the spread of the virus. While antiviral medications can reduce the severity of illness if administered early, prevention remains the most effective tool.

Courtesy Freepik 

“This flu season has already proven to be more severe than many expected, but we still have effective tools. Vaccination, early recognition of symptoms, and antiviral treatment—especially when started within the first 48 hours—can significantly reduce complications and prevent hospitalizations, particularly for children, older adults, and people with chronic conditions,” Castillo said.

As the flu continues to sweep through communities, hospitals are preparing for sustained high patient volumes. The CDC reminds Americans that influenza can affect anyone and encourages vigilance, particularly in crowded settings such as schools, offices, and public transportation.

This flu season serves as a stark reminder that, even after years of navigating COVID-19, seasonal influenza remains a significant public health threat. Experts say that staying current with vaccinations, wearing masks in high-risk settings, and seeking early medical care for flu symptoms are key to mitigating the impact of this year’s outbreak.