NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: City Allows Affordable Housing Rentals on Real Estate Websites, Governor Hochul and Lawmakers Reach Tentative Budget Deal, and Trump Administration Probes Ban of Long Island School’s Native American Mascot

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

New York City will allow affordable apartments to bypass the housing lottery and list vacancies directly on real estate sites like StreetEasy, in an effort to speed up the rental process. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul and state lawmakers have struck a tentative deal on the nearly $254 billion state budget, almost a month late. Plus, the Trump administration is investigating whether New York’s ban on Native American school mascots violates federal civil rights laws, with a Long Island school at the center of the dispute.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, April 29th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Thousands of affordable apartments in New York City sit vacant as their owners look for new tennis through the city's lottery system. WNIC's David Brand reports the city's housing agency is rolling out a new strategy to speed up the rental process. The city will allow owners of affordable apartments to list them on real estate sites like StreetEasy and bypass the lottery system altogether once the current occupant moves out.

The rule takes effect May 1st and will last year. It will apply to tens of thousands of apartments with rents capped for low and middle income tenants. The policy only affects so-called re-rentals. Tenants applying for a place in a brand-new building still have to go through the housing lottery. A city spokesperson says officials will spend the next year revamping the housing lottery system to make it more efficient. When a Oakland, New York State lawmakers have struck a tentative budget deal, as W&MIC's John Campbell reports the spending plan is nearly a monthly.

The governor says the budget will be about $254 billion. But it'll include plenty of policy items that have little to do with spending, like a plan to prohibit public school students from using their smartphones during the school day. That's been a priority for the governor. This budget is far more than a financial document. It's a declaration of our shared values. Hockel says her office will finalize budget legislation in the coming days. Lawmakers are expected to begin voting later this week.

The budget was due before April 1st. Since then, lawmakers have passed short-term extensions to keep the state funded. The Trump administration is investigating whether New York's banned on Native American school mascots violates federal civil rights law. Long Island's Massa High wants to keep his chief's mascot, despite the state's rules threatening school funding for non-compliance. Lay Litman is a University of Michigan law professor. Littman says New York's response could determine whether this turns into a lengthy court battle.

We don't know whether New York or a school might sue to challenge the Trump administration's investigation. So there's a considerable amount of uncertainty. Massapeek was one of three districts that sued over the mascot ban to judge throughout the case earlier this year. High tree pollen today with moderate air quality because of ozone pollution. Tailpipe emissions drive ozone pollution. So today might be a good one to take public transit instead of driving. That is, if you can. Fifty-five and sunny right now. Sunny and warm, 82 today, mostly sunny tomorrow, 75 and windy. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives.

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