97 - that's the number of days between this conversation and the release of the Governor's Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget. But how the State will close its $16 billion structural gap isn't the only important issue facing New York State. How will the State buttress resiliency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve student achievement (since it…

3 is the number of current and former Comptrollers who sat down to discuss the City and State's finances, economy, population loss and more. While jobs and tourism have recovered, New York continues to face challenges with hybrid work affecting downtowns and the office market, housing affordability, future budget gaps, and needed infrastructure inv…

109,000. This is the number of new homes New York City aims to create over the next 15 years through its City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning proposal. Despite broad agreement on the need for more housing, the path is fraught with obstacles. Development is expensive and outdated regulations and zoning have impeded development of new housing a…

$116 billion is the total NYC adopted budget for FY 2025, including the $4 billion of FY25 bills that were prepaid. This year’s budget talks between the Mayor and City Council took several twists and turns, ending with the narrowly on-time arrival of an adopted budget. New York City Council Member Justin Brannan, Chair of the Council’s Finance Comm…

$8.8 trillion is the total combined assets of the nearly 3,000 financial institutions that are regulated and supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). In addition to navigating serious banking crises in recent years, DFS faces challenges on the horizon: artificial intelligence, cyber security, and cryptocurrency, to n…

6,632 is the number of NYC households who responded to CBC's 2023 NYC Resident Survey: "Straight from New Yorkers." The survey provides the most comprehensive, statistically valid, post-pandemic view of how New Yorkers are feeling about the City's quality of life and the quality of government services. Among the many eyebrow-raising pieces of feedb…

1.4% is the current--and historically low--apartment vacancy rate in New York City. NYC and many parts of New York State are in the throes of a housing crisis caused by decades of underproduction. Solving the housing crisis is key to stemming the tide of New Yorkers leaving the state and to rolling out the welcome mat to new New Yorkers. Joining us…

$60 billion is how much the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) estimates it should invest in its infrastructure over the next 5 years. NYCHA faces persistent challenges: recurring budget gaps, rising expenses, weakening rent collection, deteriorating physical conditions, and more. NYCHA's CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt and Chair Jamie Rubin both spoke wi…

$233 billion is the total NYS budget proposed by Governor Hochul for fiscal year 2025, and that is the talk of the town in Albany as executive and legislative leaders work on a new budget agreement in time for the April 1st deadline. NYS Budget Director Blake Washington, who is at the center of budget negotiations happening right now, spoke with th…

$39.5 billion is how much NYC spends to educate our students each year. The New York City Public Schools has an enormous and challenging task: to educate and develop 900,000 students who come from a wide diversity of backgrounds and needs. And it’s important to ask: Are we getting the return we need on our dollars? How are our students doing? To an…

151,700 is the net loss of New York personal income tax filers in 2020 and 2021. Some of that is the result of the pandemic, but how much? With this episode, CBC is relaunching the podcast to return to a more focused discussion with policy leaders, and there is no better way to re-launch than with the podcast's founder: CBC alum Maria Doulis, Deput…

85% is the amount New York State has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. One of the major pathways to this reduction will be the State’s Cap-and-Invest program, which will cap and reduce emissions, auction off the right to emit, set up a trading system for those rights, and generate billions of dollars to be invested in energy transition an…

$1.5 trillion is the total asset value of the MTA—all of the trains, buses, yards, and stations...all the stuff that moves New Yorkers every day, 24 hours a day. At a recent CBC event, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and President of Construction and Development Jamie Torres-Springer discussed congestion pricing, fare evasion, congestion pricing, st…

$10.6 billion is the real-world, all-in budget gap that NYC could be facing once you include all spending that is currently unbudgeted or underbudgeted. In a co-production with Ben Max's podcast "Max Politics," CBC President Andrew Rein and Vice President for Research Ana Champeny about the City's decisions and unforeseen events that lead to the re…

44 million pounds of trash are generated by New Yorkers every day. The NYC Department of Sanitation not only collects residential waste, recyclables, and compostables, but it also removes snow, cleans streets and lots, removes graffiti, and fights rats. CBC Chair Marissa Shorenstein is joined by Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is leading…

4.67 million is the total number of jobs in New York City, just shy of employment pre-pandemic. Though the economy is stable and employment generally strong, challenges remain. The economy is undergoing longer term transformation including remote work, which will affect our labor market and commercial real estate, and the City faces proximate chall…

50,000 is the number of jobs New York State expects to be created over the next 20 years by attracting Micron to central New York with $7.2 billion of incentives. New York has long been a leader in economic development, with the State and localities offering tax incentives and spending totaling over $10 billion a year. Joining the podcast to discus…

$4.3 billion is the Adams' Administration's estimate of the cost to house and provide services to asylum seekers this and next year. But that is only a small portion of the City's fiscal challenges. NYC Budget Director Jacques Jiha joined the CBC to discuss the fiscal year 2024 Executive Budget, negotiations with the City Council, future budget gap…

70+ is the number of agencies and authorities that report through New York State's Deputy Secretaries to New York's Director of State Operations and Infrastructure, Kathryn Garcia. She joined the podcast at a critical time for our State's economy, and after the $229 billion budget was passed by the Legislature one month into the fiscal year. Listen…

3 is the number of letters in Mayor Adams' favorite mantra: G.S.D., Get Stuff Done. They Mayor has introduced many plans: Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent; Care, Community, Action; City of Yes; and Housing our Neighbors, to name a few. But the impact is in the implementation. Joining the podcast is First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, who talks about the Admi…

$227 billion is the size of the NYS FY 2024 Executive Budget. The State's finances are in a precarious state, with the economy uncertain and the budget going from riches to rags. There is an $8 billion surplus this year, but outyear gaps of over $7 billion and a $12 billion structural gap. Joining the podcast is NYS Budget Director Robert Megna, wh…

80% is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions NYC buildings are required to achieve by 2050 under Local Law 97. This is but one of the many climate and environmental initiatives New York City will implement in the years to come. As the science, technology, and needs continue to evolve, how will the City achieve its goals in a way that is effecti…

1 in 3 is the number of households in New York City that are severely rent burdened. That means nearly 600,000 households are spending more than half of their monthly income on rent, electricity, and heat. At a recent CBC Trustee event, Jessica Katz, NYC's Chief Housing Officer, discussed how the Adams administration is tackling NYC's housing needs…

2 1/2 is the average number of years it takes a private rezoning application to get approved in New York City, and that doesn't include the often lengthy informal pre-review negotiations. This is one of many findings in CBC's report "Improving New York City's Land Use Decision-Making Process," which can be found at cbcny.org. At a special panel dis…

28 is the number of core strategies and initiatives in Mayor Eric Adams' recently unveiled plan - "Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for NYC Economic Recovery." The blueprint focuses on small businesses, entrepreneurship, an equitable economy and inclusive growth, connecting New Yorkers to quality jobs, and more. At an event with CBC Trustees, …

$220 billion is the reported size of the New York State fiscal year 2023 budget that the Governor and Legislature adopted on April 10. The budget includes a property tax rebate and a tax holiday, and increases State spending about $14 billion, with more money for education aid, day care, rent relief, health care, and a new stadium, among other prog…

$0 is the size of the New York State budget deficit in each year of New York State’s five-year Executive Budget financial plan, as proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The Governor’s budget proposal balances the budget in each of the next five years, an unprecedented level of fiscal stability for the State. This balance and fiscal strength is driven …

$216 billion is the size of New York State fiscal year 2023 budget proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The proposed spending plan is balanced over five years and makes significant deposits to reserves, but also maintains high taxes and accelerates State spending growth. At an event with CBC Trustees, Governor Hochul and CBC President Andrew Rein dis…

2026 is the year the MTA will likely have spent all of its one-time COVID-19 federal aid, and when the MTA will have to address the estimated $2.5 billion annual structural operating deficit which that aid is now covering. At an event with CBC Trustees, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and President Andrew Rein sat down for a fireside chat to discuss…

8 is the number of years Bill de Blasio has been Mayor of New York City. Joining the podcast to look back on those years is Emma Wolfe, Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Administration. Emma has been a top staff member and strategist for Bill de Blasio since 2010, starting as Chief of Staff when he was elected Public Advocate, and has been involv…

47 is the number of people who will have held the office of NYC Comptroller once Brad Lander is sworn in on January 1, 2022. At a breakfast with CBC Trustees, President Andrew Rein sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with the Comptroller-elect, covering subjects including risks to New York’s budget, contracting reform, rezoning, and the need t…

89 is the number of years since CBC's founding in 1932, which also makes the annual gala held on October 12, 2021 the 89th Annual Awards Dinner.This year’s Medal for High Civic Service winner was Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. CBC was fortunate to have Governor Kathy Hochul welcome Secretary Buttigieg and talk with him about…

$150 million is the amount of capital funding NYC has committed toward the creation of a Center for Climate Solutions on Governors Island. Joining the podcast to discuss this and other plans for Governors Island is Alicia Glen, Chair of the Trust of Governors Island and the former Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development.…

$103.3 billion is the total amount of spending authorized by the City Council for Fiscal Year 2022. While officials call it a budget of $98.3 billion, the larger figure reflects the full amount to be expended, including $6 billion available from the prior year due to higher than expected tax receipts and federal aid. Joining the podcast to discuss …

$209 billion is the total spending in New York State's Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2022. Six months ago, New York State was staring down a four-year revenue shortfall totaling $60 billion—however, revenues have strengthened and the federal government passed a stimulus bill that includes what may be the largest state and local government relief p…

$250 billion—the assets held by the five pensions funds for which the New York City Comptroller is custodian, administrator, and investment advisor. But that's not the Comptroller's only responsibility. On today's special episode of "What's the [DATA] Point?" with an introduction from Ben and Andrew, listeners will hear CBC's "Comptroller Candidate…

270,000—the number of two-year, four-year, and graduate degree seeking students enrolled in the City University of New York (CUNY). For generations CUNY has been an engine of economic mobility. With New York City sitting at the inflection point between the pandemic-driven recession and its recovery, CUNY will play a key role in preparing students a…

21,200 is the total number of inpatient hospital beds in New York State—approximately 2.5 beds for every 1,000 people. The pandemic has brought a significant attention to New York's health care system, and some have called for greater hospital capacity to help New York be better prepared for the future. Joining the podcast are two of New York's lea…

24/7 is the number of hours and days New Yorkers traditionally have had access to the subway system. In response to the pandemic the MTA suspended overnight service to clean and disinfect the subway, giving riders the confidence they need to return to the system. The pandemic decimated revenue and ridership this past year, but with an infusion of f…

800,000 is the approximate number of daily passengers who travel on Northeast Corridor trains. The only rail link that connects New York and New Jersey is through a 110-year-old tunnel under the Hudson River. The Biden administration has pledged to move forward the Gateway Program―the planned, phased expansion and renovation of the Northeast Corrid…

$5.3 billion is the current estimate of the budget gap the next Mayor will have to close in her or his first year. Ben and CBC President Andrew Rein introduce listeners to CBC's mayoral candidates forum "Managing NYC’s Fiscal Crisis" that featured 10-minute conversations with each of eight candidates: Maya Wiley, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Dianne…

$7.4 billion is how much NYS personal income tax was paid in 2018 by residents of other states. This revenue stream may be threatened if a lawsuit over taxation of out-of-state telecommuting residents prevails. Today's guest is E.J. McMahon, adjunct fellow of the Manhattan Institute and senior fellow of the Empire Center. He explains why this lawsu…

$4 billion is the amount of annual investment in housing recommended by a broad coalition of groups called United for Housing. In the fourth episode on the subject of land use, we continue the conversation with two representatives of the United for Housing coalition: Michelle de la Uz of the Fifth Avenue Committee, and Paimaan Lodhi of the Real Est…

29 is the number of acres in the proposed Special Flushing Waterfront District. In our third episode on land use and zoning, we move from Brooklyn to Flushing, Queens to discuss the proposed district that could add 3 million square feet of housing, hotel, retail and office space; remediate Flushing Creek; and create waterfront access and park space…

2.9% was New York State's COVID-19 positivity rate as of November 10, 2020. New York was the early epicenter of the pandemic, and though new cases started to decline in April and stayed relatively low through the summer, cases are beginning to rise again. Joining the podcast is one of the nation's foremost public health experts Dr. Thomas Frieden o…

8,200 is the number of new housing units that could be created by the proposed rezoning of Gowanus, Brooklyn. Councilmember Brad Lander joins "What's the [DATA] Point?" to discuss the rezoning plan and make the case for comprehensive planning.Citizens Budget Commission által

20,000 is the number of jobs that could be potentially created by proposed rezoning of Industry City, a sprawling retail, office, and manufacturing complex in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. But this week the developer pulled the plug on the proposal after negotiations with stakeholders came to a standstill. What went wrong, and what does that mean for the …

72% is the share of firms which have experienced challenges in the switch to remote work spurred by the pandemic. The datapoint is from a survey of business leaders representing several key NYC economic sectors. We convened a panel of five CBC Trustees representing real estate, finance, law, health, and job development to discuss the survey's findi…

$1 billion is the target reduction in the NYPD budget that became the focal point of recent budget negotiations. Was this cut actually made in the NYC Adopted FY2021 Budget? CBC's Adrian Pietrzak and Ana Champeny discuss the NYPD's budget and how it's going to change in the coming year in this special mini-episode.…

$88.2 billion is the size of the NYC budget adopted for FY 2021. After years of economic expansion, this is the first budget Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson negotiated in a recession. CBC's Ana Champeny joined the podcast to discuss why this is just the first of many tough choices facing City leaders.…