Statement from Peale, CEO & executive director, Center for NYC Neighborhoods; and Brown, president & CEO, Empire Justice Center; on governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State address

 

 

We appreciate governor Hochul’s focus on tackling rising home insurance costs and the real pressures New Yorkers face in affording and keeping their homes in her State of the State address.

For homeowners, affordability means avoiding displacement when unexpected events happen, whether the risk is foreclosure or deed theft and predatory scams or climate-related threats. 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.

As the co-anchor partners that administer the HOPP statewide, we see firsthand how legal services and housing counseling make the difference. 

In Buffalo, for example, a single mother facing illegal removal without due process was able to remain in her home because she had access to HOPP-funded legal representation. For the past 15 years, legal services and housing counseling have helped thousands of New Yorkers keep their homes and stay rooted in their communities, demonstrating why HOPP must be a permanent part of the state’s safety net.

Christie Peale is the CEO & executive director for the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, Manhattan, NY; and Kristin Brown is the president & CEO for the Empire Justice Center, Albany, NY.