Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC Council set to authorize legal action against Mayor Adams over rental subsidies
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 8, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 8, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
There's another showdown brewing between the City Council and the mayor – this time in court.
The City Council is expected to authorize a resolution Thursday that would allow the body to sue Mayor Eric Adams over allegations that he’s refused to enforce housing laws passed by the Council last year.
The laws would significantly expand access to CityFHEPS, a voucher program that subsidizes rent for low-income New Yorkers. Mayor Adams vetoed the laws last summer arguing they would be too expensive for the city to follow, but the Council overrode his veto.
“The Mayor is duty bound to implement valid local laws like the CityFHEPS Expansion Laws, and his failure to do so is illegal,” reads the resolution scheduled to be voted out of committee Thursday morning and get a vote by the full Council later in the afternoon. “Mayor Adams has not responded to the Speaker and has left the Council with no other alternative but to seek relief from the courts.”
He was legally mandated to implement the laws by Jan. 9. Council Speaker Adrienne Adams threatened the mayor with legal action if his administration failed to pass the laws by Feb. 7 – a deadline that has now come and gone.
While the vote is likely a foregone conclusion it's still unclear what kind of legal action the Council would take. The Legal Aid Society is also planning to take the mayor to court over the laws.
The CityFHEPS battle is just the latest episode in a series of recent clashes between Mayor Adams and the City Council.
Last month, the Council overrode his veto on a controversial police transparency bill, which will require the NYPD to more carefully log their interactions with the public. The Council also overrode his veto on a measure to ban solitary confinement in a majority of cases across city jails.
The mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tagged
new york city
housing
City Council
eric adams
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .