THE TOWN HALL — On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams signed eight laws passed by the City Council into law, addressing topics such as pay equity, accessibility for the impaired, and family homelessness.
The Department of Homeless Services will be required to report on the status of families living in the city’s shelter system once every three months, and four of the bills seek to address pay disparities for public building accessibility. Three of the bills focus on pay disparities for municipal employees.
“The people who work for the city of New York are the ones who keep things running smoothly for the citizens of all five boroughs, and they do it around the clock.
Adams has stated that the first set of measures will assist eliminate wage inequities in the city’s workforce. Our work to aid people with disabilities in New York will be strengthened by this supplementary funding.
This legislation will make our city more accessible for all residents by ensuring that all public facilities, including shelters and low-cost housing, are accessible, safe, and welcome to everyone.
The council approved all eight laws earlier this month with only two council members missing. Of those, half goes into effect immediately.
The Legislation, as Reported by the Mayor’s Office, Consists of:
- Legislation mandating the inclusion of salary and wage equity initiatives within city agencies’ yearly hiring plans. The law will go into force 120 days after it is signed.
- A statute mandating an evaluation of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) efforts to ensure employment equity for all qualified city residents. This bill will go into force 120 days after it is signed into law.
- Legislation that updates the City’s Pay Equality Law by mandating more thorough data collection and sharing between DCAS and City Council in an effort to pinpoint and correct wage discrepancies throughout the workforce. It’s effective right away.
- A statute establishing a body to consult and suggest to the mayor, City Council, and city agencies on improving accessibility for shelter residents. It goes into force immediately and is revoked on February 1st, 203.
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- An ordinance mandating the installation of energy-efficient, power-operated, or power-assisted doors in all public buildings. Date of effect: January 1, 2024.
- There is now a statutory mandate for HPD to report every three years on the number of affordable units that are specifically designated for and rented to people with disabilities. It’s effective right away.
- An act mandating the creation of an inventory of universal design elements by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. All new home developments that receive city funding will also be required to include universal design features. After a period of 240 days, it will become law.
- The number of families in each shelter category, the average length of stay, the percentage of families who leave for permanent housing, and metrics on school enrollment and attendance are all required by law to be reported quarterly by the New York City Department of Homeless Services. It’s effective right away.
- Speaker of the City Council Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) was pleased with the eight bills that were passed.
When asked about the Council’s priorities, she responded, “Addressing pay discrepancies among our workforce has been a primary concern.”
Now that it’s a law, our pay equality package will help us learn more about the gender, race, and ethnicity-based pay gaps in our city’s workforce and put in place new procedures to eliminate those gaps and increase diversity and pay fairness.
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I’m particularly pleased with the Council’s efforts to promote information sharing and make New York City more accessible to everyone, including those who are now experiencing homelessness.
We will keep working toward the day when we have implemented policies that will end the systemic injustices that have plagued our communities for so long.
