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Mayor Adams addresses progress, healthcare at Town Hall

During the 18th Older Adult Town Hall, Mayor Eric Adams spoke directly to New Yorkers, highlighting the progress made in the city while addressing ongoing challenges, particularly in healthcare and public safety. 

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During the 18th Older Adult Town Hall, Mayor Eric Adams spoke directly to New Yorkers, highlighting the progress made in the city while addressing ongoing challenges, particularly in healthcare and public safety. 

“We’ve done so many town halls because, if you read the paper, you’d think the city is falling apart,” said Adams, emphasizing his commitment to provide accurate information. “Crime is down, unemployment has decreased, and we’ve improved critical services. But there’s still work to do.”

He acknowledged inheriting a city plagued with issues like rising crime, high unemployment, and poor access to broadband. Reflecting on the strides made, Adams revealed that daily subway ridership has reached 4.6 million, with just six felonies occurring on the system daily, a far cry from the fears of rampant crime. “We have more jobs than ever before and 80,000 illegal vehicles have been removed from our streets,” Adams shared.

He also highlighted initiatives like the expansion of broadband access for NYCHA residents, the decline in unemployment, and the commitment to provide free college tuition for foster care children. “We are getting them the support they need, and now they’re enrolling in college and pursuing real opportunities,” he said.

Addressing homelessness, Adams emphasized the city’s efforts to remove nearly 2,800 people from the subway system and place them into permanent housing, combating the public crisis of encampments. “There’s nothing dignified about people living on the street in those conditions,” he explained.

The mayor also discussed housing reforms passed with the City Council’s support, focusing on senior housing as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to ensure that older adults can continue living in New York. “We are building everywhere, all the time,” Adams noted, stressing that senior citizens have a right to stay in the city they helped shape.

However, the mayor’s comments on healthcare were met with concern from retirees in attendance. One retiree voiced frustration over the ongoing legal battle regarding healthcare, questioning why the administration was fighting against them despite winning 11 cases. “We want to keep our traditional Medicare,” the retiree stated.

Adams responded by acknowledging the complexity of the issue. “I inherited a health care mess,” he explained. “We have an out-of-control healthcare crisis, and we’re trying to find a solution.” He assured the audience that he too would be affected by healthcare decisions when he retires, referencing his own future as a retiree and civil servant. “Your struggles are my struggles,” he said. “We’ll find a solution together.”

Safety concerns were also raised about specific neighborhoods, particularly the Grand Street area near Roosevelt Park and certain subway stations. “We are addressing this by assigning 200 additional officers to the subway system,” Adams confirmed, adding that the Police Department was also working to have officers present on every subway train during evening hours. “We want you to feel safe, and part of that is seeing the uniformed officers in the system,” he emphasized.

Despite the challenges ahead, Adams concluded the event on an optimistic note, reminding attendees of the city’s resilience and his deep commitment to New York and its people. “This city is moving in the right direction,” he said, asserting, “We are making progress, but we won’t stop working until we resolve these issues.”

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