New York City Laws: Mayor Adams Signs Bills to Combat Pay Inequality and Improve Affordability

New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a public hearing and a bill signing ceremony on Tuesday to formally implement eight pieces of legislation passed by the City Council. Three of the bills are about equal pay, and the remaining five are about initiatives to improve the availability of city shelters and affordable housing.

Mayor Adams said “the first package of bills will help address pay disparity in our urban workforce so that every worker is paid fairly… This second package will support our efforts to support New Yorkers with disabilities.”

Pay inequality legislation

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has sponsored a bill mandating the city’s annual employment compensation plans and their work to improve pay inequality.

Two other bills, sponsored by Council members Carmen De La Rosa and Farah N. Louie, respectively, require action by the City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). These bills direct DCAS to examine the fairness of its municipal application processes for various applicants. The latter is amending the already passed Equal Pay Act to expand the data DCAS provides to the City Council on pay inequality.

Accessibility legislation

The first bill in the package, sponsored by council member Dayana Ayala, establishes a council that will advise government officials and agencies on the availability of city shelters to residents.

Councilor Ayala sponsored two additional bills on the same issue. One requires signage at every entrance to the building to “have power or low-energy powered doors directing people to that door,” according to the City Hall.

Another requires the City’s Office of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to provide a report every three years on the amount of affordable housing that is available and rented to people with disabilities.

Councilor Ayala stated, “As a city, we should strive to improve conditions for people of all abilities, and this is a step in the right direction.”

Councilwoman Crystal Hudson also included HPD in legislation that requires the department to create a list of design features that must be used in new housing projects if they receive financial assistance from the city government.

Completing the second package of laws, council member Kevin Riley sponsored legislation that requires the New York City Department of Homeless Services to produce a quarterly report that looks at various indicators for families with children living in homeless shelters.