This afternoon, Mayor de Blasio announced modifications to the current City budget and released the Preliminary Budget for the City's Fiscal Year 2015 (FY15) that will begin on July 1, 2014.

The current and FY15 Preliminary budget includes a restoration of $165 million in budget cuts that were implemented by the Bloomberg Administration. This funding will restore budget cuts that impacted programs across the city, including services for runaway/homeless youth and community based mental health providers. Mayor de Blasio also announced that the City will dedicate $21.7 million to providing a HASA Rent Cap at 30% for HIV/AIDS housing clients. In addition, the current and FY15 Preliminary budget includes $40 million for new initiatives, including the creation of an independent NYPD Inspector General and for the implantation of the Paid Sick Leave act.

SDNYC applauds Mayor de Blasio for implementing these exciting new initiatives and for restoring funding for programs that are critical to the LGBT community. We are proud that NYC has a Mayor that recognizes the importance of affordable housing for people living with HIV/AIDS and who is committed to providing the funding necessary to implement a greatly needed HASA Rent Cap for HIV/AIDS housing clients. We also commend Mayor de Blasio for recognizing the dire need for additional shelter beds for our city's homeless youth, many of whom are LGBT.