Hochul: NY could lose $360 million in health funding from Trump’s cuts

New York could lose more than $360 million in funding for mental health and addiction services as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Friday.

This money includes $300 million that supports public health activities, including virus surveillance, outbreak response and electronic data exchange. It will also close departments that work on response to emerging threats. This includes a COVID-19 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant funded 135 subcontractors supporting community-based work to address health disparities, according to Hochul’s office.

The Office of Addiction Supports and Services expects to lose $40 million in total funding, which includes programs to address transitional housing for people leaving residential substance abuse treatment programs, community-based services, and expansion of outpatient clinics that offer medication for addiction treatment.

The Office of Mental Health expects to lose $27 million in funding for people that are having mental health or substance abuse issues, which also includes programs to allow people in need of care to remain in their homes, and grants to expand and improve upon mobile crisis services statewide, including the 988 crisis call centers, the governor said.

“Slashing funding for public health, suicide prevention and addiction services is just plain cruel, and it’s going to hurt everyday New Yorkers most,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. “Here’s the sad truth: there is no State in the nation that has the resources to backfill these sweeping cuts. It’s up to New York’s elected officials who serve in the House majority to stand up and fight back.”