While lawmakers are still hammering out the details, the latest state budget is likely to include $50 million to create the long-sought Housing Access Voucher Program, which would help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness afford rent.

Tenant organizers with the Housing Justice for All Coalition rallying at the Capitol building in 2024. The Housing Access Voucher Program has been a priority for advocates for the last several years. (Chris Janaro/City Limits)

A state budget deal is near, and it’s expected to include money to kickstart a long-sought rental voucher program—though with less funding than supporters hoped for.

More than three weeks after their budget deadline, state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced they’d reached an agreement on New York’s next spending plan.

And while details are still being hammered out, it’s likely to include $50 million to establish the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP), a rental subsidy for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, City & State first reported.

Modeled off the federal Section 8 housing voucher, both tenant and landlord groups have embraced the HAVP proposal as a means to address rising homelessness amid a statewide housing shortage.

“If we get this done, it’ll be a very big victory for tenants and for anyone who cares about the stability of our housing stock, for property owners who want to do the right thing and house people who might otherwise struggle to pay their rent, for communities where they know that people are losing their homes,” said State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, who co-sponsored a bill to create HAVP each legislative session for the last five years.

Gov. Hochul had long resisted the proposal, and previously cited concerns about costs, something she reiterated in an exchange with reporters earlier this week.

“This is something that we’re looking to initiate for the first time here, moderating the cost and keeping an eye on the program because this has potential to escalate a great deal,” Hochul said. “But it’s something I thought was important, the leaders of the Legislature thought was important.”

The $50 million price tag currently on the table is far less than the $250 million a year that the State Senate and Assembly called for in their own budget proposals.

“It really should have been more. [But] I’m glad we have our foot in the door to establish a program. So that’s exciting after years of advocacy,” Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, the bill’s other sponsor, told City Limits.

“It does need to be funded at a much higher rate, so we’re going to keep fighting for that,” she added. “When all the federal cuts come down to Section 8 and all sorts of other housing help, you know we will need HAVP more than ever.”

Kavanagh said $50 million could “get a pretty substantial program going,” and provide roughly 4,000 households with vouchers for a year.

“How the numbers play out is something we’re still working out,” he said. “But again, what has happened this week is—this is the first time in the five years we’ve been having this conversation that a governor has publicly said that she supports spending money on this purpose, and I think that is a big step forward.”

The Legislature still has to print and vote on the final budget bills, and things are in flux. Lawmakers are negotiating how much capital money to allocate for housing construction and preservation, maintenance at NYCHA and Mitchell-Lama developments, and for programs to support tenants and homeowners, according to Kavanagh, who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development.

“Those conversations are still happening,” he said Wednesday.

“It is a difficult time with what’s going on at the federal level, within the economy,” he added, “but this budget stands to be very good budget from the perspective of housing, if we get HAVP done, if we get these capital programs properly funded.”

To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

The post ‘Foot in the Door’: Funds to Kickstart State Rental Voucher Program Expected in Budget Deal appeared first on City Limits.

By RUSS BYNUM

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s former agriculture secretary is urging the administration to support adding a vast, federally protected wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp to a list of globally treasured natural and cultural sites recognized by the United Nations.

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The swamp near the Georgia-Florida state line was nominated under President Joe Biden, whose priorities Trump has worked swiftly to dismantle during his first 100 days since returning to the White House.

Now the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is being touted by Sonny Perdue, a former two-term Georgia governor who led the Department of Agriculture during Trump’s first term.

So far, only 26 places in the United States have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The U.S. Interior Department put the refuge up for consideration in December.

In an April 17 letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Purdue wrote that seeking the rare distinction poses “an extraordinary opportunity to preserve a national treasure while also delivering incredible economic benefits to the state of Georgia.” He noted it’s been endorsed by Republicans and Democrats.

“This designation is not a partisan issue,” Perdue wrote in his letter, which was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “By supporting this effort, we can ensure the Okefenokee’s legacy as a natural wonder while fostering growth and prosperity for the communities surrounding it.”

The Okefenokee is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River, sprawling across more than 400,000 acres in southeast Georgia.

FILE – Sonny Perdue speaks to media at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)

Supporters say making it a World Heritage site would boost its profile as one of the world’s last intact blackwater swamps, which get their dark tea-colored waters from decaying vegetation. The Okefenokee is home to abundant alligators, stilt-legged wood storks, endangered woodpeckers and more than 400 other animal species.

The Interior Department “remains committed to supporting the pursuit of World Heritage Site recognition for the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge,” said a statement emailed Wednesday by Alyse Sharpe, an department spokesperson.

Designation as a World Heritage site wouldn’t impose any added restrictions or regulations for the Okefenokee. Nor would it directly affect a company’s plan to mine minerals just outside the Okefenokee refuge.

Twin Pines Minerals has been awaiting final permits from Georgia environmental regulators for more than a year. The company says it can extract minerals without doing harm, but scientists and other opponents have warned that mining near the swamp’s bowl-like rim could cause irreparable damage.

Since the 1970s, the World Heritage list has recognized more than 1,200 sites worldwide for having “outstanding universal value” to all of humanity. U.S. sites on the list include national parks like the Grand Canyon in Arizona and treasured manmade landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty.

The U.S. government had listed the Okefenokee refuge as a “tentative” nominee since 1982. It started moving in earnest in 2023 as the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park, which operates boat tours and other concessions within the refuge, signed an agreement to work on an application with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge.

Okefenokee Swamp Park raised $600,000 to pay for the nearly 300-page application packet, said Kim Bednarek, the nonprofit’s executive director.

The bid for World Heritage status still needs U.S. government support. Bendarek said pending steps include an Okefenokee site visit by experts evaluating the nomination for UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee. She said a final vote isn’t expected before the summer of 2026.

“The fact that it happened under the Biden administration is not pivotal,” Bendarek said. “What’s pivotal is this is an outstanding place of beauty and diversity that the United States can be proud of. We do expect and hope for the full support of the Trump administration.”

At first glance, the list of collaborators on Barbra Streisand’s newly announced duets album “The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two” offers an expected blend of fellow superstars and more contemporary acts, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Sting, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Bob Dylan…

Wait, what? Bob Dylan?

This album cover image released by Columbia Records shows “The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two” by Barbra Streisand. (Columbia Records via AP)

Actually, it’s not as crazy as one might think.

They’re both Jewish, 83 years old (Streisand was born a month before Dylan) and began their careers by changing their birth names (Barbara Streisand, Robert Zimmerman) and fleeing their hometowns to seek stardom in Manhattan (even if the Brooklyn-born Streisand didn’t have to travel as far as Minnesota’s own Dylan). They also both signed deals with Columbia Records, which remains their dual home to this day.

In a 1971 Dylan interview with the late Minneapolis blues legend Tony Glover that emerged after Glover’s 2019 death, Dylan revealed he had written his classic “Lay Lady Lay” for Streisand. In a statement to NBC News at the time, Streisand responded to the news: “”I’m very flattered to find out that Bob Dylan wrote ‘Lay Lady Lay’ for me. What I remember is getting flowers from him with a handwritten note asking me to sing a duet with him, but I just couldn’t imagine it then. Guess what, Bob, I can imagine doing it now!”

It turns out the pair kept eyes on each other for decades. In her 2023 memoir “My Name Is Barbra,” she wrote that “in the 1970s he sent me flowers and a charming note, written in colored pencil with childlike letters, asking me if I would like to sing with him.” In 1978, Streisand wrote to Dylan suggesting they work together. Five years later, he sent her a copy of his latest album “Infidels” with a message saying he was looking forward to seeing her film “Yentl” and hoped she’d direct him in a movie someday: “You are my favorite movie star. Your self-determination, wit and temperament and sense of justice have always appealed to me.”

We’ll find out what the long-in-the-works duet sounds like when Streisand’s album, a sequel to 2014’s “Partners,” arrives June 27. The pair’s song, “The Very Thought of You,” is presumably the 1934 standard by Ray Noble, although it’s possible it could be an unreleased Dylan original of the same name from 1985. (It’s probably not, though. Dylan took a deep dive into covering classic pop standards on a trio of late ’10s albums.)

“I’ve always loved singing duets with gifted artists,” Streisand said in a news release. “They inspire me in unique and different ways and make our time in the studio a joy! My new album, ‘The Secret Of Life: Partners, Volume Two,’ gave me the chance to work and play with some of my old friends, label mates and new artists too. I admire all of them and I hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our collaborations as much as I enjoyed recording with all of my wonderful partners.”

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As he slowly came to grips the fact that the Vikings had failed to accomplish their ultimate goal last season, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard whipped out his phone and unleashed a stream of consciousness on social media.

Frankly, he wasn’t interested in acknowledging the 14 wins he was a part of, not when it ended with the Vikings getting blown out by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs.

“I think I was literally on the bus or on the plane or something,” Greenard said. “All I could think of was, like, ‘Bruh, we’ve got to do more. We’ve got to dig deep somewhere and find it because more is required.’ ”

His post on social media used those exact words — “MORE IS REQUIRED” — and he’s making sure that message resonates with the Vikings as they slowly start to get back to work.

It was something right tackle Brian O’Neill noticed as soon as he arrived back at TCO Performance Center. Every player had a shirt hanging in their locker with the new mantra, “MORE IS REQUIRED,” displayed prominently for everybody to see.

“It makes sense, right?” O’Neill said. “If we want a better result, we have to do more.”

As special as last season was for the Vikings, nobody was satisfied with how it ended, and it forced everybody ask themselves how they could be better.

That included general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell at the top. They sat down in the immediate aftermath of last season and tried to figure out what went wrong. It resulted in the Vikings spending more than $300 million in free agency as they were intentional where they needed to improve.

“The common theme is that we’re not getting over that hump,” safety Josh Metellus said. “Shoutout to the front office for being able to look in the mirror and say, ‘These are the things we need to get done to be able to get to that championship.’ ”

A perfect example of how the Vikings are approaching everything came when O’Neill was asked about what he wants the identity of the offense to be moving forward.

“I don’t really care,” O’Neill said. ” I want to win, and however that happens I’m good with it. Whatever we need to do to score more points than the other team, if that’s throwing 75 times or running it 75 times, let’s go do it. We’ve got to make something shake here.”

That mentality has been reflected in the work the Vikings are putting in right now.

“The guys are literally working their tails off,” Greenard said. “You would think that we’ve got a game coming up.”

Sometimes he actually needs to remind himself that isn’t the case.

“I’m like, ‘Relax. We’re in April,’ ” Greenard said with a laugh. “Man, I want to be the best version of myself for my team, because I feel like if I’m that for them, everything else can flow.”

In the meantime, Greenard doesn’t plan on changing his messaging, not until the Vikings have accomplished their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl.

“I don’t care how many wins we get or how much success we have,” Greenard said. “I’m always going to say more is required.”

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