Kate Lisa reports at New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul has been saying cuts will need to be made to this year's state budget, and rural housing advocates, fighting an affordable housing crisis, are asking to be spared. Lawmakers are also discussing tax breaks to promote new development, programs to transform unused office or retail space into new apartments, and legal protections for tenants. Hochul wanted to include funding to build 800,000 housing units across the state over a decade in her last budget, but the legislature shot down that idea. Instead, little new affordable housing is being built anywhere in the state, and the crisis is growing as prices and rents continue to rise. This summer Hochul signed executive orders for $650 million in grants to build affordable housing. Hochul spokesperson Justin Henry said, "Like 73 percent of New Yorkers, Gov. Hochul believes housing affordability is a major problem.... The housing crisis is pushing New Yorkers out of state to Connecticut and New Jersey that have built thousands more homes over the last decade than New York has. That's why Gov. Hochul proposed the boldest plan in a generation to drive down housing costs by building more supply. After the Legislature flatly rejected it and failed to introduce a viable alternative, Gov. Hochul refocused her efforts on sweeping executive action that took effect in July. Until the Legislature is ready to come back to the table with a serious approach to build more housing in New York, the governor is focusing on using her executive powers to address the housing crisis." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.