A unanimous panel of the New York Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, First Department, ruled on 10 July that the New York City Council has the legal authority to expand the CityFHEPS rental-assistance program and ordered Mayor Eric Adams to carry out the reforms without further delay. Writing for the court, Associate Justice John Higgitt rejected the administration’s argument that state Social Services Law pre-empts local legislation, saying nothing in the statute bars the city from using its own funds for additional housing aid. The 2023 CityFHEPS package removes a 90-day shelter-stay requirement, lifts income eligibility to roughly 50% of area median income, and scraps work mandates, letting more low-income New Yorkers qualify for vouchers that can be used in private apartments city-wide. Supporters argue the measures will help tenants avoid eviction and move thousands out of the shelter system into permanent housing. Adams vetoed the bills last year, warning they could cost the city about $17 billion over five years and distort an already tight housing market; the Council overrode the veto and the administration refused to implement the changes while suing to block them. The appeals-court decision compels City Hall to begin issuing the broader vouchers, though the mayor’s office can still seek review by the state’s highest court.