You are reading

Mayor Ends Popular Graffiti-Removal Program, Cites Budget Constraints

Graffiti removal (Photo: Sunnyside Shines)

July 21, 2020 By Christian Murray

A popular graffiti-removal program has been axed as the city looks to tighten its belt given the budget crisis.

The city’s $3 million Graffiti-Free NYC program has been suspended since March as the de Blasio administration finds ways to cut costs as the city looks to close a $9 billion budget hole.

“The City has suspended the Graffiti Free NYC program indefinitely,” said Laura Feyer, a spokesperson for the Mayor’s office, in a statement Monday. She noted that it was suspended “to ensure the City can continue to devote resources to essential safety, health, shelter, and food security needs.”

The program allowed residents and business owners to make a 311 complaint about graffiti–and the city would arrange for its free removal. Property owners could also sign a form that gave the city the ability to get rid of graffiti from a building without requiring permission each time.

The free program was popular. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported that it had been suspended, noted that in fiscal year 2019 more than 14,000 sites were cleaned as a result of the program.

Many say the suspension of the program has already had an impact.

Jaime-Faye Bean, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, said that she has noticed more buildings tagged with graffiti since the program was put on hold.

Bean said that Sunnyside Shines—like most BIDS—hires a private contractor to keep the Sunnyside district graffiti free. But outside of the immediate district she has seen an uptick.

“I see more property outside of the BID that has been defaced,” Bean said, noting that it is important for people’s quality of life for it to be clean.

“I recognize there are a lot of human needs right now with lost jobs and lost loved ones,” she said “but people’s physical surroundings can affect their mental well-being. Nobody wants to live in neighborhoods that look like they are falling apart.”

The loss of the program puts the onus on property owners to remove the graffiti. Many commercial landlords call on their business tenants to pay for the cleanup. The extra cost comes at a time when many small businesses are struggling.

Council Member Bob Holden blasted the mayor for cutting the program.

“Every New Yorker can see that graffiti has actually increased significantly during the pandemic,” he posted on Facebook yesterday.“This administration continues to turn a blind eye to quality-of-life issues.”

The mayor’s office did note that the suspension of the program will not impact graffiti removal on city properties or infrastructure.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Paul Kersey

Lay off members of the bloated government first-you know the ones that protested and called you an Uncle Tom. What the hell are we paying taxes for then?

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.