New York City Council’s Committee to Combat Hate held an oversight hearing on June 23, 2026, examining how the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPC) will spend a historic city budget increase — including program expansions, new staff (borough liaisons), and grants to community partners such as PATH, Unity Grants, and seed grant recipients. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4 (streamed Jun 23, 2026)
# What’s happening
– The city baselined $26 million to OPC, raising annual funding from $3M to $29M. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=521
– OPC will add staff, including borough-based liaisons, in collaboration with the Office of Community Safety. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4711
– OPC will expand PATH, youth, Unity, and seed-grant programs using the new funding. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1066
# Why it matters
– Community organizations and neighborhood residents citywide will receive expanded prevention, education, and victim-support resources. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1066
– More staff and borough liaisons aim to deliver services locally, improving outreach and faster local responses. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4711
# Key details
– OPC’s annual city funding rose from $3 million to $29 million (about a $26 million increase). Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1446
– OPC currently has three staff: executive director, deputy executive director, and senior programs manager. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4711
– PATH program partners with more than 60 organizations and six anchor organizations citywide. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1593
– Unity Grants provide $20,000 each to seven LGBTQIA+ groups yearly. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4328
– Community Project Grants (with the NYC Commission on Human Rights) award $10,000 to up to 10 organizations or individuals aged 14+. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1757
– OPC oversees the Interagency Committee on Hate Crimes, which meets quarterly with 20+ agencies. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4639
VJam Jaten, executive director of the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPC), testified at the committee hearing. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=433
**Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPC)**
– Role or jurisdiction: City office responsible for hate-prevention programming and coordinating the Interagency Committee on Hate Crimes. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4639
– Action taken or responsibility: Testified about program expansions, community partnerships, and staffing needs tied to new funding. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=433
– Relevant numbers or dates: Funding increase from $3M to $29M; currently three staff; PATH partners >60 organizations. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1446
**Office of Community Safety (OCS)**
– Role or jurisdiction: New city office housing OPC and several prevention programs. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4553
– Action taken or responsibility: Collaborating with OPC on staffing plans, including borough liaisons. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4711
– Relevant numbers or dates: OCS oversight discussed in testimony about citywide coordination. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4553
The committee hearing began with OPC leadership describing the funding increase and program plans. OPC’s executive director said the administration’s investment was “historic,” and that the office will use the new funding to expand programming, deepen partnerships, hire staff, and build prevention infrastructure. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=521
OPC staff described current staffing as three positions: executive director, deputy executive director, and senior programs manager. They said all staff carry portfolios across programs and that the office plans to add positions, including borough liaisons, in collaboration with the Office of Community Safety. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4711
The PATH prevention initiative is OPC’s main partnership vehicle. OPC testified that PATH works with more than 60 organizations and six anchor organizations, which subgrant to smaller vendors across the city. The named anchor organizations include: God Squad 67 priest and clergy council; JCRC (Jewish Community Relations); Arab-American Association of New York; Hispanic Federation; New York City Anti-Violence Project; and the Asian-American Federation. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1593
OPC said PATH historically distributed an even share of a $3 million pool across anchor organizations, which then subgranted to vendors to reach neighborhoods. OPC reported engaging five grassroots organizations in underserved Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan communities in fiscal year 2025. OPC also confirmed programming exists across all five boroughs. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1673
OPC described other grant programs that will receive attention as funding increases. OPC partners with the NYC Commission on Human Rights on Community Project Grants that fund up to 10 organizations or individuals aged 14 and up at $10,000 each. OPC also reported issuing seed grants—about 12 in 2025 and 14 in the current year—to respond rapidly to local spikes in hate incidents. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1757
OPC testified about Unity Grants for LGBTQIA+ groups. OPC said it works closely with the mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs to identify seven LGBTQIA+ organizations that each receive $20,000 annually. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4328
Witnesses described localized responses to rising incidents. OPC cited recent work with Central Queens Against Hate after increases in incidents in Forest Hills, Rego Park (transcribed as “Rio Park”), and Queens Gardens (transcribed “Q Gardens”) neighborhoods. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1757
The committee asked about the Interagency Committee on Hate Crimes. OPC testified that the committee meets quarterly, includes more than 20 city agencies, and addresses prevention, awareness, investigations, prosecution, and community impact. OPC said agency commissioners and mayoral staff attend meetings. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4639
OPC noted it moved into the Office of Community Safety from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. Testimony said the relocation enables a “whole-city approach” and collaboration with additional agencies while keeping OPC’s mission constant. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=4553
Committee members pressed for details on how the $26 million increase will be allocated across programs and staffing. OPC answered that allocations will expand program officers, fiscal operations, community services, and case management to sustain on-time payments and program monitoring. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=12284 (external hearing excerpt — earlier coverage)
In earlier coverage during the city’s budget hearings, council members and agency staff said the $26 million was baselined into the FY27 plan for hate-crime prevention and noted OPC’s prior city funding level of $3 million with three authorized staff. That budget discussion framed the increase as citywide funding to be used to expand personnel and programming. (Earlier coverage: Committee on Public Safety preliminary budget hearing, Mar 19, 2026) Source: https://youtu.be/KqbybpJ9tSs&t=3288
Committee members also asked for more granular allocations, such as exact headcount increases and line-item funding for specific programs. OPC said staffing will include program officers, finance staff to manage contracts and payments, and community-facing positions, but did not provide a final headcount at the hearing. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=12284
The hearing included discussion of program models the office plans to scale. OPC highlighted PATH, youth leadership and arts programs, community dialogues, anti-hate education, victim support services, and restorative-justice pathways for justice-involved individuals who committed hate crimes. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1066
Public and council questions touched on geographic targeting and measurement. OPC said historical allocations were evenly divided among anchor partners who then reached neighborhoods through subgrants; with the increased funding, OPC aims to reach more communities and areas that were previously underserved. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1673
The committee recorded testimony showing OPC’s priorities for the new funding: increase staff and borough liaisons, expand PATH beyond 60 organizations, scale youth programming, continue seed grants for rapid response, and formalize communications practices. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4&t=1066
Source attribution: primary meeting coverage is from the Committee to Combat Hate oversight hearing streamed June 23, 2026. Source: https://youtu.be/AfnHnyx6iR4 (streamed Jun 23, 2026). Earlier budget discussions cited as earlier coverage: Committee on Public Safety preliminary budget hearing (Mar 19, 2026). Source: https://youtu.be/KqbybpJ9tSs&t=3288
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