Concerns about rising costs took center stage at an affordability roundtable hosted by State Senator Pam Helming Sunday. Representatives from housing, construction, insurance, food and beverage, AARP, and the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce gathered to discuss the rising cost of doing business and the growing expenses faced by everyday New Yorkers.
Helming said the message she hears most frequently is that state mandates and regulations are significantly driving up costs. New York’s push toward all-electric requirements for new buildings was at the center of many of these concerns. Helming warned that although the state has paused these mandates for now, they could return after the 2024 elections.
Helming announced she plans to introduce legislation in January that would pause the state’s energy mandate for at least ten years while a full fiscal impact study is completed. She said that while she supports protecting the environment, the state needs a plan that does not increase costs for homeowners, businesses, and people trying to build or buy homes.
The roundtable was one of several being held across the state and is part of her broader push to address affordability, energy reliability, and cost transparency in state policy.
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