The long-overdue state budget deal includes several measures Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed to ease New York’s affordability crisis as she gears up for a tough re-election campaign next year.

The $254 billion-plus Fiscal Year 2026 budget, which state lawmakers were still voting on Thursday, is chock-full of actions aimed at lowering everyday costs. The plan includes one-time inflation refund checks for over 8 million tax filers, a middle-class tax cut, universal free school lunches, and a statewide housing voucher pilot program.