UAlbany Students Sound Off on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s CAP Initiative
by Gavin Hayes | October 6, 2026
Four UAlbany students voiced a range of opinions on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s CAP (Championing Albany’s Potential) initiative.
Thoughts of revitalizing Albany revealed conflicting opinions among a small group of
UAlbany students. The CAP initiative is a $400 million state-funded effort, with $200 million allotted to downtown Albany and adjacent neighborhoods within a mile of the State Capitol, according to Empire State Development.
The plans consist of investments in housing, public spaces, infrastructure, cultural attractions and public safety, according to Empire State Development. The investments could change everyday life for students, potentially affecting off-campus housing, transportation, and time spent downtown.
Although students on the UAlbany campus expressed generally positive views toward the CAP initiative, students voiced varying stances on how the investment money should be spent, and some lamented conditions downtown.
“It’s a good thing that that much money is being contributed to Albany because Albany
needs the money. But I feel like it should be dispersed around Albany,” said Craig Pierce, a
sophomore from White Plains majoring in human development.
Anthony Semeraro expressed a more direct position.
“I think investing in Albany is definitely a good move. I mean, it’s the
capital of New York,” said Semeraro, a sophomore from Keeseville double majoring in
communications and documentary studies.
The students differed on how public safety should be addressed. “That’s where you invest
into the community. If you’re getting the people to do the right thing, then you really don’t need that many cops,” said Sean Robertson, a junior from Newburgh majoring in accounting.
In a February 2025 interview with WAMC Northeast Public Radio, Corey Ellis, the president of the Albany Common Council at the time, took a similar stance.
“And what I say throughout our city is, when you create stable neighborhoods, you don’t have the gun violence that you have. When you create economic opportunity for folks, you don’t have the gun violence that you have,” Ellis said.
Ethan Widing, a sophomore from Long Island majoring in digital forensics and
cybersecurity, stated a contrasting opinion.
“I think a lot of it should go toward funding the police. There’s a lot of crime over there,” Widing said. Albany recorded 927 violent crimes in 2024, according to police figures reported by the Times Union. However, Albany’s violent crime fell 11% from 2024 to 2025, according to the city.
Although the two students, Robertson and Widing, differed in their approach to policing,
they felt similarly when discussing downtown Albany in its current state. When asked how the investments could improve Albany, Robertson said, “I think, honestly, helping clean up
downtown. I know there’s some shady parts ... But I think cleaning it up, reducing the crime
rate.”
In an ideal world, Robertson said, “For me, it would be taking a bus downtown, walking
around the streets, finding shops to go into without worrying. Just meeting people on the street, saying hi, getting a bite, walking around. Going to Washington Park without having to worry about stabbings or anything, and just hanging out in the nice area, meeting the community.
Widing expressed a similar view of downtown Albany. “Personally, I’d just feel safer
walking around downtown if it was cleaned up a little more,” Widing said. “I plan on living there next year. Just to see the place cleaned up just would ... make my everyday life feel like home a little bit,” Widing said. Robertson also expressed interest in living off campus, saying a cleaner Albany might make living there more attractive. Robertson expressed concern for local residents.
“I just don’t want the locals to be pushed out. That would be the biggest thing for me,”
Robertson said.
In an August 2025 interview with WAMC Northeast Public Radio, Luke Forbes said, “When we’re trying to attract a new resident to Albany, you typically price out the ones that live there.” Forbes is the executive director of We Are Revolutionary, an organization focused on addressing adverse childhood experiences.
When asked where the investment money should go, Pierce said, “There’s a lot of
homeless people begging for food and stuff like that. So I’ll definitely say more food drives.”
Canyon Ryan, the executive director of United Tenants of Albany, spoke to WAMC Northeast
Public Radio in December 2025, discussing Albany’s inclusionary zoning rules. “We do need
new housing, but the housing that I think that we need is extremely low-income housing,” Ryan said.
Comments