On Day Three of his week in Queens, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday that the level of diversity with arts and cultural organizations will be a factor in funding decisions by the city. The new policy is part of the city's plan to expand access to cultural institutions around the city. NY1 Political Reporter Grace Rauh filed the following report.

To many, New York City's cultural institutions are considered its crown jewels. But Mayor de Blasio says many aren't glittering when it comes to reflecting the diversity of the city as a whole.

"The perceived barrier is really important here," de Blasio said. "If people feel they don't belong in institution of high culture, that's almost the same as if you put up a physical barrier."

A new plan designed to make the city's arts and cultural institutions more accessible to all New Yorkers demands more diversity from the organizations themselves.

The mayor said groups seeking money from the city will be required to share the demographic make-up of their staffs and boards.

The level of diversity will be taken into account when the city decides how to allocate money to arts groups.

"We are saying, 'This matters.' It's one of the things that needs to be considered," the mayor said. "We want to see that each institution that is asking for public money, obviously asking for taxpayer dollars, is mindful of the fact that we think it's a real value in this city to be inclusive."

City officials say 38 percent of employees at cultural institutions are non-white, a fraction of the 67 percent of New Yorkers who identify themselves that way.

The city's largest arts organizations did not publicly embrace the move by the mayor. The Metropolitan Museum of Art declined to comment.

Museum of Modern Art officials said they did not review the report, but said the museum has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Other institutions did not respond at all when NY1 reached out.

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who supports the plan, made it clear she expects a fight.

"This is very, very important in many ways," Mark-Viverito said. "And I know that there will be those who resist, those who resent, and those who try to obstruct what we are doing here."

There is certainly a lot of money at stake, especially for arts groups in need of funding. The city gives out about $181 million a year to cultural organizations, and the city makes capital investments in them.