Thursday, March 13, 2014

Council Member Ritchie Torres Newsletter


  When I was elected in November, I promised to be a champion for the working families in my district and at City Hall. I am excited to announce my appointment as Deputy Leader of the New York City Council and Chair of the Committee on Public Housing.  In both roles, I will build on my record of advocating for the issues that matter most to Bronx communities.

Come Meet Our Team At Our New Office:
We have moved into a new permanent office located at 573 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458.

We handle cases covering a range of issues: 

Employment Housing Public Safety Quality of Life Social Services 

Results by the numbers:
In the past month, my office has been able to resolve over a hundred cases from constituents in the areas of housing, social services, quality of life and public safety. 

62% of cases were related to housing (housing applications, rental overcharges, repairs...).
17% of cases were related to social services (public assistance, unemployment benefits...).
- 15% of cases were related to quality of life (dog poop, graffiti, potholes, sanitation, snow removal...).
6% of cases were related to public safety.

Meeting Tenants Where They Live:
I started my career in public service as a housing organizer and quickly learned that meeting tenants where they lived better enabled me to address their needs.  My office doesn't just wait for you to come to us.  We come to you.  

We have held tenant meetings in buildings on East 176th Street, East 180th Street, Olinville Avenue, and Topping Avenue.  

If you have concerns about the conditions in your apartment or building and would like my office to advocate for you, please contact my District Office at (718) 842-8100.  

Advocating for Critical Medical Services:

The closing of the maternity ward at North Central Bronx Hospital (NCBH) has led to a severe shortage of labor-and-delivery services in the central, northern, and western parts of the Bronx.  Working with a coalition of health care advocates and local residents, I am fighting hard to restore these services.  

If you wish to join me in the fight to restore these services, please attend the following community meeting.  
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 6:30pm
Where: North Central Bronx Hospital, 17th Floor (3424 Kossuth Ave, Bronx, NY)

Ensuring Constituents Know Their Rights:
                                                                    
My office is partnering with the lawyers at Bronx Defenders to host a "Know Your Rights" training.  If you are stopped by the police, what do you do?  What are your rights?  Come and find out.  

Date: Monday, March 17
Time: 6:00-8:00 PM
Where: The Bronx Defenders, 360 East 161st Street

For more information, please contact: kemaub@bronxdefenders.org
  
Bringing Relief to Hoffman Fire Victims:

On January 9th a major fire on Hoffman Street destroyed three apartment buildings,  displacing a dozen families from their homes. I immediately sent my staff to the scene and coordinated with the American Red Cross, city agencies and local housing providers to ensure that the needs of the those families were being met.   After the fire, my office partnered with The Islamic Center to hold a clothing drive for the affected families and partnered with the Belmont Arthur LDC to provide housing for the families who had nowhere else to go.  

Working For You at City Hall:

Since taking office in January I:

  • Passed legislation extending the right to paid sick leave to half a million people
  • Advocated for the expansion of fulltime Pre-Kindergarten to every child in New York City
  • Drafted legislation that that would impose penalties on landlords who fail to make repairs
  • Advanced legislation that would protect the right of low-wage workers to unionize

In my first hearing as Chair of the Committee on Public Housing I brought government directly to the community in the first City Council hearing to ever take place at a NYCHA development. In a joint hearing with the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency I took NYCHA to task for the repeated failure of temporary boilers heating the public housing towers still recovering from the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. 


                                                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                                
                                                                                                Ritchie Torres
                                                                                                
Council Member, District 15

NYC Council Member Ritchie Torres
District Office: 573 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY 10458  |  Tel: 718-842-8100
Legislative Office: 250 Broadway, Suite 1759, New York, NY 10007  |  Tel: 212-788-6966

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