MAYOR DE BLASIO, NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS AND BIOREFERENCE LABORATORIES ANNOUNCE EXPANDED CAPACITY TO ALLOW 5,000 DAILY COVID-19 TESTS

New Yorkers should text COVID to 692-692 to get regular updates on the latest developments regarding COVID-19; Text COVIDESP to 692-692 for updates in Spanish

  Mayor de Blasio announced today that beginning Thursday, March 19^th, NYC Health + Hospitals will expand their COVID-19 testing capacity by 5,000 tests per day through a partnership with OPKO Health's BioReference Laboratories. Under the agreement reached last night, NYC Health + Hospitals will begin sending tests to BioReference by Thursday. Results will be produced within 1-2 days, halving the current pace of turnaround from private reference labs.

This expanded testing for H+H is critical to protecting the New Yorkers most at risk in this epidemic, especially people with chronic health conditions, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. The new partnership between H+H and BioReference will get us the increased testing and faster results helping save lives.

In support of the public health system as they provide healthcare to vulnerable and at-risk populations, BioReference is committed to prioritizing hospital patients suspected of COVID-19 infections and aid front-line physicians and healthcare providers to quickly and efficiently diagnose patients, said Jon R. Cohen, M.D., Executive Chairman of BioReference Laboratories. In addition to the drive-through facilities, this collaboration is yet another example of how the private sector can assist with government agencies to help combat this epidemic.

Testing will be prioritized for those with serious illness at hospitals and health care facilities across NYC Health + Hospitals, frontline health care personnel and first responders. Those with mild illness should continue to stay home, practice social distancing, and consult their health care provider if their symptoms do not subside in 3-4 days. 

Today, NYC Emergency Management sent Wireless Emergency Alerts to every cell phone in New York City in English and Spanish, asking every New Yorker to text COVID or COVIDESP (for Spanish alerts) to 692-692 to receive the latest developments around COVID-19 and City services and resources.

The City is also making robocalls to vulnerable New Yorkers who may not have cell phones, including seniors, NYCHA residents and others.

Ban on Pool Rides in For-Hire Vehicles

To protect the safety of drivers and passengers, the Mayor signed an Executive Order temporarily banning pooled rides in TLC-licensed high volume (Uber, Lyft, and Via) for-hire vehicles. This ban will not apply to paratransit vehicles. 

Alternate Side Parking

Effective tomorrow, Alternate Side Parking (ASP) citywide will be suspended for one week, which may be extended based on street cleanliness and workforce availability. Any New Yorker under isolation who has received a ticket can appeal to the Department of Finance and should provide medical documentation or testimony, which will be taken into consideration when their case is reviewed. For additional questions call 311.

Medical Reserve Corps

The City will mobilize the NYC Medical Reserve Corps, a group of over 9,000 healthcare workers who volunteer to support NYC in emergency response. This includes physicians, nurses, mental health professionals, social workers, and many others, both retired and currently working in the health care system.

Emergency Services

Under the current State of Emergency, Agency Commissioners can ask nonprofit vendors with health and human service contracts to perform services in response to COVID-19. The City will also designate its health and service nonprofit workforce  an estimated 40,000 employees  as essential workers.

Tax Updates for Business Owners

Businesses should pay their taxes on time.

For any businesses, experiencing hardships directly related to COVID-19, the Mayor has directed the Commissioner of Finance to waive penalties.

Emergency Executive Order

Yesterday, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an Emergency Executive Order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep New Yorkers safe. The Order will require all hospitals and ambulatory service centers, at their discretion, to cancel elective surgeries. Combined with discharging patients early and creating additional capacity, the City will increase available hospital beds by 7,000 citywide.

The Mayor's Executive Order, signed yesterday, will:

• Suspend all elective surgeries at all hospitals and ambulatory service centers across the city within 96 hours. Hospitals will retain the discretion to determine what is elective/ non-elective based on patient risk.
• Suspend local procurement laws to make it easier for the City to obtain emergency goods and services.
• Postpone the Queens Borough president election to a date later this year. Any vote cast early or by absentee ballot will not count and voting will start over.
• Suspend the requirement that the Council meet twice per month and extend the Council's requirement to publish preliminary budget findings past the current deadline of March 25^th.
• Suspend the timeline for public hearings, application submissions, and City Council approvals and voting for the duration of the emergency.
• Limit restaurants, bars, cafes, and catering halls to pick up and delivery food service only, effective Monday, March 16 at 8 PM.
• Enforce the closure of all entertainment venues, including movie theatres, museums, cinemas, clubs, and concert venues, effective Monday, March 16^th at 8:00 PM.
• Close commercial gyms, effective Monday, March 16^th at 8:00 PM.
• Close all publicly and privately owned senior centers. Centers will continue to operate to the extent necessary to prepare and distribute meals to older New Yorkers.
• The Department of Correction will suspend in-person visitation beginning Wednesday, March 18^th. For the first time, the City is also working to implement a televisit initiative that will allow people contacting detainees the convenience of using their own personal PC or mobile device to complete the teleconference.

Hospital Capacity

The City will create approximately 1,300 hospital beds through the conversion of four buildings into temporary hospital space. These include the NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coler on Roosevelt Island, which will bring an additional 350 beds online by the end of the week. Additional facilities include a nursing home facility in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn (600) beds, and Westchester Square Hospital in the Bronx (150), and North Central Bronx Hospital (120).

The City will also take over space in five small hotels, freeing up 250 hotel rooms to be converted into hospital facilities. Eleven tents have also been purchased to be converted into temporary facilities, and the City has placed an order for an additional 10-20 tents, as well.

Drive-Thru Testing Sites.

Through a partnership with FEMA, the City will establish five drive-thru testing sites across all five boroughs.

Price Gouging

The Emergency Rule, effective yesterday, bans any price increase of 10 percent or more on personal and household goods and services that aid in diagnosing or monitoring disease symptoms, preventing the spread of disease, or treating disease. These goods include:

• Thermometers
• Sanitizing or baby wipes
• Paper towels
• Latex gloves
• Face masks
• Fever reducers
• Cough suppressants
• Aloe Vera
• Zinc oxide supplements
• Facial tissue
• Toilet Paper
• Rubbing Alcohol

This follows DCWP's previous declaration that facemasks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes are in short supply and expands the Agency'+

s ability to protect New Yorkers from price gouging.  

The Rule lasts 60 days, and can be renewed once for an additional 60 days. After 60 days, DCA must start the normal rulemaking process for the rule to remain in effect.  Businesses caught violating the rule can incur a fine.

Deferring Non-Emergency Water Repairs 

To ensure uninterrupted water service during the City's State of Emergency, DEP is suspending water service shut-offs, water main shutdowns, and water meter replacements until further notice. Emergency repairs will continue as needed. 

Update from the Department of Education

The deadline to submit pre-K applications has been extended to March 29th. Families can apply both online, 24 hours a day, via MySchools or via phone at 718-935-2009 between the hours of 8:00 AM-6:00 PM Monday-Friday. Additional questions about applications should be directed to the above phone line or to ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov. 

Update on the City�s Evictions Moratorium 

The City remains focused on preventing the displacement of New Yorkers facing sudden financial hardship due to COVID-19. With State Courts now closed for business, tenants do not have to worry about attending in-person appointments or appearances related to evictions at this time. The temporary moratorium on evictions in New York City will continue indefinitely, suspending the issuance of new eviction warrants.

Update from the Department of Buildings

Over the weekend, the Department of Buildings sent an industry-wide notification to contractors and construction professionals in New York City, advising them to take all necessary precautions on construction sites to protect their workers and the public, and special care in following DOHMH guidance to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In the event a construction site is closed down by contractors for a prolonged period of time due to illness, cleaning, or merely as a precaution, contractors should first inform the Department by sending an email to COVID-19@buildings.nyc.gov, and take appropriate measures to properly secure the site.  Construction sites closed for a prolonged period of time can themselves pose a hazard if proper maintenance is ignored.

Nearly 400,000 New Yorkers have signed up for the City's COVID text notification system to get regular updates on the latest developments with coronavirus in New York City text COVID to 692-692.  New Yorkers can text COVIDESP to 692-692 for updates in Spanish. You will receive regular SMS texts with the latest news and developments. If you have any questions on finding medical care call 311.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, CHANCELLOR CARRANZA AND CSA ANNOUNCE TENTATIVE CONTRACT AGREEMENT

Agreement includes paid parental leave; with this agreement, over 81 percent of City workforce will be under contract

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza announced today that the City of New York has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), representing over 6,400 employees. The CSA represents school leaders for all 1,800 public schools in New York City. The de Blasio Administration has now reached agreements with 81.3 percent of the workforce in the 2017-2021 round of bargaining.

“Our children are the future, and they deserve the best school leaders to inspire them every day,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With this agreement, we are ensuring our schools retain top talent and our employees get the fair wages and benefits they deserve, including the paid parental leave necessary to support new members of their own families.”

"Our principals, assistant principals and supervisors lift our schools up and put our students on the path to bright futures, and we’re proud to come to an agreement with the CSA,” said Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Our school leaders put their students first each and every day, and this historic deal will deliver on key reforms including paid parental leave and hard to staff differentials for principals. I look forward to our continued partnership on behalf of the city’s 1.1 million public school children.”

“CSA members have more than earned this contract with their incredible talent, professionalism, leadership and dedication to the families they serve,” said CSA President Mark Cannizzaro. “Those who protect and educate the city’s children deserve the time necessary to welcome their own children into the world, and we are proud to secure Paid Parental Leave that provides eligible members with flexibility and security during such a significant period in their lives. This agreement also provides fair compensation and maintains benefits for our members. In addition, we have taken a significant step toward achieving more equitable salaries for principals. These advances, along with many commonsense workplace protections, will help enable our school leaders to continue to focus on their guiding priority of ensuring that all students receive a first-rate education.” 

CSA represents public school principals, assistant principals, directors, supervisors and education administrators serving 1.1 million students and their families each day. As part of today’s tentative agreement, the City and the CSA have agreed to pattern conforming wage increases and additional benefits including paid parental leave, an enhanced salary schedule for elementary and middle school principals, the creation of a tenure framework for supervisors, a plan to create a new evaluation system for assistant principals and establishing a hard to staff differential for principals. 

The pattern conforming agreement with CSA would begin retroactively on April 23, 2019 and expire on January 28, 2023. The terms of the agreement must be approved by the union’s membership.

Key Reforms for School Administrators:

The tentative contract agreement includes key reforms, such as:

Paid Parental Leave 

Creation of a new Paid Parental Leave (PPL) benefit that allows up to 25 work days of paid leave for the employee to bond with a newborn, adopted or foster child. Employees would stay on the city payroll and have the ability to use PPL intermittently over a 6-month period of time from the date of the qualifying event. The option of intermittent usage with supervisor approval allows school level supervisors to make tailored arrangements to benefit schools.

Elementary and Junior High School Principal Salary

The creation of an enhanced salary schedule for elementary school and middle school principals in order to narrow the gap in salary with high school principals. These salary increases are in addition to the general wage increases.

Lead Education Administrator

A stipend for selected education administrators to conduct flexible additional work that will streamline and improve management in citywide offices. This helps leverage existing staff and streamline processes for schools.

Establish a Hard to Staff Differential for Principals

A differential of between $10,000-$15,000 to be offered to individual principals to either attract or retain school leaders to certain schools at the Chancellor’s discretion in close consultation with the CSA. 

Principal Observation

There will be changes to the process intended to be more collaborative between principals and superintendents, including requiring advanced notification of meetings.

Fair Wages:

The tentative contract agreement is pattern conforming and includes the following wage increases:

April 23, 2019: 2.00% 

July 23, 2020: 2.50%

September 23, 2021: 3.00% 

Affordable Costs:

The gross cost of this pattern conforming deal over the financial plan is approximately $378 million, and funding is fully reflected in the budget.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COMPTROLLER STRINGER AND TRUSTEES TAKE MAJOR NEXT STEP TO ACHIEVE FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT

Advisers selected to analyze, evaluate and recommend fossil fuel divestment plans for New York City’s largest pension funds

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, along with trustees of three of the City’s pension funds, announced today the next major step toward achieving a first-in-the-nation goal to divest New York City’s largest pension funds from fossil fuel companies. The selection of advisers to evaluate options and recommend divestment actions has been completed and will inform the development of a comprehensive and prudent divestment strategy to preserve the retirement funds of City employees and address climate change risks, consistent with fiduciary duty. New York City is the first city in the nation to take this major and necessary step to address the financial and environmental risks of fossil fuel holdings to the funds and to our planet.

The Comptroller’s office also released a new Notice of Search (NOS) for City pension funds’ investment in climate solutions. The pension funds will select public markets investment managers to help double the City’s investments in climate solutions, investment in companies that generate revenue from climate mitigation, adaption and resiliency such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings and electric vehicle energy storage, which supports the City’s efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement.

“While the Trump Administration fails to address global warming as the crisis it is, New York City is taking action,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are dedicated to delivering what we owe to our children and grandchildren, which is why we’re the first in the nation to take major steps to divest from fossil fuels and invest in climate solutions.”

“New York City is standing up for our people, our pensioners, and the only planet we have because the future is on the side of big ideas in clean energy--not big polluters,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, and we need to meet our climate emergency with every tool at our disposal to protect our children and our children’s children. In accordance with our fiduciary duty, the Trustees are taking the next major step in our first-in-the-nation divestment goal and leading the charge toward a clean, green and sustainable economy.​ Our city workers and our future deserve nothing less.”

Divestment Contracts:

In January 2018, the trustees announced a goal to divest from fossil fuel reserve owners within five years. The contracts to advise on the divestment plan will be awarded to Meketa Investment Group for New York Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) and New York City Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS). TRS will also contract with BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. These three funds, with total holdings of more than $155 billion, hold roughly $3 billion in the securities of fossil fuel reserve owners.  The pension funds’ move to divest from these companies is among one of the most significant divestment efforts in the country to date. 

With the award of these contracts, the City pension funds are on track to have actionable plans to divest from fossil fuel reserve owners by late 2020.  The expectation is that the pension fund boards will be able to adopt a plan and begin execution in 2021.

Climate Solutions Investment Search:

The funds’ goal is to double investments in climate solutions such as wind, solar power, energy efficient buildings and more to over $4 billion by 2021. The search issued by the Comptroller’s office Bureau of Asset Management seeks to identify public market investments in companies and strategies engaged in climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency.  

Toolkit and Divest/Invest Forum:

In addition to the progress mentioned above, the City is working to leverage our national and international partnerships to inspire other municipal leaders and governments to take similar actions, scale up their climate actions, and help to create a more inclusive economy for everyone. As such, New York City launched a toolkit in close partnership with the city of London and C40 Cities. This new guide was prepared as part of the C40 Divest/Invest Forum, a first-of-its-kind initiative that helps urban leaders make the leap to effective and efficient divestment and accelerate green investment. The Forum has fourteen participating cities to date, including the latest joiners Auckland, Melbourne and Stockholm.

From March 16-18, 2020, city leaders will come together in New York City to share their progress and experience in divesting from fossil fuel companies and increasing investment in climate solutions. 

“Confronting our climate crisis requires bold action and leadership.  By divesting from fossil fuels and investing in climate solutions, New York City is demonstrating a Green New Deal to the world and protecting the retirements of the City workforce,” said Daniel Zarrilli, NYC’s Chief Climate Policy Advisor and OneNYC Director. “We encourage all investors to follow our lead so that we can end the age of fossil fuels and secure a livable future for the next generation. Thanks to the pension trustees for their continued leadership.”

Henry Garrido, DC37 Executive Director and NYCERS trustee said, “As NYCERS trustee and as Executive Director of District Council 37, New York City’s largest municipal employee union, I’m pleased to support the hiring of Meketa Investment Group as fossil fuel stocks divestiture consultant for NYCERS. Fossil fuel divestment must be responsible and thoughtful and the vast experience that Dr. Sarah Bernstein and her team at Meketa bring to this assignment helps ensure that it will be. Divestment of NYCERS’ investment portfolio away from fossil fuels is a necessary first step to transitioning to a renewable and sustainable future and there is no time to lose. I am proud to stand with Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Stringer, and my fellow trustees on this historic occasion.”

UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “Climate change is a pressing issue, and divestment from fossil fuel companies is one tactic to combat it. Our goal with these studies is to find strategies that help address this critical worldwide problem while ensuring the health of our pension system and the safety of our members' contributions.”

MAYOR DE BLASIO, SPEAKER JOHNSON, NYC CENSUS 2020, KICK-OFF AND RELEASE OF CAMPAIGN PLAN

The largest municipal coordinated census campaign will spend an $8 million media and advertising campaign budget, of which $3 million is committed to community and ethnic media advertising, the largest amount in City history 

 Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives J. Phillip Thompson, NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin, Council Member Carlos Menchaca, Council Member Carlina Rivera, City University of New York (CUNY) Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost José Luis Cruz, and hundreds of advocates, service providers, representatives from labor and major civic institutions, and city officials today kicked off New York City's Complete Count Campaign, the nation's largest and most diverse coordinated municipal campaign to achieve a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census.

“New York City has been on the front lines of the resistance against the Trump Administration and ensuring every New Yorker gets counted is central to that fight," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "No matter how hard the federal government tries to silence our diverse voices, we still stand up and be counted.”

“A complete headcount in the 2020 Census is crucial for the future well-being of our city. We have to get this right to ensure we receive the proper federal funding for our schools, our roads, our health care, our public housing, and more. This is our once-in-a-decade opportunity to show the federal government that we are here, and that we count. The City Council pushed hard to make sure we allocated $40 million in the current budget for the efforts to count every New Yorker, because every New Yorker matters. Community-based organizations are our trusted partners in this effort and will ensure that we reach every community across the five boroughs. Let’s get a complete and accurate count and receive the federal funding we need and deserve,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.

With just eight weeks until New Yorkers can begin completing the census online for the first time starting March 12, 2020, Mayor de Blasio and NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin also announced that the City will invest $3 million in community and ethnic media advertising to ensure participation among the city's most historically undercounted communities. This figure represents the largest such investment by the City in local and community media for any campaign to date. The census campaign will be advertising in a minimum of 16 languages, including several languages spoken by New Yorkers with high levels of limited proficiency in English. 

About the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan

The NYC Complete Count Campaign represents a historic and unprecedented partnership between a mayoral administration, the City Council, CUNY, and 157 community-based organizations across all five boroughs, as well as the city's three library systems, labor unions, and civic and private institutions of many types. Consisting of all these partners and supported by an overall joint $40 million investment by Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson, the NYC Complete Count Campaign, collectively, is by far the largest and best-resourced census-focused municipal campaign in the nation. A majority of that funding, an unprecedented $23 million, will go towards community-based organizing and outreach, the largest such investment by any city in the nation.

The plan released today details how the campaign seeks to achieve a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census by engaging in:

·         Targeted campaign-style organizing, with a focus on "Get Out The Count " activities in historically undercounted communities;

·         Aggressive earned media, paid media, and social media strategy featuring everyday New Yorkers and trusted community voices;

·         Deep collaboration across all sectors: city agencies, houses of worship, elected officials, employers, unions, and more;

·         Sophisticated data analysis and modern outreach tactics with new technologies to target outreach to priority neighborhoods, increase efficiency, and enable comparison to real-time self-response data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan has been conceptualized and drafted by a combination of government and community partners, namely NYC Census 2020, the City's census office, in coordination with the office's Citywide Partners, a network of 15

of the city's most trusted and effective advocacy, organizing, and service delivery organizations, in addition to CUNY. The organizations were discretionarily funded by the City Council in August 2019 at a total of $4 million to engage in census-related planning and organizing, and have worked hand-in-hand with NYC Census 2020 and the City Council on the creation and implementation of the Complete Count Campaign. 

These organizations are: 

·         Association for a Better New York (ABNY), 

·         Asian American Federation,

·         Asian Americans for Equality,

·         Brooklyn NAACP,

·         Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, 

·         Chinese-American Planning Council, 

·         Community Resource Exchange,

·         FPWA, 

·         Hester Street, 

·         Hispanic Federation,

·         Make the Road — New York, 

·         New York Immigration Coalition, 

·         NALEO Educational Fund,

·         United Neighborhood House,  

·         The United Way of New York City. 

“Achieving a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census is critical to maintaining and strengthening our democracy,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “This unprecedented investment in both community-based organizations and community and ethnic media advertising will allow us to reach New Yorkers where they live and in the languages that they speak. It will also help ensure that we are engaging critically important but historically under-counted and under-represented communities in the Census by leveraging some of the most trusted voices within these communities.”

"In Washington, the Trump Administration thought it had a plan to weaponize the census – and now we have a plan to fight back and get every single New Yorker counted," said Julie Menin, Director, NYC Census 2020 and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel, NYC Law Department. "Our Complete Count Campaign Plan is built on the idea that it is only through successful and strategic partnerships with local communities, major civic institutions, government, the private sector, media, and others, that we will be able to teach every New Yorker about the critical importance of the census in determining access to our rightful share of resources and representation – and we're proud to be leading the largest and most comprehensive Get Out the Count effort being mounted by any city in the nation."

"Helping New Yorkers to achieve a fair and accurate census count is a critically important task, and one that the City University of New York is uniquely positioned to help achieve both by helping administer the funds that are going to community-based organizations and by deploying our students, who reflect the full range of New York City’s diversity," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "CUNY students are ready to venture into the hardest-to-count neighborhoods and ensure that the people who live in those communities, and who all too often are overlooked, are acknowledged and counted. We are proud to play a part in this process and excited about this necessary work to begin."

“We’re entering the final stretch of one of the most important public outreach campaigns in New York City history. And we’ve stepped up to that challenge with a historic $40 million investment. I look forward to working with countless neighborhood leaders and the more than 160 community organizations that are joining us today to ensure we have a complete count in the Census,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Co-Chair of the Council’s 2020 Census Task Force.

“Almost one year ago, we promised to mobilize the Council to invest whatever it took to ensure a complete count in 2020. Today, we fulfill that promise with the most ambitious effort of any city in the country. But this unprecedented funding is more than a campaign plan. It is a recognition of the trust New Yorkers place in the organizations who serve them every day. The very trust we’ll need to reach our most vulnerable and marginalized New Yorkers no matter where they are or what language they speak,” said Council Member Carlos Menchaca.

In kicking off the Campaign today, the City also convened more than 150 organizations that are recipients of the $19 million NYC Complete Count Fund (CCF), the largest community organizing program the City has ever built. Also unprecedented both in scope and structure, the CCF has been jointly funded by the de Blasio Administration and the Council, with leadership from Council Task Force Co-Chairs Carlos Menchaca and Carlina Rivera, and is being jointly administered by NYC Census 2020 and CUNY. The convening provides CCF recipients training from both campaign experts and community peers on best practices for community organizing, messaging and communications, integrating census awareness into social service delivery, and more. This integrated government-and-community training approach is a first for the City, and serves as the foundation for the City building an expansive and deep civic engagement infrastructure that is meant to outlast and grow beyond the census. 

Collectively, these organizations will be seamlessly integrated into NYC Census 2020's Neighborhood Organizing Census Committees (NOCCs) network, announced in September 2019. This integrated outreach program will recruit thousands of volunteers citywide to engage in local census-related outreach, with the ultimate goal of getting hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to self-respond to the census, especially in historically undercounted communities. 

Volunteers will primarily engage in four organizing tactics: teach-ins, phone banking, "text-banking ," and community canvassing. More than 1,800 New Yorkers have already signed up as NOCC volunteers through NYC Census 2020's field operation. In addition to the NOCCs program, NYC Census 2020 and its partner organizations will recruit and train scores of trusted leaders to serve as "Census Ambassadors " who will help educate New Yorkers about the census at teach-ins and other community events.

Find New York City's Complete Count Campaign Plan here 

See the full list of Complete Count Fund Awardees here

About the NYC Complete Count Media Campaign 

The 157 organizations that make up the NYC Complete Count Fund recipients serve all 245 New York City neighborhoods in more than 80 languages. Built on the understanding that local community-based organizations are the most trusted messengers of important and sensitive information, the Complete Count Fund is designed to resource and train organizations to build awareness about the importance of the census and fight the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Their community-facing work will be complemented by a multilingual $8 million advertising campaign that will feature innovative, responsive, and multilingual advertising and marketing that will broadcast targeted messages via a diverse array of platforms. The City's $3 million investment in ethnic and community advertising reflects the need to reach historically undercounted populations. Advertising will take place in a minimum of 16 languages, including the top languages spoken by limited English proficiency New Yorkers.

“The announcement and implementation of the NYC Complete Count Campaign Plan, I am thankful for the alignment of resources and support that are desperately needed for the Borough of Brooklyn and our #MakeBrooklynCount campaign," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. "We're working with community partners to begin mobilizing boots on the ground to engage with every and all Brooklyn constituencies in every and all neighborhood around the borough to ensure an accurate and fair demographic and population count during the 2020 Census."

“Every New Yorker counts,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen. “Now more than ever, we must fight back against efforts to suppress, marginalize, and discourage participation in the census. An accurate and complete count is vital to securing our fair share of federal funding for critical resources and ensuring our tax dollars are invested back into our communities.”

"The results of the 2020 Census will have a direct impact on the Bronx receiving its fair share of federal funding and political representation, which is why we must get this right. My office is working with the Bronx Borough President and the Bronx Complete Count Committee to educate hard-to-reach constituents on the importance of participation. I appreciate the thorough and comprehensive plan put forth to encourage Census participation and outreach to historically undercounted communities across our city. I look forward to working with the New York City Mayor's Office, City Council, CUNY, and community and business stakeholders to ensure a full and accurate count of every New Yorker in District 34," said State Senator Alessandra Biaggi.

"New Yorkers need to stand up and be counted in the next Census. Our representation and resources depend on it - everyone needs to be counted to ensure New York has the seat at the table we deserve. I will work with all our stakeholders to ensure a thorough, accurate count of New Yorkers," said Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris.

What's at Stake for New York City in the 2020 Census

Resources for New York City families and communities depend on a complete count of the City's residents. The census determines New York City's fair share of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds that support public education, public housing, roads and bridges, and more. The census also determines the number of seats each state is allocated in the House of Representatives, and thus the Electoral College. An undercount could cost the State of New York up to two congressional seats, significantly weakening the power of New York's voice in Washington. 

In 2010, New York City's initial self-response rate was approximately 15 percentage points less than the national average, and the U.S. Census Bureau is currently estimating that the New York area's self-response rate could be as low as 58 percent in 2020. The U.S. Census Bureau also recently published its final 2019 Census Test report, which showed that there would have likely been lower census responses from Asian and Latinx populations if a citizenship question had been included. 

About NYC Census 2020

NYC Census 2020 was established as a first-of-its-kind organizing initiative by Mayor de Blasio in January 2019 to ensure a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census. The program is built on four pillars: (1) a community-based awards program, The New York City Complete Count Fund; (2) an in-house "Get Out the Count" field campaign that is supported by the smart use of data and technology; (3) an innovative, multilingual, tailored messaging and marketing campaign; as well as (4) an in-depth Agency and Partnerships engagement plan that seeks to leverage the power of the City's 350,000-strong workforce and the city's major institutions, including libraries, hospitals, faith-based, cultural institutions, higher educational institutions, and more, to communicate with New Yorkers about the critical importance of census participation. 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

First, we hope that every dollar spent can be accounted for, and that New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer unlike with other NYC spending make sure of that which is his job. 

Second we left in several elected official comments that normally we edit out. As State Senator Alessandra Biaggi points out (we put the two words in bold print) political representation.  That means with the drop in population that is expected after this census in New York State to other states one or even two congressional districts will be redistricted into other congressional districts.

As for the state legislature, it gives the more influential members of the state senate,  state assembly, and even city council the chance to reshape their districts, allowing for redistricting certain areas where the elected official did not do well to be moved part or wholly into another district.