STATE OF THE CITY PREVIEW: MAYOR DE BLASIO AND TASKFORCE ON RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION JOIN NYC ACQUISITION FUND TO ANNOUNCE NEW FOCUS ON M/WBES AND NONPROFITS

 

$210 million affordable housing loan fund will exclusively finance projects led by M/WBEs or nonprofit developers

 Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity join the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Housing Development Corporation (HDC), Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. (Enterprise), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), along with a coalition of public, private and philanthropic partners, to announce that the New York City Acquisition Fund (NYCAF) will now exclusively serve Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBEs) and nonprofit developers in its mission to support affordable and supportive housing development. 

The $210 million public-private affordable housing loan fund will solely finance projects led by a M/WBE or nonprofit developer with a minimum 51 percent ownership stake in the project. The heightened focus on M/WBEs and nonprofits strengthens the Fund's alignment with the City's commitment to a fair and equitable post-COVID-19 recovery and preserves the Fund's limited resources for the borrowers most in need of favorable financing for their affordable housing projects. 

 

“Affordable housing shouldn’t just offer a place for New Yorkers in underserved communities to live – its construction should offer opportunity to those New Yorkers, too,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m proud to stand with partners across government to support developers who give back the most to the New Yorkers they serve.”

 

The Fund's announcement is in line with the City's new equitable ownership requirement to strengthen M/WBEs and nonprofits' role on affordable housing projects developed on City-owned sites. The rule requires that an M/WBE or nonprofit partner hold a minimum 25 percent ownership stake in any affordable housing project awarded on public land.

 

"Making sure that our investments not only provide affordable housing, but also expand opportunities for M/WBE and nonprofit developers is critical to New York City's fair and equitable recovery agenda," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. “Leveling the playing field for those developers helps to diversify and strengthen the industry, puts New Yorkers to work in the neighborhoods they call home, and taps into the deep connections and contributions those developers have made in different neighborhoods.”

 

“City dollars can and should do more than just get work done,” said J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives and co-chair of the Racial Equity and Inclusion Taskforce. “By leveraging city spending power to support our M/WBEs and nonprofits, we can ensure a fair recovery for all New Yorkers.”

 

“The Fund's shift to exclusively serve M/WBEs and nonprofit developers is a game-changer for firms seeking the crucial acquisition capital they need to get ahead,” said Sideya Sherman, Executive Director of the Taskforce for Racial Inclusion & Equity and EVP of Community Engagement & Partnerships at NYCHA. “We applaud Commissioner Carroll and our partners at HDC, Enterprise, and LISC for this significant investment, which will support a fair and equitable recovery for our city.”

 

“We are thrilled that the Fund will be building on the City's efforts to increase investments in M/WBE and nonprofit developers that share our deep commitment to the communities we serve,” said HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll. “The NYC Acquisition Fund is a tremendous partner, and their work will be invaluable to the recovery and ensuring that we reach the communities most in need. I applaud Enterprise and LISC for their remarkable work. This is a testament to what can be accomplished when philanthropy, private partners, nonprofits, and government all come together for a common goal.”

 

“The New York City Acquisition Fund has been at the forefront of helping to meet the City’s most pressing affordable housing challenges for years,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “This change announced today means we can do more to meet our commitment to supporting M/WBEs and nonprofits doing this critical work.”

 

“We support this effort to increase access to opportunities and capital for M/WBEs particularly during this difficult time for the local NYC economy and M/WBEs,” said Maggie D. Austin, Senior Advisor and Director of the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs. “We applaud Commissioner Carroll and the Fund partners for this timely and much-needed resource.”

 

“Advancing racial equity is a key strategic priority for Enterprise, and as we work to support nonprofits and BIPOC-led developers, we recognize the importance of investing in these mission-driven partners,” said Victoria Rowe-Barreca, Director of Capital Solutions and Partnerships, Enterprise Community Partners. “We are proud to partner with the City and LISC to ensure that the New York City Acquisition Fund is bolstering nonprofit and M/WBE developers to be part of the City’s ambitious affordable housing plan.”

 

“The NYC Acquisition Fund’s decision to channel funding toward M/WBE and nonprofit developers is a major step toward ensuring equitable access to capital and creating sustainable community wealth for Black and Brown New Yorkers,” said Valerie White, executive director of LISC NYC. “We look forward to working with our partners and communities across the five boroughs in 2021 to close the racial wealth gap and build back better.”

 

“The Supportive Housing Network of New York wholeheartedly supports the New York Acquisition Fund’s decision to lend exclusively to nonprofits and M/WBEs to develop supportive and affordable housing,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director, Supporting Housing Network of New York. “NYCAF is a vital resource for our member organizations in creating thousands of apartments for homeless New Yorkers and the Network fully endorses the primacy of nonprofits developing and owning supportive housing. We also applaud Commissioner Carroll’s leadership in having NYCAF focus on M/WBE ownership as a means of beginning to address systemic racial and gender inequity.” 

 

Established in 2006, the Fund offers flexible bridge loans to affordable housing developers to acquire vacant sites and occupied buildings and finance predevelopment work. The Fund is made possible through an innovative partnership between Enterprise and LISC, the City of New York, major commercial lending institutions, and leading foundations. Since launching, the Fund's lending volume has exceeded $530 million, generating 14,200 newly constructed or preserved affordable homes throughout the five boroughs.

STATE OF THE CITY PREVIEW: NEW YORK CITY INVESTS $38 MILLION IN NEW BIOTECH CENTERS

 Today, Mayor de Blasio announced four winners of infrastructure grants totaling $38 million as a part of LifeSci NYC, a $500 million commitment to help establish New York City as the public health capital of the world. Today’s awards will fund applied research and development (R&D) facilities at four of New York City’s leading scientific research institutions—Columbia University, Montefiore-Einstein, the New York Stem Cell Foundation, and Rockefeller University.

 

Each facility will be dedicated to facilitating partnerships between New York’s leading academic scientists, and biotech and pharmaceutical companies, with the ultimate goal of advancing innovative treatments for patients and growing the local industry.

 

“New York City has fought back COVID-19 by trusting science and working closely with our partners in the scientific community. That work is only just beginning,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As we rebuild a fairer and better city, it’s time to make New York City a global leader in pandemic response. This city will stand with the life sciences in good times and bad, and I can’t wait to see what our world-class partners will create in the years to come.”

 

Today’s announcement complements recent City efforts to address pandemic response, including a vision to create to a local institution, tentatively called the Pandemic Response Institute (PRI), that will serve as a hub to prepare for and respond to future health emergencies in New York City. The City also launched the Pandemic Response Lab (PRL), a facility dedicated to processing COVID-19 tests within 24-48 hours for NYC Health + Hospitals.

 

"Public health will guide New York City's economic recovery; our city is only as healthy as its least healthy resident," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Vicki Been. "This investment will strengthen New York City's life sciences ecosystem as an economic development engine and as an incubator of cutting-edge public health technologies and treatments."

 

“The winners of this important grant will help to keep New York City on the forefront of the life sciences industry,” said Deputy Mayor Melanie Hartzog. “Investments like these, in vital research and innovative strategies for growing our City’s life science infrastructure, are a key part of this Administration’s recovery agenda, helping create a smarter, healthier NYC, and laying the groundwork for related opportunity in the future.”

 

“The Applied Research and Development projects will provide quality jobs for New Yorkers, create more accessible biotech space, and support groundbreaking research and innovation -- all critical components of the City's LifeSci NYC initiative,” said James Patchett, President and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. “These goals are vital to increasing access to public health resources and life-saving treatments for all New Yorkers. We’re thrilled these facilities will be a key addition to ensure early-stage technologies can be brought from academic labs to patients in need.”

 

Columbia University’s Therapeutic Validation Center will receive up to $9 million to establish research facilities dedicated to accelerating early-stage research into new start-ups. The Center will be located within Columbia University’s existing facilities and be open to scientists and entrepreneurs throughout the city, regardless of affiliation. The new Center will use advanced mass spectrometry imaging technology to create next-generation medicines that work by analyzing and orchestrating the behavior of individual cells in the human body to work in concert to eliminate disease. Columbia is in discussion with commercial partners about partnering on this initiative.

 

Montefiore Medicine, together with its medical school, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, will launch the Einstein-Montefiore Biotechnology Accelerated Research Center (EMBARC) to establish a biomanufacturing operation focused on cell, gene, and antibody therapy production. This facility, supported with up to $13 million, will be located on Montefiore’s Einstein campus in Morris Park and be open to early stage and established companies in need of these scientific facilities.

 

New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) will be awarded up to $6.5 million to equip an expansion of its Research Institute located in West Midtown, enabling the translation of their research into new drugs and treatments ready for the clinic. The Institute’s expanded operations also allow further collaborations with local universities, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical companies, and technology organizations who look to bring innovative cell-based treatments to patients in need. The equipment, funded by the City, will increase NYSCF's cell production capacity, process-development abilities, and drug screening capabilities. The grant will also fund equipment for the NYSCF Research Institute clinical laboratory to further enable precision medicine approaches.

 

The Rockefeller University will receive up to $9 million to convert academic research labs into the Tri-Institutional Translational Center for Therapeutics, an incubator for commercial life sciences, which will serve as the first of its kind in the Upper East Side cluster of biomedical institutions. This new facility will also seek to convert the scientific potential of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weil Cornell Medicine into local high-growth companies.

 

"New York City boasts one of the world's largest concentrations of biomedical research universities," said Maria Gotsch, President and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City. “These translational research centers and incubators will play an important role in moving research from the academic lab to a commercial entity, where both products to improve human health and local jobs can be created. This investment by the City of New York is an important part of the overall plan to make New York a leading center of commercial life sciences.”

 

"We're now in the golden age of biology, where basic science knowledge and technology are growing faster than ever before, “said Senior Advisor Dr. Jay Varma. “NYC's investments in life sciences and therapeutics will ensure that the next great breakthroughs occur here, powered by the city's innovators and workers and creating the pathway for NYC to be the public health capital of the world.

 

“We are grateful to Mayor de Blasio and the NYCEDC staff for supporting our vision to create a Center that leverages powerful new technologies for designing next generation medicines. We anticipate that the Center will launch multiple life science companies in NYC that create transformational medicines to change the landscape of treatment for COVID-19 and other human maladies,” said Dr. Brent Stockwell, Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Columbia University.

 

“We must accelerate both the pace and success rate of developing new and better treatments for patients, and to do so it is essential for research scientists and companies to perform end-to-end drug screening on the human cells that are actually affected by the diseases we are trying to cure,” said NYSCF founder and CEO Susan L. Solomon. “This new equipment will enable us to realize this opportunity and execute all aspects of a drug screening program right in New York City at our Translational Stem Cell Research Facility, working in close collaboration with scientists and clinicians from the City’s great institutions. Developing drugs and new treatments on human cells is critical and I am very excited that the City continues to make this a priority.”

 

“The combined research strengths of three world-leading biomedical institutions provides an unparalleled foundation to ensure the success of the new Tri-Institutional Translational Center for Therapeutics,” said Richard P. Lifton, President of Rockefeller University. “By consolidating existing collaborations and providing much-needed biotech incubator space into the bargain, this new center will focus the boldest biomedical science in the world on solving today’s most challenging medical problems – while also growing the fast-emerging biotech sector in New York City.”

 

“The investments announced today further cement New York City’s place as an innovation hub for life sciences. The commitment by New York City and the collaboration by the world-class institutions receiving the grants will enhance opportunities for entrepreneurs to found high-growth companies that develop important therapeutics” said Jennifer Hawks Bland, CEO of NewYorkBIO, the leading association representing the life science industry in New York. “By providing support to academic researchers, LifeSci NYC is building on the promise of prior investments and will allow New York to accelerate the development of treatments and cures that benefit the world.”

 

“Since it was founded in 1953, Montefiore Albert Einstein College of Medicine has been at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs, showing why we are ‘the Borough of Universities’,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This grant allows Montefiore Albert Einstein College of Medicine to continue doing cutting-edge research, in life sciences and healthcare, as well as provide office space for companies looking to be headquartered right here in The Bronx.”

Launched in 2016, LifeSci NYC is the City of New York’s $500 million dollar commitment to establish New York City as a global leader in the commercial life sciences. LifeSci NYC’s investments span three areas—connecting research to industry, unlocking space for life sciences growth, and building a diverse pipeline of industry talent in New York City. Since 2016, LifeSci NYC has partnered with BioLabs@NYULangone to activate the City’s largest wet-lab incubator, launched an annual summer internship for undergraduates and graduate students interested in life sciences careers, and partnered with Deerfield Management and King Street Properties to develop a total of more than 500,000 square feet of new lab space, located at 345 Park Avenue South and 48-15 Court Square respectively. To learn more about LifeSci NYC, visit lifesci.nyc.

  

Bronx Democratic Party - Ranked Choice Voting Info Session

 

Dear friends,

Please join us on Tuesday, January 26 at 6 pm for an information session on Ranked Choice Voting. Please use the link below to register, and I encourage you all to forward this flyer to anyone interested.

https://bit.ly/3iFBG4r

Best,

The Bronx Democratic Party

Statement From Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on National Guard Helicopter Crash in Mendon That Killed Three Service Members

 

Directs Flags on All State Buildings Lowered to Half-Staff Tomorrow

 "I am devastated by the news tonight of a New York Army National Guard helicopter crash in the Town of Mendon that killed three of New York's bravest during a training mission.

"National Guard members are our citizen soldiers who voluntarily serve and protect both here and abroad, and I extend prayers and condolences from all New Yorkers to the family, loved ones and fellow soldiers of these honorable heroes who we will never forget. 

"I am directing that flags on all State buildings be lowered to half-staff tomorrow in honor of and in tribute to these New Yorkers who dedicated their service to nation and state."  

President Biden’s Executive Orders Address Issues Attorney General James Sued Trump Administration Over

 

Multiple Executive Orders Signed, Including Those Protecting Census, Dreamers, and Against Discrimination on Basis of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today celebrated multiple executive orders signed by President Joseph Biden hours after he was inaugurated as the 46^th president of the United States. The measures taken range from those affecting racial and social equity, civil rights, immigration, the climate crisis, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis, among other issues of national importance. Three of the executive orders, specifically, are aimed at issues raised in lawsuits Attorney General James led against the Trump Administration, including those affecting apportionment of representatives following the 2020 Decennial Census; the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.

“Over the last two years, my office stood up and fought the Trump Administration every time it tried to trample on the rights of New Yorkers and Americans across the country,” said Attorney General James. “We filed 76 lawsuits against an administration that was hostile towards women, immigrants, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, workers, and countless others. But, today, we can all breathe a sigh of relief now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been sworn in as president and vice president of the United States. Within hours of taking the oath of office, President Biden showed decisive leadership and took action to protect young Dreamers, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and millions of others across the United States. This nation is a better and safer place tonight thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration.”

2020 Decennial Census

Last July, Attorney General James led a coalition of states, cities, and counties in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration after it announced it would leave millions of undocumented immigrants out of the apportionment base that followed the census count. The lawsuit sought to stop the Trump Administration from violating the longstanding constitutional and statutory requirements to count the “whole number of persons” residing in each state for apportionment, without regard to immigration status. Multiple legal actions followed the suit. Attorney General James also previously led the filing of a multitude of other legal actions against the Trump Administration on the census, including one that led to a victory at the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Biden today signed an executive order rescinding a Trump Administration memorandum that sought to unlawfully leave undocumented immigrants out of the apportionment base following the census.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Last August, Attorney General James led a coalition of 17 attorneys general from the around the nation in filing an amended lawsuit against the Trump Administration for threatening more than 700,000 Dreamers currently registered for the DACA program with deportation. DACA is an Obama era policy that has allowed hundreds of thousands of young people to live, study, and work in the United States, and to become stable and even more productive members of their communities, without fear that they could be arrested and placed in deportation proceedings at any moment. Multiple legal actions followed the suit. Attorney General James also previously led the filing of a multitude of other legal actions against the Trump Administration related to DACA, including one that led to a victory at the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Biden today signed an executive order rescinding the Trump Administration policy that threatened these 700,000 young people with deportation.

Protecting the LGBTQ+ Community from Discrimination

Last July, Attorney General James led a coalition of 23 attorneys general from around the nation in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for introducing a rule that would make it easier for health care providers and insurance companies to discriminate against certain vulnerable and protected classes of Americans. The rule emboldened providers and insurers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals, those with limited English proficiency, and women, among others, by stripping express protections for these groups in HHS regulations that implement Section 1557 — or the nondiscrimination provision — of the ACA. Additional legal actions followed the suit.

President Biden today signed an executive order rescinding the Trump Administration rule that threatened LGBTQ+ individuals.

Dan Padernacht Endorsed by DNC Vice-Chair and Former NYS Assemblyman Michael Blake

 

New York City Council candidate Dan Padernacht (D11) has received the endorsement of Michael Blake, Fmr. New York State Assemblyman (D79) and Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee.   

“I have worked with Dan on local Bronx issues and continue to be impressed by his holistic approach to the district,” Assemblyman Blake stated. “He appreciates the interconnectivity of issues and of neighborhoods. I endorse Dan for City Council so the Northwest Bronx can benefit from his vision of equity across the district and the skill set he has honed in over 12 years of community board leadership. As a lawyer and community expert, he alone will be ready to work with city agencies from Day 1. He will fight for inclusivity in The Bronx, and it will be reflected in his legislation.” 

 

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of such a distinguished leader,” Padernacht stated. “I have great admiration for the work that Assemblyman Blake has done at the national level, as a member of President Obama's staff and key figure in his presidential campaigns, and especially as an agent for change within The Bronx.”

 

“Like Assemblyman Blake, if elected, I will work to empower communities of color both politically and economically. To accomplish this, we must do more than provide essential services across the district. We must build opportunity by nourishing our public schools, creating affordable housing, and identifying new avenues for economic development.” 

Dan Padernacht

Candidate for New York City Council 

11th District 

www.voteDanP.com

Bedford Park, Fieldston, Kingsbridge, Marble Hill, Norwood, Riverdale, 

Spuyten Duyvil, Van Cortlandt Village, Wakefield & Woodlawn 

Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic - JANUARY 20, 2021

 

Four Additional Cases of UK Variant in Saratoga, Warren and Suffolk Counties Bring Total Cases to 22 

9,273 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide

1,621 Patients in the ICU; 1,044 Intubated

Statewide Positivity Rate is 6.84%

185 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Four additional cases of the UK variant were identified, one in Saratoga County, one in Warren County and two in Suffolk County. The new Saratoga and Warren County cases are tied to the first case discovered in Saratoga County. To date, there are 22 known cases of the variant in New York State. 

"Right now, we are in a footrace between how quickly we distribute the vaccine and how quickly the infection is spreading," Governor Cuomo said. "The good news - the infection rate is a function of people's behavior and right now it's on the decline, meaning New Yorkers are acting responsibly. The bad news - not only is the federal vaccine supply not keeping up with our ability to administer it, but we are continuing to see new instances of the UK strain, which is much more transmissible. I believe brighter days are ahead with the new administration at the helm and we will continue to do everything within our power to get shots in arms as quickly and fairly as possible."

Today's data is summarized briefly below: 

• Test Results Reported - 195,409
• Total Positive - 13,364
• Percent Positive - 6.84%
• Patient Hospitalization - 9,273 (+37)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 1,128
• Hospital Counties - 57
• Number ICU - 1,621 (+7)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 1,044 (-5)
• Total Discharges - 117,882 (+830)
• Deaths - 185
• Total Deaths - 33,415

Governor Cuomo Announces $130 Million Proposal to Help Highly Impacted Small Businesses with Tax Credits as Part of Fy 2022 Executive Budget

 

Proposal Would Utilize Four Tax Credits to Help Highly Impacted Small Businesses in the Accommodation, Arts and Entertainment, Restaurant and Musical and Theatrical Production Industries

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a $130 million proposal to enact the Pandemic Recovery and Restart Program to help highly impacted small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the FY 2022 Executive Budget. The Program would establish three new tax credits and increase a fourth one to help highly impacted small businesses in the accommodation, arts and entertainment, restaurant and musical and theatricalproduction industries bring back jobs to New York and help the economy recover faster. 

"As we embark on our post-COVID reconstruction, it's critical that we not only jump-start our economic recovery, but also ensure we find ways to support highly impacted small businesses that have been among the hardest hit throughout this pandemic," Governor Cuomo said. "The Executive Budget was crafted to do just that. Through the creation and expansion of $130 million in tax credits, we are working to lessen the burden on critical sectors - restaurants, the arts, and so many others - so those funds can be redirected back to the businesses themselves and get them back up and running."

The proposal would establish or enhance the following tax credits: 

• Small Business Return-To-Work Tax Credit: Provides $50 million in tax credits to support certain highly impacted small businesses impacted by COVID-19 in the hiring of additional workers through 2021. This would help employers hire workers faster than they normally would, helping reduce unemployment and getting workers back on the tax rolls. The credit is $5,000 per employee and up to $50,000 per business. Small businesses must have experienced a minimum 40 percent revenue or employment loss to qualify.
• Restaurant Return-To-Work Tax Credit: Provides $50 million in tax credits to support highly impacted restaurants hard hit by the pandemic through 2021. This credit is for restaurants that were hardest-hit by pandemic restrictions, in New York City and other areas in which restrictions were implemented. Restaurants would receive the credit immediately if they choose. The credit would be $5,000 per employee and up to $50,000 per business.
• New York City Musical and Theatrical Production Tax Credit: Provides $25 million in tax credits for the jump start of the industry and the support of tourism activity in New York City.
• Extend and Enhance the Musical and Theatrical Production Credit for Four Years: In order to support highly impacted musical and theatrical productions that occur in the State but outside of New York City, the Budget extends this credit for four years through 2025 and doubles it to $8 million.