MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES LAWSUIT AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES FUELING NATIONWIDE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

 

Adams Administration Files Lawsuit to Hold TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube Accountable for Their Platforms’ Damaging Influence on Mental Health of Children

 

City Issues Action Plan to Address Harms Caused by Social Media

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Corporation Counsel Sylvia O. Hinds Radix, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, NYC Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H) President Dr. Michell Katz, and New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks today announced the filing of a lawsuit to hold five social media platforms — TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube — accountable for fueling the nationwide youth mental health crisis. The city is joining hundreds of school districts from across the country in filing litigation seeking to force tech giants to change their behavior and to recover the costs of addressing this public health threat. The city spends more than $100 million on youth mental health programs and services each year. To help address this ongoing crisis and the harm caused by these platforms, Mayor Adams also today released a social media action plan, “New York City’s Role in the National Crisis of Social Media and Youth Mental Health: Framework for Action, to hold social media companies accountable, provide education and support to young people and families, and study the long-term impacts of social media on youth.

 

Today’s announcement builds on the Health Commissioner’s Advisory that DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan issued last month, identifying unfettered access to and use of social media as a public health hazard, just as past U.S. surgeons general have done with tobacco and firearms. The advisory provides recommendations to parents and caregivers, health care providers, educators, and policymakers on actions that can be taken to protect children, including the recommendation to delay social media use until the age of 14.

 

“Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “Our city is built on innovation and technology, but many social media platforms end up endangering our children's mental health, promoting addiction, and encouraging unsafe behavior. Today, we’re taking bold action on behalf of millions of New Yorkers to hold these companies accountable for their role in this crisis, and we're building on our work to address this public health hazard. This lawsuit and action plan are part of a larger reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city, and our society for years to come.”

 

“Social media companies like TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Meta are fueling a national youth mental health crisis,” said Corporation Counsel Hinds-Radix. “These companies have chosen profit over the wellbeing of children by intentionally designing their platforms with manipulative and addictive features and using harmful algorithms targeted to young people. Social media companies should be held accountable for this misconduct and for the harms they cause to our children, schools, and entire communities.”

 

“Online networks are powerful tools to connect with friends, family, classmates, and so much more,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “However, social media can also be a place for unhealthy comparisons to others, a platform for bullying, and lead to negative mental health implications for our children. Building on our social media summit in 2023, we are now releasing a social media action plan to support young people and families as they navigate social media. We are also taking legal and regulatory action to hold social media companies accountable for their actions and urging them to help build healthier environments for their users, particularly for children and young people. This administration is committed to protecting and promoting the health and well-being of every child and young person in every space whether in everyday life or online.”

 

“This is about protecting our young people,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg. “The U.S. surgeon general was right to say this is ‘just not a fair fight.’ The best product developers in the world have designed addictive feeds and features to maximize the amount of time young people spend on the platform — leaving parents, young people, teachers, and emergency rooms to deal with the harmful consequences. Real relief is needed and real change from the social media companies is long past due.”

 

“Social media is a toxin in our digital environment, like lead, air pollution, and nicotine are in our physical one,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan. “Environmental toxins require regulation, control, and mitigation, and public health must build on its environmental health legacy to address this modern threat. New York City is employing a wide array of tools to fight back, including education and awareness, research, and regulation, and this lawsuit is the latest example of our city’s commitment to ensure young people are safe from the impacts of social media on mental health and wellbeing. The laissez-faire days for tech giants must end and expecting them to self-regulate is naïve. As a parent and as the city’s doctor, to protect the public’s health, we will not remain idle while these platforms damage the health of our children.”

 

“Social media has opened a window to the world for so many, however major social media companies have abused their power, resulting in serious consequences for the mental health of our students,” said DOE Chancellor Banks. “It is clear these companies have failed our young people, and I’m proud to be standing with my city agency partners to call for accountability, and for our nation’s policymakers to take action to protect our kids.”

 

“Social media has become a central part of many of our lives, especially among children and adolescents,” said NYC H+H Chief of Behavioral Health and Co-Deputy Chief Medical Officer Omar Fattal, MD, MPH. “We must maximize our efforts to support the mental health needs of children and adolescents by providing families with tools and resources that foster healthy development. This includes robustly addressing the negative impact of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. We join the mayor and DOHMH in encouraging all young people and their families to consider their use of social media and how it may be negatively affecting them.”

 

“Social media can be used as a tool for information-sharing and building community. But, as a mental health clinician, I have also witnessed the profound negative impacts it continues to have on the mental health of many of our young people,” said Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health Executive Director Eva Wong. “Often times, social media exposes our children to cyberbullying, body image issues, online predators, privacy concerns, and increasing risk of depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation, and even suicide. As a mother, I’m deeply concerned about the enduring negative effect social media has on shaping youth culture. And today, as a city, we are saying it is not sufficient to merely caution young people about the dangers of social media; we must also hold companies accountable for creating and profiting from an environmental toxin that harms our children and young people.”

 

Today’s lawsuit — filed in California Superior Court by the City of New York, the DOE (the largest school district in the nation), and NYC H+H (the country’s largest public hospital system) — seeks to hold the companies operating TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube accountable for their role creating the youth mental health crisis in New York City. The lawsuit alleges that companies intentionally designed their platforms to purposefully manipulate and addict children and teens to social media applications with features that include:

• Using algorithms to generate feeds that keep users on the platforms longer and encourage compulsive use.
• Using mechanics akin to gambling in the design of apps, which allow for anticipation and craving for “likes” and “hearts,” and also provides continuous, personalized streams of content and advertisements.
• Manipulating users through reciprocity — a social force, especially powerful among teenagers, that describes how people feel compelled to respond to one positive action with another positive action. These platforms take advantage of reciprocity by, for example, automatically telling the sender when their message was seen or sending notifications when a message was delivered, encouraging teens to return to the platform again and again and perpetuating online engagement and immediate responses.

The complaint specifically states the companies’ intentional conduct and negligence has been a substantial factor in fueling a youth mental health crisis, which constitutes a public nuisance affecting schools, public hospitals, and communities citywide, and, as a result, that the city has had to expend significant resources to address. In New York City, over 38 percent of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless during the past year that they stopped engaging in their usual activities. The rate of hopelessness among New York City high schoolers in 2021 was almost 50 percent higher for Latino and Black students than for white students, and almost 70 percent higher for female students than for male students. Today, over one-third of 13- to 17-year-old children nationwide report using social media “almost constantly” and admit this is “too much.” Yet, more than half of these kids report that they would struggle to cut back on their social media use. Likewise, in 2021, 77 percent of New York City high school students reported spending an average of three or more hours per school day in front of screens — not including time spent on schoolwork.

“Our children are facing a mental health crisis fueled by social media companies’ disregard for their safety and wellbeing,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “We owe it to our kids to tackle the damaging effects of social media, and I applaud Mayor Adams for taking this important action today to hold these companies accountable. This lawsuit builds on the important work we’ve done to advance legislation to rein in the most addictive and dangerous features on social media and the legal action we’ve taken to stop them. It is unacceptable that big tech companies can profit off the harm they are doing to young people, and I want to thank Mayor Adams for joining our effort to protect the next generation of New Yorkers.”

 

The Adams administration has taken repeated action to tackle the youth mental health crisis. Last year, Mayor Adams announced that the city launched TeenSpace, a free tele-mental health service available to all New York City teenagers, between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, that allows teenagers to connect with a licensed therapist through phone, video, and text. In the three months of operation, TeenSpace has served over 2,000 youth across the five boroughs.

 

In addition to the city’s work supporting New York City youth in crisis through DOHMH and NYC H+H programming, DOE has devoted significant resources to combatting students’ addiction to social media and the many resulting harms, including by responding to cyberbullying occurring outside of class, providing counseling for anxiety and depression, and developing curricula about the effects of social media and how to stay safe online.

 

In March 2023, the Adams administration launched “Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for New York City,” a mental health plan focused on improving the mental health of children and young people. Following the plan’s release, the city convened more than 150 advocates, researchers, technologists, mental health providers, community-based organizations, and caregivers in partnership with New York City youth to lay out potential pathways for action to protect the mental health of children and youth. The convening provided the recommendations that built the foundation for today’s social media action plan, outlining New York City’s commitment to protect young New Yorkers against this threat and empower them to use these technologies in ways that are less harmful. As part of today’s plan, the city will also identify where local data can support existing research on this topic and opportunities to survey youth on their experiences with social media, why they use social media, their current social media habits, and social media’s impacts on their mental health. Finally, the city will advocate with state and federal policymakers to put in place laws that require social media companies to ensure that their platforms are safe for youth mental health.

 

Michigan Woman Arrested For Role In Fraud Scheme Involving Theft Of Over $800,000 In Luxury And Designer Apparel And Accessories

 

Brandalene Horn Engaged in a Fraud Scheme to Induce Victim Companies to Send Her Over $800,000 in Luxury and Designer Goods, Which She Then Stole and Sold Online

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging BRANDALENE HORN with mail fraud, wire fraud, and the interstate transportation of stolen property in connection with a scheme to defraud victim clothing rental companies by opening hundreds of accounts to rent women’s apparel and accessories, stealing those rented items, and selling them on an e-commerce marketplace.  HORN was arrested this morning in Freeland, Michigan, and she will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Stafford in the Eastern District of Michigan.   

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Brandalene Horn perpetrated a lucrative scheme in which she defrauded at least three victim companies, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury and designer items, and then sold those stolen items online.  Thanks to the work of the prosecutors and investigators of my Office, Horn now faces criminal federal charges for her alleged deceptive behavior and fraudulent activity.” 

As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:[1]

From at least April 2022 through at least February 2024, HORN engaged in a fraud scheme that involved opening hundreds of accounts with at least three victim companies that offer subscription-based clothing rental services.  Those services enable customers to access and rent from the companies’ inventory of apparel and accessories, including luxury and designer items.  After receiving rental items, including pieces worth thousands of dollars, HORN kept, instead of returned, the items from the victim companies and sold them on an e-commerce marketplace.  HORN’s listings for the stolen items on the e-commerce marketplace often used the victim companies’ proprietary photographs and item descriptions that substantially matched the descriptions used by the victim companies. 

An image of HORN’s listing for a stolen designer dress on an e-commerce marketplace is below:

An image of a listing by one of the victim companies for this same designer dress is below:

Although the victim companies attempted to charge HORN for the items she stole, HORN avoided those charges by disputing them with her credit union or canceling the credit and debit cards she had provided to the victim companies.  HORN’s fraudulent activity caused the victim companies to flag or close her accounts, but HORN opened new accounts so she could continue stealing and selling luxury and designer goods.

During this period, HORN stole over 1,000 items, valued at over $823,000, from the victim companies and sold over $750,000 worth of stolen items.

HORN, 42, of Freeland, Michigan, is charged with one count of mail fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the exceptional investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York State Police and the Michigan State Police for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Connie L. Dang and Katherine Cheng are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

NYC Comptroller’s Annual M/WBE Report Shows City Agencies Continuing to Fall Woefully Short of Needed Progress

 

Just 5.3% of overall City contract value went to M/WBEs in FY 2023; even out of the smaller share of contracts covered by M/WBE participation goals, only 9.8% went to M/WBEs — and only 1% went to Black, Hispanic, or women-of-color owned businesses

The Adams Administration has made progress on some of last year’s recommendations, but the data largely tells a story of how far there is to go

NYC Comptroller Brad Lander released the office’s Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement, exposing critical shortcomings in the City’s efforts to ensure equitable distribution of contracts among Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs). Within the city’s program to encourage higher M/WBE utilization, agencies registered only 9.8% of eligible contracts to M/WBE prime vendors in FY23. Black, Hispanic, and women-of-color owned business each hover at just 1% of contract value.  

“M/WBEs deserve their fair share of City contracts, yet this year’s disappointing numbers fall woefully short of where we need to be,” said Comptroller Brad Lander. “The Adams Administration has taken steps to improve equity in City contracting – but the data tells a story of how far there is to go. We offer detailed recommendations for streamlining connections between the City and businesses seeking contracts, being more diligent about setting and monitoring goals, and transforming the way contractors – especially in human services – utilize M/WBE subcontractors. With stronger management and coordination, we can reverse these unacceptable trends and move toward fairness in City contracting.” 

The Comptroller’s Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement provides a comprehensive review of contract registration data to analyze City agencies’ performance in awarding M/WBE prime contracts based on procurement method, dollar value, and industry. Key findings include:

• M/WBEs secured only 5.3% of the roughly $40 billion of new City contracts and Purchase Orders (POs) registered in FY 2023, compared to 5.2% in FY 2022. 
• In the narrower universe of City contracts and POs subject to M/WBE participation goals under Local Law 174 (about one quarter of the City’s total procurement), M/WBEs represented just 9.8% in FY23, down from 16% in FY22. 
• Black M/WBEs represented only 1.16% of registered value contracts and POs subject to LL 174 goals, Hispanic M/WBEs only 0.96%, and women-of-color combined only 1.03% 
• M/WBEs are winning more contracts, but those contracts are for a fraction of the value of firms owned by white men. M/WBEs accounted for 60.3% of the total number of new contract registrations subject to LL 174 goals (up from 58.5% in FY 22). But the average value of a new contract registered in FY23 to M/WBE was just $511,000, less than one-ninth the $4.6 million average of contracts with non-certified firms. 
• Only about 20% of all City-certified M/WBEs secured a contract, PO, or approved subcontract registered by the City in FY 2023. 

• More than half of contracts awarded to M/WBEs are registered late, posing a significant challenge for smaller firms without sufficient working capital. This was even the case even for M/WBE Noncompetitive Small Purchase contracts, which were late nearly 70% of the time despite that agencies have the authority to self-register these actions.   

The report utilizes a new weighted performance metric to evaluate the relative performance of agencies compared to their peers with similarly sized procurement portfolios subject to LL 174. 

• Top performers in their categories: DEP, DHS, Law Department 
• Lowest performers: DOT, DCAS, DOF 
• Most improved from FY22: OTI, DHS, Law Department 

The report examines agencies’ use of the M/WBE Noncompetitive Small Purchase (NCSP) method, one of the City’s most effective tools at directing discretionary contract opportunities to M/WBEs. New legislation allowed agencies to use this method for procurements up to $1 million (and now to $1.5m), but agencies are not taking advantage of this newly increased threshold. Similarly, master agreements awarded to M/WBEs are less likely to be used than those registered to non-certified firms. Insufficient oversight for goal-setting in contracts also underscores the need for a more rigorous and extended examination and utilization process beyond the initial contract award. The system for tracking subcontractors remains badly incomplete, making it difficult to meaningful utilize or measure subcontracting to M/WBEs.   

The Report also evaluates the Adams Administration’s efforts to move the needle. It finds meaningful effort, some progress on the FY22 recommendations, and substantial areas for continued improvement. The City successfully lobbied in Albany and implemented the change to raise the M/WBE NCSP method threshold to $1.5 million. Some progress has been made since last year in establishing more pre-qualified lists, utilizing “best value” procurement, achieving higher dollar use of M/WBE NCSP, directing micro-purchases to M/WBEs, updating training and guidance to agencies, and making relevant date more easily accessible. No progress was made reforming the subcontracting process, validating commodity codes to agencies can find the right M/WBEs, or improving the timeliness of contract registration. The FY24 report also offers new recommendations to the Administration: 

• Streamline connections between M/WBEs and agencies. Strengthen the tools to connect M/WBEs to appropriate contracting opportunities, by standardizing commodity code selection and searches across agencies procuring similar goods & services. 
• Survey underutilized firms. Understanding the reasons most certified M/WBEs do not engage in business with the City is essential for implementing targeted improvements and enhancing the effectiveness of M/WBE participation programs. 
• Strengthen goal-setting procedures, support, and oversight. The City must establish and enforce standardized expectations for setting goals and monitoring compliance for all eligible contracts, including for contract changes and modifications. 
• Increase utilization of M/WBE subcontractors in human services contracting. The City should increase M/WBEs participation in the human services sector, through prime contracting and especially through more effective subcontracting processes. 

In preparing this report, the Comptroller’s Office held a series of M/WBE roundtables in each borough to gather on-the-ground feedback from small and large M/WBEs across industries. The experiences of these M/WBEs informed the findings and recommendations in the report. Direct testimonies from the participants of these sessions can be viewed in this video. 

“Expanding equitable opportunities for our city’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) is critical to the success of our communities,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “While the City has made progress to increase contracting with M/WBE firms, it is clear that more work is needed to reach targeted participation goals. It will be important for all partners in government to continue working together to confront the challenges facing M/WBEs and ensure they have the necessary resources and support to thrive.” 

“As an advocate for equitable opportunities in procurement, I am deeply concerned by the findings outlined in the upcoming report. The persistently low percentage of contracts awarded to M/WBEs underscores the pressing need for comprehensive reform. Urgent action is required to rectify this imbalance and ensure fair access to contracting opportunities for all. The NAMC New York Tri-State Chapter and I stand ready to support efforts to implement meaningful change, including debundling jobs and creating smaller-sized design-build projects that can be set aside for the M/WBE community. In addition, capacity-building endeavors with real results are needed to support these businesses, empowering them to thrive in a competitive market,” said Nayan Parikh, President of Ashnu International and President of the National Association of Minority Contractors New York Tri-State Chapter. 

Watch M/WBE Firsthand Stories. 

Read the Annual Report on M/WBE Procurement. 

NYS Office of the Comptroller - DiNapoli: Housing Cost Burdens for New Yorkers Among Nation's Highest

 

Almost three million New York households are dealing with housing costs that consume more than 30% of their household income, with 1 in 5 households experiencing a severe cost burden of more than 50% of their income going to pay for housing, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. This is the third report in the State Comptroller’s “New Yorkers in Need” series. Previous reports focused on poverty and food insecurity.

“For too many New Yorkers, finding and keeping an adequate and affordable place to live has become more and more difficult,” DiNapoli said. “Rising costs are stretching household budgets and forcing trade-offs with other essentials, like food and health care. The consequences of housing insecurity are wide-ranging and while low-income renters are the most cost-burdened, these financial pressures are increasingly felt by middle class households. Action is needed by all levels of government.”

Housing insecurity is defined as the absence of, or limited or uncertain availability of, safe, adequate and affordable housing. DiNapoli’s report examines three categories of housing insecurity: high housing costs; physical inadequacy, including overcrowding and substandard conditions; and housing stress, including evictions and foreclosures, which may result in homelessness.

Major findings include:

• Cost burdens are the main cause of housing insecurity: In 2022, New York had 2.9 million households paying 30% or more of their income for housing. This constituted 38.9% of households, the 3^rd highest rate of housing cost burden among states.
• New York consistently ranks as one of the states with the highest cost burden for both owners (3^rd in 2022) and renters (13^th in 2022). The share of New York’s renters who are cost burdened (52.4%) is far greater than the share of cost-burdened homeowners (28%).
• Several factors affect cost burden, including the availability of housing at a variety of price points. Between 2012 and 2022, New York added 462,000 housing units, an increase of 5.7%. This was far below other states, with New York ranking 32^nd in the nation. Owner-occupied housing grew by 8.3% compared to 6.4% for renter-occupied housing. Monthly household costs grew more rapidly for renters (39%) than for homeowners (28%) between 2012 and 2022.
• Rates of rental cost burden increased across all income groups since 2012. Renters earning less than the median tend to be most burdened: 9 in 10 renter households with incomes below $35,000 experienced a cost burden, while 16% of households with income greater than $75,000 were burdened in 2022. Between 2012 and 2022 the greatest increases in rates of cost-burden were among renters with household income between $35,000 - $49,999 and between $50,000 - $74,999.
• Physically inadequate housing appears less prevalent than cost burden. Only 5% lived in crowded housing and less than 1% had housing with inadequate plumbing or kitchen facilities.
• Significant racial disparities exist among households suffering from housing insecurity. In New York, 55% of households headed by a Hispanic person, 50% of households headed by a Black or African American person and 48% of households headed by an Asian person had at least one housing insecurity problem, compared with 31% of households headed by a white person. People experiencing homelessness were also disproportionately Black, Hispanic or Latino.
• Housing insecurity among seniors exceeds the national average. 43% of New York households with a person 75 and older and 37% of those with at least 1 person 62 to 74 faced housing insecurity, compared to 34% and 29%, respectively, nationally.
• New York’s rate of homelessness, at about 5 per 1,000 people, was the highest in the nation and more than double the national rate of about 2 homeless per 1,000 people in Jan. 2023. The number of homeless grew by more than 39% in the most recent year, due in part to the influx of asylum seekers in New York City.

Regional Breakdown

For both owners and renters, housing cost burdens are highest in New York City (43% of households). More than one-third of households in the Mid-Hudson and Long Island regions are cost-burdened, higher than regions in the rest of New York, where aggregate burdens range from 24% in the North Country and Mohawk Valley to 27% in the Finger Lakes. At least 40% of rental households were burdened across all regions. The greatest share was on Long Island (51.4%), which has the smallest share of renters (under 20%). While more than 30% of owners were cost-burdened in downstate regions, less than 18% were in upstate regions.

High-cost burdens are more prevalent in urban areas. More than one-third of households (owners and renters) were burdened in Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, Rochester and Yonkers. Approximately half of all renters were burdened.

Recommendations:

As noted in the report, addressing this crisis will require action by all levels of government and must be geared toward increasing the supply and diversity of housing and providing increased assistance to renters to ease housing insecurity, including homelessness. The scale of the problem is beyond the capacity of state and local governments alone to solve and requires the federal government to take the lead in crafting solutions and providing resources to bolster a portion of the safety net that is letting too many Americans fall through.

DiNapoli recommended:

• Increase federal assistance, including increasing the number of Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) and authorizing additional Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) and Private Activity Bonds (PABs). LIHTC is the nation’s largest source of affordable housing financing, and changes to LIHTCs should be considered to incentivize the development of more affordable housing units.
• Improve transparency and effectiveness of current state and local resources and programs. The state should enhance reporting around resources allocated for housing, including capital spending, tax credits, operating spending and local assistance. In addition, the state must better administer current housing programs, as recommended by audits completed by the Office of the State Comptroller.
• Stimulate community-appropriate development actions and enhance the diversity and supply of housing stock. This should build on the Executive’s recent actions to provide incentives to certified “pro-housing” communities. Community control and input into development is essential. Local governments should review zoning regulations, and the state should provide planning and logistical support to communities willing to take action and approve statutory changes requested by local governments with a home rule message.
• Mitigate evictions and homelessness, including determining how much financial support should continue for the Emergency Rental Assistance and other programs and continuing funding for legal representation for low-income households.

Report

New Yorkers in Need: The Housing Insecurity Crisis

Other New Yorkers in Need Reports

New Yorkers In Need: A Look At Poverty Trends in New York State For The Last Decade

New Yorkers in Need: Food Insecurity and Nutritional Assistance Programs

Other Housing Reports

The Cost of Living in New York City: Housing

Audits

Housing Trust Fund Corporation – Internal Controls Over and Maximization of Federal Funding for Various Section 8 Housing Programs and the COVID Rent Relief Program

Division of Housing and Community Renewal - Physical and Financial Conditions at Selected Mitchell-Lama Developments in New York City

Division of Housing and Community Renewal – Physical and Financial Conditions at Selected Mitchell-Lama Developments Located Outside New York City                            

Apache Corporation to Pay $4 Million and Reduce Unlawful Air Pollution from Oil and Gas Wells in New Mexico and Texas, Eliminating More Than 10,000 Tons of Harmful Air Pollutants Annually

 

Company Also Will Spend $5.5 Million for Preventative Measures and to Help Address Environmental Harm Caused by Its Violations

Apache Corporation (Apache) has agreed to pay $4 million in civil penalties and undertake projects expected to cost at least $5.5 million to ensure 422 of its oil and gas well pads in New Mexico and Texas comply with state and federal clean air regulations and offset past illegal emissions.

Apache’s agreement settles a civil suit – filed jointly by the United States, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) – alleging that Apache failed to comply with federal and state requirements to capture and control air emissions from 23 of its oil and gas production operations in New Mexico and Texas. EPA and NMED identified the alleged violations through field investigations and repeated flyover surveillance conducted in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Compliance with this robust settlement will result in annual reductions of more than 9,650 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 900 tons of methane, which equates to more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). VOCs are a key component in the formation of ground-level ozone or smog, which irritates lungs, exacerbates diseases including asthma and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

“This settlement will ensure compliance at hundreds of oil and gas facilities across New Mexico and Texas,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Under the settlement, over 400 Apache facilities will be required to take extensive steps to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds – which contribute to smog – as well as methane gas, which is a significant contributor to climate change.”

“Robust enforcement of Clean Air Act violations at oil and gas facilities protects communities from harmful smog and reduces methane emissions that are major contributors to global climate change,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s agreement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to working with our state partners to tackle climate change and improve air quality for everyone living in the United States.” 

“Noxious pollutants directly threaten the health of neighboring communities while propelling our world toward climate disaster,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “I applaud the tireless efforts of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, the U.S. EPA and the NMED to protect our lungs and our earth. Environmental justice is a top priority for the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.”

“This settlement shows that oil and gas operators deserve greater scrutiny because too many are failing to comply with federal and state rules,” said New Mexico Environment Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “As a result, bad actors will cause greater federal and state regulation of the entire oil and gas industry as ozone levels rise and public health suffers.”

The $4 million fine outlined in the settlement will be shared equally by the United States and the State of New Mexico, with New Mexico’s portion going to the state’s general fund. The settlement document (consent decree) was filed together with the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and requires the company to take numerous steps to ensure that 422 well pads covered by the consent decree and located in New Mexico and Texas are operated lawfully.

In addition to the $4 million fine, Apache will also spend at least $4.5 million to implement extensive design, operation, maintenance and monitoring improvements, including installing new tank pressure monitoring systems that will provide advance notification of potential emissions and allow for immediate response action by the company. Apache will also spend over $1 million to offset the harm caused by the alleged violations by replacing, on an accelerated schedule, more than 400 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices.

Pound for pound, methane is approximately 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of its impact on global warming. Accordingly, a reduction of 900 tons of annual methane reductions equates to more than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and is akin to eliminating the use of more than 2.5 million gallons of gasoline annually. Greenhouse gases from human activities are a primary cause of climate change and global warming. This enforcement settlement furthers EPA’s commitment to deliver public health protections against climate-impacting pollution and other pollutants for communities across America and helps deliver on EPA’s top commitment in its strategic plan, which is to tackle the climate crisis.

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants that are considered harmful to public health and the environment. Ozone is a criteria pollutant that is created when oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and VOCs react in the atmosphere. VOCs and NOx are emitted by oil and gas production facilities, such as those operated by Apache. During the timeframes of Apache’s alleged violations, air quality monitors in the relevant counties in New Mexico registered rising ozone concentrations exceeding 95% of the NAAQS for ozone. In counties where ozone levels reach 95% of the NAAQS, NMED is required by New Mexico state statute to take action to reduce ozone pollution.

Apache Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Corporation, which is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. Apache Corporation is a large producer in the Permian Basin, which is a shale oil and gas producing area located in southeast New Mexico and West Texas.

This settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Mitigating Climate Change. EPA also has a webpage  on this settlement.

The Justice Department’s Environmental Enforcement Section lodged today’s proposed consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. The settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees. The Federal Register notice will also include instructions for submitting public comment.

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation into Civilian Death in Queens

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of a civilian who died on February 12, 2024 following an encounter with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens County. 

At 10:54 a.m. on February 12, NYPD officers responded to reports of shots fired at an apartment on Beach 51st Street in Queens. After arriving at the apartment, officers encountered a man who was allegedly holding what appeared to be a gun. The officers ordered him to drop the gun and when he failed to do so, an officer fired his service weapon. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Officers recovered a BB gun at the scene.  

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident. 

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

Governor Hochul Announces Permanent Protection of 14,600 Acres of Ecologically Unique and Historically Significant Adirondack Forests, Wetlands, and Watershed

 

New Public-Private Research Consortium Will Guide Scientific Research of Globally Rare Ecosystem at Follensby Pond

New Conservation Easement Will Provide New Public Recreational Access to Raquette River Watershed  

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a historic agreement with The Nature Conservancy to permanently protect more than 14,600 acres of ecologically rare and culturally significant natural resources in the Adirondacks through two conservation easements and a research consortium initiative with New York State. This collaboration will provide new public recreational access in the Raquette River corridor and establish a first-of-its-kind freshwater research preserve to advance shared knowledge of freshwater ecosystems. The agreement permanently protects the Follensby Pond watershed and habitat that is situated in Haudenosaunee and Abenaki homelands and served as the base of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ‘Philosophers’ Camp.’

“New Yorkers and visitors to this special region of the Adirondacks have long recognized the singular beauty and significance of Follensby Pond and the Raquette River,” Governor Hochul said. “In collaboration with The Nature Conservancy and many partners, we are preserving a unique natural resource so that all New Yorkers can enjoy this treasured and historic region for generations to come."

The ecologically, historically, and culturally significant property is located primarily in the town of Harrietstown, with a portion in the town of Tupper Lake, in Franklin County. The 14,645-acre parcel was first purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 2008 and includes 10 miles of frontage on the Raquette River and the 958-acre Follensby Pond. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Nature Conservancy entered into contracts for the State to purchase the two easements that will achieve a crucial balance between providing enhanced recreational opportunities in an area adjacent to State Forest Preserve lands and protecting a globally rare ecosystem while recognizing the long-term relationships that Indigenous People have with the region. The easements recently went under contract and are expected to close in early 2024.

Both the Raquette River and Follensby Pond parcels are priority projects in the State’s Open Space Conservation Plan and together form the largest protection of open space since the historic Finch Pruyn acquisition in 2012. DEC will pay The Nature Conservancy approximately $9.3 million in addition to other reimbursable transaction expenses for the conservation easements using resources from the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. Among the many environmental victories in the 2023-24 State Budget, Governor Hochul maintained EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program's history.