DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES TERMINATING ALL HOTEL AND CLUSTER-SITE CONTRACTS WITH BEDCO

DHS seeks new nonprofit service providers to manage cluster shelters as first step toward phasing BEDCO out over coming months

  The NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) today announced that it will end the use of Bushwick Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) as a nonprofit service provider sheltering homeless New Yorkers in hotels and cluster sites. Over the coming months, BEDCO’s hotel and cluster-site portfolio will be completely eliminated and/or transitioned to other providers—the result of an ongoing comprehensive review of all aspects of shelter operations. Last year, DHS took steps to end the use of two nonprofit service providers with a history of noncompliance and serious shelter conditions issues, terminating contracts with We Always Care and transitioning the Housing Bridge portfolio to new providers. These changes were made after last spring’s 90-day review of homeless services, during which time DHS took a fresh look at City shelter policies and contractors and proposed critical reforms, many of which had long been called for by advocates. This was the first such review to happen in decades.

“As part of the 90-day review of homeless services, we are aggressively reforming decades-old policies and practices, including ending relationships with providers who have had a history of serious shelter conditions or other issues,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “Wherever possible, we are working to keep New Yorkers in their homes and out of shelter through a prevention-first strategy. But for our homeless neighbors in shelter, we are making an unprecedented number of changes to dramatically improve shelter conditions and services. Last year alone, we eliminated more than 10,000 shelter building code violations that had built up over many years.”

Today, as the first step toward phasing BEDCO out of these sites, DHS released a negotiated acquisition to secure new providers for all BEDCO-run cluster shelter locations. Over the coming months, DHS will take other measures to phase out BEDCO at hotels where the City provides shelter to homeless New Yorkers.

Comptroller Stringer Presents Analysis of New York City’s Preliminary FY 2018 Budget and January Financial Plan

   With the City’s economic growth beginning to slow, and rising fears of federal budget cuts under a Trump White House, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today presented his analysis of New York City’s Preliminary Fiscal Year 2018 budget and the January Financial Plan.

“Our economy is strong, but with the pace of growth slowing and with uncertainty surrounding the Trump White House mounting, we have to prepare for whatever comes our way. I believe that we must prepare for the challenges ahead,” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “Mayor De Blasio has presented a Preliminary Budget that contains a number of laudable new initiatives, which I support.  Yet, as we face challenges ahead, we will have to grow our budget cushion and a more vigorous agency savings program will be necessary.”

The presentation covered several aspects of the City Preliminary budget and the state of the City’s economy, including:

The Comptroller’s Economic Outlook: Slowing Growth

The rate of economic growth is expected to slow for New York City during the Financial Plan period (2017-2021). 

• The current economic expansion since the Great Recession will go on record as one of the strongest. The city has created 635,000 jobs since 2009, totaling a historic high of nearly 4.4 million jobs, and unemployment rates are down in all five boroughs.
• Over half of new jobs have been in industries such as retail, leisure and hospitality, and healthcare, where wages are generally low.
• Real earnings for high-income sectors saw dramatic rises between 2009-2015. Lower paid workers, in contrast saw much smaller gains, with workers in the healthcare and education super-sector, who earn on average just $52,000, seeing no gains in real earnings at all.
• This year and next, the Comptroller’s Office expects growth to be sustained at better than two percent, due to a predicted artificial stimulus through potential tax cuts and proposed infrastructure spending.
• If President Trump implements his threats regarding trade and immigration restrictions, a more drastic slowdown should be expected in the years to come.

Possible Federal Budget Cuts Would Fall Most Heavily on the Safety Net

Federal budget cuts could seriously harm New York’s ability to protect its most vulnerable citizens, who rely on numerous programs funded with Federal Aid.

• The City relies on $7 billion annually in federal aid to help fund a wide range of city programs and services.
• Examples include 124,000 families who rely on HUD Section 8 vouchers, 770,000 low-income and elderly households who get federal assistance to keep their homes warm in winter, and 105,000 jobseekers who were served by City Workforce One centers last year.
• Repealing the Affordable Care Act could have a devastating impact on 1.6 million newly enrolled New Yorkers and the NYC Health + Hospitals system. NYC Health + Hospitals is in the midst of a Transformation Plan to address budget gaps that reach $1.8 billion by 2021, which could be derailed by ACA repeal.

The Budget Cushion Needs to Be Built Up to Meet the Challenges Ahead

The City’s budget cushion – the amount available in reserves and accumulated surpluses at the beginning of each fiscal year – is below the optimal level to meet the likely challenges.

• The Comptroller’s Office believes the optimal range for a budget cushion is between 12 percent and 18 percent of adjusted City expenditures.
• The City began fiscal year 2017 with a cushion of $9.6 billion, or 11 percent of spending.
• As of the Preliminary Budget, the City would start 2018 with a cushion of 10 percent of spending – about $8.5 billion.
• An additional $1.7 billion would be required to reach the minimum 12% threshold.

Great Effort Will be Required by Agencies to Identify Savings

City agencies will need to make a greater effort to identify savings and efficiencies in order to help build up the budget cushion.

• The Comptroller’s analysis found that the vast majority of the City’s $2.1 billion savings in FY 2017 and FY 2018 comes from spending re-estimates, funding shifts, and debt service, while $139 million – or just seven percent of all savings – comes from City agency efficiencies.

• As a percentage of total spending, agency savings have averaged just 1.0 percent in the last three budgets, compared to 2.7 percent in the six budgets during and after the Great Recession.

Homelessness Spending Continues to Climb Steeply

The continuing rise in homelessness spending shows the need for a clear strategy with measurable and transparent milestones.

• Citywide spending on homelessness has nearly doubled from $1.2 billion in FY 2014 to $2.3 billion in FY 2017. Spending on citywide homeless services is projected to increase by $460 million over last year.

• Those dramatic rises are driven in part by the cost of commercial hotels, spending for which reached $102 million in calendar year 2016.

• DHS has failed to update the metrics in its online dashboard for over a year.

Risks and Offsets Analysis Shows Somewhat Higher Gaps than the Mayor’s

The Comptroller’s analysis of the assumptions and methods in the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget proposal, as required by the City Charter, show somewhat higher budget gaps.

• The Comptroller’s Office is more optimistic in its tax revenue forecast than OMB’s. However, the assumption that the City will realize $731 million from the sale of taxi medallions may be optimistic, and the Preliminary budget continues to leave out the intercept of sales tax revenue imposed by the State last year to recapture savings from the 2014 refinancing of STAR-C bonds.
• The analysis also shows several areas where spending is likely underestimated, including overtime, homelessness, DOE’s Medicaid claiming, and City support for NYC Health + Hospitals.
• As a result, budget gaps beginning in FY 2018 are projected to be somewhat higher than those predicted by OMB.

To view Comptroller Stringer’s budget analysis presentation, click here.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON CONDITIONS AT BRONX BUILDING 750 GRAND CONCOURSE

   “We stand with the tenants. After deploying numerous tools to address persistent problems at this building, we are working with housing advocates and tenants to lodge an action against the landlord to take over operations. We will not rest until we've exhausted every measure to ensure the health and safety of these residents.”

EDITOR"S NOTE:

Mayor de Blasio why is it that this type of constant problem involving the health of New Yorkers happens mainly in the Bronx?

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS LEGISLATION INCREASING FUNDING FOR THE PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAM

Also signs legislation authorizing the expansion of DUMBO BID

  Mayor de Blasio yesterday signed 12 pieces of legislation on which he previously held a hearing – Intros. 1290-A, 1295-A, 1296-A and 1297-A, in relation to the Percent for Art program; Intro. 865-B, in relation to reporting certain data regarding the Cultural Institutions Group; Intro. 1276-B, in relation to requiring the art commission to conduct an annual report; Intros. 570-A, 860-A and 861-A, in relation to commuter vans; Intro. 1052-A, in relation to agency disposal of electronics; Intro. 1281-A, in relation to the evaluation of economic development tax expenditures; and Intro. 1371, in relation to an extension of the DUMBO Business Improvement District. The Mayor also held hearings for and signed nine other pieces of legislation– Intro. 436-A, in relation to allowing supermarkets and some retail stores to correct first-time price-labeling violations before having to pay civil penalties; Intro. 1024-A, in relation to the dissemination of senior citizen rent increase exemption information; Intros. 1164-A, 1166-A, 1167-A, 1168-A and 1171-A, in relation to three quarters housing; Intro. 1294-A, in relation to requiring the fire department to report on fire-related deaths; and Intro. 1309, in relation to the extension of increases to the maximum qualifying income levels for the City’s Rent Freeze Program, SCRIE and DRIE.

“Public art plays a crucial role in capturing the extraordinary energy and diversity of this city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The improvement of the Percent for Art program strengthens the City’s ability to invest in public works of art and the local artists who create it. This package of legislation is just one of many steps we are taking to ensure the growth and display of New York City’s artistic spirit. I would like to thank the sponsors of these bills, Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer. I would also like to thank Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the rest of the City Council for passing these bills.”

“New York City is not only home to great art – it is home to great artists,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Through implementing enhanced funding provisions and establishing detailed reporting requirements, we ensure that New Yorkers have continued access to information about our citywide public art programs and to the opportunities that allow them to participate in those same programs themselves. I commend the members of the City Council who worked so diligently on these initiatives, and I thank Mayor de Blasio for signing them into law today.”

The first bill, Intro. 1296-A, brings the Percent for Art program into the 21st century, economically speaking. This bill increases the amount the City of New York can spend on public art. The bill provides that one percent of the first $50 million appropriated for public-facing capital projects must be allocated for public art, replacing the existing rule that only one percent of the first $20 million would be allocated for public works of art. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer.

The second bill, Intro. 1295-A, requires that the Department of Cultural Affairs publish demographic information on its website about the artists whose work has been commissioned by the Percent for Art program, in addition to the information currently published about each commission. This bill will help to show the breadth and diversity of the works and artists commissioned. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer.

The third bill, Intro. 1290-A, clarifies who must serve on the advisory panels that recommend art for the Percent for Art program. This bill will help to ensure that diverse groups of voices decide what art best represents their communities. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer.

The fourth bill, Intro. 1297-A, requires DCLA to do citywide outreach to educate the public about how to submit artwork to the Percent for Art program. This bill will help to ensure that all those who have a stake in public art will be able to have a say in public art. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Members Laurie Cumbo and Jimmy Van Bramer.

The fifth bill, Intro. 865-B, requires DCLA to report annually on educational partnerships, programs, and visitors to City-owned cultural institutions. This bill will help to highlight the meaningful role that cultural institutions play in the City’s cultural landscape. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer.

The sixth bill, Intro. 570-A, reduces regulatory obstacles for legitimate commuter van operators. This bill makes it easier for commuter van operators to obtain and renew a license. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked Council Member Jumaane Williams.

The seventh bill, Intro. 860-A, requires that the Taxi and Limousine Commission prepare an annual review and report of the City’s commuter van industry and make recommendations for its improvement. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked Council Member I. Daneek Miller.

The eighth bill, Intro. 861-A, increases penalties for operating an unlicensed commuter van and establishes penalties related to operating a commuter van. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked Council Member I. Daneek Miller.

“Commuter vans are an increasingly important and affordable way for many New Yorkers to get where they need to be,” said Taxi and Limousine Chair Meera Joshi. “We appreciate the work of Council Members Miller and Williams in providing these tools to increase safety, and we look forward to continuing to work together to support the licensed commuter van industry in ways that will further enhance their value to passengers and industry members alike.”

The ninth bill, Intro. 1052-A, requires that City agencies erase all data and information when disposing of electronics. This bill underscores the City of New York’s commitment to protecting New Yorkers’ personal information and helps to safeguard the privacy of the City’s people while preserving the integrity of electronic infrastructure. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member James Vacca.

The tenth bill, Intro. 1276-B, requires the Public Design Commission to report annually on the previous year’s work. This bill will help make the City’s public design review process more transparent. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer.

The eleventh bill, Intro. 1281-A, relates to the evaluation of economic development tax expenditures. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

The twelfth bill, Intro. 1371, allows for an extension of the DUMBO Business Improvement District. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, Chair of the Committee on Finance.

The thirteenth bill, Intro. 436-A, allows supermarkets and some retail stores to correct first-time price-labeling violations before having to pay civil penalties. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Rafael Espinal.

The fourteenth bill, Intro. 1024-A, requires relevant agencies to distribute information to potentially eligible clients regarding enrollment for Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE). In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Fernando Cabrera.

The fifteenth bill, Intro. 1164-A, amends the administrative code of New York City in relation to information regarding unlawful evictions. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Corey Johnson.

The sixteenth bill, Intro. 1166-A, requires quarterly reports on violations issued to three-quarter housing. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Donovan Richards.

The seventeenth bill, Intro. 1167-A, amends the administrative code in relation to posting of a vacate order, re-occupancy of vacated dwellings, and the provision of relocation services. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Ritchie Torres.

“The City’s on-going affordable housing crisis and limited housing options has contributed to the existence of three-quarter houses that take advantage of extremely vulnerable individuals with nowhere to go. The enactment of this package into law will protect tenants from being taken advantage of by abusive landlords who want to make a profit off the Medicaid system and government resources. The bills I proudly sponsored will prohibit landlords from using medical treatment status as a way to discriminate against tenants, and will eliminate time limits for a person to apply for relocation services when a vacate order is in effect for the location where the person lives. These newly-enacted laws will confront the two major problems faced by three-quarter houses’ residents,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres.

The eighteenth bill, Intro. 1168-A, relates to improperly conditioning of residential occupancy on medical treatment. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Ritchie Torres.

The nineteenth bill, Intro. 1171-A, relates to verification of occupancy for relocation services. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Jumaane Williams.

“The point of this bill is to better protect those who live in three-quarter houses against abusive landlords who are looking to profit off of their vulnerability and moments of distress. The most troubling part in all of this is that because of the City’s affordable housing crisis, unscrupulous landlords have the opportunity to take advantage of people who cannot afford to go anywhere else. My bill expands identification documents needed for tenants to apply for relocation services. These documents include a lease, government ID, and a statement from a good-actor landlord or nonprofit. This adds certainty and trust to the process for tenants and prospective tenants. My hope is these bills go a long way to remedying this problem and disrupting this unregulated and unethical practice,” said Council Member Jumaane Williams.

The twentieth bill, Intro. 1294-A, requires that the Fire Department reports on the use and type of smoke detectors and smoke alarms in fire-related deaths. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

The twenty-first bill, Intro. 1309, extends increases to income eligibility limits for the City’s Rent Freeze Program, SCRIE and DRIE. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Margaret Chin.

COUNCIL MEMBER RITCHIE TORRES AND URBAN UPBOUND TO PROVIDE FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES IN THE BRONX

Council Member Torres and Urban Upbound are partnering in their third year – after providing $1.5 million dollars in tax returns last year

 Council Member Ritchie Torres is partnering with Urban Upbound to provide free tax preparation services in the Council Member’s District Office for the 2017 tax season.  On Friday, the Council Member will hold a press conference to announce how residents can request appointments, what documents to bring, and how much was returned to local residents in tax returns last year. Tax returns provide a boost to the local economy, and this free and quality service protects residents from identity fraud. Residents who do not file tax returns by April 15^th will lose their right to any funds that are three years old.

So far this year, more than 150 tax returns have been filed, refunding local residents for more than $550,000. Urban Upbound tax preparers are able to assist residents in applying for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a underutilized credit in New York City. More than 120,000 NYC residents are eligible for the EITC and do not apply for it.

New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres, CEO of Urban Upbound Bishop Taylor

Date and time: Friday, February 17^th at 10:00 AM

Where: Council Member Torres’ District Office, at 573 East Fordham Road, Bronx NY

N.Y. CITY COUNCIL PASSES COUNCIL MEMBER COHEN’S LEGISLATION IMPOSING HARSHER PENALTIES AGAINST ATV’S

Introduction 834-B Increases Penalties for Operation of Illegal ATV’s

City Hall, New York – On Wednesday, February 15 th , the New York City Council passed legislation sponsored by Council Member Andrew Cohen that increases penalties for illegal operation of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s).

Currently, state law prohibits operation of ATV’s on streets and violators may be ticketed. A large proportion of ATV deaths occur while they are being driven illegally on streets. Incidents involving death and injury caused by ATV’s on city streets have drastically increased in recent years. In 2014, there were nine deaths from ATV accidents in The Bronx. At least two police officers have also recently been injured by ATV’s.

“New York City is only one terrain, an urban terrain, and it is no place for all-terrain vehicles. Rampant and reckless ATV driving is endangering the lives of New Yorkers,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.

City residents who own ATV’s often ride them in city parks, creating a serious public safety issue. The current NYPD policy is to refrain from pursuing ATV operators except when it creates a significant risk to public safety. Even when operators are ticketed, the present small financial penalties are not much of a deterrent. Council Member Cohen’s measure imposes a $500 fine for the first violation and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.

“I’m alarmed by the harm such vehicles are causing in parks and other public spaces. This new law will put everyone on notice that we will not allow ATVs on our urban terrain, and give the NYPD another tool they can employ to stop illegal operators,” added Council Member Cohen.

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: Rodent Related Death in The Bronx

   “One of the most frequent complaints I hear from people all over the city is about the prevalence of rats and rodents in their neighborhoods, in the subway, in public spaces and elsewhere. For far too long, the city has not done enough to stop the spread of rodents in the five boroughs. Rodents carry disease, make people chronically sick and can cause death, as we have seen with this current tragedy.

“It is unfathomable to me that in this day and age, in one of the most expensive cities in the world and at our most technologically advanced point as a civilization, the city cannot mitigate the rat problem nor does it have good ideas to do so. 750 Grand Concourse has long been regarded as one of the worst buildings in the city, with nearly 1,500 complaints of all kinds, including rodents, with many unresolved. The city knows this, and has done nothing to help the tenants alleviate this issue, not only in this building but in communities across the five boroughs. This public health scourge requires a serious, comprehensive and immediate solution.
“The fact that the city has touted that this building is in the Pest Control Reservoir Area does little to alleviate the fears of those that have been forced to deal with this rodent condition.  The program, which sought to increase enforcement and efforts to mitigate the growing population of rats in the area, has not been effective.
“While the city reports that this is a rare occurrence, one death is too many when it comes to the lack of addressing basic maintenance issues.  Extermination is part of the responsibility of all landlords, commercial or residential. Added to that is the problem of illegal conversions that occur in this economy, where people are being taken advantage of and as a result are fearful in reporting conditions to the city.  Substandard housing is a public health issue, it perpetuates illness and unsafe practices that impact the lives of our residents. Nonetheless, when it comes to this property, the city admits that it has been aware of the many violations that exist and yet, here we are.
“We must also do more to protect tenants in illegal units. Unscrupulous landlords will often fail to maintain such units and provide tenants with necessary services, and will use the specter of eviction and homelessness to keep tenants from reporting serious issues in their apartments. The city must offer protections to all tenants from potential retaliation and homelessness in such situations. People should not be forced to live in poor conditions because they fear their situation could become even worse if they dare to speak up about it,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Vermont Man Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To A Fatal Shooting In Lower Manhattan

   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRANK JENKINS, 23, pled guilty today before the Honorable John G. Koeltl to shooting and killing Rashaun Nicholson on or about December 28, 2014, in furtherance of a narcotics distribution conspiracy. The charges to which JENKINS pled guilty are set forth in a seven-count superseding indictment (the “Indictment”), which was filed in December 2015.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Frank Jenkins not only supplied a large part of the New York City-to-Bennington pipeline of crack and heroin, but as part of that drug business, he shot and killed a man in lower Manhattan, just a few blocks from the Manhattan federal courthouse. Today, in that courthouse, Jenkins pled guilty to his crimes and faces a lengthy prison sentence.”

As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and in other documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court and in statements made during court proceedings:

On December 28, 2014, in connection with a narcotics trafficking offense, FRANK JENKINS shot and killed Rashaun Nicholson in the vicinity of 78 Catherine Street, New York, New York. The narcotics trafficking conspiracy in which JENKINS was a participant involved the sale of controlled substances, including crack cocaine and heroin, in Vermont and elsewhere. Specifically, between 2014 and 2015, JENKINS, together with other members of the conspiracy, obtained crack and heroin from locations in New York City, including Manhattan and the Bronx, and then transported the crack and heroin to Vermont, for distribution in and around Bennington, Vermont.

As a result of his plea, JENKINS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life. JENKINS is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Koeltl on June 2, 2017, at 10:00 a.m.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New York City Police Department, the United States Marshals, the Vermont State Police, and the Bennington Police Department. Mr. Bharara also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for District of Vermont for assisting his Office at all stages of the investigation.