Wave Hill events July 25‒August 1

Thu, July 25

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for a public tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 1PM

Fri, July 26

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for a public tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 1PM

Sat, July 27

Family Art Project: In-Your-Hands-Now Paper Garden

Join the Family Art Project in honoring Mandela Day for what would be his 101st birthday! Nelson Mandela’s own words tell us that “It is in your hands to make the world a better place.” Together, we’ll design the gardens of our dreams, imagining what they could be used for. Using origami, paper-cutting, and other paper-art techniques, we’ll create vibrant gardens that reflect the spaces we imagine for our future. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM

Sat, July 27

Gallery to Garden Walk: Figuring the Floral

Tour the exhibition Figuring the Floral with an exhibiting artist and a Wave Hill horticultural interpreter, then venture out into the gardens to see how some of the flowers are used symbolically by the artists to express representations of identity. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Glyndor Gallery, 2PM

Sun, July 28

Yoga in the Garden

On Sundays through July, enjoy the gardens as the setting for your yoga practice as your find your breath and become connected to the landscape. Classes are led by certified Yoga Haven instructors. All levels welcome. Please bring a mat and be on time. This class is rain or shine; the rain location is Glyndor Gallery. $25; Wave Hill Members save 10%. Registration suggested, online.

On the Grounds, 9:30‒10:30AM

Sun, July 28

Family Art Project: In-Your-Hands-Now Paper Garden

Join the Family Art Project in honoring Mandela Day for what would be his 101st birthday! Nelson Mandela’s own words tell us that “It is in your hands to make the world a better place.” Together, we’ll design the gardens of our dreams, imagining what they could be used for. Using origami, paper-cutting, and other paper-art techniques, we’ll create vibrant gardens that reflect the spaces we imagine for our future. Free with admission to the grounds.

Wave Hill House, 10AM–1PM

Sun, July 28

Meet the Artist: Kate Bae

Join us at this artist talk with Kate Bae and Curator of Visual Arts Eileen Jeng Lynch about her installation in the Sunroom. Bae’s immersive installation consists of flowers created from layers of acrylic paint. They drape from the ceiling into a wishing well that encourages visitors to reflect, toss coins or float paper origami boats. The landscape evokes the ecosystem of Mount Halla on South Korea’s Jeju Island, a holy symbol of the unification of South Korea and North Korea. Free with admission to the grounds.

Glyndor Gallery, 2PM

Sun, July 28

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for a public tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 2PM

Sun, July 28

Meet the Artist: Riad Miah

Join us at this artist talk with Riad Miah and Curator of Visual Arts Eileen Jeng Lynch about his installation in the Sun Porch. Miah creates a multi-part installation of double-sided, oil and acrylic, rectangular paintings on Dura-Lar. He traces light throughout the calendar year to portray a sense of time, with each piece representing a single month. Incorporating the colors and atmosphere of the landscape, the work explores the artist’s continued interest in light as a medium. Free with admission to the grounds.

Glyndor Gallery, 3PM

Tue, July 30

Gallery Tour

Tour Glyndor Gallery with Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow or Gallery Greeter to get an insider’s view of current exhibitions. The exhibition Figuring the Floral features artists who employ flowers to explore representations of identity—constructing narratives on race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and aging. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, drawings, sculptures and an outdoor installation. In the Sunroom, Kate Bae’s immersive installation consists of flowers created from layers of acrylic paint. They drape from the ceiling into a wishing well. The landscape evokes the ecosystem of Mount Halla on South Korea’s Jeju Island, a holy symbol of the unification of South Korea and North Korea. In the Sun Porch, Riad Miah creates a multi-part installation of double-sided, oil and acrylic, rectangular paintings on Dura-Lar. He traces light throughout the calendar year to portray a sense of time, with each piece representing a single month. Free with admission to the grounds.

Glyndor Gallery, 2PM

Wed, July 31

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for a public tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 1PM

Wed, July 31

Sunset Wednesday: Rana Santacruz

Drawing influence from Mariachi, Mexican Cinema, American Bluegrass, Magical Realism and the Mexican Corrido (story-ballad) tradition, Rana Santacruz tells stories of magical worlds through his multifaceted and unique sound. Born and raised in Mexico City, Rana first found success there in the late ‘90s with his alt-rock band La Catrina. But when the group failed to score a radio hit, Rana turned his back on a major label-record deal to release his own music on his own terms, and moved to Brooklyn in 2002. With access to world-renowned musicians and a large talent pool, Rana released his solo debut, Chicavasco,  in 2010. Chicavasco put the critics on notice, and won him a coveted Tiny Desk Concert on NPR Music. Free with admission to the grounds. Special evening admission starts at 4PM. $12 general adult admission; $8 student and seniors 65+; $6 children ages six+. Purchase admission online by 4pm day of event and save $2. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under age six. No guest passes or reciprocal admission accepted.

On the Grounds, 7PM

Thu, August 1

Garden Highlights Walk

Join a Wave Hill Garden Guide for a public tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 1PM

Thu, August 1

Sonic Experience: Laraaji

Ambient, experimental, New-Age sound pioneer Laraaji takes us on a listening journey to deeply relaxing and inspiring live sound realms, featuring the innovative sound of electric zither, soaring vocals and nature sounds. In the early 1970s, Laraaji’s music, life and career shifted after he started studying Eastern mysticism and took a zither he purchased in a pawn shop and converted it into an electric instrument. From there, his experimentations grew and by the late 1970s, Laraaji started busking with his new sound on the sidewalks of New York. Brian Eno discovered Laraaji in Washington Square Park and released “Ambient 3: Day of Radiance,” the third installment of Brian Eno’s Ambient Series. Today, Laraaji is a pioneer in composing works for meditation, deep listening and experimentalism. Free with admission to the grounds. Special evening admission to the grounds starts at 4PM. $12 general adult admission; $8 student and seniors 65+; $6 children ages six+. Purchase admission online by 4PM day of event and save $2. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under age six. No guest passes or reciprocal admission accepted.

Glyndor Terrace, 7PM

Thu, August 1

Twilight in the Garden: Moonflowers and Angel’s Trumpets Walk

Sunset casts its warm but fleeting glow and fragrant, night-blooming plants lure passers-by. Join Horticultural Interpreters Charles Day and Alison Filosa for a garden walk and experience Wave Hill’s gardens in a whole new way as day transitions into night.Twilight in the Garden event. This event is free with admission to the grounds. Special evening admission starts at 4PM. $12 general adult admission; $8 student and seniors 65+; $6 children ages six+. Purchase admission online by 4PM day of event and save $2. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under age six. No guest passes or reciprocal admission accepted.

Meet at Perkins Visitor Center, 7:30‒8:30PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS – Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, March 15–October 31. Closes 4:30PM, starting November 1.

ADMISSION – $10 adults, $6 students and seniors 65+, $4 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES – Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

  

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

Two Men Sentenced To Life In Prison For 1997 Double Murder In The Bronx

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT ACOSTA and JOSE DIAZ were sentenced in Manhattan federal court today.  Both men were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the December 22, 1997, murders for hire of Alex Ventura, 25, and Aneudis Almonte, 20, in the Bronx, New York.  The defendants were convicted following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed today’s sentences.

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As the jury found, Acosta and Diaz committed two brutal murders in the Bronx more than 20 years ago.  As a result of the skill and determination of our law enforcement partners, the defendants will now spend the rest of their lives behind bars for their horrible crimes.”

According to the evidence presented during the trial:

In the 1990’s, ROBERT ACOSTA was the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine out of several buildings in northern Manhattan.  In the summer of 1997, the murder victims stole drug money from ACOSTA.  To retaliate, ACOSTA hired JOSE DIAZ to kill both men. 

On December 22, 1997, DIAZ and a co-conspirator (“CC-1”) lured the victims to an apartment building in the Bronx, ambushed them in a stairwell, and murdered them both.  CC-1 stabbed Almonte six times, including once in the chest.  DIAZ shot Ventura in the head from point-blank range.  In exchange for these murders, ACOSTA paid DIAZ approximately $12,000.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York Police Department, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Three Bronx Men Charged With 2014 Murder

  Geoffrey S. Berman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced a superseding indictment charging THERYN JONES, a/k/a “Ty,” a/k/a “Old Man Ty,” a/k/a “Tyballa,” 42, GYANCARLOS ESPINAL, a/k/a “Fatboy,” a/k/a “Slime,” 25, and ARIUS HOPKINS, a/k/a “Scrappy,” a/k/a “Scrap,” 25, with the January 2, 2014, murder of Shaquille Malcolm, 20.  JONES was arraigned on the superseding indictment yesterday.  ESPINAL and HOPKINS were previously arraigned on the charges.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. 

U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants are responsible for the murder of 20-year-old Shaquille Malcolm.  Now, thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the NYPD, the defendants have been charged with this terrible crime.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “The ability of investigators to bring about justice for Shaquille Malcolm and closure to his family is paramount.  The identification and arrest of the suspects in this case was a team effort that is the result of the cooperation that exists between the NYPD and our law-enforcement partners.  I thank and commend the NYPD investigators and the prosecutors for the Southern District of New York for their work in this investigation.”

According to the Superseding Indictment[1]: 

In 2013 and 2014, JONES, ESPINAL, and HOPKINS were involved in the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin in the Allerton section of the Bronx.  Because Malcolm and others were encroaching on JONES’s drug territory, and because Malcolm had previously assaulted ESPINAL, JONES and ESPINAL paid HOPKINS and another person (“CC-1”) to murder Malcolm.  On January 2, 2014, HOPKINS and CC-1 shot Shaquille Malcolm multiple times in the stairwell of an apartment building located at 2818 Bronx Park East in the Bronx, New York.  Malcolm died at the scene.

The Superseding Indictment charges the defendants in three counts: using a firearm to commit murder in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting the same (Count One); murder while engaged in a conspiracy to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine and aiding and abetting the same (Count Two); and conspiring to commit murder for hire (Count Three).  All three defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison or death.  The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.

 The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Former Operator Of Bitcoin Investment Platform Sentenced For Securities Fraud And Obstruction Of Justice

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JON E. MONTROLL, a/k/a “Ukyo,” was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman to 14 months in prison.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “Jon Montroll lied to his investors and, after his lies caught the attention of the SEC, lied to them, too.  The sentence he received serves as a reminder that this Office will not overlook those who violate their obligation to be honest with investors and the regulators working to protect them.”

According to the Information, the allegations in the Complaint, and statements made during the proceedings in Manhattan federal court:

JON E. MONTROLL operated two online bitcoin services:  WeExchange Australia, Pty. Ltd. (“WeExchange”) and BitFunder.com (“BitFunder”).  WeExchange functioned as a bitcoin depository and currency exchange service.  BitFunder facilitated the purchase and trading of virtual shares of business entities that listed their virtual shares on the BitFunder platform.

Between the launch of Bitfunder, in or about December 2012, and at least in or about July 2013, MONTROLL converted a portion of WeExchange users’ bitcoins to his personal use without the users’ knowledge or consent.  For example, MONTROLL exchanged numerous bitcoins taken from WeExchange into United States dollars, then spent those funds on personal expenses, such as travel and groceries.

Beginning on or about July 18, 2013, MONTROLL promoted a security referred to as “Ukyo.Loan.”  As described by MONTROLL in a public post about Ukyo.Loan, MONTROLL encouraged investors to “think of [Ukyo.Loan] as a sort of round-about investment” in BitFunder and WeExchange and, at the same time, described Ukyo.Loan as “a personal loan” and “for private investment purposes.”  MONTROLL further promised to pay purchasers of Ukyo.Loan daily interest on their investment and promised shares could be “redeemed at face value anytime upon request.”

During the summer of 2013, one or more individuals (the “Hackers”) exploited a weakness in the BitFunder programming code to cause BitFunder to credit the Hackers with profits they did not, in fact, earn (the “Exploit”).  As a result, the Hackers were able to wrongfully withdraw from WeExchange approximately 6,000 bitcoins, with the majority of those coins being wrongfully withdrawn between July 28, 2013, and July 31, 2013.  As a result of the Exploit, BitFunder and WeExchange lacked the bitcoins necessary to cover what MONTROLL owed to users.

Notwithstanding the scope of the Exploit, MONTROLL failed to disclose the Exploit to users of BitFunder and WeExchange, or investors in Ukyo.Loan.  Instead, MONTROLL continued to promote and sell Ukyo.Loan to customers and, on at least one occasion, falsely represented to customers that BitFunder was commercially successful.  As a result of his omissions and misrepresentations, MONTROLL raised approximately 978 bitcoins through Ukyo.Loan after his discovery of the Exploit.

The SEC’s New York Regional Office began an investigation into BitFunder and the Exploit.  During the course of the investigation, MONTROLL provided the SEC with a falsified screenshot purportedly documenting, among other things, the total number of bitcoins available to BitFunder users in the WeExchange Wallet as of October 13, 2013.  Additionally, during sworn investigative testimony on both November 14, 2013, and October 6, 2015, MONTROLL provided materially false and misleading answers to certain questions about, among other things, the timing of MONTROLL’s discovery of the Exploit.

In addition to a prison sentence, Judge Berman ordered MONTROLL, 38, of Saginaw, Texas, to serve three years of supervised release and to pay forfeiture in the amount of $167,480.

Mr. Berman praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, which previously filed civil charges against MONTROLL in a separate action.

Comptroller Stringer Audit Uncovers Lagging Enforcement by DCWP of the City’s Earned Sick Time Act

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) failed to ensure employers paid required restitution to 38 percent of the workers in the audit sample

DCWP did not enforce the late fees agreed to by employers in consent orders

when employers delayed or reneged on their agreements to pay workers

Comptroller Stringer recommends DCWP improve enforcement and increase transparency by tracking and publicly reporting the number of employees who actually receive sick leave restitution payments, and amounts received,

as a result of its investigations

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a concerning new audit that uncovered the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), the agency responsible for enforcing New York City’s Paid Sick Leave Law, failed to ensure employers paid required restitution to 38 percent of workers in the audit sample, under the city’s Earned Sick Time Act (ESTA). Although DCWP successfully investigated numerous ESTA complaints and negotiated restitution orders with employers, the agency failed to ensure that 872 of the 2,313 employees in the audit sample actually received their sick time payments from their employers. ESTA, also known as the Paid Sick Leave Law, went into effect in April 2014.

The Comptroller’s audit found that DCWP’s tracking and pursuit of the restitution payments employers agreed to pay to their workers were insufficient to ensure the workers were properly protected. The ESTA was intended to give relief to workers across the city by granting the right to use sick leave for the care and treatment of themselves or a family member.

“Treating our city’s workers with the dignity and respect that they deserve is not an optional principle to be embraced on an ad hoc basis – it’s the required standard in the City of New York. That means the City must ensure employers fulfill their legal obligation to pay their employees fair wages, including paying for sick time off,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “While the Earned Sick Time Act was a major step forward, our City government needs to step up to the plate to properly enforce the law and ensure fairness for workers. Enforcement of the Earned Sick Time Act isn’t a multiple choice question – it’s the law – and it’s imperative to ensuring the healthy work culture that makes New York City a more desirable place to raise a family. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection must do a better job of holding employers accountable and protecting our city’s workers.”

Comptroller Stringer’s audit of DCWP’s enforcement of ESTA found:

• Out of a sample of 31 ESTA cases, DCWP negotiated consent orders with 15 employers and obtained an administrative order against 1 additional employer that together required the 16 employers to pay restitution to 2,313 employees for ESTA violations, but the agency had no evidence that 38 percent of those employees—872 individuals—had ever received the restitution payments, totaling $202,972, to which they were entitled.
• The audit found no evidence that DCWP took any action to pursue the overdue payments.
• The agency did not impose late fees when employers failed to document the restitution payments even though those late fees were agreed to in DCWP’s consent orders.
• DCWP did not report the amounts of money employees actually received in the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR).
• DCWP failed to take timely actions on 28 of the sampled cases, some of which included significant time gaps in the investigative process.

Comptroller Stringer’s audit included a series of recommendations to ensure DCWP is fulfilling its mission of protecting the rights of all of the city’s workers, particularly by ensuring accurate record-keeping of payouts to employees. The recommendations included:

• DCWP should improve its tracking capacity by developing lists of restitution amounts ordered, paid, and past-due to employees for sick leave.
• DCWP should take additional steps to ensure employers are complying with ESTA if there is evidence that a fine has not been paid or an employee has not received a required payment, for example, by sending letters to employers and filing petitions with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).
• DCWP should consider all available legal remedies if an employer does not comply with ESTA, such as referring the issue to the City Law Department for legal action.
• DCWP should develop methods that more effectively provide evidence that employers are complying with ESTA and employees have received the payments to which they are entitled.
• DCWP should enforce its negotiated late fees when employers fail to timely pay an employee the amount due.
• DCWP should collect and maintain sufficient supporting data and documentation and consider publicly reporting the number of employees for whom it secures sick leave payments—and the amounts they receive—in the MMR.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s audit of NYC DCWP’s enforcement of the ESTA, click here.

Second Farms - 1932 Bryant Avenue - 319 Units Low Income Housing

  

  On what was a parking lot, Catholic Charities through its Catholic Homes New York is constructing a massive 319 unit low income housing building. The average median income or AMI will be a mix of 40/60/and 80 percent of the AMI for the area. The apartments will range from one, two and three bedrooms. The square footage of each apartment was not been announced, but in similar construction the percentage of the AMI could result in that percentage of the apartment size with new Micro units being built. As for the number of parking spaces for the 319 units, none are required since the building sits next to the subway on East Tremont Avenue, and according to the Mayor's City Planning Commission in the new MIH-ZQA Zoning plan low income housing residents do not own cars. 

  The building will be 15 stories on the east side and 12 stories on the west side, because of the grading of the lot. This is so the new development would not be out of context with the much smaller buildings in the area. This is also part of the Live-On New York plan for Catholic Charities and other non profits who own parking lots to be able to build massive housing buildings with financing through the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and private funding sources.

Above - Msgr. Kevin Sullivan Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York speaks of the 319 unit building (in the photo on the right), and how the building will have two retail stores on the first floor including a supermarket. There will be 11,000 square footage of retail space for the two stores.

Below - Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. speaks of what this new building scheduled for completion in fall of 2020 will do for the community with its housing shortage. BP Diaz added that he allocated one million dollars of his discretionary funding to this project, because he wants to convert religious properties that are no longer used into housing. 

  

Above - Councilman Rafael Salamanca gives a ceremonial check for $850,000 to the Monsignor as part of the deal to include three bedroom apartments in the building. 

Below - This steel beam is to be a time capsule covered over to be uncovered in fifty years. Bronx BP (and Mayoral hopeful) Ruben Diaz Jr. is second to sign after Ms. Molly Park Deputy Commissioner of Development NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, who watches. Others associated with this building also signed the beam.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW INVESTMENTS TO PREVENT AND ADDRESS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN NEW YORK CITY

City to provide more services to youth experiencing homelessness, including a new mobile platform to connect youth with services

  The de Blasio Administration announced new investments to help youth experiencing homelessness transition off the streets into shelter and from shelter into permanent housing. Through collaboration across multiple City agencies, including the Department of Youth and Community Development, the Department for the Aging, and the Department of Social Services, youth experiencing homelessness will have access to an array of new resources,including a new mobile service that will help youth experiencing homelessness find and access relevant support. The Administration will also establish a Senior Advisor for Youth Homelessness responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and expansion of such interagency initiatives, and collaborating with members of the taskforce to continue take efforts to address youth homelessness even further.

“Helping people get back on their feet is at the center of what we do as government,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Too many young people have nowhere to turn and it’s our responsibility to be their stepping stone from housing insecurity to stability.”

“We want all young people in our city to be safe, supported, and healthy – and for young people experiencing homelessness, many of whom identify as LGBTQ, that means providing them with the services and resources they need,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “New York City is proud to continue its work with the Task Force to ensure we are doing everything we can to prevent and end youth homelessness.”

“The Youth Homelessness Taskforce and our academic partners have provided invaluable input into the creation of these new investments and we are grateful for their support and continued engagement,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “These new investments will go a long way to assisting youth in need.”  

Through the collaboration of multiple City agencies, youth experiencing homelessness will have access to new resources, including:

·          The Department for the Aging (DFTA) for the first time will connect youth experiencing homelessness to housing opportunities through their Home Sharing program (program already operating, effective immediately);

·          A new mobile service that will help homeless youth more easily find and access support.  The design of the service will be informed by youth with lived experiences of homelessness in NYC, developed through a human-centered design process led by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, with $200,000 allocated for research, scoping and design to begin this fall;

·         A new cohort of pregnant or parenting youth participating in the outcome-driven Parent Empowerment Program through the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), which provides access to childcare to young parents while they pursue their high school equivalency diploma and earn workforce credentials.

Additionally, the Administration is:

·         Creating a Senior Advisor for Youth Homelessness role under the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services to oversee interagency initiatives and collaborate with members of the taskforce to continue the work on preventing and ending youth homelessness;

·         Piloting the provision of Department of Social Services (DSS) prevention resources within a Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) 24-hour drop-in center in Queens

·         Working with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) to connect certain eligible young people transitioning out of DYCD shelter and entering Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter with CityFHEPS rental assistance

·         Bidding out a two-year contract through the Department of Social Services-Human Resources Administration (DSS-HRA) to support the NYC Youth Action Board, which will integrate people with lived experience within the NYC Coalition on the Continuum of Care

·         Ensuring that the Department of Youth and Community Development providers are trained by the Department of Social Services-Human Resources Administration in applying to NYC Supportive Housing units;

·        Partnering with members of the NYC Youth Action Board, Department of Youth and Community Development and homeless service providers so that Human Resources Administration can update the assessment for Supportive Housing applications to include specific eligible experiences of young people; and

·        Relaunching the Youth Experiencing Homelessness page on Generation NYC, co-designed by Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity with members of the NYC Youth Action Board, Department of Youth and Community Development, and homeless service providers so that there is an online resource guide specific to youth experiencing homelessness (no cost, launch this summer).

These efforts build on the de Blasio Administration’s comprehensive effort to reduce and prevent youth homelessness, most recently with the creation of the Youth Homelessness Taskforce in June 2018. The taskforce was a multi-sector stakeholder group comprised of over 80 individuals representing 16 city agencies & offices, 22 nonprofits, two federal partners, a research group and the NYC Youth Action Board, a group of young adults with lived experience of homelessness. The Taskforce coordinated with the NYC Continuum of Care and the Interagency Homelessness Accountability Council to inform the City’s next steps for preventing and ending youth homelessness.

These new innovative strategies were informed by data from the Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence, an assessment conducted by Chapin Hall on the youth homelessness system, and the Mayor’s Youth Homelessness Taskforce.

“DYCD looks forward to continued collaboration with our Agency partners to deepen the City's progress in improving and finding effective, innovative practices to work toward ending youth homelessness. This announcement demonstrates the City’s commitment to improve the delivery of services to help more and more young people transition back into permanent housing. Homeless youth need a safe place to stay, supportive services and opportunities to succeed,” said Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong.

“As we address the citywide challenge of homelessness, which built up in a haphazard way over decades and impacts every community across the five boroughs, we’re proud to collaborate with our City Agency colleagues to share best practices, continually redouble our efforts, and pilot new approaches in order to develop new solutions,” said Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.

“The challenges that young people face today are abundant, with homelessness adding a layer of uncertainty and fear,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “We see the value in connecting homeless youth with older adults through the Home Sharing Program for housing as well as intergenerational exchange. This is an innovative way to maximize the City’s assets.”

“We are committed to using research, data, and technology to improve outcomes for all New Yorkers” said Matthew Klein, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. “Building on our work with the Youth Homelessness Taskforce and Chapin Hall to assess available services and supports for youth experiencing homelessness, we are excited to be partnering with youth, City, and community stakeholders to identify the best solution for ensuring homeless youth are more easily connected to the support and resources they need.”

“The Parent Empowerment Program helps stabilize young families by delivering high quality childcare while supporting parents toward achieving their educational and employment goals,” said David Fischer, Executive Director of the NYC Center for Youth Employment. “We look forward to sustaining and expanding this successful initiative as part of New York City’s comprehensive approach to addressing youth homelessness.” 

“The Coalition for Homeless Youth applauds the city for continuing to improve on their efforts to meet the needs of the too many youth experiencing homelessness in NYC. We have already seen the positive impact that has come from cross-system collaboration through the New York City Youth Homelessness Taskforce, including prioritizing the Youth Action Board’s participation, and are excited to see this work continue under the leadership of the Senior Advisor for Youth Homelessness. The city’s commitment to ensuring that homeless youth will now have access to CITYFHEPS, as well as increased accessibility to supportive housing and other resources through increased capacity, staff training and a mobile platform, are cause for celebration. The Coalition for Homeless Youth looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the city on these investments.” said Jamie Powlovich, Coalition for Homeless Youth Executive Director.

"On behalf of Covenant House New York, I want to express my excitement and gratitude regarding the de Blasio Administration's announcement of new and innovative ways to assist youth in transitioning out of homelessness and into a stable environment," said Sr. Nancy Downing, Executive Director. "With our long history of working with youth experiencing homelessness, we know that these planned innovations will lead to stable housing, and meaningful opportunities that will be transformational in the lives of our young people," said Nancy Downing, Covenant House Executive Director.

“New York City exposed their system to external scrutiny so that they could have an objective, evidence-based assessment of their services to youth experiencing homelessness,” said Bryan Samuels, Executive Director of Chapin Hall. “Today’s announcement of increased service coordination and availability reflects not only many of our recommendations, but also a commitment to using data and evidence to inform decision making. That’s good news for New York City’s youth.”

“The Supportive Housing Network of New York applauds the City for investing critical resources aimed at helping at-risk youth into housing, especially in its efforts to connect homeless youth to supportive housing,” said Laura Mascuch, Supportive Housing Network of New Executive Director.

“The New York City Youth Action Board (YAB) is looking forward to our continued work with the City to improve the ways the needs of young people who are currently homeless are met. The YAB has always felt it is critical that youth at high risk of becoming homeless get the support that they need and deserve to prevent them from becoming homeless at all. Most, if not all, current YAB members feel that their initial experience of homelessness was traumatic and preventable. Thus, we are happy to see the city committing to expand their approaches to prevent youth from experiencing homelessness while maintaining its commitment to giving currently homeless youth a way out,” said Skye Adrian, Chair of the New York City Youth Action Board. 

“There are many experts in the Youth Homelessness Taskforce who helped the City determine what the next best steps were for youth experiencing homelessness. We know there is more to do but are excited about taking these first steps. In my second year I will continue to work with the stakeholders of the taskforce to ensure the City is responsive to the needs of youth experiencing homelessness,” said Cole Giannone, Senior Advisor for Youth Homelessness to Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio.

This announcement builds upon a number of initiatives taken by the de Blasio Administration to prevent and address youth homelessness, including the NYC Unity Project, a $9.5 million investment to prevent and address homelessness for LGBTQ youth across the City; 500 new beds for homeless youth and expansion of youth drop-in centers; the Department of Homeless Services’ Marsha's House in the Bronx, the first-ever DHS shelter for LGBTQ young people in New York City; and the commitment to allocate 1,700 supportive housing units for youth through the Supportive Housing NYC 15/15 Initiative.

News From Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

ASSEMBLYMAN DINOWITZ STATEMENT ON COURT REJECTION OF ANTI-SCIENCE LAWSUIT

On Friday, a judge in New York’s state Supreme Court ruled against Children’s Health Defense and anti-vaxxers who had requested a temporary injunction against the non-medical vaccine exemption repeal which passed in June.

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) issued the following statement in response to today’s denial of a temporary restraining order against Dinowitz’s legislation (A2371/S2994) to repeal non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements. The lawsuit was brought in Albany County Supreme Court by Children’s Health Defense, an organization led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. which raises money for anti-vaxx causes. The legislation was introduced in the State Senate by Brad Hoylman.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said: “I am glad that science has prevailed once more and that the public health will continue to be protected while our judicial system works through this lawsuit. My legislation is not and has never been about religion. It is about protecting public health. Those who are opposed to vaccinations should not be allowed to put the health of other people’s children at risk – end of story. Similar legislation has been upheld in California, and the policy has been in effect for many years in West Virginia and Mississippi. I am confident that my legislation will withstand this lawsuit and our children will be more protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.”

ASSEMBLYMAN DINOWITZ RESOLUTION HONORS 50^TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOON LANDING

The Assembly resolution commemorates a period in American history when the entire nation stood united by a common goal supporting science and the public interest.

 In honor of the fifty year anniversary of the moon landing, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz sponsored aresolution in the New York State Assembly to honor this historic achievement. On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 Project successfully landed two people on the moon after an intensive nationwide effort to achieve this momentous scientific goal.

The Assembly resolution was supported by a bipartisan coalition of 61 Assemblymembers, led by Dinowitz. The resolution notes that the moon landing resulted from a challenge issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in response to the Soviet Union launching the first artificial satellite into space as well as the first person in space. Kennedy declared “this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, began the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969 before the ultimate stage of landing the lunar module Eagle on the moon’s surface on July 20. Moonwalkers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left behind an American flag, pictures of human beings, recordings of a variety of languages, a patch honoring fallen crew from Apollo 1, and a plaque reading “here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.” The crew traveled 240,000 miles from the Earth to the moon in 76 hours.

The resolution goes on to note that the documentary Apollo 11, which debuted at Sundance, was partially produced at a shop in New York City, a partnering post production shop is located in New York, and the $5 commemorative coin will be produced in New York.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz  said: “As a child, I distinctly remember the awestruck inspiration I felt as I watched two American astronauts become the first people to ever walk on the moon’s surface. It was incredible as our country was unified behind this incredible scientific effort, and we felt like we could accomplish anything we set our minds to. With less computing power than a modern cellphone, we were able to send three human beings into space, land two of them on the moon, and return them all home safely. This is the mentality that we need to have again, as we explore solutions to climate change and other immense challenges that face our society.”