Engel, Velázquez, Meng Lead NYC Delegation Letter to NYCHA Calling for Immediate Action to Provide Heat This Winter

Representatives Eliot L. Engel (NY-16), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-7), and Grace Meng (NY-6) led the New York City Congressional Delegation on a letter to NYCHA Chair and CEO Gregory Russ calling on the Housing Authority to take immediate action to ensure NYCHA residents have adequate heat this winter.

In 2016, the New York City Congressional delegation was successful in passing an amendment as part of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, which directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue federal guidelines establishing minimum heating requirements for federally-supported public housing units such as NYCHA. These guidelines were issued on November 19, 2018. Yet despite these guidelines, NYCHA has been unable to keep all of its boilers working and its units at a proper temperature.

In their letter to Chairman Russ, the Members demanded details of NYCHA’s proposed “Action Plan” to provide consistent heat to NYCHA residents.

“It is completely unacceptable for any resident to be forced to live in these cold, and, often unsafe, conditions,” The Members wrote. “While we understand that the Action Plan is still under review by the Federal Monitor, we are becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency of the Action Plan. Many of our constituents are already reporting heating outages in their NYCHA units.”

“Access to safe, quality housing is a human right. That includes ensuring that everyone has a warm home during the cold winter months. But for too many of my constituents who live in NYCHA housing, a warm home is often a dream,” said Rep. Engel. “Three years ago, Representative Meng and I authored a provision, which was later signed into law, requiring strict guidelines for NYCHA to follow when providing heat to residents. But since its passage, reports of faulty boilers, poorly insulated walls and windows, and other drastic problems are still prevalent. These failures on the part of NYCHA are entirely unacceptable. Our letter makes clear to Chairman Russ that NYCHA needs to start treating their residents with dignity and respect, and that begins with meeting our heat guidelines.”   

“It is simply unconscionable that working families, seniors and other vulnerable neighbors who live in NYCHA facilities are entering the winter months with no assurance we won’t again see widespread heat outages,” said Rep. Velázquez. “I’ve authored legislation to make a historic federal investment in public housing, helping reverse decades of disinvestment. However, we must also have transparency and accountability at the local level. NYCHA’s winter heating plan must be approved and released to the public as soon as possible so we know how the agency’s leadership will address these issues.”

“Nobody should be forced to endure frigid temperatures,” said Rep. Meng. “NYCHA’s troubling history of heating problems has been reckless and unacceptable, especially after we passed minimum heating requirement guidelines into law. My district includes three NYCHA public housing units: Pomonok, Latimer and Bland Houses. As winter sets-in, I demand that NYCHA residents in my district and throughout the city have warm homes during the cold weather. I am thankful to and proud to work alongside my colleagues, Representatives Engel and Velázquez in holding NYCHA accountable. I await Chairman Russ’ response to our letter.”

A copy of the letter is below.

Gregory Russ

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

New York City Housing Authority

250 Broadway

New York, NY 10007

Dear Chair Russ:

As winter approaches, we urge the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to ensure that all its residential buildings are properly heated.  

NYCHA is the nation’s largest public housing authority, and houses approximately 380,000 residents in 316 developments across the City. These residents depend on NYCHA to fulfill an important need: keeping their apartment units warm during the winter season. 

In the past, NYCHA has often struggled to fulfill this responsibility. In 2013, press reports surfaced that NYCHA would shut down boilers unless temperatures fell below 25 degrees Fahrenheit. This ill-advised practice forced residents, including young children and the elderly, to go without heat for some of the coldest months of the year.

In 2016, the New York City Congressional Delegation was successful in passing an amendment as part of HR 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (Pub. Law 11-201) that directed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue model guidelines establishing minimum heating requirements for federally-supported public housing units such as NYCHA. HUD issued guidelines on November 19, 2018.

Yet despite these guidelines, NYCHA has been unable to keep all of its boilers working and its units at a proper temperature. It is completely unacceptable for any resident to be forced to live in these cold, and, often unsafe, conditions.

As you know, on January 31, 2019, NYCHA, HUD, and the City of New York entered into a Consent Decree in order to remedy the living conditions across NYCHA. Among other things, the Consent Decree requires NYCHA to maintain the following temperatures in apartments between October 1 and May 31 (the Heating Season):

A - between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., a temperature of at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit whenever the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees; and 

B - between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., a temperature of at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit.^[1] 

The Consent Decree further required NYCHA to establish an Action Plan that identifies, for each development, how NYCHA will respond to heating outages, taking into account resident populations, historical data about prior outages, the availability of on-site and remote maintenance personal, and response times by October 1, 2019.^[2]  It is our understanding that NYCHA established an Action Plan and submitted it to the Federal Monitor by the required date of October 1, 2019. 

However, last month, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez organized a meeting for the New York City Congressional Delegation and the New York Senators in Washington, D.C. so that we may discuss the future of NYCHA. At that meeting, we all made clear to you that we expected to see the details of the Action Plan as soon as possible so that we might review and discuss NYCHA’s plan for maintaining units at the designated temperatures, as set forth in Consent Decree outlined above. 

While we understand that the Action Plan is still under review by the Federal Monitor, we are becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency of the Action Plan. Many of our constituents are already reporting heating outages in their NYCHA units.

Therefore, we write to you today to reiterate our expectation that the heating Action Plan be made available for our review as soon as possible. Further, we wish to make clear that should NYCHA’s heating Action Plan be returned to NYCHA without Federal Monitor approval we expect to be notified of such an event and be provided a detailed understanding of why the Plan was not approved. 

As the City prepares for the coldest months of the year, when temperatures frequently fall below the freezing point, we must all work together to ensure the temperature in NYCHA units are properly maintained and the health and safety of NYCHA residents are guaranteed. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO SIGNS SAFE STREETS BILL INTO LAW

New legislation commits City to build 250 miles of protected bike lanes and 150 miles of dedicated bus lanes over five years, submit new street design master plans regularly

 Mayor Bill de Blasio signed new safe streets legislation into law, the latest step in the Administration’s progress implementing Vison Zero to make New York City’s streets safer. The legislation was introduced by Speaker Corey Johnson.

“I’m proud to sign this new safe streets legislation that will further the ambitious commitments we’ve begun under Vision Zero,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We thank Speaker Johnson for his leadership and look forward to continuing our work with elected officials and communities on creating new bus lanes and protected bike lanes in their districts even before this new plan takes effect. Over the next two years, we will continue to lay the critical groundwork that will allow this plan to be put into motion on Day One, and we are confident that this new plan firmly cements New York City’s reputation as the nation’s leader on street safety.”

“Today we take a giant leap closer to reclaiming our streets and making them safer for our residents,” said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “The Streets Master Plan, now signed into law, will revolutionize the way New Yorkers use our streets, creating more bus and bike lanes, more pedestrian space and safer street infrastructure. This law helps us make alternative transportation options more viable, which is necessary in our fight against climate change. Today would not have been possible without the hard work of transportation and street safety advocates, including families who lost love ones on our dangerous streets. Their persistence and passion led to a plan that will ultimately make New York City a more enjoyable place to live, work and play. New Yorkers for generations to come will be safer because of them.”

The new law requires DOT to implement a master plan for street design every five years, and contains specific targets for protected bike lanes, accessible pedestrian signals, transit signal priority and stop upgrades for buses, and new pedestrian public space. As part of the first master plan, the City will build 50 miles of protected bus lanes and 30 miles of protected bike lanes annually. In the first two years, one million square feet of pedestrian space will also be constructed. With today's announcement, the City also committed to ramping up the process to be ready to meet master plan commitments, both for DOT and for other city agencies, including DSNY, NYPD, FDNY, DPR, DDC and DEP. 

Intro 1557-A was passed last month by the New York City Council under the leadership of Speaker Corey Johnson and City Council Transportation Committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. The law will go into effect immediately, with the first master plan due from DOT no later than December 1, 2021.

Since 2014, DOT has made unprecedented improvements in street design, including building nearly three times as many miles of on-street protected bike lanes as every other mayor combined. In the Mayor’s Green Wave plan announced this summer, DOT committed to install over 80 miles of new protected bike lanes by the end of 2021, with a focus on high-fatality areas and neighborhoods with high ridership that lack adequate bike infrastructure. The City has committed $58.4 million in funding over the next five years for the Green Wave plan.

  

“No other American City has ever changed its streets at the pace that DOT has undertaken in the Vision Zero era, and so I offer DOT’s congratulations to Speaker Johnson and the Council for a new law that further enhances the rate that these major safety improvements will arrive on our streets,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “The Master Plan sets key benchmarks, but DOT’s work has already begun: prior to drafting the first plan and as part of Green Wave and Better Buses efforts, we will be busy getting ourselves ready for a dramatic surge in our work.“

“I am proud to have worked alongside my colleague Speaker Johnson on a number of bills that have increased protections for all cyclists and pedestrians. This Master Plan represents an ambitious and fundamentally different approach to our City’s streets, prioritizing people over cars, and safety over parking,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. “Since being elected and appointed chair of the Transportation Committee I have made it a top priority to ensure we keep pedestrians and cyclists safe through redesigning streets, building protected bike lanes, and working on congestion pricing. I will continue working with Speaker Corey Johnson, colleagues, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, and advocates to ensure we continue expanding road protections across the 5 boroughs.”

MORE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES: DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION TO CREATE OVER 200 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

  The de Blasio Administration announced today that it is entering the second phase of the City’s plan to convert more cluster buildings into permanent housing for homeless New Yorkers. Through this preservation transaction, the City will help not-for-profit housing developers acquire and rehabilitate another 14 residential “cluster site” buildings, currently used to house homeless families, and convert them into over 200 permanent affordable housing units to continue addressing the homelessness crisis.

As a result, more than 200 homeless families will receive permanent affordable housing with rent-stabilized leases, regulatory protections, and rehabilitated apartments. When this transaction is complete, this Administration will have reduced city-wide cluster use by nearly 70 percent citywide.

“We’re making good on our promise to transform the shelter system and create more, high-quality permanent housing for New Yorkers in need. With these conversions, over 200 families will have homes of their own, setting them on a path to lasting stability for generations to come,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

Earlier this year, in the first completed conversion, the City financed not-for-profit developers’ acquisition of 17 such buildings, creating permanent affordable housing for more than 450 homeless families and preserving hundreds of additional units of affordable housing in the process. This second conversion of 14 buildings to create permanent affordable housing for more than 200 homeless families takes the City’s progress phasing out the 19-year-old Giuliani-era cluster program even further.

Connecting Homeless Families to Permanent Housing––Through this transaction, qualified locally-based not-for-profit housing developers will assume ownership and operation of the buildings as permanent, low-income affordable housing. Regulatory protections will be extended to the converted units to preserve their affordability for the long term, and the buildings will also undergo rehabilitation and renovation. As this transition takes place over the coming months, the cluster apartments will continue to be operated as shelter for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness with funding and services provided by the City’s Department of Homeless Services. Beginning this week, the City will directly engage the families experiencing homelessness and currently residing in these cluster shelter units, going door-to-door and family by family, to discuss this transition and rehousing opportunity with each household, including to verify that families would like to remain at these locations and obtain permanent housing there. Homeless families residing at these locations who are prepared for housing permanency at the point of transition to not-for-profit ownership will be offered the opportunity to remain as tenants with a new rent-stabilized lease if they wish to remain in the building. For families that may be seeking, already connected to, or in the process of preparing to move to permanent housing elsewhere or for families who may have additional service needs (such as mental health services) that require more significant continued support as they get back on their feet will transition to alternative shelter locations before moving to permanency.

Ending the Stop-Gap Cluster Shelter Program Once and For All–– Since January 2016 when the City was using a high-point of approximately 3,600 cluster units and first announced its intention to end the cluster site program, the City’s Department of Homeless Services has reduced the citywide use of cluster apartments to shelter homeless families by more than 60 percent using multiple strategies, including through outright closure, transition to alternative uses, and conversion to permanent housing. This transaction accounts for approximately 16 percent of the remaining cluster units (224 units). When complete, there will be fewer than 1,200 cluster units remaining (approx. 1,175 units), a 67-percent reduction from the high-point.

  

ICYMI: Turning the Tide on Homelessness in NYC–– The de Blasio Administration has taken aggressive action to address the citywide challenge of homelessness over the past several years, restoring the City’s rental assistance and rehousing programs, which have helped more than 125,000 New Yorkers remain in or secure permanent housing, and directing unprecedented resources toward a new comprehensive and holistic approach to fighting homelessness focused on prevention, street homeless outreach, expanded transitional housing options, averted shelter entry, improved shelter conditions, expanded civil legal services, and more robust rehousing and aftercare services. In February 2017, the Mayor announced “Turning the Tide on Homelessness in New York City,” his neighborhood by neighborhood blueprint for transforming a shelter system that built up in a haphazard way over decades. The plan has four core pillars:

1. Preventing homelessness whenever we can;
2. Addressing street homelessness;
3. Rehousing families and individuals so they can move out of shelter or avoid homelessness altogether; and
4. Transforming the haphazard approach to providing shelter and services that has built up over the last four decades by shrinking the Department of Homeless Services’ footprint by 45 percent and ending the use of 360 “cluster” shelter and commercial hotel locations while opening a smaller number of 90 borough-based shelters in all five boroughs

2019 Status Update: Headed in the Right Direction, More Work to Do–– The de Blasio Administration’s strategies have taken hold, headed in the right direction. The shelter census for 2017 and 2018 remained essentially flat year over year for two years for the first time in more than a decade; and through the strategies outlined above and below, the City is preventing homelessness, providing permanent housing, shrinking and strengthening the NYCDHS shelter footprint and raising the bar for the services and supports provided citywide. Moving aggressively to implement each pillar, the City has made important progress:

1. Investing in legal services and implementing first-in-the-nation access to counsel plan for tenants in housing court: evictions dropped by approximately a third between 2013 and 2018 
2. Investing in comprehensive HOME-STAT outreach and specialized Safe Haven shelter for street homeless individuals:  tripled the number of dedicated ‘safe haven’ beds citywide, with hundreds opening in the coming years, and helped more than 2,200 homeless New Yorkers off the streets and subways who’ve remained off
3. Rebuilt rental assistance from scratch after City and State cuts in 2011 and reinstated rehousing programs: helped more than 125,000 children and adults remain in or secure permanent housing, with the vast majority exiting shelter to permanent housing
4. Closing less effective stop-gap shelters while opening new high-quality borough-based shelter sites: closed more than 200 shelter sites that did not meet our standards (down from the 647 sites reported in Turning the Tide) and sited 55 new borough-based shelters, shrinking the DHS shelter footprint by a third (31%)—well on the way towards the goal of shrinking the footprint by 45 percent overall.

“Today marks the next step in a transition that promises to uplift hundreds more families in New York City, as we continue to convert cluster sites into permanent affordable housing urgently needed in our communities,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Raul Perea-Henze. “Through the use of this innovative tool in partnership with local non-profit housing professionals who can support our families with services as needed, we continue to place homeless New Yorkers on the path to long-term stability and move closer to ending the ineffective stop-gap measure of cluster sites once and for all.”

“Earlier this year, we provided permanent housing to more than 1,000 New Yorkers in need when we helped experienced, locally-based affordable housing developers acquire a portfolio of cluster buildings in their entirety—the first of a series of bold transactions to both address homelessness and end the Giuliani-era cluster program,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “Today, we are announcing the second use of this proven strategy to connect several hundred more homeless families to preserved affordable housing for the long-term. As part of this next phase, we are ending the use of another 14 cluster locations as shelter and transferring ownership to non-profit housing developers who will upgrade these buildings and provide more than 200 families with upgraded apartments, rent-stabilized leases, and regulatory protections for generations to come.” 

“The de Blasio Administration continues to work collaboratively to implement holistic efforts to address the homelessness crisis,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Louise Carroll. “I am proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by all parties in this agreement to convert these apartments into permanent, affordable housing for our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”

“Mayor de Blasio is moving New York City closer to the applaudable goal of closing cluster shelters,” said Mitchell Netburn, President & CEO of Samaritan Daytop Village. “As one of the agencies chosen to redevelop and provide social services at a Phase 1 site, we are seeing, firsthand, that giving formerly homeless families stable, safe, supportive and affordable housing can make a dramatic and positive difference in their lives. Samaritan Daytop Village is proud to partner with the Mayor, once again, to transform these Acquisition Phase 2 sites and help turn the tide on homelessness.” 

“MHANY Management Inc. is proud to be a partner as the City takes bold and necessary steps towards ending the scatter site shelter program by providing formerly homeless individuals and families a place they can truly and safely call home,” said Ismene Speliotis, Executive Director of MHANY Management Inc.

“Converting these apartments from cluster sites into permanent, affordable housing for homeless New Yorkers is the right move, and will provide much-needed housing to homeless families. The City is making good on its pledge to reduce the use of problematic cluster site shelters, and this announcement expands the supply of housing available and affordable to those without homes — an important piece of the puzzle in the larger fight to reduce record homelessness," said Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at Coalition for the Homeless.

“Homeless Services United commends the de Blasio administration on another successful conversion of cluster shelter to permanent, affordable housing,” said Catherine Trapani, Executive Director of Homeless Services United. “Thanks to this extraordinary effort, we are not only moving closer to the goal of closing ineffective, costly shelter models but, two hundred families will have their very own rent stabilized apartments in buildings owned and operated by responsible nonprofits with a commitment to quality housing that is affordable in the long term.  Congratulations to all involved in this important effort.”

"The Bronx is suffering from the homeslessness crisis, and has been hit hard over the past decades from the failures of cluster sites, said Senator Luis Sepulveda. “I commend Mayor de Blasio on his efforts to close all cluster sites by 2021, in our city-wide efforts to combat the causes and consequences of homelessness and ensure reliable, quality, and affordable housing for all."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It appears that State Senator Luis Sepulveda is unaware that the de Blasio administration sent homeless people from other boroughs to the Bronx. The Bronx has less than 18% of the total NYC population, but the Bronx has 37% of the homeless population. Either that or Senator Sepulveda is doing the mayor's bidding in saying that the Bronx is suffering from the homelessness crisis.

Senator Sepulveda should say to his friend Mayor Bill de Blasio - "place the over abundance of homeless people the Bronx has received (and continues to receive) from other boroughs back to that borough and neighborhood they originally came from." 

Stop dumping on the Bronx Mayor de Blasio, and Senator Sepulveda.

News From Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark

BRONX MAN INDICTED FOR FATALLY BEATING INTRUDER WITH METAL ROD 

Defendant Chased and Beat Victim After Wife Saw Him in Backyard

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx man has been indicted for first-degree Manslaughter for fatally beating a man who had intruded in his backyard. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly beat the intruder with a metal rod, leaving him with multiple injuries, including massive blunt force trauma to the head. The beating happened down the street from the defendant’s home.” 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Troy George, 54, of 834 East 223rd Street, was arraigned today on first-degree Manslaughter before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy. Bail was continued at $100,000 cash/$100,000 bond and the defendant is due back in court on February 10, 2020

 According to the investigation, at midnight on September 20, 2019, the defendant’s wife spotted the victim, Harold Bates, 29, in her home’s backyard, and told the defendant. He came out of the house and confronted Bates. The victim fled and the defendant ran after him down the street. He hit him 10 times in the head and about the body with a metal rod. Bates was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center a few hours after the incident.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

MAJOR DRUG TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON 

Defendant Trafficked Large Amounts Of Cocaine; 176 Lbs. Were Seized During Joint Investigation With NYPD, HSI and DEA 

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Operating as a Major Trafficker for distributing large amounts of cocaine in the Bronx and elsewhere. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “We will stop traffickers of any illicit drugs that devastate lives and neighborhoods. This defendant flooded an area of the Bronx with cocaine and now he will serve serious time in prison.” 

  District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Alvon Pierre, 45 of Brooklyn, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and five years post-release supervision by Bronx Supreme Court Justice John W. Carter. The defendant pleaded guilty on October 30, 2019 to Operating as a Major Trafficker and third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.

 According to the year-long investigation by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, NYPD Bronx Gang Squad, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations, the defendant trafficked large quantities of cocaine, which was sold in bulk to distributors, and which in turn was sold in $10 and $20 packets, sometimes in crack form, on Valentine Avenue between the Grand Concourse and East 187 th Street.

 On February 28, 2019, investigators seized 176 pounds (80 kilos) of cocaine with a street value of almost $3 million in a vehicle and packed in suitcases in an apartment on 191 st Street in Flushing, Queens that was connected to Pierre and a co-defendant.

 Pierre was one of 19 people indicted earlier this year for trafficking cocaine sold in the Bronx and elsewhere, and club drugs sold at nightspots throughout New York City. In addition to Pierre, seven defendants have also pleaded guilty, to various narcotics possession charges.

 District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detective Luke Maddock of the Bronx Gang Squad for his work in the investigation.

FORMER RIKERS ISLAND INMATE SENTENCED FOR ASSAULTING NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OFFICER WITH WALKING CANE

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced a former Rikers Island inmate has been sentenced to two to four years in prison for beating a New York City Department of Correction Officer with a cane. The sentence will run concurrently with a prison term the defendant is serving. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant used a walking cane to hit a Correction Officer in the face, splitting the inside and outside of the victim’s lip. Attacks against DOC Officers on the job will not be tolerated and this inmate has been held accountable.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Malik Cargill, 26, was sentenced today to two to four years in prison by Bronx Supreme Court Justice James McCarty. The sentence will run concurrently with a prison term of up to 15 years the defendant is serving for his underlying cases. Cargill pleaded guilty to Attempted Assault in the second degree on September 4, 2019. 

 According to the investigation, on August 8, 2018 in the Anna M. Kross Center, the defendant was in the facility’s yard and asked the victim, a Department of Correction Officer, if he could go back inside. The DOC Officer refused his request because of security risks. Cargill became angry and hit the Officer in the face with the walking cane the defendant was using. Cargill ran away

  District Attorney Clark thanked her Detective Investigators Timothy Gernon and Monisara Brahm, as well as Investigators Daniel Monaco and Scott Frank from the Correction Intelligence Bureau.

D.A. VANCE: ALL DEFENDANTS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER FOR EAST VILLAGE BUILDING EXPLOSION

Defendants Constructed Illegal Gas Delivery System, Causing Deadly Inferno

 Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the trial conviction of MARIA HRYNENKO, 59, ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, 63, and DILBER KUKIC, 44, for their roles in causing a fatal gas explosion at 121 Second Avenue on March 26, 2015, which resulted in the deaths of 23-year-old Nicholas Figueroa and 26-year-old Moises Locon, and seriously injured 13 other victims. A New York State Supreme Court jury found the defendants guilty of Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Assault in the Second and Third Degrees, among other charges.The defendants are expected to be sentenced on January 10, 2020.

  “This is a big win for public safety in New York,” said District Attorney Vance. “As construction and development continues to boom, today’s guilty verdict puts property owners, contractors, and managers on notice: my Office will pursue criminal charges against those who place expediency and financial gain over life and limb. I thank the jury and the tireless prosecutors in our storied Rackets Bureau for holding these defendants accountable for the tragic and preventable losses of Moises Locon and Nicholas Figueroa. I also want to thank the Figueroa and Locon families, who demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience through the duration of this trial. While today’s result will not bring these young New Yorkers back, I hope the Figueroa and Locon families take a measure of comfort in knowing that this case will change the way that landlords and contractors do business in New York.”

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “These convictions deliver a definitive message that safety comes first and those individuals who intentionally compromise it, endangering the lives of New Yorkers, will face arrest and criminal prosecution. In this case, a Manhattan Supreme Court jury clearly saw the criminal misconduct of these defendants that led to the tragic death of two people and injury of 13 others. DOI thanks the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, our law enforcement partners, and the City Department of Buildings for their collaboration and dedication on this important investigation.”

District Attorney Vance thanked the NYPD, FDNY, DOI, and DOB for their assistance with the investigation.

Defendant Information: 

MARIA HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/26/1959 Rockland, NY 

Convicted: 

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts 

• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts 

• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts 

• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, D.O.B. 6/15/1956 Queens, NY

Convicted: 

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts 

• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count • Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts 

• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count 

• Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 2 counts

DILBER KUKIC, D.O.B. 6/9/1975 Bronx, NY

Convicted: 

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts 

• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count 

• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts 

• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

NYPD Latent Print Section is Granted Accreditation by Leading National Institute

Decade-long Process Culminates with Accreditation under International Standards

  The NYPD announced today that the Latent Print Section has received accreditation from the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America. This achievement – approximately 10 years in the making – recognizes that the Latent Print Section has demonstrated full compliance with International Organization of Standardization (ISO) requirements. This makes the NYPD’s Latent Print Section one of the largest accredited latent print analysis units in the world.

The Latent Print Section is responsible for analyzing, comparing and identifying latent prints, as well as photographs, submitted by the Crime Scene Unit, the Evidence Collection Team, the Police Lab and other NYPD units. Members of the Latent Print Section also provide expert courtroom testimony, as needed, and produce forensic sketches to aid investigations.

"This accreditation is a significant accomplishment and I want to thank the members of the Forensic Investigations Division, including the Commanding Officer, Deputy Chief Emanuel Katranakis, for their work to secure this important seal of approval on behalf of the Latent Print Section," said NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill. "The NYPD’s Latent Print Section reliable, accurate, impartial and objective results play a critical part of our work to ensure public safety."

"I want to personally thank the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Mark Imbriale, supervisors and the more than 50 members of the Latent Print Section that dedicated thousands of hours over the years to achieve this remarkable success," said Deputy Chief Emanuel Katranakis. "This was a self-initiated effort, which produced outstanding results for the department and the public at large."

The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in North America. For more information, please go to https://anab.ansi.org/. For more information about the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), go to www.iso.org.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ ISSUES REPORT CALLING FOR NEW YORK STATE LOTTERY REFORM

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued a new report outlining a set of recommendations aimed at reforming the New York State Lottery to minimize its adverse effects on low-income communities.

The report, titled “Re-Orienting the Lottery: A Better Lotto for the Poor,” provides four recommendations that aim to prevent the lottery from further disadvantaging the poor and to instead help these communities see the most benefit from the state’s lottery system.

“The lottery has grown exponentially since its establishment and the state regulations overseeing that sector must be adapted to how it exists today. We can’t turn a blind eye to state lotteries targeting low-income and minority communities, and the systems should be changed to help limit the harm that vulnerable people experience because of them,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Recommendations discussed in the report include changing the allocation of lottery funds to further support students living in or near poverty, banning check cashers from selling lottery games, requiring the state to collect information about check cashers’ sales of lottery games and educating the public about the benefits of engaging with the traditional banking system.

Nationally, lower income individuals are more likely to play the lottery than higher income individuals, with some statistics finding that 28 percent of individuals earning under $30,000 per year play the lottery at least weekly as compared with 18 percent of those earning over $75,000. Additionally, low-income individuals spend a disproportionate proportion of their incomes on the lottery.

“Low income communities generate much of the lottery’s revenue but they don’t receive benefits proportionate to their patronage of the system,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “That money should be spent to support low-income students with specific programs in schools that are aimed at the alleviation of poverty in both the short and long terms.”

The full report can be read at https://on.nyc.gov/330OJF5.

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS ROCKWELL CHIN, GUILLERMO CHACÓN AND REVEREND TERRY TROIA TO THE CITY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

As longstanding and well-respected experts in their fields, the new appointees strengthen the City’s commitment to dignity and respect for all.

 Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced three new appointees to the New York City Commission on Human Rights: Rockwell (“Rocky”) Chin, Guillermo Chacón, and Reverend Terry Troia join the agency as commissioners.

The New York City Commission on Human Rights, which enforces the New York City Human Rights Law, is helmed by Chair and Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis. The Mayor appoints unsalaried commissioners to the New York City Commission on Human Rights in order to advise in addressing issues of bias, harassment, and discrimination citywide.

“The New York City Commission on Human Rights has the duty of enforcing one of the most comprehensive human rights laws in the nation,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio “These new appointments will help us continue to lead in fighting all forms of discrimination. Rockwell, Guillermo, and Reverend Troia, all hail from different backgrounds and expertise, are united in their passion for achieving justice for every New Yorker.”

“I enthusiastically welcome Rocky, Guillermo, and Reverend Terry to the Commission as true examples of community servants,” said Chair and Commissioner of the NYC Commission on Human Rights Carmelyn P. Malalis. “Our new appointees are venerated and respected members of their communities who have worked in coalition across diverse issue areas. They will bring exactly the kind of diversity of experience and thoughtfulness the Commission relies on to tackle issues of discrimination in this City. I look forward to working with them as we continue to make the New York City Commission on Human Rights a venue for justice for all New Yorkers.”

“I am honored for this appointment by Mayor Bill de Blasio to serve on the Commission of Human Rights in our great city, particularly at this moment when our diverse communities are under threat,” said Guillermo Chacón. “I will bring my passion and commitment to ensure that our City’s Human Rights Law remains relevant and protects every single New Yorker.”

"I am fortunate to be living in New York, a city with a rich and fabled history of gutsy, visionary New Yorkers who have embraced and defended immigrants, workers, oppressed communities and marginalized people,” said Rockwell (“Rocky”) Chin. “These New Yorkers have contributed to making the New York City Human Rights Law one of the most comprehensive civil rights laws in the nation today.  It is an honor and privilege to join Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis and my fellow Commissioners in continuing New York’s history of caring and standing up for all New Yorkers."

“The protection of the rights of all peoples to live the most fully human life possible is the most sacred and most urgent of all human action,” said Reverend Terry Troia.  “If one of us is injured and their humanity diminished by discrimination in any form, the whole of us is wounded and all of us diminished.  I will serve to protect the fullness of life for every person in this city.”

Each new commissioner brings a wealth of experience from various backgrounds in human and civil rights and will help identify issues of discrimination in their communities as well as encourage and foster positive community relations. Commissioners meet quarterly with the Chair and commission staff to vote on proposed and final rules and provide recommendations to the Commission.

Meet the new CCHR Commissioners:

Guillermo Chacón

Since 2010, Guillermo Chacón has served as President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, where he is a vocal advocate of the Latinx/Hispanic and HIV&AIDS communities. Under his leadership, the Commission has invested in community mobilization programs, which encourage community-based organizations to develop agendas on the top health policy issues affecting the health of Latinos in New York City. Chacón was appointed by Mayor de Blasio to the HIV/AIDS Services Administration and the Committee on City Healthcare Services. Governor Cuomo appointed Chacón to the New York State AIDS Advisory Council and nominated him for the New York State Minority Health Council, where he was later confirmed by the New York State Senate. He also serves on various Boards, including the New York Immigration Coalition, the New York City AIDS Memorial, advisor for the Alianza Americas, and co-chairs the Latino Jewish Coalition in New York.

Rockwell ("Rocky") Chin

Rockwell (“Rocky”) Chin is a retired government civil rights attorney and a current member of the Executive Council of AARP New York since 2016. He previously served as Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at the New York State Division of Human Rights. Before that, Rocky served in a variety of positions at the New York City Commission on Human Rights. He spearheaded language, immigrant rights and disability rights initiatives in New York as an advocate and as an attorney. Rocky is a founder of the Asian American Bar Association of New York, former Civil Rights Chair of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, past Board Member of MFY Legal Services, Leadership for Asian Pacifics, the Asian American Arts Alliance and Yale Alumni Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force (2016-2017). Rocky has a law degree from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in City Planning from Yale University, and a B.A. in Economics from Lehigh University.

Reverend Terry Troia

Reverend Terry Troia is President and CEO of Project Hospitality, an interfaith effort providing emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing & services to hungry and homeless New Yorkers, where she has worked for the last 35 years.  She is also the minister of the Reformed Church of Huguenot Park in Staten Island. The Reverend is actively involved in racial, economic and social justice work related to health, housing and educational equity, LGBT inclusion, immigrants’ rights and the right to shelter. Troia serves by appointment to the Governor’s Clergy Council, the Mayor’s Clergy Advisory Council, the NYC HIV Health and Human Services Planning Council, the NYPD Training Advisory Committee, the NYPD SI Borough Command Immigrant Task Force, The Richmond County District Attorney Hate Crimes Task Force, the NYC Council Gun Violence Task Force, the New York State Interfaith Immigration Network, and the NYC Supportive Housing Task Force. She serves on the board of directors of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, Homeless Services United, El Centro del Inmigrante, New World Prep Charter School, and Coordinated Behavioral Health. Locally she serves as President of The Staten Island Long Term Recovery Organization and is chair of the Staten Island Tackling Youth Substance Abuse Initiative and serves on the executive committees of the Staten Island Immigrants Council, Communities United for Respect and Trust, Staten Islanders Against Anti-Semitism, the Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership, Staten Island Council of Churches,  Staten Island Family Health Care Coalition,  New Brighton Coalition of Concerned Citizens and the Port Richmond Civic Association.

The next Commissioner’s meeting will take place from11:30am -1:30pm on November 21^st, 2019, in the Eleanor Norton Holmes conference room at the New York City Commission on Human Rights, 22 Reade Street, 2FL New York, NY 10007.