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Thursday, June 17, 2021
Partnerships for Parks - Grants up to $2,000, Free Webinars, Monday Morning Pitch-Ins
RECOVERY FOR ALL OF US: CITY OF NEW YORK, CHAPIN HALL AND POINT SOURCE YOUTH LAUNCH GROUNDBREAKING DIRECT CASH TRANSFER STUDY FOR ADDRESSING YOUNG ADULT HOMELESSNESS
First-in-nation initiative aims to empower young people, increase their access to safe and stable housing, and improve evidence on what works to end youth homelessness
In the first phase of the study, 30 to 40 young adults (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness will receive $1,250 per month for up to two years; a rigorous evaluation will compare the outcomes and experiences of young people in the project to young people who receive smaller stipends for completing surveys
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Point Source Youth today announced the Trust Youth Initiative: Direct Cash Transfers to Address Young Adult Homelessness (young people age 18-24). The study will provide and evaluate direct cash assistance with optional supportive services to help advance the goal of ending youth homelessness in New York City and build actionable evidence.
New York City youth/young adult-serving nonprofit agencies are encouraged to consider the Request for Proposals announced today for implementing the project’s supportive programming and recruitment processes.
A collaborative team from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and Point Source Youth developed the project based on an intensive research and multistakeholder design process. Point Source Youth will oversee and support program design and implementation by local nonprofit(s), Chapin Hall will lead research and evaluation, and UpTogether will manage the cash transfers to participants through its online platform. All three organizations will work together to develop evidence and infrastructure for a scalable policy solution to our nation’s youth homelessness crisis.
The initiative is funded by the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, the NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity (for evaluation support), the Block-Leavitt Foundation, Melville Charitable Trust, Robin Hood Foundation, and the NYC Fund to End Youth & Family Homelessness, a funder collaborative that is hosted by FJC - A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds. It also involves collaboration with multiple agencies, including the Office of the Mayor, the Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI), the Continuum of Care (CoC) and its Youth Action Board, the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD), and the Department of Social Services (DSS).
“A Recovery for All of Us requires embracing innovating solutions to our most pressing challenges,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The direct cash transfer study, designed in collaboration with Chapin Hall and Point Source Youth, will help uplift young people and reinforces our commitment to ending youth homelessness once and for all.”
“New York City is the place many young people from towns and cities across the country look to for hope and a home, particularly LGBTQI youth who disproportionately experience physical and mental health challenges, and higher rates of homelessness and unemployment," said First Lady Chirlane McCray, who leads the NYC Unity Project and is chair of the Mayor’s Fund. "Today's announcement strengthens our commitment to provide social and economic supports that are critical to long-term success and stability for young people across our City."
“Housing insecurity can affect New Yorkers of all ages, and as a City we’re committed to helping young people navigate these challenges with understanding, care, and opportunity,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Melanie Hartzog. “Our new cash transfer program is an evidence-based effort that has the potential to give young adults a foundation to create greater stability in their housing circumstances and build up. I thank all of our partners for working together to prioritize our younger New Yorkers.”
“When young adults are not able to secure stable housing, the economic and personal costs can be significant – leading to public expenditures in shelter and other services, and more painfully, exacting a human toll from those who experience housing insecurity,” said Matthew Klein, executive director of the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity. “This cash assistance program was co-designed by young people who have been through homelessness, and we should listen to those who are closest to the problems we are trying to address. Our office is pleased to support this important research, and to help policymakers better understand the potential effectiveness of cash payments to reduce homelessness and help young adults lead more productive, fulfilling lives.”
Attorney General James Sues Lear Capital and Founder for Defrauding New Yorkers Out of $10 Million in Precious Metal Investment Scam
Lear Defrauded New Yorkers Out of a Third of Investments
New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit against Lear Capital (Lear) and its founder, Kevin DeMeritt, for cheating nearly 1,000 New Yorkers out of approximately $10 million. In the petition, Attorney General James alleges that Lear persuaded investors — including many elderly residents of Western New York who were seeking to safeguard their retirement savings — to invest tens of millions in precious metals, primarily coins. Lear did this while fraudulently charging undisclosed commissions — up to 33 percent — on more than $43 million in sales. Lear targeted New Yorkers’ individual retirement accounts and other savings, and charged hidden commissions that instantly reduced New Yorkers’ investments by as much as one-third — unlawfully profiting approximately $10 million at the commencement of these investments. Lear also perpetrated its scheme while not being registered as a commodity broker-dealer, commodity investment advisor, or a telemarketer — all as required by New York law.
“When it comes to protecting New Yorkers’ life savings, we will not hesitate to do everything in our power to protect their investments and their ability to retire with dignity,” said Attorney General James. “Simply put, Lear Capital’s business plan relied heavily on cheating nearly 1,000 New Yorkers who were afraid of losing their hard-earned retirement savings out of approximately $10 million. Lear’s promises of safe investments in precious metals only ended up defrauding New Yorkers out of up to a third of everything they invested through hidden commissions. Our office will not allow fraudsters and cheats to raid retirement savings and leave New Yorkers’ scrapping to get by, which is why today’s action not only seeks to immediately halt Lear’s illegal scheme, but return millions of dollars back into New Yorkers’ wallets.”
To earn trust from prospective investors at the start, Lear falsely told them that Lear’s success was directly related to the investors’ success and that investors’ financial security was Lear’s main concern. The truth, however, was that Lear’s success was inversely related to the investors’ interests; Lear largely profited by charging a hefty, yet hidden, commission of up to 33 percent that caused investors to instantly lose up to one-third of their investment. The language detailing the exorbitant commissions was hidden among boilerplate legal terms — in the middle of a recorded confirmation — and presented in such a way that investors either missed it completely or did not understand it to mean that Lear was taking up to a third of their investment for itself.
In an effort to further its scheme, Lear also coached investors on answers to questions, made up financial terms that are not accepted as industry standard, and sent investors invoices that omitted or made information on commissions hard to read.
Lear additionally committed these frauds while failing to register in New York as a commodities broker-dealer, investment advisor, or telemarketer.
To this day, Lear and DeMeritt continue to fraudulently market and sell commodities in the form of precious metals and coins to New Yorkers, which is why — in addition to the lawsuit filed in Erie County State Supreme Court today — Attorney General James also seeks a temporary restraining order to immediately halt the company’s illegal activities.
Attorney General James seeks an order permanently barring Lear and DeMeritt from operating in New York, restitution for investors, disgorgement, damages, penalties and costs.
Constituent Services Are “Job One” For City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara
CouncilStat Database Shows Constituent Services Have Not Been Provided in District 15 for Months
City Council Candidate Bernadette Ferrara, running in the Bronx District 15 Democratic Primary election, pledges to make constituent service her highest priority. Ferrara, who has a long history of service to her Van Nest community, says she knows first-hand how difficult it is for residents to deal with the city’s bureaucracy.
“I deal with the frustration people experience when trying to get the services or help they’re entitled to by the city. Often it’s heartbreaking to see people try to tackle the bureaucracy,” says Ferrara. “I believe elected officials should use the power of their office to help the people they represent, not to promote themselves. I will focus on cutting through the bureaucratic red tape and making city agencies accountable to the residents of this city.”
District 15’s City Council seat was vacant for nearly five months after Ritchie Torres was sworn into Congress, and it is unclear whether or how constituent needs were met on such matters as applying for U.S. citizenship, housing maintenance issues, help with taxes, and quality of life complaints, says Ferrara.
“The CouncilStat database, which tracks requests for help and how constituents get a response, shows only a handful of contacts from mid-December of last year to mid-January of this year – and nothing since then,” says Ferrara. “Given the volume of questions and complaints each year since 2015, it doesn’t appear that constituent services in District 15 are being provided at all in 2021.”
In her capacity as president of Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA), Ferrara says she has been serving the needs of the people in her community without skipping a beat since the beginning of the year, while also running for office.
“I've been on top of every complaint or request from community residents – my future constituents – on all quality of life issues, including illegal car washes, commercial vehicles parked on residential streets after 9 p.m., loud music late at night, and even aggressive raccoons.” Ferrara adds, “I have also continued to lead VNNA monthly meetings, and attend 49th Precinct Council meetings every month.”
Most recently, Ferrara testified before the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform about how several of its proposed changes to property tax rates would raise taxes on owners of one- to three-family homes in District 15 high enough to drive them out of The Bronx.
“The city doesn’t belong to the bureaucrats, and it doesn’t belong to the criminals. It’s our city – the people who work hard, obey the law and pay their taxes – and I think it’s worth fighting for,” says Ferrara. “That’s what I will do when elected. Fight for the people I represent.”
MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF MENTORS MATTER, INVESTING OVER $1.5M IN NEW AND EXPANDED MENTORING PROGRAMS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the expansion of Mentors Matter, an initiative launched in September 2020 that has provided mentoring, tutoring and social emotional support to thousands of young people in New York City throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is being expanded from $850,000 in FY21 to $1.58 million in FY22.
Mentors Matter was designed to help resource and structure New York City’s human capital, particularly within Black and brown communities, to mentor, tutor, and support younger generations. This comprehensive set of initiatives include programs that pay CUNY students to tutor and mentor Department of Education (DOE) students, provide career exploration mentoring by connecting young people to professionals, and fund long-standing community-based organizations that offer enriching summer programming.
“Today, I am proud to announce this expanded investment into the young people of New York City. They are the future,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “By investing directly into the programs that support them and connect them to mentors in their community, we are telling young New Yorkers everywhere: we see you and you matter.”
“I am where I am today because of incredible mentors who showed me my potential, helped me navigate systems, and opened doors. My mentors also helped me realize the power of collective movements towards black and brown liberation—empowering me to organize and work in the service of my community. The expansion of the Mentors Matter Initiative will ensure that more young people who grew up like I did have the chance to meet their full potential, and then pay it forward,” said J. Philip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives.
“We cannot address racial inequality in New York City without empowering our young people to reach their full potential. By connecting our youth to leaders with similar lived experiences and perspectives, Mentors Matter is doing just that,” said Jordan Stockdale, Executive Director of the Young Men’s Initiative (YMI). “As a key program of YMI, Mentors Matter recognizes that our communities have the human resources and talent to raise a generation of future leaders.”
The expansion of Mentors Matter includes the following components:
- $500,000 in funding opportunities to community-based organizations that offer summer programming to young people. Click here learn more or apply for funding!
- $300,000 to extend the Mentors Matter program at the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) throughout FY22.
- $239,000 to create a new Reading Rescue program within NYC Men Teach. Through this new initiative, NYC Men Teach CUNY students will be trained in the evidence-based Reading Rescue model and offer one-one-one reading tutoring to struggling first and second grade students. NYC Men Teach is the nation’s most comprehensive program designed to increase the number of qualified men of color teaching in our public school system.
- $175,000 for a new CUNY-YMI Mentoring in Medicine initiative which offers academic, professional, and financial support to CUNY students entering the medical field.
- $150,000 for an expansion of the Public Health Internship Program in partnership with the Department of Mental Health and Hygiene (DOHMH). This program provides students from Central Brooklyn with one-on-one mentoring and career exploration supports within the public health career sector.
- $100,000 in FY22 and $145,000 in FY23 to provide full-year academic tutoring to students at Horizon and Crossroads — NYC’s two secure juvenile detention centers.
- $50,000 to fund CUNY Tutor Corps — an innovative program that pays CUNY students to tutor DOE students in math and computer science.
- $40,000 to expand the CUNY Black Male Initiative’s (BMI) Ambassador program, which provides stipends to CUNY students to mentor DOE students and develop the CUNY Justice Series.
- $30,000 to support an expansion of My Sister’s Keeper at DOE. This funding will specifically support the development of a career-exploration and mentoring program within DOE’s My Sister’s Keeper.
“Our educators must reflect the beautiful diversity of New York City, and these programs have provided so much support and mentorship for New York City students. As we round the corner of the pandemic, now more than ever, our children need a caring role model to care and look out for them and I’m thrilled these programs are growing to reach even more kids,” said Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter.
“The programs that will be expanded under the Mentors Matter initiative will harness the power and potential of CUNY student-mentors, so they can provide crucial support to New York communities where such assistance is needed most,” said CUNY Chancellor FĂ©lix V. Matos RodrĂguez. “Helping more young men of color become public school teachers, mentoring medical students, or working as near-peers with DOE students, epitomizes the University’s historic mission as a vital New York institution in the life of the city we are proud to call home.”
“The power of mentoring is profound, and it benefits both the mentor and the mentee. DYCD is proud to be part of ongoing efforts to keep young New Yorkers on track for success. With the expansion of the Mentors Matter Initiative, even more students in DYCD’s funded programs will benefit from being connected to responsible, caring adults—providing them with academic, career, and general life guidance as they grow into New York City’s next generation of leaders,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong.
“The most critical part of a city’s public health infrastructure is the people doing the work,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “We are proud to partner with the Young Men’s Initiative to fight inequities and build the skills of the next generation of public health heroes in New York City.”
"The New York City Department of Probation applauds the expansion of ‘Mentor Matters,’ and the continued commitment to providing community-based resources and opportunities to serve youth of color," said Probation Commissioner Ana M. BermĂșdez, Esq. "As we have seen in our own programs, mentoring is an impactful tool for our City's young people. The connections to positive, relatable role models from one's community and the feeling of belonging are essential to the road to recovery from the pandemic."
BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY DARCEL D. CLARK ANNOUNCES BRONX WOMAN INDICTED IN RENT SCAM THAT NETTED HER NEARLY $20,000
Defendant Allegedly Preyed on Hardworking People Desperate for Housing
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Bronx woman has been indicted for stealing almost $20,000 from eight people in a scheme promising affordable apartments in city-owned buildings.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant preyed on people who entrusted her with their hard-earned money as rent and security deposits for apartments. She allegedly posed as a real estate broker or an employee of the city’s Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) or the city’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and took amounts from $1,620 to $3,240 for deposits, which are enormous sums for people with low incomes. Her alleged behavior is unconscionable.”
New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “Affordable housing is a fundamental need — but, as charged in the indictment, this defendant used it as part of a scam that victimized unsuspecting tenants twice, first, by stealing their cash and, second, by leaving them without housing. The illegal conduct charged in this indictment is despicable, particularly during a time when New Yorkers are in such dire need of affordable housing. DOI thanks the Bronx District Attorney's Office, the NYPD, City Housing Development Corporation, City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, and the New York City Housing Authority for their partnership in stopping these crimes and holding this defendant accountable."
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Jennifer Ricardo, 39, of Decatur Avenue, the Bronx, was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Efrain Alvarado on a 39-count indictment charging third-degree Grand Larceny, fourth-degree Grand Larceny, Petit Larceny, third-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, fifth-degree Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, first-degree Scheme to Defraud, second-degree Scheme to Defraud, second-degree Criminal Impersonation, second degree Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument and third-degree Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. She is due back in court on October 8, 2021.
According to the investigation, between June 2019 and September 2020, Ricardo allegedly pretended to be either a real estate broker, an HPD employee, or an HDC employee, and met with her victims at various apartment buildings in the Bronx, accepting rent payments and security deposits for apartments in the buildings. The would-be renters never received keys or got the apartments and could not get in contact with Ricardo after they paid her. She allegedly scammed eight people out of a total of $19,459.
District Attorney Clark thanked Police Officer John Istorico of the NYPD Bronx Grand Larceny Squad, DOI Senior Inspector General Jessica Heegan and DOI Special Investigator / Forensic Auditor Lana Wong for their assistance in the investigation. District Attorney Clark also thanked New York City Housing Preservation and Development and New York City Housing Development Corporation for their assistance.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During COVID-19 Pandemic
Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity is 0.39% -- Record Low for 20 Consecutive Days, Has Declined for 73 Consecutive Days
7-Day Average Positivity in All Five NYC Boroughs Falls Below 0.50% For First Time Since Pandemic Began
Statewide Hospitalizations Fall Below 600, Patients in ICU Fall Below 150
76,160 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours
5 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday - Lowest Since September 28, 2020
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19.
"While we have come so far in our fight against COVID and have been able to lift nearly all restrictions and get back to normal, our work is not yet over," Governor Cuomo said. "New Yorkers have worked hard to contain the spread of COVID throughout their communities but we all need to work together to get across the finish line. We need every single New Yorker to get vaccinated, so if you haven't already, take advantage of the state's ongoing incentive programs and get your vaccination."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
- Test Results Reported - 119,272
- Total Positive - 418
- Percent Positive - 0.35%
- 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 0.39%
- Patient Hospitalization - 580 (-48)
- Patients Newly Admitted - 58
- Patients in ICU - 149 (-9)
- Patients in ICU with Intubation - 86 (-4)
- Total Discharges - 183,983 (+99)
- Deaths - 5
- Total Deaths - 42,896
- Total vaccine doses administered - 20,372,195
- Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 76,160
- Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 551,410
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 67.9%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 61.1%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 70.4%
- Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 62.3%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 56.2%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 50.1%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 58.3%
- Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 51.0%
MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS ADRIENNE LEVER AS DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT UNIT
Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Adrienne Lever as Director of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit (PEU). Lever has served as Acting Director of PEU since January 2021. Prior to serving as Acting Director, Lever served as PEU’s Senior Advisor for Strategic Capacity Building.
In her role as Director of PEU, Lever will lead coordination between City Hall and various City agencies to connect New Yorkers to critical resources and services. From helping New Yorkers access healthcare and housing to promoting civic engagement, PEU acts as the outreach unit for the Mayor’s Office, enabling New Yorkers in every neighborhood to access New York City’s wide array of City services.
As a seasoned political organizer, Adrienne Lever brings years of experience leading public outreach, community organizing, and civic technology projects. Leveraging her skills and experience from the private, public, nonprofit sectors, Lever will work collaboratively with agency heads and other senior officials from the de Blasio Administration to proactively engage New Yorkers, working to make it easier for New Yorkers to access important City services.
Under Adrienne’s leadership, PEU has scaled its use of peer-to-peer text messaging, relational organizing, and voter registration tools, ultimately reaching millions of New Yorkers over the past year. Through the integration of this outreach technology, PEU and its agency partners have successfully supported New Yorkers facing issues with rent relief, vaccine appointments, health insurance coverage, civic engagement, and other critical benefits.
“The past year deepened the need for New Yorkers to have easy access to crucial City services and resources. We are lucky to have Adrienne Lever leading the City’s coordinated efforts to get New Yorkers in every neighborhood connected, informed, and empowered,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With her expertise in organizing and public outreach, Adrienne will play a pivotal role in making sure that our city’s Recovery for All of Us reaches everyone, including our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”
“Throughout her career, Adrienne has shown a clear dedication to serving the public with thoughtfulness and intention,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Phillip Thompson. “I congratulate her on her appointment and am excited to continue working with Adrienne to ensure equity in the City’s outreach—from COVID-19 vaccine distribution to civic engagement, more broadly.”
“I am honored to work alongside the exceptional team at the Public Engagement Unit, leveraging campaign style outreach tactics and innovative technology to connect New Yorkers to critical resources,” said Adrienne Lever, Director of the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit. “This proactive community outreach is redefining the role of government and its obligation to ensure equitable access to services, and I am so proud to be a part of that effort.”