ADAMS ADMINISTRATION RELEASES OPEN LETTER SHOWING BROAD SUPPORT FOR MAYOR ADAMS’ EFFORTS TO MAKE NEW YORK A SAFER AND MORE JUST CITY

 

Letter Signed by Coalition of More Than 200 Top Business, Labor, and Civic Leaders in NYC — Representing Over 3 Million Jobs and Workers

 

 The Adams administration today released an open letter from over 200 business, civic, and labor leaders showing broad support for Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to make New York a safer and more just city. The letter comes a week after Mayor Adams put forth a comprehensive Blueprint to End Gun Violence and follows a series of shocking violent crimes across the city.

 

“Making New York a safer city is a prerequisite for prosperity and social justice — and will move us past the multiple crises we’re facing,” said Mayor Adams. “It will take all New Yorkers to help move us forward, and the support from this extraordinary coalition is an indication that we are on the right track.”

 

“The signatories to this letter are leaders in industries that represent more than three million jobs in New York City,” said Kathryn Wylde, president & CEO, Partnership for New York City. “Public safety is the number one concern of employers and workers. We are united behind the mayor’s efforts to reverse the rise in crime.”

 

“Mayor Adams’ focus on making both New Yorkers and tourists feel safe in our city is crucial for New York City’s recovery,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

 

“As an institution focused entirely on the health and wellbeing of our fellow New Yorkers, we applaud the mayor’s leadership in offering new solutions to make our city safer,” said Steven J. Corwin, MD, president and CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

 

“We appreciate and stand with Mayor Adams in his critical efforts to reduce crime and improve public safety,” said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO, UJA-Federation of New York. 

 

“In many ways, public safety is at the root of our city’s economic recovery — it's of course important to bringing visitors and people back to the five boroughs, but it’s also critical to securing investment in New York’s future that lead to the creation of middle-class careers both in construction and across other industries,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “The men and women of the New York City Building Trades stand with Mayor Adams in his call to bring a heightened sense of safety and justice to our streets, and urge leaders at the local, state, and federal level to move quickly to ensure these vital goals are met.”

 

"The mayor's blueprint for public safety is a common-sense approach to New York's crime challenges, pairing essential social services and community-based interventions with appropriate tools for the courts and strategies for police,” said Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals. “I very much urge our city, state, and federal leaders to collaboratively support the mayor’s smart and practical efforts to both tackle crime and ensure fairness in our system of justice.”

 

“We support Mayor Adams’ comprehensive approach to reducing crime and gun violence,” said Rob Speyer and Steven Swartz, co-chairs, Partnership for New York City. “The return of the pre-pandemic vibrancy of our city depends on his success.”

 

“On our buses, in the subway, and in the neighborhoods where we live, transit workers see the need to improve public safety every single day,” said Tony Utano, president, TWU Local 100. “All branches of government must step up and take action, and that includes addressing the mental health crisis more effectively. The mayor’s plan is a big step in the right direction.”

 

“This is a well thought out, comprehensive public safety plan at a time when New Yorkers are looking for action and results,” said Charles Phillips, co-chair, newly formed Mayor’s Corporate Council. “Now is the time to come together around constructive next steps.”

 

“This is an important and historic approach to public safety,” said Stephen Scherr, co-chair, newly formed Corporate Council. “The strength of our city and its continued economic recovery depend on this type of leadership.”

Open Letter in Support of Mayor Adams’ Efforts To Make New York a Safer And More Just City

 

We support Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to reduce crime in New York City. Public safety is the bedrock of a thriving city and, as the mayor has made clear, it is equally necessary to invest in mental health care and alleviate conditions that contribute to violent behavior, including substance abuse, homelessness, and joblessness.

 

The killing of two young police officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, and the dramatic increase in senseless shootings across the five boroughs have elevated the need to get illegal guns off the streets and maximize the ability of law enforcement to function fairly and effectively. The killing of Michelle Go, the Deloitte executive who was pushed under a subway in Times Square, illustrates that illegal guns are only one dimension of a much larger problem.

 

During the pandemic, both crime and quality of life conditions have worsened in the Central Business Districts, in many residential neighborhoods, on the public transit system, and in local shopping strips where small business owners and employees are vulnerable to attack. New York cannot recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic without first restoring the sense of personal security that every resident, worker, visitor, and community in our city has the right to expect.

 

The mayor has taken a courageous position and we all share responsibility to help him carry out his agenda. Governor Kathy Hochul took prompt action to establish an interstate task force and new state office to address the problem of illegal guns. We need to do everything in our power to make New York safe again.

 

Sincerely,

 

Richard Aborn, President, Citizens Crime Commission of New York City

William D. Abramson, Principal, Buchbinder & Warren Realty Group LLC

Pranay Agrawal, Co-Founder & CEO, Fractal Analytics Inc.

Lee S. Ainslie, III, Managing Partner, Maverick Capital

Yo Akatsuka, President & CEO, Nomura Holding America Inc.

Simon Allen, Chief Executive Officer, McGraw-Hill Education, Inc.

Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

Jeffrey H. Aronson, Managing Principal, Centerbridge Partners

Robert Bakish, President & CEO, ViacomCBS Inc.

Linda Baran, President & CEO, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce

Candace K. Beinecke, Senior Partner, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP

Charles R. Bendit, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Taconic Investment Partners LLC

Stephen Berger, Chairman, Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC

William H. Berkman, Co-Chairman & CEO, Radius Global Infrastructure, Inc.

Seth Bernstein, President & CEO, AB

David Beveridge, Senior Partner, Shearman & Sterling, LLP

Michael W. Blair, Presiding Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Jeff T. Blau, Chief Executive Officer, The Related Companies, L.P.

Kathy Bloomgarden, Chief Executive Officer, Ruder Finn, Inc.

Lee Bollinger, President, Columbia University

John Borthwick, Founder & CEO, Betaworks

Albert Bourla, Chairman & CEO, Pfizer Inc.

Greg Bovitz, Chief Executive Officer, Bovitz

LaRay Brown, Chief Executive Officer, One Brooklyn Health System

Kenneth Buckfire, President & Managing Director, Miller Buckfire & Co.

Marty Burger, Chief Executive Officer, Silverstein Properties, Inc.

Frank A. Calamari, President & CEO, Calvary Hospital

Mark Cannizzaro, President, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators 

Donald A. Capoccia, Principal, BFC Partners

Timothy Cawley, Chairman, President & CEO, Con Edison

Kenneth I. Chenault, Chairman & Managing Director, General Catalyst Partners

Richard A.C. Coles, Founder & Managing Partner, Vanbarton Group LLC

Marc Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Partners

Steven Corwin, President & CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

Vijay Dandapani, President & CEO, Hotel Association of New York City

Kenneth L. Davis, President & CEO, Mount Sinai Health System

Anthony J. de Nicola, Chairman, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe

Emma DeVito, President & CEO, VillageCare

Annemarie DiCola, Chief Executive Officer, Trepp, LLC

Jamie Dimon, Chairman & CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

James L. Dolan, Executive Chairman & CEO, The Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company

William R. Dougherty, Chairman, Executive Committee, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Michael Dowling, President & CEO, Northwell Health

Douglas Durst, Chairman, Durst Organization Inc.

Blair W. Effron, Co-Founder, Centerview Partners

Joel S. Ehrenkranz, Partner and Co-Founder, Ehrenkranz Partners L.P.

Douglas F. Eisenberg, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, A&E Real Estate, LLC

Steven Ellis, Chairman of the Firm, Proskauer

Christopher Erikson, Business Manager, Local 3 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Jeffrey Farber, President & CEO, The New Jewish Home

Alexander Farman-Farmaian, Vice Chairman, Portfolio Manager, Edgewood Management LLC

Sean Feeney, Co-Owner of Lilia & Misi and Co-Founder, Grovehouse

Laurence D. Fink, Chairman & CEO, BlackRock

Peter Finn, Founding Partner, Finn Partners

Winston C. Fisher, Partner, Fisher Brothers

Alan H. Fishman, Founder, Willow Holdings, Inc.

Robert B. Fiske, Jr., Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Bruce J. Flanz, President & CEO, MediSys Health Network

Charles Flateman, Chair, NYC & Company and Vice President of Marketing, The Shubert Organization, Inc.

William E. Ford, Chairman & CEO, General Atlantic LLC

Jane Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, Citi

Adena Friedman, President & CEO, Nasdaq

Miguel A. Fuentes, Jr., President & CEO, BronxCare Health System

Kenneth M. Garschina, Principal, Mason Capital Management, LLC

Peter Gelb, General Manager, The Metropolitan Opera

Jeff Gennette, Chairman & CEO, Macy's, Inc.

Michael Gerstenzang, Managing Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Thomas P. Gibbons, Chief Executive Officer, BNY Mellon

Kenneth Gibbs, President & CEO, Maimonides Medical Center

MaryAnne Gilmartin, Founder & CEO, MAG Partners LP

Dan Glaser, President & CEO, Marsh McLennan

Timothy Gokey, Chief Executive Officer, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

Eric Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer, UJA Federation of New York

James P. Gorman, Chairman & CEO, Morgan Stanley

Barry M. Gosin, Chief Executive Officer, Newmark

Thomas J. Grech, President & CEO, Queens Chamber of Commerce

David G. Greenfield, Chief Executive Officer, Met Council

David J. Greenwald, Chairman, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP

Efraim Grinberg, Chairman & CEO, Movado Group, Inc.

Stewart KP Gross, Managing Director, Lightyear Capital

Robert I. Grossman, The Saul J. Farber Dean and CEO, NYU Langone Health

Christopher Grosso, Chief Executive Officer, Intersection

Samer Hamadeh, Founder & CEO, Zeel

Andrew Hamilton, President, New York University

Kathryn Haslanger, Chief Executive Officer, JASA

Robin Hayes, Chief Executive Officer, JetBlue Airways Corporation

H. Dale Hemmerdinger, Chairman, Atco Properties & Management, Inc.

Matthew Heyd, Rector, Church of the Heavenly Rest

Matthew Hiltzik, President & CEO, Hiltzik Strategies, LLC

Leslie W. Himmel, Managing Partner, Himmel + Meringoff Properties LLC

Marc Holliday, President & CEO, SL Green Realty Corp.

Brian T. Horey, President, Aurelian Management

Chris Hughes, Co-Founder, Economic Security Project

Donna Imperato, Chief Executive Officer, BCW

Jerry Jacobs Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Delaware North Companies, Inc.

Kenneth M. Jacobs, Chairman & CEO, Lazard

Alan Jones, Senior Managing Director, Intermediate Capital Group plc

Julie H. Jones, Chair, Ropes & Gray LLP

John Josephson, Chairman & CEO, Sesac

Brad S. Karp, Chair, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Mitchell Katz, President & CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals

Charles R. Kaye, Chief Executive Officer, Warburg Pincus LLC

Richard A. Kennedy, President & CEO, Skanska USA Inc.

Andrew Klaber, President, Bedford Ridge Capital

Paul Knopp, U.S. Chair & CEO, KPMG LLP

Jack Kopnisky, President & CEO, Sterling Bancorp

Philippe Krakowsky, Chief Executive Officer, Interpublic Group

Henry R. Kravis, Co-Founder & Executive Co-Chairman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Jeremy M. Kroll, Co-CEO, Founder & President, K2 Integrity

Barbara Armand Kushner, President, Armand Corporation

Gary LaBarbera, President, Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York

Scott LaRue, President & CEO, ArchCare

Rochelle B. Lazarus, Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

Kewsong Lee, Chief Executive Officer, The Carlyle Group

Joey Levin, Chief Executive Officer, IAC

Allan Levine, Chairman & CEO, Global Atlantic Financial Company

Robert A. Levine, Chairman, RAL Companies & Affiliates LLC

Pamela Liebman, President & CEO, The Corcoran Group, Inc.

Judge Jonathan Lippman, Former Chief Judge of New York

Martin Lipton, Senior Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Robert P. LoCascio, Founder & CEO, LivePerson, Inc.

George Loening, Chairman, CEO & Founder, Select Equity Group, Inc.

Roger Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, Condé Nast

Mehdi Mahmud, CEO & President, First Eagle Investment Management, LLC

Tracy V. Maitland, President, Advent Capital Management, LLC

Anthony Malkin, Chairman, President & CEO, Empire State Realty Trust

Anthony E. Mann, President & CEO, E-J Electric Installation Co.

Lynn Martin, President, NYSE

Ted Mathas, Chairman & CEO, New York Life Insurance Company

Sandeep Mathrani, Chief Executive Officer, WeWork

Shuji Matsuura, Chief Executive Officer, Mizuho Americas

Peter W. May, President & Founding Partner, Trian Partners

Charles R. McCall, Chief Executive Officer, Astoria Energy II LLC & Astoria Energy LLC

Andrew McMahon, CEO & President, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Anish Melwani, Chairman & CEO, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Inc.

Avner Mendelson, President & CEO, Bank Leumi USA

Daniel J. Messina, President & CEO, Richmond University Medical Center

Marc Metrick, President & CEO, Saks Fifth Avenue

Michael Miebach, Chief Executive Officer, Mastercard

Melva M. Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Association for a Better New York

Ken Moelis, Chairman and CEO, Moelis & Company

Daniel Moore, President & CEO, Rockefeller Group International, Inc.

Deanna M. Mulligan, Chief Executive Officer, Purposeful

Liz Neumark, Chair & Founder, Great Performances

Melissa O'Connor, President & CEO, Retail Council of New York State

Philip Ozuah, President & CEO, Montefiore Health System

Randy Peers, President & CEO, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce

David Perlstein, President & CEO, SBH Health System

Douglas L. Peterson, President & CEO, S&P Global

Michael A. Peterson, Chairman & CEO, Peter G. Peterson Foundation

Charles E. Phillips, Jr., Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Recognize

Michael Phillips, President, Jamestown Properties LLC

Deirdre Quinn, Co-Founder & CEO, Lafayette 148 New York

Andrew Rabinowitz, Co-Chief Executive Officer, K2 Integrity

Daniel Ramot, Co-Founder & CEO, Via

Kenneth Raske, President, Greater New York Hospital Association

Steven L. Rattner, Chairman & CEO, Willett Advisors LLC

Scott H. Rechler, Chairman & CEO, RXR 

Daniel Reingold, President & CEO, RiverSpring Living/The Hebrew Home at Riverdale

Christiana Riley, Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Bank Americas

Michael M. Roberts, President & CEO, HSBC Bank USA

James D. Robinson, Co-Founder & General Partner, RRE Ventures

Ramon Rodriguez, President & CEO, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

Evan Roth, Co-Chief Executive Officer, BBR Partners, LLC

Steven Roth, Chairman & CEO, Vornado Realty Trust

Steven Rubenstein, President, Rubenstein Communications, Inc.

William C. Rudin, Co-Chairman & CEO, Rudin Management Company, Inc.

Kevin P. Ryan, Founder & CEO, AlleyCorp

Tim Ryan, U.S. Chair & Senior Partner, PwC

John Sabey, Chief Executive Officer, Sabey Corporation/Sabey Datacenters

Scott Salmirs, President & CEO, ABM Industries Inc.

Charles W. Scharf, CEO & President, Wells Fargo & Company

Saul Scherl, President, New York Tri-State Region, The Howard Hughes Corporation

Michael Schmidtberger, Partner & Chair of the Executive Committee, Sidley Austin LLP

Alan D. Schnitzer, Chairman & CEO, The Travelers Companies, Inc.

Martin Schroeter, Chief Executive Officer, Kyndryl Inc.

Alan D. Schwartz, Executive Chairman, Guggenheim Partners, LLC

Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder, Blackstone

Frank Scremin, Chief Executive Officer, LaGuardia Gateway Partners

Kathleen Shanahan, Chief Executive Officer, Turtle & Hughes, Inc.

Louis Shapiro, President and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery

Jeff Shell, Chief Executive Officer, NBCUniversal

Tarek Sherif, Co-Founder, Medidata Solutions, Inc.

Betsy Smith, President & CEO, Central Park Conservancy

David M. Solomon, Chairman & CEO, Goldman Sachs

Jeffrey M. Solomon, Chair & CEO, Cowen

Lisa Sorin, President, The Bronx Chamber of Commerce

Rob Speyer, President & CEO, Tishman Speyer

Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman & CEO, American Express

Charlotte St. Martin, President, The Broadway League Inc.

Robert K. Steel, Vice Chair, Perella Weinberg Partners

Barry Stern, President & CEO, New York Community Hospital

Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Executive Director, The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York

Steven R. Swartz, President & CEO, Hearst

Jose L. Tavarez, President, Bank of America New York City  

Gary G. Terrinoni, President & CEO, The Brooklyn Hospital Center

Owen D. Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Boston Properties

Craig B. Thompson, President & CEO, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Mary Ann Tighe, Chief Executive Officer, NY Tri-State Region, CBRE, Inc.

James S. Tisch, President & CEO, Loews Corporation

Gary M. Tischler, Founder & Managing Partner, Vanbarton Group LLC

Paul Todd, Chief Executive Officer, GLG

Joseph Ucuzoglu, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte

Tony Utano, President, Transport Workers Union of America, Greater NY Local 100

Robert Vecchio, Chief Executive Officer, LPI, Inc.

Ellis Verdi, President, DeVito/Verdi

James R. Wacht, President, Lee & Associates NYC

George H. Walker, Chairman & CEO, Neuberger Berman Group LLC

Jessica Walker, President & CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Gerard M. Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, Episcopal Health Services, Inc.

Philip Waterman III, Managing Partner, WatermanCLARK, LLC

Charles Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer, Eisner Advisory Group LLC

Daniel Weiss, President & CEO, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

James Whelan, President, The Real Estate Board of New York 

Valerie D. White, Executive Director, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Jeff Wilpon, Partner, Sterling Equities

David Winter, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Standard Industries Inc.

Robert Wolf, Chief Executive Officer, 32 Advisors LLC

Kathryn S. Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City

Strauss Zelnick, Partner, ZMC

Michael Zetlin, Senior Partner, Zetlin & De Chiara LLP

Mitchell Zuklie, Chairman, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Mayor Adams Visits Jacobi Hospital to Announce New COVID Policy

 

Mayor Adams Visits Jacobi Hospital to Announce New COVID Policy

By Robert Press

Sunday morning Mayor Eric Adams visited Jacobi Hospital for the second time in a week. Last week after the Emergency Room shooting Mayor Adam visited Jacobi Hospital to ensure everything was back to normal. 

Today's visit was to announce along with Doctors Chokshi, Katz, and Long that the city is winning the fight against the COVID-19. "There has been a decrease of more than 80% in the amount of cases in the city since early January, and that 75% of all New Yorkers are fully vaccinated - way ahead of the national average" said Mayor Adams. The mayor added that the city is offering high risk New Yorkers free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to prevent serious illness and keep people out of the hospital.  

On hand were NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi  who said that the city must continue to do all it can to prevent needless suffering and death caused by COVID-19 to help keep New Yorkers safe and healthy. NYC Health and Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz said that the public health care system is seeing a decline in COVID-19 admissions, but are still very busy treating severely ill patients. NYC Test and Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long said that he was waiting for the day that he could give patients a pill that could save their life to fight COVID-19, and now it can be done by calling your doctor to prescribe the new COVID-19 antiviral pill. Dr. Long added for those without a doctor they can call the hotline at 212-COVID19 to be connected to NYCHHC Virtual ExpressCare and talk to a health provider.

There was a small demonstration of about twenty Jacobi nurses and other staff holding signs that they do not feel safe anymore inside Jacobi Hospital after the shooting, that more security, and other vital supplies that are in short supply are needed. The mayor said that issue would be addressed after the press conference. Dr. Katz met with the staff afterwards to make note of the issues. 

During questioning from the media, this reporter was able to ask Mayor Adams about the Fair Share issue of siteing three Single Adult Homeless Men's Shelters in Community Board 11 by former Mayor de Blasio. The fact that the Department of Homeless Services has a policy of not placing more than 25% of a community board's homeless responsibility as Single Adult Men was being ignored, whereas the three shelters would be up to 75% of CB 11's homeless responsibility. Mayor Adams said he would check with the DHS on the matter, and they would get back to me. CB 11 has a public hearing on the third Single Adult Men's Shelter to be located at the corner of White Plains Road and Bronxdale Avenue, Thursday night February 3rd. For more information you can call CB 11 District Manager Jeremy Warneke at the board office 718-892-6262 for more information, and to sign up to speak at the public hearing to be held at Maestros on Bronxdale Avenue.

Mayor Adams speaking with Doctors Long, Katz, and Chokshi (L - R) seated. 

NYC Health Commissioner Doctor Chokshi tells of the new COVID-19 Antiviral pill.

NYCHHC President and CEO Doctor Katz speaks of declining COVID-19 cases in NYC hospitals.

NYC Test and Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Long tells of having your doctor or how to get a city doctor to prescribe the new COVID-19 anti viral pill.

Nurses and staff from Jacobi Hospital hold signs saying that they do not feel safe anymore inside the hospital after the shooting in the emergency room.

Mayor Adam answering this reporter's question.

MAYOR ADAMS APPOINTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEADERSHIP TEAM

 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the team who will lead his administration’s affordable housing strategy. Jessica Katz will lead the team as the city’s chief housing officer. Adolfo Carrión Jr. will serve as commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Eric Enderlin will continue serving as the president of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

During the announcement, the mayor reiterated his support for several measures that will help the city build housing and reduce costs, including:

• Upzoning areas with robust infrastructure and around major transit hubs, as well as creating new housing supply around the five boroughs;

• Legalizing basement apartment dwellings, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and other small units; and
• Converting underused hotels and office buildings into affordable housing.

 

“I said from day one of my campaign that we are going to end the housing affordability crisis, and this is the team of extraordinary leaders who will do just that,” said Mayor Adams. “This team has a clear mission: To create, preserve, and maintain safe, affordable housing that will build a more equitable city. I know they will ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New York and deliver the housing New Yorkers deserve.”

 

“The city’s affordable housing crisis demands a dedicated leader and an effective team,” said First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo. “This group of leaders is empowered to drive the city’s efforts to create and maintain safe, affordable housing throughout the five boroughs for all.”

 

“As a lifelong advocate for safe, affordable housing, I’m grateful to Mayor Adams and incredibly honored to be leading his housing agenda,” said Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “From expanding our housing supply across the city to ensuring families have easier access to stable homes and finally fixing NYCHA with resident voices at the center of the conversation, there’s a lot to do. It is our responsibility to ensure all New Yorkers have an affordable place to live, and I’m ready to get to work, fighting to achieve this for every one of our neighbors.”

 

“Thank you, Mayor Adams, for the opportunity to return to public service and work with you, the great team you have assembled, and the dedicated public servants at HPD, so we can build a city that works for everyone. There is no greater responsibility we share than to build nurturing communities that provide families an affordable and safe place to live and an opportunity to move up the economic ladder,” said incoming HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “My parents came from Puerto Rico in the 1950s and moved into a tenement basement apartment in Williamsburg, then into NYCHA’s Jacob Riis Houses and HUD-assisted Haven Plaza on the Lower East Side, and then, with the help of an FHA mortgage, to our first home in the North Bronx. This was all possible because our city and country invested in us. Now we must do the same for this generation. We’re going to work hard to create neighborhoods of opportunity, where families have a chance to get ahead.”

 

“I want to thank Mayor Adams for appointing me to lead the incredible team at HDC,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “We look forward to bringing our deep experience in innovative finance to help create more housing and preserve our city’s existing affordable and public housing stock. Safe, high-quality, affordable housing is crucial to the success of our city, and I am extremely proud to be a part of this team that will work tirelessly toward the goal of ensuring every New Yorker has a stable place to call home.”

 

Mayor Adams’ full list of appointees is below:

 

Jessica Katz, Chief Housing Officer

 

Jessica Katz will serve as chief housing officer, overseeing the city’s housing agencies and affordable housing strategy. Her portfolio will include HPD, HDC, NYCHA, the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations (HRO), and the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT). She will report to First Deputy Mayor Lorraine Grillo.

 

Katz was most recently the executive director of the Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC), an 80-year-old research and advocacy organization focused on housing and planning issues in New York City. At CHPC, she led a policy and research agenda that included projects, such as basements apartment conversions, a New Lens for NYC’s Housing Plan, Resident Decision-Making at NYCHA, Equitable Code Enforcement, and many other initiatives.

 

Before CHPC, Katz was with HPD, where she most recently served as the associate commissioner for New Construction. In that role, she oversaw the creation of affordable and special needs housing. She has held a variety of roles at HPD, including as assistant commissioner of Special Needs Housing, senior advisor to the commissioner, and assistant commissioner for Preservation Finance. Katz began her career with HPD in 2003 and started as the production manager for Special Needs Housing, gaining in-depth experience in the creation of housing for seniors and New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. She left HPD in 2009 to become the executive director of Lantern Group, a not-for-profit that operates social service programs across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, as well as 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing.

 

Katz received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Geography from McGill University and went on to receive a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Adolfo Carrión Jr., Commissioner, Department of Housing Preservation and Development

 

Adolfo Carrión Jr. is the CEO and founder of Metro Futures LLC, a real estate development and consulting firm, whose focus is the development of affordable housing, mixed-use and economic development projects, and strategic planning in the New York City Metro Area.

 

Carrión has spent his professional career working to build and improve historically marginalized communities in the Bronx, in other areas of New York City, and around the country. Before starting Metro Futures, Carrión served as regional administrator for Region II of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, deputy assistant to President Barack Obama, and director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs. Carrión’s work resulted in the establishment of a White House Urban Policy Working Group and the first interagency review in 30 years of federal government policy and funding in U.S. urban and metropolitan areas. Prior to his tenure in the federal government, Carrión served as Bronx Borough President and as a member of the New York City Council. His work as Borough President ushered in a new era of building and growth in the Bronx that increased investment in housing, schools, millions of square feet of commercial space, the new Yankee Stadium, and new businesses. Carrión also served as president of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellows alumnus, and has served on numerous boards for non-profit and government entities. He also served as executive vice president of Stagg Group, a housing development and management firm, and senior advisor for Corporate Development to the CSA Group, the largest Hispanic-owned architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.

 

Carrión received his Bachelor of Arts from the King’s College and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Hunter College.

 

Eric Enderlin, President, Housing Development Corporation

 

Eric Enderlin has served as president of HDC since October 2016. In this role, Enderlin is tasked with leading the nation’s largest municipal Housing Finance Agency to help ensure a fairer and more equitable city through the creation and preservation of affordable housing. He also recently led HDC through an expansion of its mission to now serve as the key financing partner in efforts to rehabilitate New York City’s public housing stock, while guaranteeing affordability and resident protections.

 

Enderlin brings more than 20 years of experience in public policy and affordable housing to HDC. He most recently served as deputy commissioner for Development and special advisor at HPD. Prior to joining HPD, he was assistant director for Asset Management and Private Market Operations at NYCHA, worked as a consultant with the Louis Berger Group in its Economics Department, and served as principal planner and land use mediator with the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (NJ COAH).

 

Enderlin holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a Master of Science in urban planning and policy, both from Rutgers University.

 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JANUARY 30, 2022

 

Statewide Cases Have Dropped 90% Since January 7 Peak

Hospitalizations Declined by More than 550 in Past 24 Hours; Down Across All Regions and Among All Age Groups

124 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.     

"New Yorkers are doing the right thing - getting vaccinated and receiving their booster, wearing their masks, and staying home when they're sick," Governor Hochul said. "The winter surge plan, too, is working to ensure we manage COVID-19 after the peak of Omicron and keep New Yorkers healthy and safe. The vaccine is safe, effective, free, and readily available all over the state. If you haven't taken advantage of it yet, I encourage you to do so immediately - it's the best weapon we have in this fight against the pandemic."   

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Test Results Reported - 173,385
• Total Positive - 8,781
• Percent Positive - 5.06%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.92% 
• Patient Hospitalization - 7,117 (-558)   
• Patients Newly Admitted - 727
• Patients in ICU - 1,177 (-9)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 709 (-6)  
• Total Discharges - 272,065 (+1,209)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 124
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 52,873

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 65,427

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.     

• Total vaccine doses administered - 35,872,379
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 40,478
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 405,739
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 90.9%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 82.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 84.5% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 80.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 71.8% 
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 87.5%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 74.0%   

Long Island Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking

 

 Earlier this week, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Donta Riddick pleaded guilty to possession of heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute on September 15, 2020.  Riddick also admitted to the distribution of heroin and fentanyl on September 13, 2020 that caused the death of a 21-year old resident of Massapequa, New York.  As part of his guilty plea, Riddick agreed to a sentence of 198 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years’ supervised release, subject to the Court’s approval.  Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Timothy Foley, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the guilty plea.

“Today, the defendant admitted to trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a young woman on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “The opioid epidemic and the tragic overdose deaths of so many have had a devastating impact on our communities. This Office, together with our federal and local partners, will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute and hold accountable those who contribute to this serious problem.”

“The facts of the case clearly demonstrate fentanyl’s lethal nature.  Today’s guilty plea culminates one of many DEA investigations targeting drug trafficking rings whose illegal actions contribute to the rising drug-related overdose rates. I commend the investigators and prosecutors involved in this case,” stated DEA Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Foley.

“Defendant Donta Riddick did intentionally sell illegal drugs to a young woman who ultimately passed from an overdose of those drugs which were laced with deadly fentanyl. The multi-agency investigation led to the arrest of the defendant which removes a dangerous drug dealer from our communities.  I would like to thank and congratulate all of the investigators and those respective agencies for a job well done,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.

According to court filings and statements made by the defendant at the guilty plea proceeding, on the night of September 13, 2020, Riddick sold fentanyl-laced heroin to the victim, who suffered a fatal overdose at a motel in Massapequa the following morning.  A review of the victim’s cell phone by law enforcement revealed text messages she exchanged with Riddick in which she appeared to be ordering heroin from the defendant.  On September 15, 2020, during the subsequent investigation by the DEA and NCPD, Riddick was arrested in possession of street-level quantities of the same fentanyl-laced heroin that had caused the death of the victim the day before.

Statement from NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy on Democrats’ Brazen & Outrageous Gerrymandering of New York’s Congressional Districts

 

“These maps are the most brazen and outrageous attempt at rigging the election to keep Nancy Pelosi as Speaker. Voters spoke loud and clear in rejecting their partisan power grab last year and in 2014, but Democrats are circumventing the will of the people. They can’t win on the merits so they’re trying to win the election in a smoke-filled room rather than the ballot box. Governor Hochul herself admitted she would collude with Washington Democrats to ensure that Joe Biden has the votes for his failed, socialist agenda. For all of their phony protestations about transparency and fairness in elections, what they’re doing is textbook filthy, partisan gerrymandering that is clearly in violation of the New York State Constitution. We are reviewing all of our legal options to protect the voices of millions of New Yorkers.” 

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES COVID-19 CASES DOWN, VACCINATIONS UP, AND ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR FREE AT-HOME DELIVERY

 

NYC COVID-19 Cases Down Over 80 Percent Since Early January 

More Than 75 Percent of All New Yorkers Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19, More Than 11 Percent Ahead of National Average

 

Different Treatment Options Available to New Yorkers With COVID-19, Including Free Same-Day Delivery of Antiviral Medications

 

COVID-19 Antiviral Therapeutics and Monoclonal Antibody Treatments Effective at Preventing Severe Outcomes, Especially for High-Risk New Yorkers

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced multiple new milestones in the fight against COVID-19, which includes a massive decrease in COVID-19 cases, a landmark milestone met in vaccination rates, and free at-home delivery options of COVID-19 treatments. Mayor Adams was joined by city health officials at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx to make clear that New Yorkers are winning in the fight against COVID-19, and encouraged them to take advantage of available options to reduce transmission rates and help them quickly recover from COVID-19. One treatment for COVID-19 — oral antiviral pills — is now available for free, same-day, at-home delivery through the Health Department’s pharmacy partner, Alto Pharmacy. Both oral antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies have been proven to be effective at reducing severe outcomes, like hospitalization and death, and are available for those who test positive for COVID-19 and have mild to moderate symptoms.

 

“Not only is New York City winning in the fight against COVID-19, but we are bringing even more help right to New Yorkers’ front doors to continue beating this pandemic,” said Mayor Adams. “We’ve not only decreased the amount of cases by more than 80 percent since early January, but hit a new milestone with 75 percent of all New Yorkers fully vaccinated — way ahead of the national average. We’re also offering high-risk New Yorkers, free, at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to prevent serious illness and keep people out of the hospital. I urge all eligible New Yorkers to take advantage of this service, and for every New Yorker to stay up to date with their vaccines and boosters.  This is about saving lives and getting our city moving again.”

 

Treatment is most effective when started soon after symptom onset, so the Health Department recommends that New Yorkers get tested right away if they feel sick. Due to limited supply of both monoclonal antibody treatments and antiviral pills, these treatments are prioritized for those who have tested positive and are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. New Yorkers who test positive should contact their doctor or call 212-COVID19 to be connected to care and to discuss treatment options available to them.

 

“We must continue to do all we can to prevent needless suffering and death caused by COVID-19,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “These treatments — combined with high-quality masks, vaccination, testing, and our other public health precautions — help us to defang the virus and keep New Yorkers safe and healthy.”

 

“Our city’s public health care system is seeing a decline in COVID-19 hospital admissions, but we are still very busy treating severely ill patients,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Free, at-home delivery of these antiviral pills will keep high-risk New Yorkers out of the hospital so we can immediately free up critical resources.”

 

“As a primary care doctor right here in the Bronx, for the past two years I’ve been fighting to help my patients with COVID, and dreaming of the day when I could give them a pill that could save their life,” said Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at New York City Health + Hospitals and NYC Test & Trace Corps Executive Director Dr. Ted Long. “Today, that day is finally here — and we’ll even deliver that pill to your home to remove all barriers to New Yorkers getting this life-saving treatment. As always, if you don’t have a doctor that can prescribe these medicines for you, Test & Trace is here to help. Anyone can call our hotline at 212-COVID19 to be connected to NYC Health + Hospital’s Virtual ExpressCare and talk to a healthcare provider.”

 

“We’re honored to be able to support the city in the fight against COVID-19,” said Matt Gamache-Asselin, co-founder, Alto Pharmacy. “Our team is working around the clock to get antivirals to New Yorkers who need them.”

 

About Treatment Options

Oral antiviral pills — taken daily for five days — help to stop the virus from reproducing, which reduces the amount of virus in the body and prevents symptoms from getting worse. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized two oral antiviral pills to treat COVID-19: Paxlovid and Molnupiravir.

 

Monoclonal antibody treatments are a one-time injection or intravenous treatment that offer antibody protection while the body works to produce its own antibodies. Monoclonal antibody treatments, such as Sotrovimab, are effective against the Omicron variant and are for patients who have mild to moderate symptoms for 10 days or less but are at high-risk for severe illness.

 

New Yorkers who have symptoms and test positive should contact their health care provider or call 311 to be connected to medical care, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. New Yorkers can also talk to a NYC Health + Hospitals doctor by visiting ExpressCare and clicking on “Talk to a Doctor Now,” or by calling 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319).

 

About Alto Pharmacy

Alto is a leading telehealth pharmacy with pharmacist support and free same-day delivery across the five boroughs to ensure New Yorkers have access to treatment regardless of location or access to transportation. Alto is currently the city’s exclusive provider of oral antiviral pulls until supply increases to sufficiently stock multiple pharmacy providers. They provide care seven days a week on their app, over text and on the phone: (800)-874-5881.

 

Get Vaccinated and stay up to date!

A fully vaccinated person is much less likely to get sick or spread the virus that causes COVID-19, especially if they have their booster shot. To find a vaccination site, visit nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).

 

Get Tested!

Testing remains an important part of reducing the spread of COVID-19. If you are feeling ill, believe you have been exposed, or have recently traveled or attended a gathering, visit nyc.gov/covidtest, text “COVID TEST” to 855-48, or call 311 to find a testing site near you.

 

Mask Up!

All individuals, regardless of vaccination status or past COVID-19 infection, should wear a mask at all times when indoors and in public settings. All masks should cover the nose and the mouth and rest snugly above the nose — below the mouth — and on the sides of the face. Higher quality masks — such as KN95s, KF94s, or N95s — offer an additional layer of protection.

 

Stay Home!

If you are feeling sick, you should stay home and leave only to seek appropriate medical care and testing. If you are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection — such as those with underlying health conditions — avoid crowded settings, particularly indoor gatherings. Gathering with others increases the risk of COVID-19, especially if not everyone is vaccinated.

 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on Winter Storm

 

Governor Hochul: "I want to thank New Yorkers for listening to us and literally staying off the roads, staying home at a critical time when we needed to be out there with the early salting and then the removal of snow while the snow is coming down at such a rapid pace. We're in a much better place than people would have anticipated. And it sure helped to have it happen on a weekend as opposed to during our normal commuting days. So, this was a fortunate circumstance, but it's all about preparation. You can't control the weather, but you can control how prepared you are. We were extremely prepared with our response, and we have a lot of seasoned professionals."

  We had no service disruptions based on weather from the MTA, the LIRR, the Metro North line. It was really quite incredible. I just got off a zoom call with the head of the MTA, Janno Lieber, as well as the head of the DOT, and our emergency response team. Our State Police have been in constant communication with them, and everyone just because they were prepared, they knew what to do. We were ready for the worst case scenario, you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And yes, it was a disruption. But again, luckily we didn't need these lines, they were not as heavily used because it was a weekend as opposed to a regular commuting days. So that was a real blessing as well, to get the the big storm to hit on a weekend. Can't always count on that.

But you can't control the weather, but you can control your preparation and your response. And that's where I give our team high marks, as well as like I said, if New Yorkers hadn't listened to us, and they were all over the roads and driving around, there would've been a lot more stranded people and cars off the road. I've lived through this, through major, major storms in Buffalo, managing emergency response efforts up there. So, this was very well handled and it looks like the sun is out there shining now and shining on everyone.

We have in terms of how high it had been, just literally earlier this month, we had a 23 percent statewide infection rate. And now, that infection rate is down to about 6.9%. Extraordinary drops, still much higher than we were in early December or November before Omicron hit. So we're watching in comparison to what we've been in the fall. During most of the fall, New York City was at about a one or two percent infection rates. So we're getting there, and this, is people needed just need to hang on. We are absolutely turning the corner. Tremendous progress has been made. The more people get vaccinated, especially our children, I'm so looking forward to the day when we don't have to have masks on anybody, and our kids don't have to deal with this, but one way that we can help get to that day sooner is keeping the infections down, and the other one is getting more people vaccinated, and especially our kids.

So, to everybody who's been anxious, everyone I know is anxious to feel some sense of normal, we are going to have to continue to be vigilant. This is not over. But in the meantime people should be proud of the accomplishments we have. We are far better off than many other states right now. So those numbers are trending in a great direction, also watching very closely our hospitalization rates. Those are down, down another you know, down 2,700, just from last week alone. We are now at a much lower number than we were. We had 12,000 people in the hospital, literally two weeks ago. So we are doing much better and I liked the way the numbers are looking. And we're going to get there.

 Well, people are doing the smart things. Everywhere people go, they're wearing the masks. I'm seeing a lot more in N95s on people, which are a little higher level of protection. The restaurants and establishment where you have to be vaccinated to go into, or wear a mask, I mean, this is why, one of the reasons why we have a low infection rate. So continue. I was out for dinner and, you know, as we shoveled a little bit and got out, we were out at a restaurant last night, I just wanted to show support.

Please continue to support our restaurants and Broadway, and all of our cultural attractions, because there is a smart way to do it. You have any symptoms, stay home. Do you have any concerns? Get a test kit. Otherwise, if you're a vaccinated and boosted and masked up, there's no reason not to get out there. Our businesses really need the help. I'm going to be continuing to be out there supporting all the institutions that make the City in this region so fantastic, letting people know, I believe it's safe, because we're all taking the right precautions. We cannot stop living our lives. They can not let our businesses be hurt.

And as I said, from the very beginning, My job is to protect the health of New Yorkers, but also the health of the business community. And we all have a part to play to help them get back on their feet.