NEW YORK STATE ISSUES 10th ‘GREENING NEW YORK STATE REPORT’ ON GREEN, SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

 

Report Finds Greener Operations Continue Benefiting New York's Environment and Economy

Three New Green Purchasing Specifications Issued, 15 Others Tentatively Approved to Help Protect New Yorkers from Hazardous Substances and Fight Climate Change

The GreenNY Council today issued the tenth annual Greening New York State Report for 2020-21, documenting the continued progress made by New York State to reduce the environmental footprint of State operations. Highlights of this year's report include a record $300 million invested in green products and services, 4.4 trillion BTUs of energy saving projects completed or underway as part of the BuildSmart 2025 program, and a record 94 percent recycling rate.

The GreenNY Council, co-chaired by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York Power Authority (NYPA), Office of General Services (OGS), and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), issued the report detailing progress on a wide range of sustainability initiatives, many of which save State resources and make operations more resilient. The full report is available online on the State's GreenNY website (https://ogs.ny.gov/greenny/), along with more details about New York's efforts to green State purchasing and operations.

"The Greening New York State Report is documenting New York State’s sustainable actions and investments to reduce the environmental footprint of State agencies," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "We're proud of what we’ve achieved, but recognize there is more work to do. I commend the Interagency Committee for approving the three new green purchasing specifications that will fight climate change, reduce waste, and protect New Yorkers from hazardous substances."

OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “For more than a decade, OGS and our partners in State government have been leading by example and making great strides toward a cleaner, more sustainable New York. We have made it our priority to procure green products and technology and advance energy-saving projects at public facilities. We are especially excited about what comes next as we begin work to implement Governor Hochul’s ambitious plans to electrify the State’s passenger vehicle fleet by 2035.”

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “New York’s agencies and authorities are leading by example when it comes to tackling greenhouse gas emission reductions and combatting climate change. Our new green purchasing specifications will build on our collaborative success to date and further expand our progress within new areas of state government, helping to lower costs and use cleaner and more resilient technologies.”

NYPA Interim President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “Whether it’s enrolling more New York State agencies in our New York Energy Manager to help them monitor their energy use, upgrading transmission infrastructure to integrate more renewable energy into the grid, or employing sustainable land management techniques at our statewide clean energy projects, the New York Power Authority is fully engaged with our state partners and is privileged to help lead the way to a shared sustainable, clean energy future that will have tangible, lasting benefits for all New Yorkers.”

Executive Order 4 directs State agencies and authorities to implement a Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Program and assign an employee to serve as Sustainability and Green Procurement Coordinator. In addition to releasing the report, the Executive Order 4 Interagency Committee gave final approval to three new green purchasing specifications and tentative approval to 15 additional specifications. These specifications will lower the environmental impact of goods and services purchased and used by New York State government, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions ?and reducing exposure to hazardous substances. Approved specifications are:

• Lower Carbon Concrete;
• Menstrual Products; and
• Product Packaging

Specifications given tentative approval include:

• Heating and Cooling Equipment (Heat Pumps);
• Green Cleaning Products (specifications for 13 different types of equipment); and
• Passenger Vehicles.

Specifications that received tentative approval will be posted for a 90-day public comment period before the Interagency Committee considers them for final approval at their next meeting. Today's actions bring the total number of final green purchasing specifications to 79. All green purchasing specifications can be found on the GreenNY website.

In addition to the Executive Order referenced above, other laws, executive orders, and policies have created a strong framework to support New York State government as it works to advance the State's ambitious climate goals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adopt sustainable practices. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), for example, is the most ambitious and comprehensive climate and clean energy law in the country, mandating that the State's power system be 100 percent zero carbon by 2040, and that the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, and 85 percent by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities.  Executive Order 88 requires state agencies and authorities to reduce source energy use in State-owned and managed buildings 20,000 square feet or greater; Executive Order 18 directs New York State executive agencies to eliminate the expenditure of State funds for the purchase of bottled water. And the "New Efficiency: New York" initiative, supported by the Public Service Commission Order of December 2018, establishes a reduction of State agency site energy use of 11 trillion BTUs by 2025 (from the baseline year of 2015) through energy efficiency measures.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Act

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $33 billion in 102 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.

Governor Hochul, Mayor Patterson-Howard, and County Executive Latimer Announce Historic Partnership to Address Longstanding Water Infrastructure Challenges in City of Mount Vernon

 

State to Direct $150 Million to Replace Aging Water and Sewer Infrastructure, Improve Quality of Life and Protect Public Health  

Governor Directs $7 Million to Immediately Launch Engineering, Design, and Construction of 'Third Street' Sewer Project

$8 Million Assistance Package to Fund Emergency Repairs and Jump Start Long-Term Planning for Lead Pipe Replacement    

$3 Million Awarded for Housing Remediation and Resiliency Pilot Program

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a historic $150 million investment and a precedent-setting three-way partnership with Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard and Westchester County Executive George Latimer to immediately advance work to address longstanding water infrastructure and related public health challenges that have plagued the city of Mount Vernon for decades. At an event at Mount Vernon's City Hall, the Governor also announced the immediate launch of the $7 million 'Third Street Sewer Project,' that, when complete, will ensure reliable wastewater service for 500 nearby households currently served by temporary pumps and a makeshift system staged in the street to ensure adequate wastewater collection.

"In too many communities of color like Mount Vernon, critical water infrastructure has been left to fall into disrepair, but today we are setting an example for the nation by advancing environmental justice, improving quality of life for residents, and addressing decades of disinvestment," Governor Hochul said. "When I met with Mayor Patterson-Howard and heard about the seriousness of this crisis in her city, I immediately directed my administration to coordinate with the city and the county and right this systemic wrong. I am so proud of our collective and collaborative efforts to deliver this transformative environmental justice victory."

In December, the Governor announced a $10 million Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program grant award from DEC to Mount Vernon that will improve water quality in the Hutchinson River by upgrading one portion of the city's municipal wastewater outfalls to prevent the discharge of raw sewage. This grant advances work required by the Federal Consent Decree. DEC also awarded a $75,000 Non-Point Planning Grant to support the mapping of Mount Vernon's municipal separate storm sewer systems to prevent polluted runoff from affecting local communities and the environment. In addition, EFC provided two Engineering Planning Grants totaling $200,000 in 2021. Additional State investments to help address Mount Vernon's wastewater infrastructure challenges include a $1.6 million WQIP grant awarded in 2016.

The Fiscal Year 2023 Enacted Budget builds upon New York State's commitments by including more than half a billion dollars in direct investment into clean water initiatives, including:

• $500 million in clean water infrastructure funding, bringing the State's total clean water investment to $4.5 billion since 2017;
• $400 million - a record level of funding - for the Environmental Protection Fund to support critical projects that work to mitigate the effects of climate change, improve agricultural resources, protect water sources, advance conservation efforts and provide recreational opportunities;
• $4.2 billion for the landmark Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. If approved by voters this fall, this historic initiative will provide the support New York State needs to protect and improve our water resources, restore critical environmental habitats, reduce flood risks, conserve additional lands and open spaces, and invest in climate change mitigation projects that will reduce pollution and lower carbon emissions; and
• Additional water quality protections with essential improvements to the State's wetlands protection program, safeguarding an estimated one million additional acres of unprotected wetlands habitat and helping New York adapt to increased flooding and severe storms fueled by climate change.

The Easter Bunny Hops Along Allerton Avenue

 

The day before Easter Sunday, the Easter Bunny was spotted hopping along Allerton Avenue. Officers from the 49th precinct in the area on patrol, stopped to make sure this was the real Easter Bunny hopping along on Allerton Avenue. 

The Easter Bunny met children to have his picture taken with them, and gave out colorful Easter eggs to the children. The  Easter Bunny then stopped in a few of the stores on Allerton Avenue to greet some of the people in them, and have his picture taken with them.

The Easter Bunny was standing outside the Sanz on Allerton Avenue Saturday morning.

Police officers from the 49th Precinct checked out a giant bunny on Allerton Avenue.

Above and below, the Easter Bunny was handing out Easter Eggs to the children from his basket of eggs. 

The Easter Bunny then hopped down the street to greet some of the people in the stores. While the sign said no dogs, it did not say no Easter Bunnies.

At the Hair Studio the Easter Bunny posed with the ladies.

Here the Easter Bunny waits for an egg sandwich with these ladies in the restaurant. 

At the cleaners the Easter Bunny was put to work pressing clothes.

Then it was back outside to meet some more children and give them some Easter eggs.

Peekskill Man Who Identifies As An “Incel” Or “Involuntary Celibate” Is Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Stalking, Threatening, And Harassing Multiple Victims

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that DAVID KAUFMAN, a/k/a “David Khalifa,” a/k/a “John Morray,” a/k/a “Big Man,” a self-identified “Incel,” was sentenced to 30 months in prison, after pleading guilty to stalking multiple victims between October 2019 and August 2020.  U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román imposed today’s sentence. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “David Kaufman, a self-described ‘Incel,’ or ‘Involuntary Celibate,’ expressed his hatred of women by terrorizing and harassing his victims though threats of violence.  The Court’s sentence sends a clear message to the public that perpetrators of violence against women will be held accountable for their crimes.”

According to the Complaint, Indictment, other documents in the public record, as well as statements made in public court proceedings:

KAUFMAN self-identifies as an “Incel” or “Involuntary Celibate,” which refers to a group of domestic extremists who adhere to a violent and misogynist ideology of male supremacy.  Incels believe they are entitled to sex with women and to women’s bodies, and they blame women for refusing to have sex with them.  Incels have an active online community and over the last eight years, Incels also have committed acts of violence against women around the world, including in the United States.  For example, in 2014, a self-proclaimed Incel named Elliot Rodger declared a “War on Women” and killed six people and injured fourteen others near a college campus in California.  Prior to these attacks, Rodger posted a video manifesto online, in which he explained that he planned his attack to punish women for rejecting him and for depriving him of sex, and to punish sexually active men because he envied them.

In or about 2019 and 2020, KAUFMAN harassed, threatened, and stalked numerous victims.  In or about February 2019, KAUFMAN sent a bomb, rape, and death threat to a female victim.  A few months later, beginning in or about October 2019, KAUFMAN sent two victims (“Victim-1” and “Victim-2”), among others, violent and threatening messages using over 50 social media accounts.  In these messages, KAUFMAN self-identified as an Incel, expressed his hatred of women, and threatened to commit acts of violence.  For example:

• On or about June 24, 2020, KAUFMAN sent the following message to Victim-1:  “Hey wanna hear a joke?  What’s worse than 10 Stacy’s nailed to one tree?  One Stacy nailed to ten trees [laughing crying face emoji].”  “Stacy” is an Incel term that refers to an attractive female who rejects or refuses to have sex with an Incel, is hated by Incels, and is targeted by Incels for harassment, vitriol, humiliation, and violence.
• On or about June 29, 2020, KAUFMAN sent a series of messages to Victim-2.  These messages included an image of one of Elliot Rodger’s victims, a deceased female who had been stabbed to death, accompanied by the following message:  “This is what happened when a woman said ‘no’ to Elliot Rodger . . . . Hopefully [Victim-1] never said no to someone just like Elliot Rodger.” 
• In or about July 2020, KAUFMAN posted the following messages:  “Don’t piss off BIG MAN” and “When [Victim-1] and I are dead, we’ll be in heaven together forever.”
• On or about July 11, 2020, KAUFMAN sent the following message to Victim-1:  “Women have done nothing but spit in my face.  Soon I’ll be getting a gun.”
• On or about July 12, 2020, KAUFMAN posted the following messages:  “A beautiful environment is the darkest hell, if you have to experience it all alone . . . –Elliot Rodger” and “I don’t think [Victim-1] will be laughing too much later on."

KAUFMAN also created social media accounts using the first and last names of Victim-1 and Victim-2, respectively, and impersonated Victim-1 and Victim-2 online.

In the summer of 2020, law enforcement officers approached KAUFMAN and told him to stop harassing Victim-1 and Victim-2.  On or about July 14, 2020, KAUFMAN was arrested on state criminal charges and an order of protection was issued in Westchester County prohibiting KAUFMAN from, among other things, communicating or contacting Victim-1 or Victim-2. 

Notwithstanding the court order of protection, state charges, and multiple warnings by law enforcement, KAUFMAN continued to harass, threaten, and stalk Victim-1 and Victim-2 until he was federally charged and arrested in August 2020.  KAUFMAN also conducted online surveillance of Victim-1’s residence and researched how to illegally purchase a gun and assemble a semi-automatic rifle.

In addition to the prison sentence, KAUFMAN, 28, of Peekskill, New York, was sentenced to 3 years supervised release, with first six months of home detention, the conditions of which include orders of protection prohibiting KAUFMAN from, among other things, contacting certain victims and their family members.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.  Mr. Williams also thanked the New York State Police, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Cortlandt County Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, the Peekskill Police Department, the Mt. Pleasant Police Department, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance and cooperation.

Did you save the date? 1 Bronx Pride - Sunday June 19th.

1 Bronx Pride Celebration - The Fight Continues.     Third Avenue Business Improvement District and Clearview Festivals are pleased to present the 2022 Bronx Pride calendar of events and programs.  The culmination of year-long planning based on a platform of equity for the LGBTQ community in the Bronx has resulted in a multi-faceted policy and program agenda that will be celebrated during the 1 Bronx Pride Festival on Sunday, June 19, 2022 in the heart of the downtown Bronx Civic Center at 149th Street and Third Avenue. For June 2022 1 Bronx Pride information, please click here

1 Bronx Pride Guide

Sponsor Opportunities

Want to join the Advisory Council? Click here List in formation

Governor Hochul Announces Major Advancements in LGBTQ+ Equity as Part of FY 2023 State Budget

Includes Historic $13.5 Million in LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services Funding  

Creates a Process for Name or Gender Designation Changes on Marriage Certificates  

National Leader in Requiring All State Agencies to Make Available to the Public 'X' Gender Designation on State Forms   

 Governor Kathy Hochul tonight spoke at the LGBT Community Center 2022 Dinner and announced major advancements in equity initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community as part of the enacted FY 2023 State Budget. The Budget includes $13.5 million for the Department of Health to support the LGBTQ+ community and more than doubles annual LGBTQ+ Health and Human Services funding. It also requires all state agencies that collect information about a person's gender to provide an option for people to mark their gender as 'X' on state forms and include that information in data collection. The budget also enables transgender New Yorkers to change their names or gender designations on marriage certificates without leaving their dead names on them. 

"The work of The LGBT Center is essential in providing a space of value, love and belonging for members of the LGBTQ community, especially queer and trans people of color," Governor Hochul said. "The past two years have been hard for us all, but especially hard for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers who have always been forced to deal with levels of isolation due to homophobia and transphobia. That's why it's so important that our newly enacted budget presses forward in the fight for equality with historic levels of state funding and initiatives for LGBTQ+ equity."

The FY 2023 Budget includes $13.5 million for the Department of Health - an increase of $8 million over the prior fiscal year - to support the LGBTQ+ community and network of providers, with direct health services, cultural competency education and training, organizational capacity building and transgender wellness initiatives. This increase acknowledges the lifesaving work of organizations that serve LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, as well as the additional challenges faced by transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary community members.    

Even after the passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) in 2019, advocates have come forward to speak about the obstacles transgender individuals have faced trying to get a complete name change on their existing marriage certificates. The options available to this community have been to leave the dead name crossed out on the certificate or to get divorced and remarried.  In the Governor's first budget, she enacted legislation to rectify this issue and create an appropriate and affirming way for transgender individuals to change their names or gender designations on their marriage licenses.  

In addition, the Budget included legislation requiring state agencies to provide an option for individuals to mark their gender or sex as a non-binary "X" on all state forms that collect gender or sex information beginning on January 1, 2023. The Department of Labor, Office of Children and Family Services, Office of Temporary Disability Assistance and Division of Criminal Justice Services will have until January 1, 2024. Agencies that are unable to meet the deadline will have to be transparent about their efforts to comply with this policy by posting a public report. With the enactment of this bill and the marriage certificate name change, New York remains a national leader  in ensuring that state records and identification documents truly reflect an individual's identity.     

The Budget also invests $12.5 million — an increase of $3.7 million over the prior fiscal year — to support the Division of Human Rights' efforts in protecting New Yorkers, including the LGBTQ+ community, from unlawful discrimination based on who they are. The Division of Human Rights uses investigation, prosecution, and education to enforce and promote the Human Rights Law, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, race, national origin, disability, and other specified classes.  

Protecting the LGBTQ+ Community  

The FY 2023 State Budget also directs $25 million for Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) grants. Additionally, benefits will be expanded for victims of hate crimes, who will now be able to obtain up to $2,500 in reimbursement - an increase of $2,000 from past years. 

The Division of Human Rights will create a Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, first announced in Governor Hochul's State of the State Address, to provide a coordinated, rapid, and community-focused response to hate and bias incidents. The unit's general charge will include leading efforts around public education and outreach, serving as an early warning detection system in local communities, and rapidly mobilizing to areas and communities in which a bias incident or incidents have occurred.  

The New York State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health & Human Services Network (The Network) is a coalition founded in 1994 and administered by The Center, consisting of 71 LGBT-specific and LGBT-supportive nonprofit organizations that provide care to LGBT New Yorkers and our families.    

Network members support and learn from each other, help build capacity and increase their ability to foster a safer and more supportive state for all LGBT people. For example, recognizing that many transgender clients have varied life experiences—many of which involve a combination of racism, classism and trans- or homophobia—The Network works to improve the quality of resources and care that each organization can offer to this community.       

DEC ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1 MILLION IN GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR HUDSON RIVER ESTUARY COMMUNITIES

 

Grants will Enhance River Access, Education, and Natural Resources Protection

 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced $1.14 million in competitive grant funding is now available to help communities in the Hudson River Estuary watershed increase resiliency to flooding, protect water quality, fish, and wildlife habitat, and improve recreational access and education for all, including people with disabilities and New Yorkers living in communities historically and disproportionately overburdened by environmental pollution.  

“New York continues to make significant investments to improve community resiliency, conserve natural resources, and protect water quality across the state, and the grants announced today will provide a further boost to Hudson River watershed communities,” said Commissioner Seggos. “These grants support Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to improve and expand Hudson River recreation opportunities for people of all abilities, and will increase access to New York’s treasured natural resources along the Hudson River Valley.”

Three types of grant opportunities are available through three Requests for Applications (RFAs): Local Stewardship Planning; River Access; and River Education. The deadline for all applications is June 1, 2022, at 3 p.m. These RFAs are only available online through the NYS Grants Gateway. The Grants Gateway is a web-based grant management system that streamlines how grants are administered by the State.

Hudson River Estuary Access

Approximately $300,000 is available for projects to improve resiliency to flooding and sea-level rise and improve accessibility for people with disabilities at sites for boating, fishing, swimming, and/or wildlife-dependent recreation along the shores of the Hudson River Estuary, including the tidal portion of its tributaries. This funding may be used to develop plans or designs or to purchase equipment, and/or support the construction of physical improvements. The minimum grant award is $10,500, and the maximum grant amount is $75,000. 

River Education

Approximately $240,000 is available to support projects to enhance education about the estuary along the tidal waters of the Hudson and to make opportunities to learn about the Hudson River Estuary more accessible. Funding may be used to design, equip, and/or construct educational facilities, as well as improve programs, materials, and visitor experiences. Funding may also be used to deliver environmental science and conservation education programs to support a paid environmental science research program for high school students, college students, and young adults focused on the Hudson River Estuary ecosystem. The goal is to provide an opportunity for people that may have barriers to otherwise accessing intensive research opportunities and help develop their skills in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). The minimum grant award is $10,500, and the maximum grant amount is $75,000. Additional points are given to projects in in communities historically and disproportionately overburdened by environmental pollution, known as Environmental Justice areas, and projects that support regional economic development strategies.  

 

Local Stewardship Planning

Approximately $600,000 is available for four categories of local projects and programs to support planning for:  

• Creating climate vulnerability assessments, adaptation plans, and strategies for waterfront communities in the Hudson River estuary watershed to adapt to climate risks like flooding, sea-level rise, heat, and drought, including using natural and nature-based solutions and considering social equity;
• Engineering plans/designs to make water infrastructure more resilient to flooding and/or sea-level rise;
• Planning for conservation of natural resources by creating a natural resources inventory, open space inventory/index, open space plan, conservation overlay zone, open space funding feasibility study, or connectivity plan; and
• Water quality monitoring, watershed characterization, and water quality improvement planning and design.

The minimum grant award is $10,500 and the maximum award is $50,000. Additional points are given to projects in Environmental Justice areas and projects that support regional economic development strategies.  

Grants are administered by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and funded by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Among the many environmental victories in the 2022-23 State Budget, Governor Kathy Hochul succeeded in enacting an increase in the EPF from $300 to $400 million, the highest-ever level of funding in the program's history. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects our water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers.

All grant applicants, including government agencies and not-for-profit corporations, must be registered in the NYS Grants Gateway to be eligible to apply for any State grant opportunity. Not-for-profit applicants are required to “prequalify” in the Grants Gateway system. For more information about Grants Gateway, please visit the Grants Management website or contact the Grants Gateway Team at: grantsgateway@its.ny.gov.

General information about these grants is also available on DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5091.html. Completed grant applications must be submitted online through the Grants Gateway by 3 p.m. on June 1, 2022. General questions about the Hudson River Estuary grants application process may be directed to Susan Pepe, Estuary Grants Manager, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-3506; HREPgrants@dec.ny.gov.

Now in its 20th year, the Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021-2025. To date, the Hudson River Estuary Program has awarded 594 grants totaling $25.5 million. To view the Action Agenda and for complete details about the new grant funding, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5091.html on the DEC website.

NYC Launches New Neighborhood Data Website that Will Help Communities Plan a More Equitable Future

 

The New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick joined Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. today to announce the new online Equitable Development Data Explorer. The interactive website, designed to facilitate public engagement around issues of housing affordability, racial equity and community displacement, will serve as a central simple-to-navigate resource for New Yorkers to find critical information about their neighborhoods and equip residents with the data for planning a more equitable future for New York City and its neighborhoods.

“We are at a point in our city where every community must do its part to ensure we finally tackle the housing crisis, and we want to approach this issue equitably and intentionally. The new Equitable Development Data Explorer will be a helpful tool in better understanding the state of our housing needs as we strive to house all New Yorkers,” said New York City Chief Housing Officer Jessica Katz. “I applaud the teams at HPD and DCP for their efforts in bringing this new resource online and look forward to working with them and all communities as we build and preserve the affordable housing our neighbors deserve.”

“With the city’s persistent housing crunch and a worsening national housing crisis, protecting New Yorkers against displacement pressures requires us to act on multiple levels – delivering support to tenants and delivering more housing and jobs across our city. This data explorer is part of our commitment to advancing equity in all our policies, at the citywide and neighborhood scale. We want to thank the City Council, the Racial Equity Coalition, HPD, and so many other partners for helping to lead the way in the creation of a new and important data resource that will help advance equity in our city,” said Dan Garodnick, Director of the Department of City Planning.

“NYC’s new Equitable Development Data Explorer is a powerful tool for integrating race and social equity into conversations about the future of our city,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “I believe that a more fair, affordable city for all New Yorkers starts with community-focused, data-driven dialogue about the challenges and opportunities facing our neighborhoods. This tool will support our conversations and collaborations as we work towards a more equitable future. Thank you to all who provided feedback over the last month and to our partners at the Racial Impact Study Coalition, The Furman Center, and Citizens Housing & Planning Council.”

The new data explorer can be utilized by the public and city planners to inform discussions about equitable development. New Yorkers can use the explorer to generate a visual representation of key neighborhood characteristics to easily explore data about housing, demographic, and public health data, among others. The explorer also allows users to compare this information across neighborhoods and racial and ethnic groups to identify trends and disparities. The Displacement Risk Map, for example, illustrates relevant data sets that may indicate displacement risk like household incomes and rising rents.

Centralizing this information and making it operational for all types of users is one of the many objectives of the data explorer and supports Where We Live NYC, the City’s fair housing plan. For more information on the data explorer, please see this press release, issued by DCP and HPD earlier this year.

Public engagement has been – and will continue to be – essential to helping the City shape and improve the Equitable Development Data Explorer over time. To ensure it’s easy to navigate and understand, DCP and HPD held a series of public meetings and collected written feedback about the data explorer from January through March 2022.

“Our racial impact study law, which passed last year, will fundamentally change how our city approaches land use, how we grow and develop, how we create new opportunities without harming longstanding communities,” said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. “This equitable development data explorer, developed as a result of the law and in line with public input, is an important resource to help New Yorkers initiate discussion of the impact of projects and proposals in their neighborhoods, and for community members, advocates and elected officials to take action to take action to ensure that any development truly advances the needs of their communities without displacing the people and businesses that have helped define it.”

“It is critical for the City and New Yorkers to have a clear understanding of housing affordability, racial equity, and displacement risks within communities in order for our policies to address these priority issues,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “This new data tool and the requirement for certain land use applications to include Racial Equity Reports, established by Council legislation, will help provide communities and City government with the instruments to better evaluate the impact of development. I thank Land Use Chair Salamanca and Public Advocate Williams for championing the legislation, the Racial Impact Study Coalition for their advocacy, and DCP and HPD for its role in implementing these important tools that can help advance equity.”

“Across the country, 20th century housing policies have disproportionately discriminated against black and brown populations, including in communities that many of my colleagues and I represent in the City Council,” stated Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Chair of the Committee on Land Use (17th Council District, The Bronx). “Despite an objective to further fair housing, many communities of color have found that their concerns about being priced out of their neighborhoods were marginalized in discussions about proposed developments. It's with this history in mind that Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and I led the fight for the enactment of Intro 1572. Creating the foundation for a more equitable housing landscape across our city, the legislation crafted a system in which private and city-sponsored applications will have to declare how their projects measure up to the City’s policies for affirmatively furthering fair housing through the issuance of a 'Racial Equity Report on Housing and Opportunity.' Drawing information from the newly created Equitable Development Data Explorer, which launched today, this mandated report has the potential to be a nationwide model for ensuring government and private housing land use actions represent the communities they wish to develop in. I thank Public Advocate Williams, the Department of City Planning, the Department of Housing Preservation & Development, and housing advocates for their partnership in seeing this pivotal moment through.”

“Today RISC celebrates the release of New York City’s Equitable Development Data Explorer, created by the passage of LL 78. For the first time, we have a tool that we can use to see disparities in communities and ground needed debates about the likely impact of proposed new developments. The gap between what we want to know and what information is now available is smaller today. We did this,” the Racial Impact Study Coalition said in a statement. “New Yorkers will be able to use this tool to become more informed on the effect certain land use actions could have on a community or region before it’s too late. Ultimately, the success of this tool will be evaluated on whether the data provided and the conversations it facilitates lead us to more equitable decisions that advance fair housing and address community priorities.”

“As a research organization, Citizens Housing & Planning Council firmly believes that housing and planning policies must be grounded in accessible and transparent data. DCP and HPD are national leaders in using data to reveal and contextualize our issues,” said Sarah Watson, Interim Executive Director for CHPC. “We’re so grateful they are continually committed to launching tools like the Equitable Development Data Explorer so we can make informed decisions about how to steer our housing policies for the most equitable and impactful outcomes.”

The data explorer was developed with active participation from the Racial Impact Study Coalition (RISC), Furman Center, and Citizens Housing & Planning Council (CHPC).

This data explorer is the result of Local Law 78 of 2021, adopted by the City Council last summer. The data explorer also builds on work done over the past several years by DCP and HPD, with support from many other City agencies, to make data related to development more available and to advance more accessible and inclusive planning around community investments.

Per the legislation, the data explorer also supports the creation of Racial Equity Reports for Housing and Opportunity, which will be required for some land use applications entering public review after June 1, 2022. The Reports, which will be prepared by the applicant and reviewed by the public, will draw data from the data explorer and include a narrative statement of how the project relates to the City’s goals to affirmatively further fair housing and promote equitable access to opportunity.

Find out more and explore the new Equitable Development Data Explorer on the DCP and HPD websites.

 Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

Department of Housing Preservation and Development

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is the nation’s largest municipal housing preservation and development agency. Its mission is to promote quality housing and diverse, thriving neighborhoods for New Yorkers through loan and development programs for new affordable housing, preservation of the affordability of the existing housing stock, enforcement of housing quality standards, and educational programs for tenants and building owners. For full details visit www.nyc.gov/hpd and for regular updates on HPD news and services, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @NYCHousing.