Dear New Yorker,

 

Happy Earth Day! This week was "Earth Week" in City Hall. Mayor Adams opened a rooftop farm on Staten Island to grow organize produce + absorb storm water, as well as four new and remediated fields in the Red Hook Recreation Area in Brooklyn. The Mayor joined President Bill Clinton and Governor Kathy Hochul to announce the new Empire Building Playbook, which will focus on getting commercial buildings to reduce consumption and take advantage of greener forms of energy rather than relying on fossil fuels. Today Mayor Adams launched 'Building Action NYC,' a new citywide campaign to promote steps to make New York City’s buildings greener and more resilient. Together we can foster a healthier future for the city and New Yorkers.

 

Mayor Adams also made several sanitation announcements this week. Jessica Tisch was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation. As part of an effort to make New York City streets cleaner, alternate side parking will be fully restored beginning July 5, 2022, and in an effort to reduce New York City’s carbon footprint, funding for year-round protected bike lane cleaning will make biking an even more reliable mode of transportation for New Yorkers. The 'Clean Curbs' pilot program has been expanded citywide and aims to get garbage bags off the streets, reduce rodents from gathering, and improve aesthetics. Private entities, such as Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) or commercial property owners, can apply for the opportunity to have sealed, on-street containers for their business trash and recycling storage.

 

Mayor Adams hosted an Iftar dinner this week. Ramadan Mubarak to the Muslim community! 

 

During this holy time of year, we wish all those who celebrate to have a joyous holiday. Chag Pesach to all Jewish New Yorkers celebrating Passover! Happy Orthodox Easter to the Eastern Orthodox community!

 

In partnership,

Fred Kreizman

Commissioner, Mayor's Community Affairs Unit

DEC ANNOUNCES NORTHERN PIKE, PICKEREL, TIGER MUSKELLUNGE, AND WALLEYE SEASON OPENS MAY 1

 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the fishing season for northern pike, pickerel, tiger muskellunge, and walleye opens on May 1. Fishing regulation changes implemented earlier this year replaced the floating “Saturday” season openers with a fixed date in addition to other improvements to enhance fishing opportunities across the state.

 

“We’re excited to announce the opening of these seasons as part of our new, streamlined program and wish all anglers across the state another safe and successful fishing season,” Commissioner Seggos said. “DEC is committed to enhancing the world class fishing opportunities New York offers, and our experts continue to advance important conservation and restoration actions to grow the sport and capitalize on the economic opportunities they create. We look forward to hearing from anglers as we continue to improve our regulations to make it easier for all to enjoy fishing in New York State.”

 

The May 1 opening combined with targeted management efforts to improve fish populations are being implemented to expand fishing opportunities in the state. Walleye and northern pike fishing can be particularly good in the cool water conditions of early spring. Due to stocking and other DEC management efforts, walleye are found in more than 140 waters throughout the State and quality fisheries exist in every major watershed. For information on where to go and how to catch walleye, visit DEC’s website.

 

New regulations also increased the Oneida Lake daily walleye limit to five fish, providing additional harvest opportunity. The population estimate for adult walleye remains at historically high levels with more than one million adult fish. DEC continues to carefully manage the health of the walleye populations, and will be undertaking a mark-recapture study and a full creel survey on Oneida Lake for 2022 to continue monitoring this important walleye fishery.

For information on the fishing regulation changes for 2022 or other fishing information, visit DEC’s website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/fishing.html

  

Fourth New York Man Charged wth Conspiring to Kidnap New Jersey Man

 

 A New York man was charged today with conspiring to kidnap and hold for ransom a Fort Lee, New Jersey, resident, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Gabriel Anthony, 34, of Queens, New York, is charged by complaint with conspiring to commit kidnapping. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and was detained.

Three conspirators – Fa Deng, 42, of Staten Island, New York, and Albert Ferrelli, 50, and Chiahao Lee, 30, both of Queens, New York – were charged by complaint on April 7, 2022 with conspiring to commit kidnapping.  

According to documents filed in the cases, and statements made in court:

On April 5, 2022, the four conspirators drove to the victim’s home in Fort Lee. Ferrelli and Anthony entered the victim’s home wearing masks. They bound the victim’s hands, placed duct tape over his eyes and mouth, and forced him into a vehicle. 

Law enforcement received information that kidnappers had sent the victim’s wife a photograph of the victim bound and duct-taped, demanding a ransom of approximately $680,000. When law enforcement responded to the victim’s home, they located what appeared to be duct tape with pieces of latex gloves stuck to it. After reviewing local surveillance footage, law enforcement identified a gray minivan used in the abduction. Other surveillance footage showed the minivan crossing the George Washington Bridge shortly after the kidnapping, and subsequently crossing into the Bronx and then into Queens. 

The following day, New York Police Department personnel responded to Prince Street in Queens, where they encountered Ferrelli guarding the door to a building. When officers approached Ferrelli, they heard a man screaming for help inside the building. Officers entered the building and found the victim with his hands bound, and duct tape over his eyes and mouth.

Law enforcement located the gray minivan used in the kidnapping parked in the driveway of Lee’s home in Queens. Records showed that the minivan had been rented by Lee’s wife at LaGuardia Airport on April 4, 2022.

The maximum penalty for the offense is life imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of George M. Crouch Jr.; the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella; officers of the Fort Lee Police Department, under the direction of Chief Matthew J. Hintze; and the New York Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell with the investigation leading to the charges..

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

Putnam County Narcotics Dealer Arrested In Connection With The Murder Of One Of His Customers

Dwayne Pulliam Arrested for Participating in a Conspiracy to Distribute Crack Cocaine and for Traveling Interstate and Using Facilities of Interstate Commerce to Operate a Narcotics Business Enterprise, and Murdering a Customer He Believed Was Stealing from That Business 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Kevin McConville, the Sheriff of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, announced today the filing of a criminal complaint in White Plains federal court charging DWAYNE PULLIAM, a/k/a “Doc,” with: (1) participating in a crack-cocaine-distribution conspiracy; and (2) traveling between New York and Connecticut, and using cellphones, to operate a narcotics business enterprise—his business selling crack cocaine—and murdering Lori Lee Campbell, a customer he believed was stealing from his business. PULLIAM was arrested yesterday afternoon in the area of New Milford, Connecticut, and was presented yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. PULLIAM was ordered held without bail.

As alleged in the Complaint[1]:

In or about December 2020, PULLIAM was released from approximately 24 years of prison for murder. Not long afterward, from at least in or about January 2022, PULLIAM engaged with others in the business of selling crack cocaine, traveling between New York and Connecticut to do so, and using phones to do so.

On March 29, 2022, PULLIAM contacted a co-conspirator of his in the drug trade and asked him to help move an Acura that belonged to Lori Lee Campbell. PULLIAM told his co-conspirator that he suspected that Campbell was stealing drugs from him, that PULLIAM confronted Campbell, that Campbell tried to leave but PULLIAM did not let her do so, and that Campbell started screaming. PULLIAM then told his co-conspirator that he “stopped her from screaming” and that this was not the first time he had “done this.”

When the co-conspirator went with PULLIAM back to PULLIAM’s apartment in Patterson, New York, the co-conspirator saw Campbell’s dead body in the apartment, wrapped in a sheet. PULLIAM said “there’s the culprit,” and then directed his co-conspirator to help him move the body, threatening to kill the co-conspirator’s family if the co-conspirator did not do so. The co-conspirator helped PULLIAM move the body to PULLIAM’s Honda Accord, and they then drove to PULLIAM’s mother’s house in North Carolina. PULLIAM and his co-conspirator got shovels, a bag of lime, and plastic wrap from a shed by PULLIAM’s mother’s house, and drove Campbell’s body to a cul-de-sac, where her body was ultimately covered in lime and buried in a shallow grave.

On April 19, 2021, law enforcement officers found and recovered Campbell’s body from the area in North Carolina where PULLIAM’s co-conspirator said it was buried.

DWAYNE PULLIAM, a/k/a “Doc,” 59, of Patterson, New York is charged with one count of traveling in interstate commerce, and using a facility in interstate commerce, with intent to engage in a business enterprise involving narcotics, and thereafter committing murder to further that unlawful activity, and one count of participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams and more of crack cocaine. The travel act count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The narcotics conspiracy count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Charlotte Division, the DEA New York Division, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sherriff’s Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams noted that the investigation is ongoing.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint, and the description of the Complaint set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.

Senator Biaggi's Week in Review: 4/18/22-4/22/22

 

Dear Community,

Happy Earth Day! In celebration of Earth Day, my office is launching a “Stop the Waste” campaign, focused on reducing food and clothing waste in District 34! 

Food scraps are one of the most prominent types of waste to exist. Every year, more than 1 million tons of food gets thrown away in NYC alone. Food sitting in landfills emits dangerous methane gas that further contributes to climate change, making food waste responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

However, there are many vital resources available from the NYC Department of Sanitation that can help reduce food waste in the Bronx such as the Curbside Composting Program, Food Scraps Public Drop-off, and the Master Composter Course. For those in Westchester, The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycle has an interactive map where you can search for your local food scraps drop-off programs or residential collection services. I strongly encourage everyone to explore and take advantage of these programs. 

In the coming weeks, my office will be hosting a DIY composting event in the Bronx. Stay tuned for more details! 

Clothing waste also remains a massive problem in our communities and around the world. The average New Yorker tosses 46 pounds of clothing and other textiles in the trash each year. Overall, NYC discards nearly 200,000 tons of textiles every year, at a cost to both taxpayers and our environment. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers are unaware that they can recycle their clothing and textiles. The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling offers a Textile Recovery Locations Search Engine where you can find the organizations that operate textile collection bins.

However, this issue runs deeper than improperly disposing of clothing and textiles. The fashion industry as a whole is one of the most harmful industries to our planet– accounting for nearly 8% of greenhouse gas emissions on our planet. Yet, the industry remains largely unregulated, operating with little accountability or oversight for its impact on our planet. 

This is why I am proud to carry the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act. This bill requires apparel and footwear companies doing business in New York State who make $100 million/year in gross earnings to map their supply chains, conduct mandatory human rights due diligence, and meet science-based targets to reduce their carbon footprint– ideally reducing carbon emissions and forcing companies to change how they operate world-wide. 

We already have a broad coalition of support for this bill including advocates and industry leaders. However, we must continue to garner support from stakeholders and community members like you in order to get it passed! Visit TheFashionAct.org to join our coalition or join us on April 26th in Albany for a rally to put pressure on the Legislature to pass this bill. 

There has never been a more urgent time to take action that protects our environment and combats climate change. We are on the brink of climate disaster, and we must all do our part, big or small, to reduce waste in our communities and diminish our carbon footprint. This Earth Day, let’s all renew our commitment to protecting our environment and building a better, more sustainable world!

With Gratitude,

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) - Rocking the Market opens May 6th at BRAC Gallery

 

Bronx River Art Center Presents: ROCKING THE MARKET  An Exhibition of Performance Art by Three Queer Latina/x Artists from New York and California  Nao Bustamante, Carmelita Tropicana and Marga Gomez Curated by Bronx-based artist Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles May 6 - June 11, 2022 Opening Reception May 12th 6:30 - 9:00pm Nao Bustamante Performing Live at 7:30pm In ROCKING THE MARKET three queer Latina/x performance artists, Nao Bustamante, Carmelita Tropicana and Marga Gomez, experiment with food through performance, video, audio and written art forms.

Click here to RVSP

Photo: Nao Bustamante in collaboration with Miguel Calderon, The Chain South, 1998 Video Still. Image courtesy of the artist Food embodies life in all of its manifestations and nuances. Taste is the idiom the tongue usually remembers even when native languages have been suppressed, surrendered, hybridized, slowly forgotten or eradicated. Food is political — encompassing non-human animal rights, eco-activism, veganism, vegetarianism, food justice, and hunger. These food “conversations” include what is eaten and who gets to eat on our generous, but exploited planet. Forget sexuality, politics and religion; they are all contained in any given dish. Buen provecho.  Nao Bustamante’s intimate dialogues with flour, water, and salt, while baking bread during the isolating Covid pandemic is an act of reclaiming somatic connections in her West Coast kitchen; the act of which ultimately transforms into the likes of an 80’s discotheque. In a podcast, Carmelita Tropicana talks to us about her obsession with food while simultaneously using humor as a weapon to decolonize a number of food items that are no longer associated with their actual birthplaces. Marga Gomez shares the script for a Cuban Mojito, a drink that has been so utterly gentrified that she has to argue against a white-washed recipe that calls for vodka instead of Caribbean rum, because the latter is “…too dark.” Any way you experience it, be certain that this exhibition will not prompt you to fast. ROCKING THE MARKET refers to two interpretations of “to rock.” In the case of a baby, it means security and comfort for the newborn, as we move them gently from side to side. However, it also points to an iconoclastic reading, which expresses shaking something to the core of its foundations until the house crumbles like a coffee cake. Likewise, this exhibition delves into food and eating as it pertains to immigration, hybridization, memories, indigeneity, and appropriation within the context of the United States. ROCKING THE MARKET‘s understanding of the “Market” is that of the elite establishment propagating oppressive and outdated systems overdue to be rocked by a furious public. Once these systems are broken down there will be hope for regeneration. This exhibition finds its home in the South Bronx, a place that houses the biggest produce market in the U.S. and yet is where the majority of our neighbors experience a food apartheid on a daily basis. The three cult figure artists in ROCKING THE MARKET stir a cast iron cauldron of ingredients in their performance and comedy that spices up the presentations!  Along with the exhibition, there will be a series of live actions including Hamburger Hands by Nao Bustamante to be performed live during the opening on May 12th. In June, Carmelita Tropicana will do a performance for children and families involving fruits and vegetables, while Marga Gómez will join us online with a cabaret style comedy. Check our website in late May for updates and more information.  This exhibition is dedicated to the late José Esteban Muñoz. -- Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles This exhibition is a prelude to INDECENCIA! opening at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art this coming Fall.

Click here to RSVP

Photo: Carmelita Tropicana roof top, Photo by Uzi Parnes

COVID-19 vaccination proof requirements have expanded to include younger children and to require full vaccination: Children: Children ages 5 to 11 are now required to have proof of vaccination for the public indoor activities. They must show they have received at least one dose of a vaccine. Full Vaccination: People 12 and older participating in public indoor activities are now required to show proof they have received two vaccine doses, except for those who have received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Starting January 29, 2022, children ages 5 to 11 must also show proof of full vaccination. Attendees will also be required to be masked.

On Earth Day, Council Announces New Environmental Legislation

 

Legislative package would accelerate phase-out of dirty fuel, and expand organic waste collection, community recycling, electric vehicle chargers, greenways, resource conservation by buildings, and tree plantings 

 On Earth Day, the New York City Council continued its legacy as a leader on environmental policies by announcing a new package of environmental legislation. It includes bills to accelerate the phase-out of dirty fuels, expand curbside organic waste collection citywide, establish community recycling centers, and increase tree plantings, the availability of electric vehicle chargers, greenways, and tree plantings. The package would also include legislation to build upon the City’s groundbreaking energy and water usage benchmarking law to cover buildings of at least 10,000 square feet, creating greater transparency around usage and greater efficiencies to reduce waste. The legislation will be introduced in the coming days, with hearings to follow in the coming months. 

“The New York City Council has a history of advancing local laws for successful environmental policies and programs that have become global examples of responsible leadership,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “This Council will continue to build on that record of promoting sustainability, reducing pollution, and protecting the environment. We celebrate Earth Day by establishing a commitment to always do our part in confronting the climate crisis with action. I look forward to working with my Council colleagues to advance these important bills during this session, while supporting global efforts to preserve our planet for future generations.” 

The environment-focused legislative package includes the following bills: 

Citywide Curbside Organic Collection (sponsored by Council Member Hanif, Speaker Adams, Council Members Won, Nurse, Bottcher, Gennaro, Menin, Hudson and Cabán, by request of the Brooklyn Borough President) – Establishing a mandatory citywide organic waste curbside collection program for the diversion of organic waste from residences. An earlier pilot program that covered only a portion of the City was discontinued during the pandemic. This local law would require a permanent citywide program for organics collection, just as programs currently exist for the collection of metal, glass, plastics and paper. 

Accelerated Phase Out of Dirty Fuel Oils (sponsored by Council Member Gennaro, by request of the Queens Borough President) – Requiring that no newly installed boiler shall burn fuel oil grade no. 4 and that no boiler in the City, regardless of when installed, shall burn fuel oil grade no. 4 after January 1, 2025. This would be a significant acceleration of the current phase out date, which is in 2030, and would hasten the further cleaning of our local air from pollutants. 

Electric Vehicle Chargers in Parking Lots (sponsored by Council Member Brannan, by request of the Queens Borough President) – Requiring parking lots above a certain size have certain percentages of spots either electric ready or supplied with electric vehicle charging equipment by certain dates. By making electric vehicle charging more accessible, it encourages the transition to emissions free vehicles and reduces air pollution in the City. 

Encourage Community Recycling (sponsored by Council Member Powers, at the request of the Brooklyn Borough President) – Two pieces of legislation, aimed at establishing permanent drop off points and community recycling centers where New Yorkers can drop off waste, including materials that are not otherwise accepted for curbside collection, such as hazardous materials. 

Citywide Greenway Master Plan (sponsored by Council Members Rivera and Brooks-Powers) – Requiring the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Transportation to develop and regularly update a master plan on maintaining and expanding the City’s greenway network. Greenways are open spaces developed for use by pedestrians or non-motorized vehicles and a stronger greenway network encourages the public use of open space and eco-friendly travel. 

Tree Pit Plantings (sponsored by Council Member Bottcher) – Requiring the planting of a tree or other vegetation in abandoned tree pits within a certain amount of time, to encourage the further greening of the City. An abandoned tree pit is one in which only dirt, or sometimes a tree stump from a previously removed tree, remains. 

Expanded Benchmarking of Buildings (sponsored by Council Member Gennaro) – Expanding the City’s groundbreaking energy and water usage benchmarking law to cover buildings of 10,000 square feet or more. By creating greater transparency around the usage of energy and water by buildings, greater efficiencies and waste reductions can be encouraged and the success of conservation programs can be better understood. 

From passing groundbreaking legislation that has become a global model on how to reduce carbon emissions from buildings (Local Law 97 of 2019), to requiring the electrification of newly constructed buildings (Local Law 154 of 2021), to requiring a transition to a zero emission City school bus fleet (Local Law 120 of 2021) to championing a green future for Rikers Island (Local Laws 16, 17, and 31 of 2021), and even to reforming the commercial trade waste industry to ensure emissions reductions and a greater emphasis on environmental goals (Local Laws 198 and 199 of 2021), in recent years the City Council has advanced significant environmental policies that have served as models for New York State and jurisdictions around the world. 

In fact, the Council’s history of pushing forward local laws advancing environmental policies extends further back as well, with many of those policies having now established themselves as successful programs and global policy examples. The New York City Panel on Climate Change’s regular reports are a trusted source for local climate science; the phasing out of the dirtiest heating fuel oils has already helped clean our local air; restrictions on engine idling have helped clean the air and reduce fuel consumption; and the establishing of larger citywide emissions goals established targets that all City agencies are expected to work towards meeting. 

The Council is dedicated to continuing with sound environmental policies for the City – by establishing new initiatives and fine-tuning existing policies to increase their impact. This work does not begin or end on Earth Day, and will continue throughout the legislative session, with more announcements expected. 

WITH 65% OF SOUTHWEST YONKERS HOUSEHOLDS UNABLE TO AFFORD THE COST OF LIVING IN WESTCHESTER, SCHUMER, BOWMAN DELIVER $500,000 TO WESTHAB TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS; REPS SAY FUNDING WILL MAKE CRITICAL UPGRADES TO AGING HOUSING UNITS, ADDRESS URGENT HEALTH & SAFETY NEEDS, & IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YONKERS FAMILIES

 

In Southwest Yonkers Roughly 65% Of Households - Roughly 24,000 Families – Are Unable To Afford The High Cost Of Living In Westchester County; Exasperating Historic Inequities & Limiting Economic Opportunity,

Reps Deliver Half A Million To Directly Address Urgent Health & Safety Needs, Increase Affordable Housing Access, And Improve Quality Of Life  

Schumer, Bowman: Housing Is A Human Right, This Fed Funding Will Ensure Yonkers Families Have Access To The Safe & Affordable Housing They Deserve

 Continuing their strong partnership in delivering funding to address historic inequities in Westchester County, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) today announced that they have secured $500,000 in federal funding for WestHab, Inc. to make critical upgrades to affordable housing and promote housing equity in Southwest Yonkers. The funding was secured as a part of the Fiscal Year 2022 end of the year spending package. The lawmakers said that the funding will make critical repairs to nearly 80 units of affordable housing, immediately improving quality of life for dozens of Yonkers families.

“Every Westchester family deserves a safe and secure place to call home, but historic underinvestment has created a housing crisis in places like Southwest Yonkers. Access to affordable housing is a fundamental right, and this funding gets to the issue at its core by making critical upgrades and repairs so that Yonkers residents can have the quality of life they deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to have worked in lock step with Congressman Bowman to deliver this funding for Westhab and I will keep fighting to get every dollar of federal support needed to help lay the foundation here in Yonkers for a brighter, more equitable future for all residents.”

“Safe, reliable and affordable housing should be guaranteed for everyone,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman. “In Yonkers many of our neighbors are experiencing housing insecurity and Westhab is perfectly positioned to address this crisis by offering affordable housing and fighting to end homelessness. I am honored to support Westhab and have worked alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to deliver $500,000 to Westhab as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Process. This money is critical to not only repair 79 units that house our neighbors, but also ensure the overall well-being and quality of life is improved for anyone living in those units. I am proud to deliver federal funding to uplift Westhab's work and support their mission to ensure people have the resources to thrive and I look forward to every opportunity to support their efforts further.”

“While Westhab works to develop beautiful, new affordable housing, it is equally important that we preserve existing affordable housing so that all members of our community have a high-quality home. Westhab is grateful for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Congressman Bowman for delivering these critical funds to preserve nine multi-family buildings in Yonkers where seventy-nine families call home,” said Rich Nightingale, Westhab President & CEO.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “I want to thank Senator Chuck Schumer and Congressman Bowman for their leadership towards transforming the Westhab property in Yonkers into an affordable housing opportunity for 79 Westchester County families. It is our responsibility in government to make sure that accessible, affordable housing is always there, and that every resident has a safe and decent place to call home. We are filling a critical need people have when we transform a property into something new, and we are helping Westchester’s families when we get them into a high-quality home at a price point they can afford.”

Schumer and Bowman explained that this funding would boost Westhab to repair 79 units of affordable housing, spanning across 9 multi-family apartment buildings. Specifically, funding will allow for critical improvements to the roof, fire safety systems, window replacement, utility upgrades, and apartment renovations. This funding comes at a critical time when 65% of households - roughly 24,000 families – in Southwest Yonkers are unable to afford the cost of living in Westchester County.

The representatives explained that the needs are especially evident in Southwest Yonkers. According to the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, a majority of households living in the 10701 and 10705 zip codes, which represent Southwest Yonkers, are deemed ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households. This population earns more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living in their county. In 10701, 66% of 22,535 households are ALICE, while in 10705, 64% of 14,260 households are also ALICE. (United Way of Westchester and Putnam, 2020 New York Report. ALICE in Westchester)

Schumer and Bowman have a long history of fighting for expanding access to affordable housing. Since the start of the pandemic, the representatives have championed numerous programs across the American Rescue Plan and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. These have included:

• $5 billion in HOME funding to combat homelessness by supporting service providers and providing permanent housing ($4.6 million to Yonkers)
• $46.5 billion in Emergency Rental Assistance
• $10 billion in Homeowner Assistance Fund
• $5 billion in Emergency Housing Vouchers, prioritized for families and individuals experiencing homelessness
• Permanent 4% floor for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), adding an estimated 125,000 more affordable rental homes.
• $3.6 million for CDBG and $1.3 million for HOME in FY22 for the City of Yonkers