Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA HOSTS FIRST BACK-TO-SCHOOL POP UP EVENT AT COUNCIL MEMBER PIERINA SANCHEZ'S OFFICE!

Senator Rivera kicked off his 11th Annual Back-To School Celebration with a Pop-Up Event at Council Member Pierina Sanchez's office. Senator Rivera would like to thank Carrie Johnson from the Bean Morris Community Garden for partnering to provide backpacks to the community as well as Council Member Sanchez for allowing him and his team to use her office space due to the inclement weather.

Join us at our next Pop-Up backpack event at Washington Park on Tuesday, August 13 at 3:00 PM. Backpacks will be distributed to those with a child on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

SENATOR RIVERA CELEBRATES NATIONAL NIGHT OUT THROUGHOUT HIS DISTRICT

Senator Rivera was thrilled to celebrate National Night Out throughout his district! National Night out is an annual event on the first Tuesday in August where neighbors, community partners, and police officers come together to build relationships with the community to improve public safety.

Senator Rivera began his day at the 46th Precinct, where he stood with the former commanding officer and Chief of Transportation, Philip Rivera, colleagues, and neighbors for a day of fun and building community.

Senator Rivera then attended the 52nd Precinct's event at Poe Park. The rain couldn't dampen the event put together by community leaders like 52nd Precinct Council President Brenda Caldwell and organizations like the BJT Merchant Association. While the rain cut the rest of National Night Out short, Senator Rivera wants to thank everyone from the 48th, 49th and 50th precincts for putting together bridge-building events across the Bronx.

SENATOR RIVERA JOINS TRACEY TOWERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Last week, Senator Rivera celebrated and co-sponsored Tracey Towers' 50th Anniversary celebration with the residents. Senator Rivera was excited to sing some of his favorite songs with the great Morrisania Band Project. Thank you to the Tracey Towers Tenant Association and their president Jean Hill for putting together such a great event.

In celebration of National Health Center Week, Senator Rivera joined Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson for Union Community Health Centers (UCHC) patient appreciation day. Senator Rivera joined UCHC for their theme of "Powering Communities Through Caring Connections", where the local health center provided games, screening and resources. Senator Rivera is honored to support local Health Centers like UCHC that put the community first.

Senator Rivera invites you to his Annual Back to School Fair will be at St. James Park on Thursday, August 15th at 2PM. Start the new school year off the right way with free backpacks and valuable resources for the entire family. Backpacks are distributed to children who are present on a first come, first serve basis. For more information, please call Senator Rivera's District Office at 718-933-2034.

Senator Rivera shares the community's concerns about public drug use and syringe litter near the Kingsbridge Underpass, Poe Park, and nearby hot spots. There are local harm reduction providers who clean up the needles safely and who connect with users to help them with recovery, medical care, and basic needs.

Our team created this schedule and contact informational sheet in collaboration with the harm reduction organizations serving the Northwest Bronx so that neighbors can contact them to assist with issues near Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 718-933-2034 or grivera@nysenate.gov. 

"I'm excited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NWBCCC, an organization that serves as a foundation for so many of our borough's most impactful leaders and organizers. NWBCCC is a powerful coalition that has driven change by amplifying the community's voices, holding leaders and institutions accountable, and fighting for the future of our Bronx," said State Senator Gustavo Rivera, 33rd District, The Bronx. "I am proud to stand with NWBCCC on so many of the justice campaigns they are working on, like passing the New York Health Act and transforming the Kingsbridge Armory into a community asset, and will continue working with them for many years to come."

Senator Rivera is excited to Co-Sponsor NWBCCC's 50th anniversary block party! Join him on August 23rd for a day of music, dancing, games, and much more!

For every $2 spent at NYC farmers markets using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on an EBT card, shoppers can get $2 in Health Bucks up to $10 per day. Health Bucks are coupons redeemable for fruits and vegetables at all 130+ NYC farmers markets. For farmers market locations and hours of operation, see the 2024 Farmers Market Map

Summer EBT helps low-income families cover the cost of groceries when school is out of session. Most households do not need to apply for Summer EBT food benefits. For more info, including eligibility requirements, click here.

DUE 9/12: 2025 SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IS NOW OPEN

The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) 2025 Special Projects Fund Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open.

 

Special Projects Fund awards are one-time, nonrenewable funding opportunities available for organizations working to improve the health of New Yorkers, especially people of color and others who have been historically marginalized. Projects must address important and emerging health care and public health issues that fall outside NYHealth’s three priority areas:Primary Care; Healthy Food, Healthy Lives; and Veterans’ Health. NYHealth seeks to partner with a wide range of organizations implementing innovative projects that can improve health at the local, regional, or statewide levels.

 

Applicants must complete a letter of inquiry form (LOI) to determine whether a proposed project fits the funding criteria. LOIs are due on September 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. 

Selected organizations will then be invited to submit full proposals due on November 14, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.

Justice Department Releases Report Based on Critical Response Review of Columbus, Ohio, Division of Police

 

The Justice Department announced the release of a new report, an independent review of the use of force policies, procedures, and protocols of the Columbus, Ohio, Division of Police (CDP), as well as the training associated with these policies and operations. The review came at the request of the CDP and was conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and Jensen Hughe, a critical response provider, following the February 2023 release of the COPS Office Columbus (Ohio) Division of Police: Roadmap to Implementation report. This is part of ongoing technical assistance to CDP.

The goal of the report is to highlight areas in need of improvement through a series of findings and recommendations developed for the purpose of overall improvement of organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and performance. The report states that “[t]he overarching theme associated with almost all the recommendations is the need for enhanced technological capabilities. By upgrading technological capabilities, the CDP will be well-situated to optimize its performance and ensure accountability at a much higher level than it is currently able to achieve.” It goes on to say that “[i]ncreased data collection, analysis, and reporting is of the utmost importance at this time for the CDP to become the transparent, community-oriented policing agency the people of Columbus want and deserve.”

“Whenever we support best practices in policing, it benefits both the department and the community it serves,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Ultimately, the goal of these types of reviews is twofold: to improve the delivery of policing services to the community, and, by doing so, to increase public trust and enhance community-police relationships.”

“Investing in technology that facilitates data collection, analysis, and reporting, and evaluating its effectiveness underscores an agency’s commitment to the public,” said COPS Office Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. “When an agency voluntary asks for this kind of assessment and is interested in making improvements, everyone benefits.”

The report is available at here.

The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies experiencing high-profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. Critical Response is highly customizable by providing flexible assistance to law enforcement agencies that have recently experienced a critical incident or identified an issue of significant community concern in their department’s operations. The TA generally falls into three categories: (1) immediate delivery of TA to address a pressing and acute need, (2) data analysis, and (3) after-action reviews to understand and learn from law enforcement and public safety responses to critical incidents or issues.

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, The COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.

Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Billy Lee

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) released its report on the death of Billy Lee, who died on May 13, 2022 after an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in the Bronx. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of NYPD pole camera footage, security camera footage from inside a nearby deli and outside neighboring buildings, interviews with involved officers and a civilian witness, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ actions against Mr. Lee were justified under New York law. 

On the evening of May 13, NYPD officers were working on an unrelated investigation in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx where Mr. Lee’s vehicle was parked at the corner of Hunts Point Avenue and Seneca Avenue. Mr. Lee got out of his vehicle, armed with what appeared to be a gun. The object was visible in his right hand as he headed in the direction of the Hunts Point Deli Grocery. NYPD officers saw Mr. Lee with the apparent gun in his hand and demanded that he drop the weapon. Mr. Lee did not comply and fired his weapon at one of the NYPD officers. The NYPD officers fired back in response, striking Mr. Lee. Mr. Lee was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. A pellet gun was recovered at the scene. 

Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use physical force to the extent they reasonably believe it to be necessary when arresting or attempting to arrest someone for a crime. The use of deadly physical force is justified under this law when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend themselves or another person from deadly physical force. In this case, Mr. Lee had been holding what appeared to be a gun in public and then fired the weapon at an officer, putting both the officers and any bystanders in danger. 

Under these circumstances, based on the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officers’ use of force to stop Mr. Lee was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges could not be pursued in this matter.

Governor Hochul Announces Emergency Assistance to Support Homeowners Impacted by the Remnants of Hurricane Debby

Grants of up to $50,000 to be Available to Eligible Homeowners in Allegany, Delaware, Franklin, Steuben, and St. Lawrence Counties to Address Health and Safety-Related Repairs Not Covered by Insurance or Other Disaster Relief Programs

Department of Financial Services to Deploy to Affected Communities and Extend Hotline Hours to Assist Residents and Business Owners with Insurance-Related Questions

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Working with Impacted Counties to Assess Damage for Potential Federal Disaster Relief

Governor Kathy Hochul announced emergency assistance to support homeowners impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Debby. At Governor Hochul’s direction, New York Homes and Community Renewal is launching an emergency repair program for homeowners in Allegany, Delaware, Franklin, Steuben, and St. Lawrence Counties impacted by the storm. Additionally, staff from the New York State Department of Financial Services will be deployed to impacted communities to support residents and businesses with financial services questions. As these state-based resources are deployed, disaster recovery experts from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services have begun working with their local counterparts to assess damage statewide in order to determine the state’s ability to request federal disaster relief resources from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“State agencies have teams on the ground helping to clear damage and we are working with our local partners as they begin damage assessments,” Governor Hochul said. “We will continue to provide rapid relief for impacted residents and municipalities as these communities rebuild from the devastating remnants of Hurricane Debby.”

Under the HCR program, Homeowners will be eligible for grants of up to $50,000 to fund or reimburse certain qualifying health and safety related repairs to address damage caused by the storm that are not covered by insurance or other disaster relief programs. Applicants must be homeowners who occupy the home as a primary residence and total household income may not exceed 100 percent of the county area median income. Homeowners in other counties may become eligible as state and local recovery agencies conduct damage assessments in the coming days.

The program will be administered by local partners who will work directly with affected homeowners and assist them with insurance claims, the repair and reconstruction process and reimbursement requests. Eligible homeowners interested in applying may inquire here.

Additionally, staff from the New York State Department of Financial Services will be staffing resource centers to support residents and businesses with financial services questions, including insurance information regarding policy coverage for losses. The Department is also extending the hours of its Disaster Hotline to provide similar support to those unable to visit a resource center. Impacted residents and businesses can call 800-339-1759. Exact locations of resource centers will be announced in the coming days.

Additional Resources for Victims, Advice for Dealing with Insurers

New Yorkers who have been impacted by flooding are encouraged to visit the DFS Disaster and Flood Recovery Resource Center for helpful information.

Other resources and advice for impacted families and businesses include steps to help ensure that claims are processed promptly, as well as information on how to file a complaint if policyholders cannot resolve disputes with insurers.

File Claims Promptly – Homeowners who experienced property losses are urged to file insurance claims with their insurers promptly and as soon as possible after losses occur. It is important to provide policy numbers if possible and all information relevant to the loss. To best document losses, homeowners should take photos or videos showing the extent of the losses before cleaning up damage.

Making Necessary Repairs – Homeowners should protect their property from further damage after a loss, but should make only repairs necessary to prevent further damage to property, like covering broken windows. Permanent repairs should not be made until after insurers have inspected losses.

Keep Records of Dealings with Insurance Representatives – Homeowners should cooperate fully with their insurers and keep a diary of all conversations with insurance representatives, including the representatives' names, as well as the times and dates of all calls or visits. They should also follow up in writing with representatives to document their understanding of any conversations they have had with the representatives.

Inventory Your Belongings – Provide your insurer with a detailed room-by-room inventory of damaged personal items and property. Include receipts, such as credit card statements or other documents showing the items' values.

Flood Damage – Homeowners are reminded that flood damage is generally only covered by flood insurance, which is a federal program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Homeowners who have flood insurance and have flood damage should make claims through that insurance. Additionally, homeowners should also read their policies carefully to make sure they understand what damage is covered and under what circumstances. For additional on flood insurance, please visit the Flood Insurance Resource Center on the DFS website at http://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/flood_info.htm.

Keep Your Receipts If You Relocate During Repairs – If you need to temporarily relocate while your home is being repaired, make sure to keep receipts and other records of your expenses during that time.

Filing Complaints – Homeowners unable to resolve disputes with their insurers may contact DFS to file a complaint at the following website location, http://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/fileacomplaint.htm. DFS investigates all complaints it receives.

Information on Homeowners' Insurance – Additional information can be found at the Homeowners Resource Center on the Department of Financial Services' website at: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/home_resources.ht

Housing Lottery Launches for 1308 – 1314 Lincoln Place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 1308 – 1314 Lincoln Place, a pair of six-story residential building in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Designed by Feingold & Gregory Architects, the structures yield 13 residences each. Available on NYC Housing Connect are eight units for residents at 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $102,686 to $181,740.

Residences come with air conditioning, dishwashers, intercoms, split unit heating and cooling with smart controls, name-brand kitchen countertops, appliances, and finishes. Amenities include high-speed internet, gym, rooftop terrace, storage, bike storage lockers, covered parking with assigned parking spaces, a shared laundry room, and pet-friendly policies. Tenants are responsible for electricity including stove, heat, and hot water.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are eight one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,995 for incomes ranging from $102,686 to $181,740.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than August 28, 2024.

STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN JENIFER RAJKUMAR'S STATEMENT ON THREE-ALARM FIRE IN WOODHAVEN THAT INJURED 3 FDNY FIREFIGHTERS

 

South Queens, NY - I have been in touch with the FDNY about the three-alarm fire yesterday morning in Woodhaven at 90-16 80th Street that injured three firefighters. I am relieved to report that two of the firefighters were discharged from Jamaica Medical Center and are at home, and the third is on the road to recovery. On behalf of the entire Woodhaven community, I extend my gratitude to these three courageous FDNY firefighters. These members of New York’s Bravest put their lives on the line every day to safeguard our neighborhood, and we are grateful for their sacrifice.

I am in touch with the FDNY which is investigating the cause of the blaze. There was reportedly heavy fire in the cockloft of the building. Cocklofts allow fires to spread more easily.  I urge passage in Albany of my Residential Structure Fire Prevention Act (A.2805/S.1615) with Senator Joseph Addabbo, which implements a $5,000 tax credit and insurance discount for any homeowner who removes a cockloft.

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Back To School Giveaway Sunday August 25th

The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association will be hosting a BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY to the children of the community on SUNDAY August 25th at 2028 White Plains Road Bx NY 10462 starting at 1:00 pm. Children must be present. This is on a first come first serve basis.

Please be courteous and respectful on line Thank you.

Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Hawaii

 

The Justice Department announced that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Hawaii for the Aug. 10 primary election. The department will monitor in Honolulu County and Maui County.

The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order. 

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.