Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Community Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbor,

Happy October! As we prepare for the return of the cool weather, we want to ensure that you and your loved ones are supported and well-prepared for the season ahead. Whether it's access to important services, health resources, or community programs, we're here to help you stay informed and connected.

DMV Relocation:

As a reminder, a new Department of Motor Vehicles location has opened on the third floor of the Bronx Terminal Market at 610 Exterior Street. This move is meant to improve service efficiency, ease transportation access, and help reduce overcrowding. Below are some helpful tips to help you plan ahead before your visit:

•   Prepare Your Documents Ahead of Time
•   Schedule an Appointment
•   Visit During Off-Peak Hours

Heat Season:

Building owners are legally required to provide heat and hot water to their tenants. Hot water must be provided 365 days per year at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat must be provided between October 1st and May 31st, i.e. "Heat Season," under the following conditions:

Day

•   Between the hours of 6:00am and 10:00pm, if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Night

•   Between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am, the inside temperature is required to be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Partial Building Collapse:

A week after the partial building collapse at 205 Alexander Avenue and our team is still working with our colleagues in government and city agency partners to ensure the residents of Mitchel Houses receive support. If you or someone you know has been affected by this incident, please contact our Ombudsman team immediately at (718) 590-3554.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

We recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A time for us to bring awareness to this prevalent issue in our nation and highlight resources for survivors. Survivors of domestic violence may receive temporary housing, emergency shelter, and supportive services for themselves and their children.

Domestic violence and abuse can include:

•   Hitting, slapping, kicking, or using any other kind of physical violence against you.
•   Forcing you to have sex when you don't want to or to do sexual things you don't want to do.
•   Threatening to hurt you, your children, or someone else you care about or your pet.
•   Constantly insulting and criticizing you.
•   Stalking, obsessively checking up on, or otherwise trying to control your behavior.

If you or someone you know is experiencing this kind of behavior from a partner, please call New York City's 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-621-HOPE.

Breast Cancer Screening:

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join us in wearing pink this month and encourage your friends and family to get screened. Early detection saves lives for both women and men.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits:

Starting October 6, 2025, unemployment insurance benefits have increased for more than half of unemployed New Yorkers. The maximum benefit rate is the highest benefit amount available to unemployed New Yorkers.

How much an individual receives on a weekly basis is based on their previous income. The new maximum benefit rate is $869 per week. The increased benefit rate will be reflected in payments starting the week of October 13. Even if you don’t earn the maximum, you may see an increase in your benefit amount. Click HERE for more information.

Need Assistance?

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our office. This is a reminder that we are here to help, and your voice matters. You can reach us by phone at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

Lastly, for real-time updates and event highlights, remember to follow us on social media.

FACEBOOK: @BronxBp

INSTAGRAM: @Bronxbpgibson

TWITTER: @BronxBp

UPCOMING EVENTS

MUST WATCH: Mike Lawler Embarrasses Hakeem Jeffries

 

This has to be seen to be believed. 

 

In Washington today, Rep. Mike Lawler dismantled House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' absurd arguments about the government shutdown while Jeffries thoroughly disgraced himself, unable to answer a single question and resorting to increasingly obnoxious personal attacks while invading Rep. Lawler's personal space. 

 

Oh, and spoiler alert: the highest ranking Democrat in the House still won't say if he endorses Zohran Mamdani.

Council Member Eric Dinowitz - Community Movie Night This Saturday! 10/11/25

 

New York City Council Member

ERIC DINOWITZ  

Dear Neighbor: 

Get ready for this Saturday night’s festivities - our last and final movie in the park (after dark)! We will be screening Elio, at Williamsbridge Oval. Also, if you get there early (4pm), there will be activities and giveaways from our co-sponsors. Activities will include face painting, games, and arts and crafts. 

 

The first 50 families get a free pumpkin! 

 

Bring a blanket, pack a snack (or enjoy popcorn and cotton candy on us), and enjoy a night of film and community! 

 

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025 

Time: Pre-movie activities begin at 4pm, movie begins at around 6:00pm (dusk) 

Location: Williamsbridge Oval Track & Field, entrance at 3225 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY 10467 

Movie: Elio 

 

This event is free and open to all ages. Friends, families, and neighbors - all are welcome. 

 

We hope you can spread the word and see you there! 

11th Council District, Bronx  

277 West 231st, Bronx, NY 10463 

Tel: (718) 549 - 7300

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PROTECT $12 MILLION IN FEDERAL COUNTERTERRORISM FUNDING FOR NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY SYSTEM

 

Subways Transport Average of 5.5 Million People Daily 

 

Transit Security Grant Program Helps Protect Public-Transit System Against Terrorist Attacks 

 

Cuts Threaten Anti-Terror, Explosives, Suspicious Activity, and Operational Response Work Conducted by NYPD in Subways 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the City of New York has filed an amicus brief supporting the State of New York’s ongoing case to prevent the Trump administration from revoking $12 million in grant funding that would be passed from the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for counterterrorism policing in the subway system. In the brief, the city supports the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction in New York v. Noem, which the federal government opposes. 

 

“The subway system is the lifeblood of our city, making it one of the biggest terrorist targets in the nation, so we cannot afford to lose a single dollar — let alone $12 million — when it comes to protecting 5.5 million daily riders,” said Mayor Adams. “Extremist behavior is taking place across the globe, and these funds are crucial in both being proactive and reactive to the threats to the safety of everyone in our city. We filed this amicus brief to support our state partners in the fight to stop the federal government’s dangerous funding cuts.” 

 

“Cutting federal funds that support vital NYPD counterterrorism efforts endangers all New Yorkers,” said New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “The Trump administration is risking mass casualties, severe property damage, and public terror to coerce the City of New York into falling in line with its policy priorities. The DHS secretary’s unlawful and dangerous action should be enjoined.”  

 

On September 30, 2025, New York state learned that U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the federal government was revoking funding under the Transit Security Grant Program (TGSP) that was originally allocated to the MTA for the coming fiscal year. The NYPD is primarily responsible for public safety in the city’s subway system, a component part of the MTA’s transit network, and the MTA planned to pass on $12 million of the grant award to the NYPD for counterterrorism policing in the subways. The NYPD uses the funds to train and support units that detect explosives and chemical and radiological weapons, identify and preempt incipient attacks, train transit officers to respond to active shooter attacks in the subway, and respond effectively to terrorist incidents. 

 

The NYPD plans to use its portion of the grant funds for Fiscal Year 2025 to continue to safeguard the subway-riding public. The grant funding withheld by DHS would support a variety of NYPD deployments that work to keep the subway safe, including: 

 

•  Officers on the Radiological Anti-Terror Patrol Train Operational Sweep Team, which inspect critical infrastructure throughout the subway system — including stations, tunnels, equipment rooms, tracks, and train cars — for radiological weapons. 

•   The Explosive Detection Canine Unit, which patrols the subway system with dogs trained to find chemical, radiological, and nuclear explosives. 

•   The Mobile Explosive Screening Team, which uses explosive detection equipment to screen passengers’ bags at entrance points. 

•   The Suspicious Activity Behavior Recognition Team, which sends undercover officers on the subway system to prevent terrorism. 

•   The Transit Operational Response Canines and Heavy Weapons Team, which patrols entrances during rush hour to deter attacks.  

•   Funding active-shooter training. 

 

According to the brief, the harm from the loss of those funds will not only endanger the average 5.5 million daily commuters and tourists who ride the subways every day, but all of the city’s 8.5 million residents. The city argues that the DHS secretary’s choice to deny MTA funding — for the first time since the grant program’s creation — was motivated by a policy disagreement with city and state officials rather than any assessment of the risk of a terrorist incident in New York City’s subway system. Cutting funding based on a policy disagreement violates the statute authorizing the counterterrorism grant. The statute expressly provides that funds “shall” be distributed to public transit systems based solely on the risk of terrorism. The city’s subway system faces a higher risk of a terrorist attack than any other transit system in the country, and the DHS secretary is required to allocate part of the grant to the MTA.  

 

The action comes on the heels of the federal government’s decision to reverse its $187 million reduction in public safety grants. As the brief notes, “the DHS secretary’s decision is even more unsupportable given that the secretary has reversed course on announced massive cuts to the state from a similar but separate grant —the Homeland Security Grant Program — which is also required to be distributed based on risk.” 

 

Since the inception of the TGSP program, the NYPD has received close to $250 million in funding, which it has used to support vital counterterrorism initiatives in the subway system.  

Governor Hochul and Labor Leaders Announce Maximum Weekly Benefit Increase for Unemployed Workers

Starting this Month, Maximum Weekly Benefit Increases from $504 to $869

Increase in UI Benefits Comes at Same Time as GOP Federal Shutdown Impacted 115,000 Federal Employees in New York, Leaving Them Without Paychecks

Governor and New York State Legislature Paid Off Trust Fund Loan in FY 2026 Budget, Bringing the Fund to Solvency, Increasing Benefits for Unemployed New Yorkers and Cutting Costs for Businesses

Part of Governor Hochul’s Efforts To Increase Benefits for New York’s Workforce and Save Businesses Money

Governor Kathy Hochul and labor leaders today announced the maximum weekly unemployment insurance (UI) benefit increase for unemployed workers across the state. As part of the Governor’s FY26 Enacted Budget, the State invested nearly $7 billion to pay off the federal UI Trust Fund loan, and bring the fund to solvency and increase the maximum weekly benefit from $504 to $869. The increase in UI benefits comes at the same time as the GOP federal shutdown impacts 115,000 federal employees in New York, leaving them without paychecks.

“Donald Trump and Washington Republicans’ agenda is a direct attack on hardworking New Yorkers, with reckless trade wars causing skyrocketing prices, and now their decision to shutdown the federal government has left thousands of New Yorkers unemployed and unsupported,” Governor Hochul said. “It’s a stark contrast to everything we’re doing here in New York. With the weekly maximum benefits increasing starting this month, we are able to uplift unemployed New Yorkers, including those that Republicans in Washington have failed, while cutting costs to businesses.”

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Increasing the maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit will greatly help New Yorkers navigating job loss. This historic increase will help more people make ends meet when they need it most and put money directly into the hands of those out of work through no fault of their own. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for working together to pay off the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt and make these increases possible.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UI Trust Fund had a positive balance of nearly $2.5 billion. However, due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the balance was paid out to New Yorkers, requiring the State to borrow from the federal government to continue paying eligible claims. Paying off the debt and making the fund solvent has allowed the State to increase the maximum UI benefit rate so that it better aligns with other states and changes to the taxable wage base to help build up reserves and stabilize the UI Trust Fund for the future.

Starting with payments issued the week of October 13, the maximum amount customers can receive weekly will increase from $504 to $869, and increases are expected for many customers even if they are not currently receiving the highest rate. The weekly benefit payment amount is determined by how much a worker earned during a specific base period. New Yorkers can use this tool to estimate their weekly Unemployment Insurance benefit amount.

By paying off the debt, the State is also putting money back in the pockets of business owners, whose contribution rates had continued to climb while the debt was paid down. Employers will no longer receive annual Interest Assessment Surcharge (IAS) bills and are projected to save an average of $100 per employee in 2026 and $250 in 2027. Additionally, the taxable wage base will increase in 2026, strengthening the trust fund over time and helping to maintain affordable tax rates for New York’s employers in the long term.