New York State Office for the Aging Highlights Resources During Caregivers Month To Help New Yorkers Who Provide Unpaid Care To Friends And Family

 

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) today recognized National Family Caregivers Month, highlighting the many resources to support unpaid caregivers in New York State who provide uncompensated help to a friend or family member.

 

NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen said, “National Family Caregivers Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the people in your life caring for a loved one. While each caregiver’s journey is unique, you are not alone. NYSOFA and our community partners work continuously to help caregivers understand the importance of their work and support them, including in-person support as well as tools to relieve caregiver stress, find resources, learn evidence-based best practices, and feel empowered.”

 

More than half of unpaid caregivers do not self-identify in this role. They are family members, friends, or neighbors who provide unpaid care and support to someone else, such as a spouse, an older parent, children, or someone with chronic or other medical conditions.

 

NYSOFA works on multiple levels to raise awareness of unpaid caregiving while offering programs for individuals of all ages who provide this care for someone else, including many digital resources and supports.

 

In New York State, every year, more than four million caregivers provide direct and indirect care to assist a relative, friend, or neighbor, regardless of age. Understandably, caregiving can take a toll on a caregiver’s physical and mental health. NYSOFA has partnered with ARCHANGELS on an Any Care Counts NY campaign that uses a Caregiver Intensity Index (CII) for measuring caregiver intensity. The CII is being used statewide by Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) for caregiver assessments, revealing that more than 30 percent of caregivers are “in the red,” meaning they are experiencing the most severe caregiving burden or are in crisis, and more than half are still working. Learn more and get your score using the CII here.

 

Self-Identifying as a Caregiver

To help caregivers self-identify, NYSOFA has developed a Caregivers Guide Video that summarizes the many services and supports available to caregivers in New York State.

 

Aging Services Programs to Help Caregivers

Area Agencies on Aging in New York State deliver more than 20 core services to help older adults age in place. These programs help caregivers by meeting older adults’ social, assistive, and other community-based needs, thus relieving caregiver intensity. These services and supports include transportation, nutrition programs (home-delivered and congregate meals), personal care, legal services, social programs (including friendly calls or visiting programs), and more. To learn more about these programs, visit NYSOFA’s website or contact NY Connects at 1-800-342-9871. NYSOFA and the aging services network also provide support directly to caregivers, such as respite programs.

 

Resources

• New York’s Caregiver Portal, powered by Trualta: NYSOFA offers a New York Caregiver Portal that is available free of charge to any of the 4.1 million people who provide unpaid care to another individual. This evidence-based caregiver training and support platform helps families build skills to manage care at home for loved ones of any age. It also connects to local resources and support services by delivering personalized education, training, and information links.

• Working Caregiver Initiative: NYSOFA, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), and partner agencies have launched the Working Caregivers Initiative to address the unique stresses experienced by individuals who are balancing work with a caregiving role for family, friends, or neighbors. As part of this initiative, NYSOFA asks New Yorkers to complete a statewide survey to assess specific challenges faced by individuals in this role. NYSOFA and NYSDOL also offer a Caregivers in the Workplace Guide, providing tips and resources for employers to help support working caregivers.

• GetSetUp Online Communities for Caregiver Support: New Yorkers age 60 and older can connect with GetSetUp’s peer-led online classes, gaining skills in caregiving, technology, health and wellness, financial literacy, and more. To explore GetSetUp’s offerings and classes, free for older New Yorkers, visit getsetup.io/nystate. View GetSetUp’s “Caring for Caregiver” classes here.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON POLICE COMMISSIONER TISCH CONTINUING INTO MAMDANI ADMINISTRATION

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced that he would keep New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch on as police commissioner in his administration: 

“When I ran for office, I made public safety and reducing crime my North Star because public safety is the prerequisite to prosperity. Coming into office, crime was out of control and shootings were skyrocketing. In the first weeks and months of our administration, we zeroed in on these crimes by announcing our ‘Blueprint to End Gun Violence’ and ‘Blueprint for Community Safety,’ launching our Neighborhood Safety Teams, and forming a Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to go after illegal guns and bring down the number of shootings across our city — and it worked. Today, because of the policies we put in place nearly four years ago and the tireless efforts of the brave men and women of the NYPD, we are in our eighth straight quarter of declining crime across the city and we have removed more than 24,000 illegal guns from our streets. Commissioner Tisch, like her predecessors before her, has continued that stellar work and is implementing the policies and initiatives the Adams administration has pushed for four years. She was a star at the Sanitation Department and has done incredible work at the NYPD. In choosing her to stay on as police commissioner, Mayor-elect Mamdani is recognizing our public-safety efforts were right and that they will continue into the future. We all want a safer city, and keeping Commissioner Tisch in place and supporting our police officers every day with the policies we have implemented, is exactly how we do that.” 

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - Reimagining the Enslaved Burial Ground Design Ideas Competition RFQ

 

Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground at Van Cortlandt Park is now accepting submissions to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) call, inviting new visions for a memorial design.

Following months of community engagement events in the Bronx, aiming to redefine mourning and memorial, as well as a survey of residents to align the future of the space with the needs of the neighborhood and descendants, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, in partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space and Liminal sp, is launching a Design Ideas Competition, calling for architects, artists, and design firms to submit their qualifications to create a proposal for a permanent memorial that connects Bronx neighbors and visitors to the history of the grounds, confronts its painful legacy, and invites opportunities for gathering, educating, and healing.

The deadline to submit the RFQ form is 12/17. A virtual public information session will be held on December 1st, finalists will be notified by mid-February and asked to begin the design process throughout Spring 2026. Follow @vcpalliance and @designtrustnyc for updates and upcoming event info or subscribe for email notifications.

Our Contact Information
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance
80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463
718-601-1460
http://vancortlandt.org

Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Convictions

 

United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Mitchell Robinson, age 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and tramadol; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Robinson to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.  

According to admissions made during his plea, on May 11, 2022, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a “knock” search warrant at Robinson’s residence. In the kitchen, deputies found 2.17 grams of fentanyl, 218.3 grams of methamphetamine, 22.89 grams of methamphetamine, 56 suboxone 8mg/2mg prescription strips, manitol (narcotics cutting agent), 390 suspected tramadol pills inside the house, a digital scale, a Glock, model 17, 9mm handgun modified to be fully automatic, a Glock style 9mm handgun with no serial number, Glock style 30 round magazine, 9mm ammunition, and 4.01 pounds of suspected marijuana. In the attic, deputies found 884.1 grams of methamphetamine, 439.7 grams of methamphetamine, 194.46 grams of fentanyl, 3.12 pounds of suspected marijuana, 55.59 grams of heroin, and $25,960.00 in U.S. Currency. Robinson knowingly possessed all seized items in his home with the intent to distribute those narcotics to others.

Robinson was previously convicted of simple burglary on September 8, 2010, in East Baton Rouge Parish and burglary of a dwelling and aggravated burglary on January 5, 2011, in Ascension Parish.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson. 

Attorney General James Reminds New Yorkers of Home Utilities Rights Ahead of Winter Season

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James is issuing a consumer alert reminding New Yorkers of their home utilities rights as temperatures drop. Residential customers in New York have strong legal protections for essential winter weather services, including heat and hot water. New York state requires utility service providers to make extra efforts to reach out to households before heat-related shutoffs occur during the cold weather period and prohibits services from being shut off if health or safety problems will result.  

“New Yorkers have a legal right to heat and hot water services during the winter season,” said Attorney General James. “As temperatures drop, I urge New Yorkers to know their rights when it comes to home utilities, and to reach out to my office if they feel their rights are being violated. No New Yorker should be left without heat or hot water as days and nights grow colder.”

Attorney General James is reminding consumers of their home utilities rights, including:

• New York state requires utilities to make extra efforts to reach out to households before a shutoff occurs during the cold weather period, from November 1 through April 15.
• Utilities must wait at least 35 days from when notices are past due to pursue termination of service and must provide at least 15 days’ notice before doing so.
• Utilities cannot shut off service to residential consumers during the two-week period that includes Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Utilities cannot shut off service to households where someone is experiencing a serious impairment to human health, such as a serious illness, physical disability, recent death of a family member, or if there are children in the home, among other conditions.

Attorney General James encourages any New Yorker who experiences an unauthorized shutoff or believes they were taken advantage of to file a complaint online or call 1-800-771-7755.

For additional information on New York’s Energy Affordability Program (EAP) and Home Energy Fair Practices Act, please consult the Department of Public Service’s website. 

Executive Deputy Comptroller for Budget & Finance Francesco Brindisi Provides Testimony to Industrial Development Agency on Western Rail Yards

 

Executive Deputy Comptroller for Budget and Finance Francesco Brindisi testified to the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) against the Uniform Tax Exemption Policy (UTEP) Amendment for the Western Rail Yard at Hudson Yards.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander also released the following statement:

“We support mixed-use development on the Western Rail Yard, at the density proposed, to increase the city’s supply of housing, office, and open space; however, we are concerned that in its current configuring, the economics of the project appear to rely too heavily on the City’s intervention to the benefit of the private developer and the MTA. We are therefore voting no on the IDA resolution to amend the Hudson Yards UTEP area at this time, until the costs and benefits to the City can be more clearly specified and circumscribed, which we hope will happen in the next mayoral administration.”

Executive Deputy Comptroller Brindisi’s remarks to the IDA, as prepared:

The Office of the Comptroller is voting no on the IDA resolution proposing a Project Area UTEP Amendment for the Western Rail Yard at Hudson Yards. 

To be clear: we are supportive of a mixed-use, mixed-income development on the Western Rail Yard, at the density proposed, to expand the supply of housing, office, and open space. Furthermore, we understand that that building the deck over the yard will require financing against the tax increment payments that the developer would otherwise pay to New York City. Without an arrangement of this type, it will be impossible to achieve any of the benefits associated with a potential project.  

However, we feel more work must be done to specify the costs and benefits for the City of New York and its affiliate entities, prior to granting additional approvals. 

The resolution before the IDA board pertains to the extension of the Hudson Yards UTEP area to the Western Rail Yard, which would allow the envisioned office development to avail itself of real property tax exemptions. We are thankful to the staff of the IDA for providing insight into the remaining development opportunities in the Hudson Yards Financing District, the ability of other governmental bodies to deliver benefits to the development, and the role that the extension might have in securing an anchor tenant for the envisioned office building.  

Regarding the costs and benefits, our office has recently been included in discussions surrounding the expenses and revenues of the proposed Western Rail Yard investments. After reviewing the information, we are still left with the impression that the resolution before this board is a premature step.  

In particular, in its current configuration, the economics of the project appear to rely too heavily on the City’s intervention, to the benefit of the private developer (who would own the platform financed largely with tax increment financing) and of the MTA (who would receive substantial lease payments which may be drawn from revenues that would otherwise be due to the City). 

For this reason, the Office of the Comptroller is voting in opposition to the resolution today to amend the Hudson Yards UTEP area. We hope the deal will continue to be negotiated with the incoming mayoral administration.

MAYOR ADAMS UNVEILS NEW DESIGNS FOR SIDEWALK SHEDS AND SCAFFOLDING THAT WILL BEAUTIFY STREETS, MAKE CITY SAFER

 

Six Better-Looking, Design Options Coming to City Sidewalks   

  

City Announces Recommendations Following Comprehensive Engineering Study on Local Law 11 Façade Inspection Regulations, Reminds Property Owners About New Enforcement Protocols in 2026  

  

Continues Mayor Adams’ Successful Campaign to “Get Sheds Down” by Creating New Tools to Remove Unnecessary Scaffolding, Ramping Up Enforcement, and Creating More Appealing Designs 

  

Total of 15,224 Old Sidewalk Sheds Have Been Removed Citywide Under Adams Administration 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Jimmy Oddo today unveiled six revamped designs for sidewalk sheds — commonly referred to as scaffolding — that vastly improve the streetscape to be used at construction projects and buildings undergoing façade maintenance across the five boroughs. These new designs are a major improvement from the outdated and clunky green sheds that permeated city streets for decades and serve as a continuation of Mayor Adams’ successful “Get Sheds Down” initiative,” which is improving the aesthetic on city streets while protecting the public from potential overhead hazards around buildings and construction sites.  

  

Additionally, Mayor Adams is also announcing recommendations from a comprehensive engineering study on the city’s Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP). This study is the first-ever effort to use evidence-based building science to recommend improvements to the current façade inspection requirements that could potentially reduce the need for sidewalk sheds without negatively impacting public safety. These announcements — along with a new slate of enforcement initiatives, which go into effect early 2026 — deliver key components of Mayor Adam’s transformative Get Sheds Down initiative that has taken major strides to reduce the prevalence of unsightly scaffolding across the five boroughs.  

  

“For too long, scaffolding and outdated and cumbersome sidewalk sheds have blocked sunlight, hurt small businesses, and cluttered our neighborhoods, but today marks a major step forward in our mission to reimagine New York City’s streetscape,” said Mayor Adams. “By introducing these six modern designs and pairing them with the first-ever, evidence-based engineering study of our city’s façade safety requirements, we’re proving that safety and good design can go hand in hand. These reforms — along with the enforcement measures coming in 2026 — advance our ‘Get Sheds Down’ initiative and bring us closer to a city where New Yorkers can enjoy safe, vibrant, and beautiful streets once again.”  

  

“These new sidewalk shed designs and the groundbreaking façade safety study represent exactly the kind of smart, evidence-driven innovation New Yorkers deserve,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth. “By modernizing outdated rules and giving builders better tools, we’re reducing unnecessary scaffolding while keeping public safety front and center. The enforcement measures launching in 2026 will ensure these improvements are felt in every neighborhood. Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, we’re streamlining operations, cutting visual clutter, and delivering a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming city for all.” 

  

“These new shed designs are leaps and bounds above what we see on sidewalks today and coupled with scientific evidence-based reforms of the city’s façade inspection regulations, they will help us unclog pedestrian spaces for our fellow New Yorkers,” said DOB Commissioner Oddo. “The ‘Get Sheds Down’ plan was the first time an administration fully tackled the issue of how the second order effects of sidewalk sheds are negatively impacting our city. Now, thanks to the thoughtful work of our partners at Thorton Tomasetti, Arup, and PAU, along with the team here at DOB, we are seeing a path forward on initiatives that will benefit the city for years to come.” 

  

“We’re turning an eyesore into an opportunity,” said Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu. “The new sidewalk shed designs demonstrate how the ubiquitous and mundane can reflect New York’s spirit of design, creativity, and care for public spaces.” 

  

New Shed Designs

  

In February 2024, the city hired two of the city’s leading architecture and design firms — Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) — to help reimagine how to protect the public from hazards associated with buildings and construction sites. The two teams were tasked with each delivering three new pedestrian protection designs that simultaneously improve the pedestrian experience, beautify the streetscape, and keep costs reasonable for building owners, all while improving public safety. The firms were also charged with coming up with designs that use cost-effective materials that are readily available to contractors to reduce barriers to adoption. The six innovative designs are a major improvement upon the current hunter green pipe-and-plywood sheds that are seen in neighborhoods across the city today, and which are the source of frequent public complaints.  

  

PAU’s team includes LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Tang Studio Architect, LLC, Fisher Marantz Stone, RWDI, Dharam Consulting, and Langan. Arup led a team that includes KNE studio, Core Scaffolding, and Reddymade. 

  

Design #1 “The Speed Shed” – Designed by PAU 

Potential Use Case: A light duty shed that it is quick to deploy and quick to move. Good for short-term projects and emergency repairs. The design features an angled roof with netting, allowing natural light on to the sidewalk.   

  

Design #2 “The Rigid Shed” – Designed by Arup 

Potential Use Case: A heavy duty shed for major projects, like tower crane operations and high-rise construction. The design features a small footprint on the sidewalk and minimal obstruction for pedestrians.

Design #3 “The Baseline Shed” – Designed by PAU  

Potential Use Case: A versatile shed that comes in both heavy and light duty variants, adaptable to building and sidewalk dimensions on a wide variety of projects. The design features an angled transparent roof, allowing light to shine on the sidewalk.     

Design #4 “The Air Shed” – Designed by Arup 

Potential Use Case: A light duty shed that is completely lifted off the ground and anchored into the building for façade repair and window replacement projects. The cantilevered design is reminiscent of a balcony, with virtually no impact on pedestrians below.  

Design #5 “The Wide Baseline Shed” – Designed by PAU  

Potential Use Case: A heavy duty shed for major projects perfectly suited for wide sidewalks on major thoroughfares. The design features heavy duty columns spaced far apart to minimize obstructions on the sidewalk. 

Design #6 “The Flex Shed” – Designed by Arup  

Potential Use Case: A light duty shed good for maintenance work and emergency repairs. With easily adjusted roof heights and column placement, the design features a small footprint on the sidewalk that can be modified to work around unique building elements, as well as sidewalk obstructions like street signs and bus stop shelters.    

Going forward, DOB will be working with PAU and Arup to make all six of these designs available for public use through the agency rulemaking process. Registered design professionals will be able to easily obtain permits for these designs through DOB’s Professional Certification program , much in the same way that they currently obtain permits for the old hunter green pipe-and-plywood sheds. Additionally, allowing every design professional and contractor the ability to utilize these new designs further drives down costs for building owners through competition. The city expects to see these new designs on city sidewalks as early as 2026.  

  

“PAU’s designs reflect a radical rethinking of the form and materiality of sidewalk sheds, demonstrating that it is possible to have bright, inviting, and safe sidewalks and storefronts, while still providing the necessary protections that sheds offer pedestrians,” said Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder, PAU. “PAU was established to design for the public and I can’t imagine a more impactful intervention than making Gotham’s sidewalks — the most defining aspect of our city’s public realm — safer, more egalitarian, and more beautiful.” 

  

Achieving Mayor Adams’ Get Sheds Down Vision

 

Today’s announcement is yet another step in achieving Mayor Adams’ Get Sheds Down initiative to ensure sidewalk sheds —intended as temporary pedestrian protections — no longer linger for years due to delayed repairs. Mayor Adams launched his Get Sheds Down plan in July 2023, a sweeping overhaul of rules governing sidewalk construction sheds and scaffolding to remove these eyesores from city streets more quickly, while redesigning and reimagining those that are needed. Long-standing sheds crowd city streets and darken sidewalks, negatively impacting tenants, pedestrians, and business owners. The Adams administration and Mastercard have found that sidewalk sheds can cost Manhattan businesses between $3,900 and $9,500 in consumer spending each month.  

  

Since the launch of Mayor Adams’ Get Sheds Down initiative, DOB has helped remove 429 long-standing sheds across the city that were previously standing in place for five years or more. Currently, all sidewalk sheds in the city that are over three years old are enrolled in DOB’s Long-Standing Shed program , subjecting the property owners to stronger enforcement scrutiny, greater outreach, and court actions when the owners refuse to make repairs. Since the initiative’s launch, in July 2023, over 15,200 total sheds have been removed, including 1,663 that have been up for three years or more — representing a 10 percent net reduction across the five boroughs. The Adams administration has been leading by example on this issue; thanks to completed building repair projects, 1,453 sidewalk sheds have been removed from city-owned buildings since July 2023, including 88 long-standing sheds that previously were up for over five years. 

  

Beginning in 2026, new enforcement measures signed, advocated for by the Adams administration and signed into law by Mayor Adams, will hold property owners accountable for timely façade and construction work. These include monthly Public Right of Way Penalties of up to $6,000 for sheds standing longer than 180 days, milestone penalties for owners of FISP buildings who miss repair deadlines, and an expanded Long Standing Shed Program that now targets sheds in place for three years or more with stricter enforcement and potential court action. Additionally, sidewalk shed permit durations will be shortened from one year to 90 days, requiring quarterly permit renewals with proof of progress on the underlying building repair work. Supported by new resources and a partnership with the New York City Council, the DOB is engaging property owners citywide to accelerate shed removal.  

  

About Local Law 11 Study 

  

In May 2024, the City of New York partnered with globally recognized engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti to conduct the first-ever comprehensive scientific review of the city’s FISP requirements for building owners, also known as Local Law 11 inspections. The 18-month study analyzed tens of thousands of inspection reports, reviewed international best practices, and gathered extensive stakeholder feedback to modernize regulations that have remained largely unchanged for 45 years. The findings confirmed that FISP has significantly improved public safety but identified areas for reform, including overuse of sidewalk sheds at buildings posing minimal risk and inconsistencies in how façade conditions are classified.  

 

Key recommendations from the study, which will be posted in its entirety on the DOB’s website in the coming days include adjusting inspection frequencies for all buildings to six years; clarifying definitions of unsafe conditions; only requiring a sidewalk shed at a building for truly hazardous conditions and not just because of a missed repair deadline; introducing tailored requirements for lower-risk buildings, including less frequent hands-on inspections; reducing the number of hands on inspections required for each inspection; creating an option for stricter standards for specific buildings with a history of chronic deterioration; exploring ways to expand the use of drone technology for façade inspections; and improving guidance for privately contracted façade inspectors through the creation of a help desk and inspection guides. DOB is now developing updated FISP rules and a comprehensive industry guide to ensure consistent standards, enhance safety, reduce compliance-related costs, and reduce unnecessary sidewalk sheds.   

Assemblymember Zaccaro, Jr.'s 2025 Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway

Friends,

We are a few short days away from Team JZ’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway is back!

This year, we’re doing something a little different — we’ll be holding one large community giveaway on Thursday, November 20th, right outside our community office on Williamsbridge Road. See below for all the details:

Event Details:

Where: Community Office of Assemblymember John Zaccaro, Jr. — 2018 Williamsbridge Rd

When: Thursday, November 20, 2025

Time: 3:00 PM (while supplies last*)

*See flyer for additional details.

This time of year — and through events like these — we are reminded of the importance of giving back and what being a community is all about. I look forward to seeing you there!

In gratitude,

John Zaccaro, Jr.