In the News-New York State
Hope House on Crotona Park Breaks Ground
Greenburger Center for Social and Criminal Justice’s Hope House, a 16-bed alternative to incarceration (ATI) residential facility, officially broke ground on Tuesday, November 14th on Crotona Park.
Located at 849 Crotona Park North in the Bronx, Hope House is anticipated to open in early 2025 and will serve as an ATI for those facing non-sex related felony charges and diagnosed with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The State Office of Mental Health (OMH) licensed congregate residential facility will accommodate 16 adults ages 18 and over for up to two years. The facility will operate with 24-hour onsite residential and security staff, offering daily and evening services in a therapeutic environment.
“America must find a better default option than prison for people living with behavioral health issues or mental illness who become involved with the criminal justice system, where more than half of the population has mental illness and where an estimated 20% have SMI. Hope House is a critical step toward America reforming its treatment of people living with these brain disorders,” said Francis Greenburger, the Center’s Founder and President, said as he addressed the crowd in attendance.
Funding will be provided via a combination of private donations, proceeds from the New Markets Tax Credit Program, a $5.6 million construction grant from New York State and allocations from both the NYC Council and NYS Legislature, including member grants from Senators Luis Sepulveda and Julia Salazar, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Assemblymembers David Weprin, Daniel O’Donnell, and Erik Dilan.
Once built, Hope House will offer residential programming for eight men and eight women from New York City’s five boroughs. Veterans and individuals living in the Bronx at the time of their arrest will have preference. This will be the nation’s first of its kind model.
“We need the Center’s Hope House model now more than ever and are grateful to Governor Hochul for providing the leadership necessary to bring this 10-year effort to a successful conclusion,” stated Cheryl Roberts, Executive Director for The Greenburger Center. “We are also deeply grateful to the local Community Board which supported this project from the beginning.”
The groundbreaking included remarks from New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice Deanna Logan, and Bronx Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero.
Chapters of the Laws of 2023
Chapter 636 — Sponsored by AM Dinowitz/Senator Cleare — Provides for the remote witnessing of health care proxies utilizing audio-video technology or telephone.
Chapter 641 — Sponsored by AM Conrad/Senator Martinez — Relates to extending the exclusion of indebtedness contracted for sewage facilities.
Chapter 646 — AM Hevesi/Senator Mannion — Requires statewide training for mandated reporters to include how to identify an abused or maltreated child with an intellectual or developmental disability.
Chapter 647 — AM Peoples-Stokes/Senator Sepulveda — Relates to sharing information obtained from applicants and licensees.
Chapter 649 – Senator Breslin/AM Magnarelli — Authorizes payments to nonparticipating or nonpreferred providers of ambulance services licensed under article 30 of the public health law.
Chapter 656 — Senator Hoylman-Sigal/AM Rozic — Extends the statute of limitations for claims resulting from unlawful discriminatory practices from one year to three years.
Chapter 657 — Senator Breslin/AM Hunter — Revises the procedures for contract payment of retainage for owners, contractors, and subcontractors, and establish deadlines for the completion of all remaining items by the contractor and subcontractor.
Chapter 668 — Senator Cooney/AM Burgos — Authorizes the City of New York, and agencies within, to require electronic bidding.
Chapter 669 — Senator Parker/AM Zinerman — Provides employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged candidates and economically disadvantaged region candidates and apprenticeship utilization on public transactions.
Chapter 671 — Sponsored by Senator Sepulveda/AM Zaccaro — Allows a deduction for business expenses, incurred by taxpayers authorized by the Cannabis Law to engage in the sale, distribution, or production of adult-use cannabis products or medical cannabis, for purposes of the unincorporated business tax, the general corporation tax, and the business corporation tax.
Chapter 675 — Sponsored by AM Pheffer Amato/Senator Jackson — Provides for the continuation of state health benefit plans for certain survivors of employees of the state and/or of a political subdivision or of a public authority.
Chapter 676 — Sponsored by AM Pheffer Amato/Senator Jackson — Relates to the suspension or demotion upon the abolition or reduction of non-competitive or labor class positions in the state service.
Chapter 676 — Sponsored by AM Pheffer Amato/Senator Jackson — Provides home addresses of certain employees to employee organizations.
Chapter 678 — Sponsored by Senator Gounardes/AM Bronson — Relates to protections for freelance workers.
Chapter 679 — Sponsored by Senator Hoylman-Sigal/AM Lavine — Provides that a court shall confirm an award upon the application of a party within one year after its delivery to the party unless an application to vacate or modify the award is made within 90 days after the delivery of the award.
Bills Vetoed by the Governor
Veto 48 — Sponsored by AM Woerner/Senator Addabbo — Creates a temporary commission to conduct a comprehensive study on the current utilization of paid family leave.
Veto 53 — Sponsored by AM Epstein/Senator Harkham — Requires written notice to a defendant of his or her right to complete court ordered alcohol or substance use treatment in a nonreligious treatment program.
Veto 57 — Sponsored by AM Aubry/Senator Comrie — Directs the Department of Health to conduct a study relating to opening a new hospital in southeast Queens.
Veto 60 — Sponsored by AM McDonald/Senator Thomas — Establishes the New York state organized retail crime task force.
Veto 65 — Sponsored by Senator Comrie/AM Zebrowski –– Repeals certain provisions relating to voting by members of the New York state authorities control board.
Veto 67 — Sponsored by Senator Kennedy/AM Peoples-Stokes — Establishes the office of racial equity and social justice.
Veto 71 — Sponsored by Senator Sanders/AM Vanel — Establishes the New York state cryptocurrency and blockchain study task force.
Veto 72 — Sponsored by Senator Cleare/AM Bichotte Hermelyn — Directs the Empire State Development Corporation to conduct a study on the feasibility of a minority and women-owned business capacity enterprise mentorship program.
Veto 75 — Sponsored by Senator Mannion/AM Gunther — Directs the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study on rate adequacy of orthotics and prosthetics.
Veto 76 — Sponsored by Senator Sepulveda/AM Simone — Relates to using the term human food grade for certain pet food.
Veto 79 — Sponsored by Senator Fernandez/AM Davila — Establishes a Latina suicide prevention task force.
Veto 80 — Sponsored by Senator Brouk/AM Gunther — Establishes a task force to study aging in place in mental health housing.
Veto 82 — Sponsored by Senator Parker/AM Ramos — Relates to the creation of an annual report on the race and ethnic data of individuals who have taken a civil service examination.
In the News-New York City
15,000 NYCHA Households Receive $95 Million in Rental Assistance
Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams this week announced that the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) has started distributing almost $95 million to cover rental arrears for nearly 15,000 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) households.
The ERAP support for NYCHA residents follows years of advocacy by residents and elected officials — including New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh and New York State Assemblymember Grace Lee — and city-state collaboration to ensure that residents of public and other subsidized housing could benefit from COVID-19-related rental assistance.
According to the Adams Administration, receipt of these ERAP payments strengthens NYCHA’s ability to provide services to residents, as rent payments fund one-third of NYCHA’s operating budget. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) expects public housing authorities to collect 100 percent of rent with no increase in operating subsidy to bridge funding gaps and does not allow public housing authorities to forgive rent on behalf of residents. In recent years, NYCHA has seen rent arrears more than quadruple.
Currently, 73,000 NYCHA households are behind on rent by a total of $533 million across the city’s public housing.
City Agencies Take Action to Prevent Overdoses in the Construction Industry
City agencies are taking action to prevent fatal overdoses in the construction industry after survey data revealed that construction workers led occupational groups in overdose deaths.
According to Health Department data, at least 269 construction workers died of an overdose in 2020. This mirrored national data, according to a US Centers for Disease Control analysis, that found construction was an industry that saw more fatal overdoses than other occupations.
The Health Department reviewed fatal overdose data, and pulled available employment information for all of those individuals who were between the ages of 18 and 64. The data shows that the most common job for overdose decedents was one in the “Construction and Extraction” field, a category defined by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics that covers multiple specific occupations in the construction industry. This was consistent across all race/ethnicity groups.
In response, the City’s Health and Buildings Departments are sending an alert to the City’s construction industry about the potentially fatal dangers associated with substance abuse, along with tools they can utilize to prevent fatal overdoses. Staff from both Departments will also be visiting construction sites to discuss substance abuse issues, the dangers of fentanyl, how to use Naloxone to prevent a fatal overdose, and work site safety, giving critical information directly to workers on how they can keep themselves safe both on and off the construction site.
“Construction professionals and their families should know that their city is not closing the book on those in crisis,” said NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “We know that an injury on the construction site is sometimes just the first chapter of a tragedy…”
The Department of Buildings is promoting safety on building construction work sites, which includes mandating educational training related to alcohol and drug use. The mandatory course covers the hazards of being impaired while on a construction site, but also facts about substance use disorders.
In addition, DOB will be conducting outreach to contractors and site safety professionals working in the city, asking them to include drug and alcohol safety information during their morning “tool box talks.” These required pre-shift meetings are conducted on work sites across the city every day.
Briefs
Installation of First Offshore Wind Turbine for South Fork Wind
Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced the completed installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, the first utility-scale wind farm in the United States in federal waters.
Once completed, the 130-megawatt offshore wind farm will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 70,000 Long Island homes. The first of South Fork Wind’s 12 Siemens Gamesa wind turbine generators was hoisted into place by the offshore construction team at the project site 35 miles off Montauk. All 12 turbines are expected to be installed by the end of 2023 or early 2024.
First approved by the LIPA Board of Trustees in 2017, South Fork Wind began construction in February 2022.
State Pension Fund Valued at $246.3 Billion at End of Second Quarter
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli this week announced that the estimated value of the New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) was $246.3 billion at the end of the second quarter of State Fiscal Year 2023-24. For the three-month period ending Sept. 30, 2023, Fund investments returned an estimated -1.59%.
“The bounce back that markets experienced during the first quarter of the state fiscal year gave way to declines in the second quarter,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “Our domestic economy has been resilient amid rising interest rates, inflation, and global turmoil, but markets have been turbulent…”
As of March 31, the Fund had 44.14% of its assets invested in publicly traded equities. The remaining Fund assets by allocation are invested in cash, bonds, and mortgages (21.53%), private equity (14.61%), real estate and real assets (13.39%) and credit, absolute return strategies, and opportunistic alternatives (6.33%). The Fund’s long-term expected rate of return is 5.9%.
Mayor Adams Appoints Jeffrey Garcia as Office of Nightlife Executive Director
New York City Mayor Eric this week announced the appointment of hospitality industry veteran Jeffrey Garcia to lead the Office of Nightlife (ONL).
An entrepreneur and business owner in Washington Heights and Kingsbridge, Garcia is a retired New York City Police Department (NYPD) first grade detective of the Organized Crime Control Bureau. He previously served on the New York City Small Business Advisory Council, as a board member at the New York City Hospitality Alliance, as president of the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar, and Lounge Association, and helped found the Latino Cannabis Association.
Bills Signed by the Mayor
Intro. 687-A — Sponsored by New York City Councilmember Keith Powers — Requires chain restaurants with 15 or more locations to prominently post added sugars to menus.
Intro. 845-A — Sponsored by New York City Councilmember Menin — Implements more than 30 regulatory reforms that stem from Mayor Adams’ Executive Order 2 “Small Business Forward” initiative. These reforms were identified by Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, and SBS Commissioner Kevin Kim.
Intro. 1083-A — Sponsored by New York City Councilmember Menin — With Executive Order 37 integrates the Office of Night Life under the NYC Small Business Services.
Adams Administration Spares NYPD, FDNY & DSNY from
Next Round of Budget Cuts
Orders $2.1B Migrant Crisis Spending Cut
The New York Police Department (NYPD), Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the City Sanitization Department will not see additional cuts under the Adams’ Administration’s next planned round of budget reductions, according to the City Budget Office. Agency heads have been asked to cut $2.1 billion from the housing and service budget for migrants.
According to published reports, City Budget Director Jacques Jiha sent a memo to all City agency heads Monday regarding the next round of cuts. City agencies involved in the migrant crisis response include Departments of Homeless Services, Housing Preservation and Development, Emergency Management, and Health+ Hospitals.
Coming Up
New York State
Tuesday, November 28th
New York State Tuition Assistance Program
Joint – Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education & Subcommittee on Tuition
Assistance Program
Roosevelt Hearing Room C, Legislative Office Building, 2nd Floor, Albany, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, November 29th
Examining the Impact of Extreme Weather Events on the Resiliency of the Property and Casualty Insurance Market in New York State
Joint – Assembly Standing Committee on Insurance & Environment Conservation
Assembly Hearing Room, 250 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, 10 a.m.
Thursday, November 30th
Human Trafficking
Joint – Assembly Standing Committee on Codes & Social Services
Assembly Hearing Room, 250 Broadway, 19th Floor, New York, 10 a.m.
New York City
Monday, November 27th
Committees on Youth Services & Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addictions, Committee Room – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Oversight – After School Program Support for Youth with Disabilities.
Tuesday, November 28th
Committee on Aging, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, Committee Room – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Wednesday, November 29th
Committees on Education & Immigration, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Oversight – Immigrant Students in New York City Public Schools.
Thursday, November 30th
Committee on Higher Education, Committee Room – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Oversight – CUNY Reconnect
Committee on Veterans, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 14th Floor, 10 a.m.
Committee on Criminal Justice, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Oversight – Alternatives to Detention and Incarceration in New York City.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – Committee Room, 16th Floor, 11 a.m.
Committees on Public Housing & Aging, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Oversight – Doors, Locks and Lights: The Infrastructure of Resident Safety at NYCHA.
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