Adams Launches All-In-One Resource Clinic
Booklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced yesterday that Brooklynites will now have the ability to visit an all-in-one resource clinic at Brooklyn Borough Hall to access free, comprehensive services addressing aging, disability, immigration, personal finance, and transportation issues.
The effort, which will launch later this month from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30 and be held on a number of Wednesdays in the months ahead, is intended to enhance the ongoing work by his Constituent Assistance Center (CAC), where individuals can request assistance, file a complaint, or ask a question. Borough President Adams hailed the partnership with government and non-profit agencies to provide assistance on issues facing the borough’s residents.
“Centralizing critical resources is valuable to Brooklynites facing a wide array of challenges and concerns,” said Adams. “The All-in-One Resource Clinic is designed to be a one-stop shop for constituent assistance, building off of the great work done by the members of my CAC every day. When someone finds themselves in a difficult situation and is in need of a helping hand, Brooklyn Borough Hall is available to help connect them to meaningful solutions.”
Participating organizations include Catholic Migration Services, which will provide citizenship eligibility testing; INCLUDEnyc, which will offer help for families of people with disabilities; Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT), which will help qualifying individuals sign up for a reduced-fare MetroCard; the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA), which will bring health insurance information and counseling services through their Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP); and Operation HOPE, which will make free credit scores and reports available. All participants will be available at this month’s launch as well as for upcoming clinic dates on April 20th and May 25th. DFTA, INCLUDEnyc, and Operation HOPE have also committed to being part of future clinics on June 15th, September 14th, October 19th, and November 16th.
Adams’ CAC has regular office hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Walk-in appointments are accepted every day except Fridays. They can be also reached via phone by calling (718) 802-3777.
Velazquez Calls For Full Health Investigation Of NYCHA
Northern and Central Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez yesterday called for a full investigation of the city’s public housing (NYCHA) stock following the recent news that federal prosecutors are investigating elevated blood lead levels, in public housing and homeless shelters.
“These allegations are disturbing. There is no greater priority than protecting the health of our neighbors, public housing residents and, especially, our children. The suggestion that City agencies may have filed false claims with the federal government is also troubling,” said Velazquez. “My office will follow up on this matter, seek a full accounting of the facts and try to determine how we can better leverage federal resources to address these problems swiftly.
“This issue also underscores the importance of adequately investing in the maintenance of our public housing stock. That’s one reason I wrote my colleagues in Congress today calling for greater funding this year for public housing capital improvements and maintenance.”
Donovan Hails Kerry Labeling ISIS Atrocities As Genocide
Southern Brooklyn/Staten Island Congressman Dan Donovan yesterday hailed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recent labeling of the ISIS atrocities as genocide.
Kerry’s move follows Donovan, standing with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders earlier this week in a unified call for Kerry to call ISIS’s brutality against religious minorities “genocide.” Additionally, this week, the House of Representatives voted unanimously on a resolution labeling the atrocities as “genocide.”
“I’ve always said I only care about results and solutions, not partisanship. Today, Secretary Kerry had the moral conviction to label ISIS’s atrocities as genocide. Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities are being slaughtered by the thousands simply because they refuse to renounce their faith, and ISIS would impose the same brutality here if they could. ISIS must be destroyed,” said Donovan.
Williams To Vote “No” On MIH
City Council Member Jumaane Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) yesterday said that despite significant and tangible progress in negotiations between the City Council and Mayor Bill de Blasio on the Mayors massive Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) citywide rezoning, he will vote ‘No” on the measure when it comes before the full Council.
“Unfortunately, the current plan still does not require enough of a mandatory minimum amount of low-income units, and so today, I have no choice but to vote “no,”” said Williams. “I believe firmly – and have said from the start – that working families, seniors and low income New Yorkers are depending on us to pass a plan that includes a mandatory minimum amount of affordable homes in each option. The plan, as it stands today, can allow entire neighborhoods to be rezoned without including any low income housing; that was, and still is, a nonstarter for me.
“The Mayor and the Administration must be applauded for tackling the affordable housing crisis and we shouldn’t understate the difficulty in creating a housing plan that meets the needs of our very diverse city. The City Council should also be celebrated for pushing even further and to a plan that, plausibly at least, touches 30% AMI.
“Still, there is an unaddressed problem. While the plan now provides real options for elected officials and communities who welcome low-income units, it ignores a fundamental issue about mandating affordability in neighborhoods that have historically resisted economic integration and are unlikely to choose deep affordability.
“Without addressing that question, I cannot in good conscious vote “yes.””
Golden Hails Senate Passage Of Anti-Terrorism Bills
Bay Ridge State Senator Martin J. Golden, a former New York City Police Officer, announced this week that the Senate has passed a series of anti-terrorism bills designed to help protect New Yorkers from terrorists.
The measures establishes the crime of terrorism recruitment as a class C felony, increases criminal penalties for soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism, and establishes the crime of making a terroristic threat against a police officer.
“The New York State Senate has sent a clear message that protecting New Yorkers remains a top priority. These anti-terror bills will give law enforcement and prosecutors the legal tools they need to prosecute terrorists and place them behind bars where they can do no harm. New York remains a primary target for terrorists and we must remain ever vigilant inour efforts prevent another attack,” said Golden.
The bills have been sent to the Assembly.
