Holden Blasts City’s Homeless Policies
City Council Member Bob Holden (R-Middle Village, Maspeth, Glendale, Ridgewood and parts of Woodhaven, Woodside) yesterday blasted the city’s homeless policy following the Department of Investigation recent report that found the Department of Homeless Services’ practices of placing homeless families with children in hotels without vetting the hotel for criminal activities.
The report specifically details that DOI investigators found homeless families with children in the same hotels and motels that were hotbeds of prostitution and drug activity and furthermore that DHS did not even consider criminal activity at all prior to placing families in these facilities.
“This is just another example of the broken, mismanaged efforts by the city in addressing homelessness,” said Holden. “Not only does DHS continue to warehouse families in hotels, they put them in unsafe environments with drugs and prostitution. The Mayor needs to fix the city’s mismanaged homeless policies, and more hotel and motel warehousing is not the answer.”
In 2016, Holden was one of the leaders of the fight to prevent the Maspeth Holiday Inn Express in his district from becoming a homeless shelter. The DHS was intent on converting the hotel into a homeless shelter to warehouse homeless from all over the city. Since then, the mayor has reversed this practice and will be working to phase out the use of hotels for the homeless.
Holden has been a proponent of policies which use faith-based organizations across the city to take in homeless individuals and families as well as an advocate for the creation of community advisory boards for homeless services in communities.
Southeast Lawmakers Honor FDNY EMT Heroes
Southeastern Lawmakers including State Sen. Leroy Comrie, Assembly Member Alicia L. Hyndman, and City Council Members Donovan Richards and I. Daneek Miller on Saturday will honor FDNY EMT heroes Zache Cox and Frantzi Honore.
The two from Station 54 last Nov. 24 saved the lives of four residents while on scene for a sick call after their carbon monoxide (CO) meters alerted them to the presence of high concentrations of the deadly gas.
The lawmakers will honor them with New York City & State proclamations as well
as New York State Senate Liberty Medals for their quick thinking and bravery.
The event is slated for 12 noon, Saturday, Jan. 13 at the EMS Station 54, 222-15 Merrick Blvd in Springfield Gardens.
Addabbo Appointed Ranking Dem Member Of Senate Education Committee
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth, South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways) recently announced his appointment as the ranking Democratic member of the New York State Senate Education Committee.
Addabbo, a member of the Senate Education Committee since being elected in 2008, was chosen by Senate Minority Conference Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins to serve as the Conference’s point person on education funding and policy issues for the legislative session.
“As the father of two children attending New York City public schools, I have both a personal and public policy perspective in making sure that our students receive the best possible education,” said Addabbo. “Achieving this goal involves many moving parts, including adequate funding for schools, thoughtful education policy, support for teachers and school administrators, and ongoing communications with parents and other stakeholders.”
In addition to serving as the ranking member on the Senate Education Committee, Addabbo will retain his leadership roles as ranking member of both the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs, and on the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering. He will also continue to serve as a member of the committees on Aging, Civil Service and Pensions, Environmental Conservation, and Labor.
Avella: Queens Cease and Desist Lists Go Into Effect
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Auburndale, Bayside, College Point, Malba, Murray Hill, North Flushing, Whitestone) yesterday reminded residents that with the new year the Department of State (DOS) instituted their new Cease and Desist list for parts of Queens that will put an end to unwanted real estate solicitations.
The list, which can be found on the DOS website, already has 1,033 properties in Bay Terrace and portions of Auburndale, Bayside, College Point, Malba, Murray Hill, North Flushing, and Whitestone that will finally be able to stop the repeat and intense solicitation that has been a terror since the previous cease and desist zone was scaled back in 2009 and ultimately expired in 2014.
“There may be 1,033 houses already on the list but there is always room for more,” said Avella. “The Department of State will continue to accept new submissions and will update the list monthly.”
Under the regulations put out by DOS, “no licensed real estate broker or salesperson shall solicit the sale, lease or the listing for sale or lease of residential property from an owner of residential property located in a designated cease-and-desist zone if such owner has filed a cease-and-desist notice with the Department of State indicating that such owner or owners do not desire to sell, lease or list their residential property and do not desire to be solicited to sell, lease or list their residential property.”
In addition to the new cease and desist zones, which expire on September 1, 2022, Avella is the sponsor of legislation (S1895) in the Senate that designates the entire county of Queens a cease and desist zone and extends the non-solicitation orders from five to 10 year periods.
