PA Williams To Demand Landlord Repair Apartments Destroyed By Fire
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams tomorrow will join 18 families, whose apartments at 180 East 18th Street were destroyed by a fire last February, to demand the landlord make repairs so they can move back into their apartments.
According to tenant advocates, the landlord, Juda Rosenfeld and JBM Estates have a history of neglecting their buildings, where tenants live with dangerous and unhealthy conditions. In October 2018, Rosenfeld’s tenants at 1800 Albemarle in Flatbush protested living with water damage and mold for more than three years. And at 180 East 18th St, tenants raised concerns about electrical wiring and other dangerous conditions for years — as evidenced by HPD violations for “immediately hazardous” conditions dating back to 2015.
On February 25, 2019 tenants at 180 E 18th St woke up to a neighbor frantically knocking on their doors to alert them of a fire in the building. Families waited outside in the cold as firefighters fought the blaze. Three hours after FDNY put out the fire, the fire rekindled and everyone was forced out into the cold again. By that afternoon, the city issued vacate orders for 18 families. Those families are still waiting, almost five months later, for the landlord to fix their apartments so they can return to their homes.
These 18 families and other tenants in their building organized a tenant association with Flatbush Tenant Coalition to fight for their homes. With support from the Coalition and representation by Legal Services NYC – Brooklyn, tenants filed a group housing court case for immediate repairs. Their next court date Monday, July 22nd at 9:30 a.m. at 141 Livingston St.
The press conference to shed light on this issue is slated for 12 noon, tomorrow, July 20 in front of 180 East 18th Street in Flatbush.
Rose Keeps Pressure On To Stem Fentanyl Flow
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) this week saw the House Committee on Homeland Security pass his additional legislation to help crack down on the inflow of foreign fentanyl and other opioids into the United States.
The new legislation follows the House passage of Rose’s Fentanyl Sanctions Act to hold Chinese manufacturers accountable for the illicit production of the deadly opioid last week.
“We all know why this bill is needed—the opioid epidemic has truly devastated families in my district and I know many of yours as well, as well as generally across the nation,” said Rose in yesterday’s committee hearing prior to the bill’s passage. “I’m committed to making real progress to end the flow of these deadly drugs into our country and onto our streets. This bill is a tremendous step in that direction. This critical bill encourages the Department of Homeland Security to be innovative and think outside the box—to fight not only drug trafficking, but also the scourge of fentanyl itself pouring into our country.”
Adams, Cornegy Applaud City’s Microgrants To Support 21st Century In-Demand Jobs
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (D) and City Councilmember Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) yesterday lauded the de Blasio Administration’s announcement it has awarded microgrants to seven joint ventures that all specialize in workforce development who will research and plan innovative approaches the City can take to amplify training and hiring of underrepresented New Yorkers in tech and other in-demand sectors.
The seven winning proposals, which total $550K, are made up of best-in-class community-based organizations, training providers, higher education institutions, and research and consulting firms. Awardees are expected to deliver a mix of actionable blueprints for employers and training providers, focused recommendations to policymakers and funders, and specific programming ideas.
“I have long championed extending job opportunities to New Yorkers who traditionally have not had access to opportunity. These seven proposals selected by EDC provide innovative ideas on how to ensure no New Yorker gets left behind in the modern economy. I thank these organizations and EDC {Economic Development Corporation] for their diligent work and look forward to partnering with them on initiatives that promote greater opportunity throughout the five boroughs,” said Adams.
“Along with affordability, workforce development is a pivotal issue of our time. The microgrants offered by the de Blasio administration are a critical investment that will ensure more New Yorkers have access to stable and fulfilling employment,” said Cornegy. “I am glad to see that Brooklyn Public Library and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp made the cut.”
Cumbo Supports Health Departments’s Pharmacy To Farm Prescription Program
City Council Member Laurie Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) yesterday applauded the city Health Department’s Pharmacy to Farm Prescriptions program, which gives low-income New Yorkers with high blood pressure a “prescription” for fruits and vegetables.
Pharmacy to Farm Prescriptions partners with pharmacies to issue $30 a month in Health Bucks, the Health Department’s $2 coupons that can be used to purchase produce at a nearby GrowNYC farmers market. Over $80,000 in Health Bucks has been distributed to over 850 participants through the program (est. 2017).
To participate in the program, individuals must receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and fill a prescription for high blood pressure medication at a partnering independent pharmacy.
They already have four Brooklyn pharmacies involved:
- Brooklyn Center Pharmacy at 104 Dekalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn
- Myrtle Drug Care at 355 Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene
- Park Drugs at 801 Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights
- Whitman Pharmacy at 329A Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene
Persaud To Host Forum On The Rockaway Parkway Business Corridor
State Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce later this month will host a roundtable discussion about improving the Rockaway Parkway Business Corridor.
The forum is slated for 10 a.m. to 12 noon, July 31 at 1425 Rockaway Pkwy. For additional information regarding the event, please contact Matthew D’Onofrio at (718) 649-7653 or email donofrio@nysenate.gov.
