Maloney Announces New Tenant Protection Legislation
Last Friday, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) announced the introduction of the Public House Residents Protection Act.
The act would ensure that whenever a public housing authority sells its assets, the sale benefits those public housing residents. It would also require that the authority produce a certification that shows how the sale will benefit the residents.
On that same day, Maloney voiced support for a lawsuit that the residents of Holmes and Stanley Isaacs Houses filed against NYCHA. The suit alleged that NYCHA has failed to provide the plaintiffs with adequate living conditions, and demanded immediate intervention.
“Every week, my office responds to calls from NYCHA tenants seeking assistance with repairs for broken elevators, vermin infestations, lack of heat and hot water, and broken intercoms,” said Maloney. “It is unacceptable that anyone is made to live in these conditions, and that residents often file multiple work order requests for the same issue without ever receiving a response from NYCHA. I stand in solidarity with the residents of Holmes and Stanley Isaacs Houses, tenant leaders, and community groups who are fighting for necessary repairs in public housing without privatization. NYCHA tenants are not asking for special treatment, they are simply asking to be treated with respect.”
Velázquez Relieved by Medicaid Provisions in Puerto Rico Funding Package
Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-LES, Brooklyn, Queens) released a statement yesterday following the announcement that the FY 2020 appropriations package would include matching funds for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program.
“I’m relieved this bill addresses, at least temporarily, the shortfall in federal funds for Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program,” said Velázquez. “The Island continues struggling to recover from Maria, and that natural disaster imposed enormous strain on Puerto Rico’s healthcare system. These badly needed funds are critical to ensuring our fellow citizens there can access lifesaving medical care. I was deeply concerned that this legislation might leave the Island behind but I am glad Congress avoided that outcome.
“At the same time, Puerto Rico’s disparate treatment under Medicaid remains a longer-term issue that requires resolution.”
De La Rosa to Rally for Children of Incarcerated Parents
Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa (D-Upper Manhattan) will be joining the New York Initiative for Children of Incarcerated Parents (NYICIP) for a rally and press conference tomorrow.
De La Rosa and the NYICIP will be calling on the City to make it easier to visit incarcerated loved ones during the holidays. Other electeds scheduled to appear are Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (D), Assemblymember Tremaine Wright (D-Brooklyn) and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (D-Brooklyn).
The event will take place on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 3:45 p.m. outside of Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Brewer Says No to Lenox Terrace Rezoning Proposal
Yesterday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) issued a formal ULURP recommendation on a zoning text amendment proposed by the Olnick Organization.
The amendment concerned Olnick’s rezoning application for the development of five new buildings at Lenox Terrace. Brewer rejected the proposal, on the grounds that it didn’t include adequate public and private investments.
“There are few instances where a development the scale of the one proposed by Lenox Terrace Development Associates can be viewed as responsible,” said Brewer. “This proposal promises to change the physical and socioeconomic character of Central Harlem while ignoring the concerns of stakeholders and urban planners in the community, and as a result I must urge that the proposal as written be rejected.”
