Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
A staffer paints a cell at Rikers Island in September 2021.
The 7-day positivity rate for those in the jail system who’ve been tested for the virus was more than 29 percent on Thursday, compared to 23 percent of city residents overall. But those in custody are much less likely to be vaccinated: just 38.4 percent have received both shots, compared to 72.3 percent of all New Yorkers.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the Health Equity Assessment Act, which advocates say will help address the impact of decades of hospital closures and consolidations across the state, which left certain communities—primarily low-income and neighborhoods of color—underserved when it comes to health facilities.
As Vanessa Gibson prepares to take office as the borough’s leader next month, three Bronx “beeps”—Robert Abrams, Adolfo Carrión Jr. and current Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.— sat down to discuss the role of the office, their most memorable moments and advice for their successor.
Tune into a virtual conversation Wednesday at 10 a.m., where New Yorkers will share their personal stories of navigating the homeless shelter system, and discuss how the city can better help families secure permanent housing. The panel is hosted by Trinity Church of Wall Street and the Family Homelessness Coalition; City Limits’ Editor Jeanmarie Evelly will moderate.
The pandemic worsened the hunger crisis for many New Yorkers, though more severe impacts were staved off by COVID relief programs. But need is expected to rise again, as government benefits expire, and the state’s eviction moratorium ends in January.
El rediseño de Medicaid en el estado bajo el mandato del exgobernador Andrew Cuomo incluía un plan para reformar el sistema poco financiado de atención de salud mental para niños, pero casi una década después, los defensores y expertos dicen que el acceso a los servicios de salud mental para jóvenes en Nueva York apenas ha mejorado. Incluso, puede haber empeorado.
The state’s Medicaid redesign under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo included a plan to reform the program’s patchwork, under-resourced mental health care system for children. But nearly a decade later, advocates and experts say access to youth behavioral health services in New York has barely improved, and may have gotten worse.
A group of 20 high school students from across the five boroughs will be reporting this semester for City Limits. Meet them and sign up for their newsletter.
The new “Communities Not Cages” coalition is pushing for passage of three new bills that would eliminate mandatory minimum prison sentences in the state and offer incarcerated New Yorkers more opportunities to have their sentences revisited and shortened.
Advocates are pushing for the incoming Eric Adams administration to address the persistent issue with a number of policy changes, including hiring more DOE staff to work directly with students in shelter, who tend to experience a number of challenges that impact their learning compared to their permanently-housed peers.
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