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Health and Environment

In Wake of Rezonings, Renewed Call for More Health Facilities on Hospital-Starved Rockaway Peninsula

Jeanmarie Evelly | October 26, 2022

Residential rezonings, including one approved this summer for Edgemere, are poised to bring thousands of new apartments to the Rockaways over the next decade, but just a single hospital has served the peninsula since 2012. A new task force is being asked to create a roadmap for expanding local healthcare services, including a facility that offers trauma care.

Homelessness

First Look at NYC’s 1,000-Cot Barracks for Asylum Seekers

David Brand | October 19, 2022

Length of stay at the cavernous barracks on Randall’s Island will depend on the availability of other housing options, and the efforts of New York City officials who have pledged to streamline exits from the emergency shelter facility.

Affordable Housing

Landlords Inflated Rents While Receiving 421a Tax Breaks, Lawsuits Allege

David Brand | October 12, 2022

The owners of three buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are accused in the suit of falsely registering initial rents with the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) in order to charge tenants more money than legally permitted at renewal or on new leases.

Health and Environment

Sewer Backups, Increasing from Climate Change, are Costing City’s Homeowners

Roxanne Scott | October 12, 2022

About 20 houses in South Jamaica are prone to sewer backups every few months, say homeowners, some of whom have dealt with the issue for more than a decade. But because the sewer line is on private property, the residents are left to contend with the problem on their own.

Housing and Homelessness

Amid Flood Concerns, Mayor Says NYC Will Move Asylum Seeker Tents to Randall’s Island

David Brand | October 4, 2022

The choice of Randall’s Island for the asylum-seeker tents recalls the historic role of the island—along with adjoining Wards Island—as a drop-off point for New York City’s most marginalized groups.

housing

City Planning Approves Innovation QNS Rezoning, Sending Plan to a Council Vote

David Brand | September 21, 2022

Innovation QNS has emerged as the latest flashpoint in a debate over housing production, with supporters saying the plan will provide much-needed units for New Yorkers of all income levels, while opponents say it includes too few income-restricted units for low- and middle-income residents.

CITY VIEWS: OPINIONS and ANALYSIS

Protestors hold signs calling for the closure of Rikers Island jails

Opinion: The Moral Imperative to Close Rikers Island

Rev. Chloe Breyer | September 13, 2022

The city’s plan to close Rikers by 2027 is “not a perfect plan, but it’s the best plan thus far. And to do the bold and necessary thing—to see this plan through to completion—will take moral courage and political leadership.”

Una Ciudad sin Límites

Un año después de las inundaciones de Ida, fondo de $27 millones de dólares para inmigrantes de Nueva York ha repartido menos de $2 millones

Daniel Parra | September 13, 2022

El fondo de ayuda de Ida para los neoyorquinos inmigrantes fue creado por la ciudad y el estado para las personas que sufrieron daños por las inundaciones pero que no cumplían los requisitos para recibir la ayuda administrada por la FEMA debido a su estatus inmigratorio. Pero un año después, solo se ha utilizado una parte de los fondos, y solo 330 de 554 han recibido un pago en efectivo.

City on the Edge: Climate Change and New York

A Year After Ida Floods, New York’s $27M Immigrant Relief Fund Doled Out Less Than $2M

Daniel Parra | September 7, 2022

The Ida relief fund for “Excluded New Yorkers” was set up by the city and state for people who suffered damages from the historic flooding but didn’t qualify for aid administered by FEMA because of their immigration status. But a year later, just a fraction of the funding has been used, and only 330 out of 554 have received a cash payout.

Una Ciudad sin Límites

Ciudad de Nueva York ampliará el apoyo a los estudiantes que aprenden inglés en escuelas de transferencia

Daniel Parra | September 6, 2022

El Departamento de Educación comenzará un programa para ampliar el tipo de ayuda que reciben los estudiantes de de hogares no angloparlantes que están aprendiendo inglés (English Language Learners o ELL por sus siglas en inglés) en las escuelas de transferencia existentes, que atienden a los estudiantes que están atrasados en los cursos o necesitan un apoyo adicional para el aprendizaje.