Category: News from Gale Brewer
I’ve appointed Dr. Rob Snyder to be our brand new Borough Historian! Dr. Snyder is a professor of journalism and American Studies in the Department of Arts, Culture and Media at Rutgers University-Newark. He’s written widely on New York City history and media issues. He is the author of Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York City (Cornell University Press), The Voice of the City: Vaudeville and… Read more
A New York City Independent Budget Office study I requested shows how housing property values are affected by certain types of homeless facilities within 1,000 feet. Transitional shelters appear to drop property values only modestly, while permanent supportive housing doesn’t affect values at all.
Facts unearthed by solid research like this are what public policy should be based on, and permanent shelters are clearly what the de Blasio administration should… Read more
I can’t say it enough: there’s a lot at stake for New York City in the 2020 Census, from federal funding to our representation in Congress, so we have to make sure all Manhattan residents are counted. That’s why I created the “Make Manhattan Count” project, which awarded a total of $52,000 to 12 community-based organizations that came up with creative solutions to reach historically under-counted communities such… Read more
My office and the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) are pleased to announce the winning designs in our Seaport Community Mural Project. These designs will be applied to structures that are part of the Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) program, which will be installed along South Street in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood. Below are the winners.
Andrea Bass, New York, NY:
Brenda Berkman, New York, NY:
Ebony Bolt,… Read more
Staten Island Borough President James Oddo and I convened a meeting with the Mayor’s Office, city agencies, and community stakeholders to address the illegal ticket vending issue that has been plaguing the Battery, Peter Minuit Plaza, and the southern portion of Battery Park City for several years. Individual vendors, frequently using harassment and occasionally force, have continued to peddle ferry and boat tour tickets to Liberty Island, Ellis Island, and… Read more
Delivered July 16, 2019.
I’m honored to be here tonight—not just because I’m a big fan of City & State, but because local journalism is important to our democracy—and our democracy has never needed journalism more.
I’m especially honored by Sheena Wright’s introduction. Her leadership of the United Way supports New Yorkers in so many ways—I’m humbled by her efforts and that of her staff and affiliates. And both of… Read more
In my official ULURP recommendation, I supported approving the Manhattan component of the city’s Borough-Based Jail System plan, with some conditions that are necessary to make sure local businesses and tenants are protected. The bottom line is this: Rikers Island must close. For too long the criminal justice system has disproportionately punished people in poverty, rather than being restorative and transformative.
Last year, I formed a Rikers Task Force… Read more
Each year, the Mayor and City Council must reach an agreement on how the city will spend money in the upcoming year. This is a tall task, as you can imagine, and involves a lot of compromise. In the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, I called for staffing one social worker in every public school, achieving pay parity between city and non-city early educators, and keeping senior centers open. I’m happy… Read more
I led a borough-wide Day of Action today to provide parents and children with detailed information about New York City’s Free Summer Meals Program, including specific sites and times. Along with dozens of volunteers, I greeted commuters, students, and parents across the borough with detailed flyers, starting bright and early at 7:30 am.
The Free Summer Meals program is an incredible resource in the fight against childhood hunger, but… Read more
My office and the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) are announcing an open call for mural designs to be applied to structures that are part of the Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) program, which will be installed along South Street in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood.
The Open Call isn’t just limited to professional artists—anyone is invited to submit a design, which will be printed on vinyl banners and… Read more
