Dear Neighbor,

I hope you had an enjoyable July 4th holiday and are managing to stay comfortable as we experience the heat of summer. During the upcoming weeks, I will be hosting several virtual town hall meetings and my staff and I will be out and about at events throughout the district.

On July 14th, I am holding a “Healthy Homes 101” Virtual Town Hall with experts from the NYC Department of Health and an attorney who will provide guidance on cleaning your apartment safely, how to prevent and address mold and pests, and regulations related to keeping your home environment clean and toxin free. Dates and topics for future town hall meetings will be shared in the coming weeks.

Below you will find more information and registration details for the July 14th meeting, upcoming offsite constituent service hours with my staff, and other community events and updates.

Stay safe and healthy. As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at [email protected] or 212-490-9535.

Best,

Liz Krueger

State Senator

Healthy Homes 101

Friday, July 14th 10 am – 11:45 am

Do you see mold spreading in your kitchen? Pests in your bathroom? Want to know how to prevent these conditions from even happening or if they occur, to safely clean your home in a healthy way? Learn from experts at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) about the best way to keep your apartment safe, clean, and toxin free. Additionally, hear about what conditions your landlord is legally responsible to address.

The Virtual Town Hall will feature:

• Denise Johnson, Public Health Educator NYC DOHMH
• Tonya Hollingsworth, Public Health Educator, NYC DOHMH 
• Joseph Schofield, Senior Staff Attorney, Legal Health, New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)

The event will feature a question and answer session with Denise Johnson, Tonya Hollingsworth, and Joseph Schofield. Attendees will be able to submit questions through Zoom and Facebook during the event but are strongly encouraged to submit them in advance.

You have the option of joining the event online through Zoom, a webinar hosting service, or on Facebook. Please note that you do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event on Facebook. If you do not have access to a computer, tablet, or other electronic device, you can listen in by telephone.

After you register, a confirmation email with the Zoom link and the call-in information will be sent at least a week in advance of the event. Following the event, a recording will be emailed to everyone to who registered in advance and posted on my website.

Please let us know if you plan to attend the Friday, July 14th Virtual Town Hall and RSVP to https://tinyurl.com/7-14-23-virtual-town-hall.

Our constituent services team will be out and about this July at local libraries, parks, and older adult centers. Stop by with questions, concerns, or just to say hi!

Monday, July 10, 1pm - 3pm

53rd Street Library

18 West 53rd St

Wednesday, July 12, noon - 2pm (with Councilmember Keith Powers' office)

Yorkville Library

222 East 79th Street

Monday, July 17, 3pm - 5pm

Chelsea Green

140 West 20th Street

**Please note that since the Chelsea Green event is taking place outdoors, it will be rescheduled if it's raining.

Thursday, July 20, 11:30am - 2pm

Stein Senior Center

204 East 23rd Street

Wednesday, July 26, 10:30am - 12:30pm

Carter Burden Older Adult Center

546 Main Street, Ground Floor Lobby

Roosevelt Island

If you unable to attend any of these constituent service hours, we are available to provide assistance in the District Office (generally Monday through Friday, 9:30am-5:30pm). Please call us at 212-490-9535 or email [email protected].

Following last year's Mpox emergency*, which ended in January of this year, the number of Mpox cases in New York has remained consistently low. On May 9, Chicago reported a recent cluster of Mpox cases and there were 38 cases identified between March 18 and June 10. In New York City, there have been breakthrough cases, which are not linked or clustered. The City Health Department Mpox webpage indicates that 58 people have tested positive for mpox in NYC since January 1 of this year, with 5 cases being reported during the week of June 18 - June 24. 

As I shared in emails last year, Mpox symptoms are very uncomfortable and painful. This uptick in cases highlights the importance of getting vaccinated against mpox. If you have received two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine, you are fully vaccinated as per CDC guidelines. If you have received one dose, you are not fully protected and I encourage you to get the second dose at your earliest convenience. If you are at risk of contracting Mpox and have not received the JYNNEOS vaccine, I urge you to get vaccinated. The NYC Health Department has informed my office that there is an ample supply of JYNNEOS vaccine.

For more information and to find vaccination sites, please visit the following resources:

• NYC Health Department Mpox webpage
• NYS Health Department Mpox webpage
• CDC Mpox webpage
• Find a JYNNEOS vaccine site to schedule an appointment

*Mpox was previously referred to as Monkeypox, however that name did not accurately represent the nature of the illness and was stigmatizing. The NYS and NYC Health Departments now refer to the illness as Mpox.

The NYC Human Resources Administration has announced that applications for the 2022-2023 HEAP Cooling Assistance benefit will only be accepted through Friday, July 14th, at 5 pm because funding is running out. If you think you may be eligible, please submit an application immediately online at AccessHRA or in-person at an HRA Benefits Access Center.

Important Info for New Yorkers Covered by Medicaid, Child Health Plus, or the Essential Plan

The New York City Public Schools focus on the health and well-being of young people continues throughout the summer months, and they provide free meals to children across the City during the summer.

Through September 1st, all children are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch meals at sites across the City, including schools, parks and pools, in all five boroughs. No identification or application is required and meals will be available Monday through Friday. 

Breakfast will be served from 8:00am to 9:15am and lunch will be served from 11:00am to 1:15pm at designated sites.

For more details and a list of locations, please go to the DOE Summer Meals Website.