Dear Neighbor,

Below, please find information on upcoming events, community updates, and other resources that may be of use.



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

NYS Master Plan on Aging (MPA)

Session II: Making the Transition Safely:

Planning to Leave the Hospital and Go Home

Tuesday, July 9th, 10am - 11:30am

On Tuesday, July 9th, from 10am – 11:30am, we will hold the second 2024 Roundtable session.

One of the key causes that lead to older people requiring nursing home placements is unsafe hospital discharges. Hear from the experts about what you can do to help ensure a safe transition from the hospital to your home. Learn what home care agencies can offer, about different mechanisms to pay for home care, and how to interview a home health aide.  

Speakers:

Laura Radensky, LCSW

Executive Director

Concerned Home Managers for Elderly Home Care (COHME)

Jamie Meconi

Social Worker, COHME

Sharon Goodstein, LCSW

Adjunct, Brooklyn College

You will have the option of joining the event online through Zoom.

You will also have the option to view the event online through Facebook. Please note that you do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event through Facebook.

Finally, you will have the option of calling in to access the audio-only portion of the event.

The event will feature a question and answer session with Laura Radensky, Jamie Meconi, and Sharon Goodstein. If you have questions about the hospital-to-home transition process, or about what you can expect from home care support, you should attend the Virtual Roundtable on July 9th. Attendees will be able to submit questions through Zoom and Facebook during the event but are *strongly* encouraged to submit them in advance.

A *confirmation* email will be sent you before the event.

Below you will find the dates for the three (3) remaining MPA sessions. Mark your calendar for future Roundtable Sessions. We will send out separate RSVP forms for each subsequent session a few weeks before they are scheduled. 

Session III

Tuesday, August 6th 10 am – 11:30 am

Promoting Your Financial Security: The Power of Investing, Stocks, Bonds and Managing Risk

Session IV

Thursday, September 12th from 10 m – 11:30 am

New Technology Designed for Older People 

Session V

Thursday, September 26th from 10 am – 11:30 am

Advocacy

Tuesday, July 16th, from 10 am - 2 pm 

211 East 43rd Street, Suite 2000, New York, NY 10017

We are pleased to hold a rent freeze clinic for our constituents in conjunction with the NYC Department of Finance (DOF). The NYC Rent Freeze Program, which includes the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) Program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) Program, helps those eligible to remain in their homes by freezing their rent. Under this program, a property tax credit covers the difference between the legally regulated rent and the tenant’s lower frozen rent.

To participate in this event, you must make an appointment in advance and live in District 28. The clinic will include a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with an expert from the DOF who will help you to complete your SCRIE or DRIE application or to process your renewal. Before signing up, please review the eligibility requirements below and call our office at 212-490-9535 if you are unsure if you are eligible. 

Eligibility:

• Be at least 62 years old or at least 18 years old and have a disability;
• Be the Head of Household as a primary tenant named on the lease or rent order in a rent-regulated (Rent Stabilized, Rent Controlled, Mitchell-Lama, or HDFC) apartment; 
• Have a combined income for all members of the household of $50,000 or less; and
• Spend at least one-third of your monthly household income on rent.

Additional eligibility requirements for DRIE can be found on the first page of the application here.

The district office is located at 211 E. 43rd Street, Suite #2000 (20th Floor). The building is situated between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. When you enter the building off 43rd Street, you will be required to sign in at the reception desk. Once you have signed in, please proceed to the bank of elevators and take one of the elevators on the left side to the 20th Floor. Turn right once you exit the elevator and the office is straight ahead.

A staff member will follow up 1-2 business days after you register to finalize your appointment time. 



Please do not arrive without an appointment as we will be unable to accommodate walk-ins.

The MTA Board announced during their June 26th meeting that they would be forced to cancel many important projects in the MTA's 2020-2024 capital program, due to Governor Hochul's last-minute, indefinite pause in implementing the congestion pricing program.

Within my State Senate district, several important accessibility upgrades will now have their work put on hold due to the governor's action. The stations affected include:

 1) 7th Avenue, serving the D/E lines;

 2) Lexington Avenue-59th Street, serving the N/R/W lines;

 3) 59th Street, serving the 4/5/6 lines; and

 4) 42nd Street-Bryant Park, serving the 7 line. 

These projects represented real benefits to the people in our district, and I am extremely disappointed to see that they will have to be put off indefinitely as the MTA faces a massive budget hole created by the loss of congestion pricing funds. 

Beyond the losses our district faces, the total remaining 2020-2024 capital plan will now face $16.5 billion in deferred funds, with just $12 billion out of an originally projected $28.5 billion remaining. This means that every capital project left to be completed will be defunded except for state of good repair, unless it is covered by money separately appropriated within a past state budget.

This means New Yorkers will lose everything from the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway, to the new fleet of zero-emission buses and charging infrastructure, to signal modification on the Fulton Line and the 6th Ave Line/63rd Street Tunnel, which means riders on the A/C/B/D/F/M lines will face less reliable service and more frequent delays.

It is estimated that even some “state of good repair” projects, which is what the MTA is focusing almost exclusively on with their reduced capital budget, will now have to be cancelled or cut as well. More frequent delays and subway breakdowns will also lead to more maintenance work and increased overtime costs, which means that this pause will now also affect the MTA’s operating budget, which is where the money for salaries and overtime comes from. 

Needless to say, I am very upset at the loss of ADA accessibility projects within our district as well as across the City. The much-needed improvements would have helped set up New York City as a leader in public transit worldwide, not to mention improve the everyday lives of low- and middle-income New Yorkers, the vast majority of whom take public transit. I will continue fighting for an immediate start to the congestion pricing program for these reasons, in addition to the very real environmental, health, pedestrian safety, and economic benefits we would see from it as well. 

This week I joined all my elected colleagues representing Community Board 8 in signing a letter to the president of the New York City Public Design Commission, elevating the concerns of community members regarding the design of potential new Link5G towers in the district. Although we acknowledge the need for improved 5G infrastructure, the towers as designed are in tension with the local context in our district. The city has already installed smaller 5G cells on lamp posts and utility poles in other parts of the city, which have a much smaller footprint.

As a result of new enforcement powers granted to local governments as part of this year's state budget, New Yorkers have two options for lodging complaints about stores selling cannabis without a license or otherwise breaking the law related to the sale of adult-use cannabis.

Complaints can be filed directly with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) website, or with the NYC Sheriff's Office by calling 311 or emailing [email protected]. Unfortunately there is currently no way to make a complaint through 311 online or via the 311 app.

It has been suggested to my staff by those involved in the enforcement process that it is best to file complaints through both OCM and 311, to ensure the information gets where it needs to go. Once you have lodged a complaint, feel free to contact my office so that we can follow up with the relevant agencies.

NYCHA's Draft Significant Amendment to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Annual Plan and the FY 2025 Draft Annual Plan and Five-Year Plan are available for public inspection on NYCHA’s Annual Plan webpage. They are also available at the management office of every NYCHA public housing development during regular business hours.

The public is invited to comment on these plans at a public hearing on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Borough of Manhattan Community College (199 Chambers Street in Manhattan). The public hearing will be held as a hybrid meeting, so attendees can participate in person or virtually.

Written comments on the plans will be accepted through August 2, 2024. Comments can also be emailed to [email protected].

If you would like to attend the hearing virtually (Zoom or phone): Instructions on how to participate, as well as meeting materials, will be posted on on.nyc.gov/nycha-annual-plan before the meeting. To attend the meeting by phone, dial 888-788-0099 at the time of the hearing and enter 867 0032 8388 as the meeting code.

Interpretation services will be available on Zoom in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, and American Sign Language. Additional details on how to access these services will be provided at a later date.

Attending the hearing in person: Anyone wishing to speak on the items related to the plans can fill out a speaker slip upon arrival at the venue. All speakers are asked to limit their remarks to three minutes.

The meeting can also be viewed live on NYCHA’s website or after the meeting through a recording on NYCHA’s website: on.nyc.gov/nycha-annual-plan

The 2023-2024 HEAP Cooling Assistance benefit opened on April 15, 2024.

If you are eligible, you may receive one Cooling Assistance benefit per applicant household for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner or a fan to help your home stay cool. HEAP Cooling Assistance funds are limited so you are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible if you think you are eligible.

In circumstances where an air conditioner cannot be safely installed, a fan will be provided.

Only one air conditioner or fan, not to exceed $800 with installation for a window, portable air conditioner, or fan and not to exceed $1,000 for an existing wall sleeve unit, will be provided per applicant household. No additional HEAP cash benefits are available.

You may be eligible for a Cooling Assistance HEAP benefit if:

• Your household's gross monthly income is at or below the current income guidelines for your household size as posted here, or
• You receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or You receive Temporary Assistance (TA), or
• You receive Code A Supplemental Security Income (SSI Living Alone), or
• You received a Regular benefit greater than $21 in the current program year or received a Regular benefit equal to $21 during the current program year and reside in government subsidized housing with heat included in your rent, and Your household contains at least one individual with a documented medical condition that is exacerbated by extreme heat, or
• Your household contains a vulnerable member based on their age (elderly age 60 years or older, or young children under age 6) which meet all other component eligibility criteria, and
• A member of your household is a United States Citizen or Qualified Non- Citizen, and
• You currently do not have a working air conditioner or the air conditioner you have is five years old or older, and
• You did not receive a HEAP funded air conditioner within the past five years.

Your household eligibility requirements include filing an application with your local department of social services, providing all necessary documentation, and the household must reside in an eligible living situation.

Getting the air conditioner installed

The participating Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) vendor list can be obtained by accessing the HEAP Participating Vendor List. Select your county of residence, “Cooling” as the fuel type, and press “Go”. It will be your responsibility to maintain the air conditioner. This includes the responsibility to remove, cover, store, and/or reinstall the unit or the installation sleeve after vendor installation.

Where to apply

You may apply for the HEAP Cooling Assistance with your HEAP Local District Contact. New York City Residents may also apply for the HEAP Cooling Assistance benefit online by visiting ACCESS NYC. 

The school year may have just ended, but New York City Public Schools serve delicious food year-round. DOE's summer meals program is free and available to all New Yorkers ages 18 and under. There’s no paperwork, sign-up, or ID required. Students can enjoy tasty and nutritious breakfast and lunch options such as cinnamon burst pancakes, white bean and pasta primavera, soft turkey tacos, and summer squash.

Summer meals service begins on June 27 and continues through August 30. Breakfast is offered from 8:00-9:15, and lunch runs from 11:00-1:15. Meals are served Mondays through Fridays, with the exception of July 4-5.

Summer meals are available at approximately 500 locations citywide, including select schools, parks, libraries, and community pools (which provide meal service on weekends as well). To find the location nearest you, call 311, visit the summer meals webpage, or, starting June 27, text “NYCFOOD” or “NYCCOMIDA” to 304-304.

In addition to the standard summer meals program, DOE also offers lunch seven days a week via food trucks in Brooklyn (Prospect Park), Manhattan (Sara D. Roosevelt Park), and the Bronx (Ferry Point Park). Interested families can learn more on the Summer Meals website.

Finally, students in grades K-8 participating in Summer Rising will also receive free breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack at their Summer Rising site.

The team gets together in the morning on delivery days to prep the bags for seniors, and they always need volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, please click here.

If you have any questions, you can email CM Bottcher's office at: [email protected].