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Dear John,

After more than a year of advocacy, I am pleased to announce that the SIMS Concrete Recycling Facility will officially close at the end of August. The administration communicated this decision on Friday afternoon, ([link removed]) addressing ongoing concerns raised during the Brooklyn Marine Terminal community engagement sessions. This closure marks a significant victory for local residents and officials who united to achieve a long-awaited win for the Columbia Waterfront.

Closing the facility will improve air quality, reduce truck traffic, and lower noise pollution in an area that has long been burdened by environmental challenges. Importantly, we secured this outcome outside of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan proposal, as residents' health should never have been used as a bargaining chip. As we move forward with the BMT process, I urge the administration to adopt a more transparent and inclusive approach that protects the health, safety, and voices of frontline communities.

Get Your IDNYC Card

The IDNYC Mobile Enrollment Van will return to District 39 this summer on Friday, July 18, 2025, in front of my District Office at 197 Bond Street, Brooklyn, New York 11217, from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Whether you're applying for the first time or renewing your existing card, IDNYC is your free municipal ID that unlocks access to essential services and benefits across New York City.
* Schedule an appointment with our office to apply for IDNYC by calling (718) 499-1090, or emailing [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Appointments are required.
* Proof of identity and residency are required. Refer to this list ([link removed]) for a list of eligible documents to bring with you to your appointment.

Residents aged 10 and up, regardless of their immigration status, housing situation, or criminal record, can apply for an IDNYC.

When applying for your IDNYC card, you may select the gender option that is most comfortable and accurate for you. You may select to designate your gender as “Female”, “Male”, “X” to designate a gender that is neither male nor female, or “Not Designated” to leave this field blank. You may change or remove a gender designation on your IDNYC card.

IDNYC has been a lifeline for many in our community, especially new immigrants, transgender individuals, and other communities impacted by discriminatory federal policies. Schedule your appointment today and share this resource with neighbors who may need it the most!

FY26 Expense Wins for District 39

This week marks the final segment of our newsletter series on Fiscal Year 26 Budget allocations, and I’m highlighting the expense investments I secured for District 39 in the City budget. Each year, my office is permitted to allocate approximately $2 million to community-based organizations that provide direct services and programs. This year, thanks to our partnership with Speaker Adrienne Adams, we secured an additional $625,000, increasing the total to $2.6 million for our district. We are truly grateful for her collaboration!

We’ve focused these funds to build a more resilient, affordable, and equitable city—Trump-proofing NYC in the face of federal rollbacks and rising costs. The entirety of the City Council’s discretionary expense allocations can be found in the Council’s Schedule C Document here ([link removed]) . Here are some highlights in key issue areas:

Public Health & Housing – $585K: As rents skyrocket, making our city increasingly unaffordable, and federal cuts threaten food access and reproductive care, we’re stepping up locally to protect essential services:

* $20K for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York for reproductive healthcare access.
* $10K for Ezras Nashim to support EMT and volunteer trainings.
* $20K for Hatzoloh Inc. for recruitment, training, equipment, and emergency services provided to the Borough Park community.
* $20K for CHiPs to support food distribution and mobile pantry operations.
+ $75K in additional Speaker Funding.
* $10K for Gotham Food Pantry to support food distribution transportation.
* $25K for GrowNYC to Support Community-Supported Agriculture Distributions in NYCHA Housing.
* $5K to Positive Tails to offer free veterinary clinics for low-income pet caretakers in District 39.
* $150K (Speaker Supported) for the Gowanus Oversight Task Force’s critical community-driven work to ensure that all 56 commitments of the Gowanus Rezoning, representing $450 million of public investment, are properly and promptly implemented.
* $250K for Women in Need (WIN) to conduct family shelter programming and trauma-informed care for families experiencing homelessness.

Older Adults and Seniors – $122.5K: One in five New Yorkers is 65 or older, and that number is growing fast. But our city hasn’t kept pace with the services older adults need to live with dignity. That’s why we’re investing in aging-in-place services across the district:
* $64K for Heights and Hills to support Brooklyn’s Older New Yorkers.
* $7.5K for Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island for senior citizen transportation.
* $11K for Boro Park Jewish Community Council to support seniors and holocaust survivors.
* $40K for RAICES to support digital literacy courses for seniors living at NYCHA Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens.

Youth Programming – $43.5K: Our young people are our future, and they deserve access to enrichment opportunities that reflect who they are and support who they want to become.
* $10K for NYC Urban Debate League to support debate education and tournaments in District 15 schools.
* $7K for Friends of John Jay Jaguars for uniforms and sports team support for high school athletes.
* $5K for the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy for music and choral programming.
* $10K for White Bird Productions for free summer arts programming for low-income kindergarten students.
* $5K for NYC First to host STEM education and youth robotics programs for District 39 students.

Arts, Culture, & Libraries – $174.7K: New York’s cultural sector is the soul of our city. With deep federal cuts threatening the arts, this year’s budget moves the cultural sector from survival to revival. Locally, we’ve invested in powerful programming across the 39th District:
* $5K for the Jalopy Theater to support the three-day Brooklyn International Music Festival and other public programming in the Columbia Waterfront.
* $12K for Old Stone House to support public hours, programming, and performance spaces in Washington Park and 4th Street.
* $8K for the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for workshops at Gowanus Houses.
* $20K for ArtBuilt to support artists and activate public spaces with art installations and cultural programming.
* $20K for Arts & Democracy for arts education, cultural organizing, and participatory democracy initiatives.
* $9.5K for NOCD-NY for creative community resilience programming.
* $55K for Bangladeshi Institute of Performing Arts (BIPA) for Bangladeshi arts and cultural performances and programming.
* $10K for Rooftop Films for community film screenings.
* $5K for Annual Gowanus Open Studios to support artists.
* $10K for Brooklyn Arts Council to fund local artists and cultural groups.
* $8.3K to support Carroll Gardens Pop-up Library for interim library services as construction completes at the permanent location.
* $6.9K for Pacific Library to conduct seed giveaways and public programming.
* $5K for the Interfaith Center of New York to support faith leaders in serving immigrant New Yorkers and build intersectional solidarity.

Resiliency and Parks – $300K: Despite widespread calls, the FY26 Citywide Budget once again failed to restore essential Parks Department staffing, a continued setback after years of underinvestment. We’ve focused our local funding on building climate resilience from the ground up: creating healthier public spaces, reducing urban heat, preventing fires, and fostering environmental stewardship across District 39.
* $106K for Gowanus Canal Conservancy for rain garden maintenance, tree and environmental stewardship, and youth development in the Gowanus Lowlands.
+ $100K in additional Speaker Funding.
* $5K for BANG Land Trust to support community garden maintenance, public outreach, and promotion of greenspace.
* $39K for Prospect Park Alliance for environmental education programs and green-job training.
* $50K (Speaker Supported) for the Reimagine Lefferts Project at Prospect Park to support racial justice research and community history, deepening our engagement with park users through storytelling and education.

Sanitation – $255K: We’re investing in cleaner, safer, and more welcoming streets, because every neighbor deserves to walk, bike, and gather in a healthy environment. From litter patrols and community clean-up efforts to e-waste collection events that keep hazardous materials out of landfills, we're working to improve public space on every block:
* $5K to the Sanitation Foundation to support costs associated with Community Cleanup programming across District 39.
* $50K to the Department of Sanitation to support weekly 8-hour manual litter patrol for 42 weeks.
* $10K to Lower East Side Ecology Center to support e-waste reuse and collection events across District 39.
* $140K to ACE Programs for supplemental sanitation services and street cleaning across District 39.
* $50K for the Horticultural Society of New York to tree pit and green space maintenance in Kensington.

Community Bulletin
* NYC is developing its first Urban Forest Plan to improve air quality, manage stormwater, and mitigate climate-related threats, benefiting over 7 million trees across the city. Contribute your voice to this planning effortby filling out this survey ([link removed]) about your neighborhood and community's unique needs, concerns, and strengths.
* Join the Department of Transportation (DOT)  for an online session for older adults and people with disabilities on Navigating NYC With Confidence: An Info Session on Accessible Transportation ([link removed]) , on Thursday, 7/15, from 1 PM to 2:30 PM.
* Are you a CUNY senior or recent graduate eager to start your career in public service? The Civil Service Pathways Fellowship, a two-year paid program run by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), is now accepting applications for its next cohort! This program offers a direct route for college graduates to impactful careers in NYC government, providing professional development, mentorship, and practical experience in shaping our city's future. Don’t miss this incredible chance to make a difference. Apply today: [link removed].
* Powerhouse Arts just launched their Artist in Residence (AiR) program and is now accepting applications from merging to mid-career New York City-based artists working in print, ceramics, public art, and textiles who have been historically underrepresented in traditional AiR programs, specifically Black, Indigenous, artists of color, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and low-income artists. Apply by 8/10 ([link removed]) .
* For the fifth year running, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s (BKCM) Midsummer Nights series is bringing four evenings of free music to BKCM’s front stoop in July and August. BKCM’s front stoop on 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, and 8/14 at 6:30 PM! Check out the lineup and RSVP here ([link removed]) .

In solidarity,

Council Member Shahana

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Our mailing address is:
New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif
197 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
USA
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