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Fall Policy Updates & Community News What’s Inside
Dear Neighbors & Friends, So, what’s going on with the Brooklyn Marine Terminal? We have you covered. Join us for a community forum as we review the City’s BMT plan and what happens next. You can write comments or make remarks on the plan - and we will discuss how best to do that. Your feedback and questions are important because the City must respond to them in the next phase of the plan’s environmental review process. RSVP here for our Community BMT Forum. Monday, Nov. 17, 6:30-8:30pm. Cabrini Hall of Sacred Hearts Church, 125 Summit St, Brooklyn (enter on Hicks). Impacted communities: Columbia Street Waterfront, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, & the surrounding areas. Hosts: Assemblymembers Jo Anne Simon & Marcela Mitaynes, and Council Members Alexa Avilés & Shahana Hanif - along with Voices of the Waterfront & Columbia Street Waterfront Association. Sincerely,
Jo Anne Simon P.S. To receive my bi-weekly email updates on policy alerts, budget updates, and other community news, please sign up for my more regular email alerts here.
No-Cost Mammograms, Nov. 20th. I am once again partnering with the American-Italian Cancer Foundation to offer no-cost mammogram screenings at our office at 341 Smith Street on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9am - 4:30pm. Adults 40-79 who live in NYC and haven’t had a mammogram in the past 12 months are eligible. No insurance required. Call our office at 718-246-4889 or email us at [email protected] to schedule your appointment.
Carroll Street Bridge Updates: Bridge construction began in April and is currently underway. The bridge is expected to be reopened in Spring 2026. The Gowanus Remediation Team (GRT) continues to collaborate with the NYC DOT and the US EPA to repair the eastern abutment of the bridge. Beginning Monday, November 10th, through Friday, November 14th, construction on the bridge will start at 4:00 AM due to the need to work during low tide. See more information on this notice, or email [email protected], or call their hotline at 718-569-5762. City BMT Hearing. The EDC is holding one more public hearing on the Draft Scope of Work (DSOW) for the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The City is also accepting public comments. (Our Nov. 17th forum will help you prepare for this)
Flooding Resources: The City recently experienced heavy rainfall, resulting in major flooding. If your building or business was impacted by flooding, please use the Housing Recovery Office’s Report Damage Portal. You should also file a 311 service request for specific conditions that require a city response. This includes basement flooding, sewer backups, street flooding, water leaks, power outages, structural concerns, fallen trees, blocked catch basins, mold, broken sidewalks, and heat or hot water outages. The City Sponge has compiled a comprehensive post-flood recovery guide, which can be accessed here. Atlantic Yards ESD Public Workshops. Last month, the NY State Empire Development Corporation (ESD) and Brooklyn Ascending Land Co. reached a new agreement to develop Atlantic Yards. The developers have until the end of March 2026 to produce a detailed proposal for the development site, which will require them to construct a platform over the railyard before building residential towers. This has prompted a new round of community engagement on the project. ESD is hosting two workshops on this project:
New York State has declined to collect any of the fees owed to the State and the people of New York by the developers for their failure to deliver on their affordable housing commitments. The new developer will pay $12 million to the New York City Housing Trust Fund, in three installments over two and a half years; however, this is not enough. Please sign the Brooklyn Speaks petition to Governor Hochul, calling on the State to honor their commitments made to the community surrounding Atlantic Yards. ESD should collect the damages due for the developer's failure to meet the agreed-upon affordable housing deadline. For an overview of this project, check out the AY Blog by Norman Oder. Wegman’s Senior Bus Trip: Following last year’s success, we are again partnering with Council Member Lincoln Restler to provide free ADA-accessible bus trips every other Tuesday for seniors to shop at Wegmans in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The next Wegman’s trip will be hosted on Tuesday, November 18th. If you are an older adult in Brooklyn Heights, you can sign up here through Council Member Restler’s office or email them at [email protected] with questions. Feedback on Java with Jo Anne: We would greatly appreciate your feedback on our Java with Jo Anne events. For example - when is the best time for you to make it to Java? Is there a topic you would like to see covered? Please fill out this brief feedback form. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is transforming lives through the power of music! I’m proud to have attended the groundbreaking of their new Music Therapy & Music Education Campus in Park Slope, expanding access to creative, evidence-based care. This is an incredible milestone in their work to make our city more inclusive and compassionate. All BKCM community members are invited to a behind-the-scenes look at BKCM's new expansion space at One Prospect Park West — a 12,000-sq-ft community facility on Grand Army Plaza, on Monday, November 17th. You are welcome to stop in anytime between 6 and 7:30, and there will be tours of the space beginning at 6:15 pm and 7:00 pm. RSVP. Music therapy is vital to our mental health system. I am a proud supporter of A5773, a bill that would help ensure creative arts therapists can bill Medicaid directly for their services.
DEC Encourages Gowanus Residents to Sign up for Soil Vapor Testing. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the NYS Department of Health (DOH) recently held a community meeting on their investigation and cleanup activities at dozens of sites in NY’s Brownfield and Superfund cleanup programs. They discussed the sampling that was already performed, as well as their plan for this year's round of testing. You can view the meeting slides here. Soil Vapor Intrusion (SVI) testing is a process to ensure that no contaminated vapors are infiltrating homes and to facilitate remediation when necessary. I urge all property owners who have received a testing request from DEC to authorize the agency to do the testing. This step will contribute to a safer and cleaner community. It takes about two days for DEC to collect the necessary samples, and then up to two months for DEC to review their findings and share the results with the property owner. If mitigation is needed, it will be performed at no cost by DEC. If you have questions, please email Aaron Fischer at [email protected] or Scarlette Messier-McLaughlin at [email protected]. Submit Comments on the Brownfield Cleanup Agreement, Gowanus: DEC invites the public to comment on an application to amend the Brownfield Cleanup Agreement (BCA) with The Brooklyn Union Gas Company, the City of New York, Gowanus Green Partners LLC, and Gowanus Green Building A LLC. This site is located at 5th Street & Smith Street, next to the Gowanus Canal. This is the former manufactured gas plant (MGP) site, and the application seeks to subdivide the existing area. This is a highly polluted area with affordable housing and a school slated to be built nearby, so it is important that we get this done right. Submit comments by December 5. Read through the amended application here. Fountainhouse: A Beacon of Hope & Innovation. I was so pleased to go on a tour recently of Fountain House – a nonprofit pioneer whose clubhouse model has inspired programs across the country. At the city’s largest peer clubhouse, participants were up to 45% less likely to end up in the ER or hospital, Medicaid costs were 21% lower than comparable cases, and members were 56% less lonely and reported 50% greater employment rates. It was great to see firsthand how a peer-led community can support people living with mental health illnesses and build a pathway to recovery. Fountain House continues to lead the way in reimaging mental health care rooted in community and connection.
BQE Updates. The City recently attempted to move forward with a new redesign of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) corridor. Their latest plan sought to overhaul the BQE without meaningful community engagement. I joined local elected officials in urging Governor Hochul to pause and bring residents, community leaders, and the incoming mayor into the conversation to develop a transparent plan for the BQE’s future. Thankfully, our advocacy was successful, and the plan proposed by the Adams Administration will not be moving forward. I look forward to partnering with the incoming Mamdani administration on this project to make sure it is grounded in thoughtful planning and community engagement. Transit Updates: G Train Overnight Work. From Tuesday, November 18th, to Thursday, November 20th, there will be no overnight service, 9:45 pm to 5:00 am, on the G train between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square. The G will run between Church Avenue and Bedford-Nostrand Avenues. There will be a free B98 shuttle bus running between Bedford-Nostrand Avenues and Court Square. Updated E-Bike Speed Limits. A 15-mile-per-hour speed limit is now in effect for e-bikes, electric scooters, and pedal-assist commercial bicycles. This rule change ensures that speed limits are applied consistently across all e-mobility devices. The City will focus on education outreach as the new limit is rolled out. You can learn more about the rule change here. Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE). On November 10, the ACE program went into effect for the B11 and B63 bus routes. ACE uses a bus-mounted camera system to issue violations to vehicles improperly using bus lanes and busways, as well as to vehicles that are double-parked along bus corridors or blocking bus stops. Vehicles blocking bus stops or illegally double-parked will receive warning notices in the mail for an initial period of 60 days; summonses will be issued after the 60-day period. This new enforcement mechanism will make bus service faster and more reliable by keeping bus lanes and bus stops clear. Accessible Transportation Open House, Thurs. Nov. 20th. Join the MTA, Access-a-Ride, DOT and more to learn about accessible transportation options. from 5-7 PM at the Brooklyn Heights Library (286 Cadman Plaza West). Inter-Borough Express (IBX) Scoping meetings. The MTA has started the environmental review process and project design for the IBX. You can join them at an upcoming scoping meeting where you will be able to learn more about the process and provide testimony on the plan. Please join the MTA on November 12, 10:00am -12:00pm and 6:00 - 8:00pm on Zoom. RSVP here. Older Adult Resources. Please view my older adult resource document, which lists organizations serving older adults, along with a description of their services and contact information. Contact us if you would like us to mail you a print-out of the resource document. If you are an older adult, a caretaker, or a neighbor in need of connections to any resources, please reach out to my office for assistance. Resource Spotlight: God's Love We Deliver cooks and delivers medically tailored meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses. In addition to nutritious meals, they provide nutrition education and work with multiple social services partners to coordinate care. Services are designed to help clients manage their health and maintain their independence. Call them at 212-294-8102.
Increase in Unemployment Benefits: The Unemployment Insurance maximum rates have gone up for New Yorkers, effective October 6th, 2025. While the minimum rate remains unchanged, the maximum rate has increased to $869 a week. This has applied automatically to all eligible claims; you do not need to refile a claim. NYers can use the DOL’s online calculator to estimate their Weekly Benefits Rate at https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment/calculators. The increase is due to the state paying off the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund loan in last year’s budget. Update to SNAP Benefits: A new federal law is taking effect on November 1 that affects the eligibility of able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) receiving SNAP benefits. These new updates establish work requirements for ABAWD’s who fall within certain categories. You will receive a letter if someone in your household is subject to ABAWD. Learn more about the new requirement here. NYS AG’s Federal Action Reporting Form: The Office of Attorney General (AG) Tish James collects information regarding federal government actions in New York State. The AG’s office is encouraging New York residents to share photos and videos of federal immigration enforcement actions across the state. Fill out the form here. Housing Lotteries. To view housing lotteries, visit NYC Housing Connects or visit HPD's Affordable Re-Rentals and Re-Sales. Fifth Avenue Committee: FAC has launched a new housing platform on its website. You can view details for available apartments and apply using this link. They will also be hosting Affordable Housing Virtual Information Sessions about applying for affordable housing. You can sign up for the November 20th session at 6pm here. Funding Opportunity – Daniel’s Law Behavioral Health Crisis Response Pilot (RFP): The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) released an RFP for mental health organizations interested in implementing Daniel’s Law Crisis Response Pilot Programs. This will establish at least three pilot programs, one each in an urban, suburban, and rural area. Proposals are due by 2:00 pm on January 12, 2026. All submissions must be made through the Statewide Financial System (SFS). For more information on creating an SFS account, please visit this link. All questions should be directed to Carol Swiderski ([email protected]) by November 21, 2025. For more information on the RFP process, please visit this link. CEC 15 Passes Resolution in Support of Gender Affirming Care: On September 16, Acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor sent a letter to NYC schools alleging civil rights compliance issues related to gender identity with threats to revoke federal funding from schools. In response, Community Education Council 15 passed a resolution opposing “federal efforts to revoke, rescind, or decrease federal funding for policies protecting and affirming the rights of transgender students.” I applaud CEC 15 for standing up for transgender and gender-expansive students and families. You can read the full resolution here. NYC Small Business Services New Funds Finder Resource: The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has partnered with Next Street to make affordable financing more accessible to all NYC entrepreneurs. NYC Funds Finder is your one-stop resource to connect to responsible funding and advisors to help you access capital for your small business. You can receive custom lists of loans and grants for your business through our Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) partners and other responsible lenders as well as receive free one-on-one financial counseling and help with documentation preparation. Learn more here. Community Events & News:
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