Upcoming Hearings & Meetings of Interest
City Council Oversight Hearing: NYCHA RAD & PACT Programs
The Committee on Public Housing will conduct an oversight hearing regarding NYCHA's RAD and PACT programs next Wednesday, January 13th, beginning at 1pm. Watch the hearing here.
The RAD and PACT programs have introduced private sector management into some NYCHA developments, including one in our district, in order to raise revenue for capital repairs. NYCHA is retaining ownership of the land and buildings, but the "development partners" now operate the buildings under long-term lease agreements (typically 99 years).
MTA Board Meeting: January 21st
The MTA will hold a one-day, joint monthly meeting of its Board and committees on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 10am. Click here for additional information, including how to submit testimony.
Webinars: Retrofit Resources for Small Buildings & HDFC Co-Ops
Are you interested in implementing an energy or water conservation project for your building? Join the NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability to explore resources available to residential building owners and HDFC coop owners (for buildings which are 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft or 5-25 units), who are interested in retrofitting their properties.
Before pursuing retrofit projects, building decision makers must often address other key concerns, such as financial capacity and pending building repairs. These webinars focus on resources available through government and community partners that will help you navigate building improvements and improve your financial health.
January 8th, 1pm webinar: Learn about NYCEEC predevelopment loans which can cover up to $40,000 for eligible pre-construction expenses such as IPNAs, asbestos, lead paint mitigation, architectural drawings and more. Presentation led by Peter Erwin, NYC Energy Efficiency Corporation. Learn more and register here.
January 14th, 12pm webinar: Specifically targeted at HDFC coop owners of buildings that are 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft; building operations and maintenance staff; and groups that have relationships with HDFC coops. Presentation led by Dr. Debra Bechtel (Corporate and Real Estate Clinic), a New York City based legal expert on low-income cooperatives. Learn more and register here.
Webinars: Assistance for Small Businesses -- Paycheck Protection Program
At the end of 2020 Congress passed a new round of COVID-19 economic stimulus relief. This included more funding for the Federal Paycheck Protection Program -- a forgivable loan for small businesses. Learn more about how the Federal stimulus package pertains to small businesses by attending these webinars.
- Thursday, January 7th at 9am, with the Bronx Business Organization Coalition. Program covers changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, and how you can access and apply for funding. Register for the webinar here.
- Tuesday, January 12th at 2pm, with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. Program covers support for businesses within the Federal stimulus package and the latest consumer trends. Register for the webinar here.
Also for Small Businesses-- The City's Open Storefronts program has been extended through September 30, 2021. The program allows storefront businesses to use a portion of the sidewalk to conduct business, including:
- Displaying merchandise
- Completing transactions
- Providing areas for customers to line up
Businesses may also use the curbside lane to conduct business activities during the hours that the Open Streets: Restaurants program is in effect.
The Open Storefronts program is available to all ground-floor storefront businesses after the completion of a short online form. Visit nyc.gov/openstorefronts for details and to sign up. Please phone the NYC Small Businesses Services hotline at (888) SBS-4NYC with questions.
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Community Resources & Upcoming Deadlines
The City's Emergency Food Delivery program continues to be available for homebound New Yorkers who cannot afford private food delivery and do not have someone who can bring food to them.
Please be advised that New Yorkers in the program can now re-enroll on the day BEFORE their last delivery day to help prevent a gap in deliveries.
- Please visit nyc.gov/getfoodhelp or call 311 for assistance. You can also email [email protected] with questions regarding missed deliveries and other issues.
- Food assistance for families with children is available via P-EBT and WIC. For questions about P-EBT, call 833-452-0096 or email: [email protected].
Free "Grab & Go" meals are available for ALL New Yorkers at hundreds of schools. Click here to learn more and see locations.
Health Coverage: NYS Enrollment Period Ends Jan 31st
If you have lost your health insurance or have not had coverage, go to https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov/ for a comprehensive list of affordable options -- including subsidized individual health plans and Medicaid. New York State's current open enrollment period runs until January 31st, 2021. New Yorkers can enroll in Medicaid all year long.
Access-A-Ride Fare Collection Resumes
Beginning Tuesday, January 19th, NYC Transit will resume fare collection for all Access-A-Ride services.
- The Access-A-Ride fare is $2.75 per trip and is collected in cash. Customers must have exact change ready at boarding. Paratransit operators do not provide change or accept round-trip payment.
- MetroCards cannot be used as payment but customers may pay their fares using Access-A-Ride TransitCheck Coupons. Each coupon is good for full payment on one trip.
- As always, for those eligible, Personal Care Attendants may accompany Access-A-Ride passengers free of charge.
Click here for more information about Access-A-Ride Paratransit Service. Customers may continue to safely book their trips via online trip management, MYmta App, or by calling the Access-A-Ride call center at 1-877-337-2017.
Beware "Urgent" Phone Payment Scams
Please beware of scams in which you are contacted regarding an "urgent account matter," and are then asked to make a payment via Zelle, a gift card, or some other unrecoverable means.
Thank you to Computers-dot-Mom for the the following tips:
- If you receive a phone call from Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, your bank, the IRS, the power company, etc., and they are requesting a payment from you, always verify the request first. Hang up and contact them yourself, using the contact information on their website (NOT a phone number from a google search).
- NEVER pay a demand call using a gift card or Zelle or any other unrecoverable means. They do not protect you against fraud as credit cards do.
- NEVER allow someone who calls claiming to be from an institution to access your computer remotely (except if you have made a computer support appointment).
- NEVER give a company, utility, etc. any personal information, even to “confirm” your account, unless YOU have called THEM (or it’s a scheduled call).
Get the Latest Environmental News for Our Community
If you haven't already, I encourage you to sign-up for the bi-monthly UWSR Eco Letter produced by Upper West Side Recycling. The Eco Letter aims to empower UWSers by providing substantive information about relevant environmental topics and upcoming events, especially pertaining to:
- Recycling / Re-Use
- Waste Reduction
- Energy Conservation
- Renewable Energy
- Pollution Abatement
- Urban Greening
- Growing Food in NYC
Read the January/February Eco Letter here. Subscribe by clicking here.
2021 Manhattan Community Board Applications
Do you want to serve your local community? Joining your community board is a great way to get involved in improving quality of life, and bringing forward your concerns and those of your neighbors.
New York City's community boards are the front-line of local government. They encourage and facilitate the participation of residents within their neighborhoods -- providing a forum to evaluate new development, zoning changes, street & sidewalk planning, and more. The boards work directly with City agencies, and are essential to the efficient and effective delivery of municipal services. Apply on-line here. Deadline: Monday, February 1st (5pm).
Affordable Internet Service
Are you a lower-income student or a senior? Spectrum now offers Internet Assist, a high-speed, low-cost broadband service for qualified customers. Learn more here.
Con Edison: Assistance with Paying Your Utility Bill
Residential Con Ed customers who have experienced a change in financial circumstances as a result of the pandemic may be eligible for special protections to avoid future service terminations. Call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) to learn more.
By law, if you are a residential customer and contact Con Ed to affirm that you experienced a change in financial circumstances as a result of Covid-19 starting on or after March 7, 2020:
- Con Ed will not disconnect your service for non-payment before March 31, 2021.
- You will be eligible for a payment agreement or to request a new agreement that requires no down payment, late fees, or penalties.
Mental Health Support
As we all know, this is a profoundly stressful time. If your symptoms of stress become overwhelming, please reach out for support and help. One option is NYC Well, the City's confidential helpline for mental health and substance misuse services. Trained counselors can provide you with support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 200 languages. Click here; call: 1-888-NYC-Well (1-888-692-9355); or text: “Well” to 65173.
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Mulchfest!
Wrap up the holiday season by saying goodbye to your tree at Mulchfest! The City will convert it into mulch to make NYC even greener. You can bring your tree to one of the following locations until this Saturday, January 9th.
- W. 65th & Central Park West;
- W. 81st & Central Park West (at Bridle Path);
- Morningside Park West -- 123rd & Morningside Ave; or
- Riverside Park -- Riverside Drive & W. 83rd.
You'll also be able to bring mulch home from select locations in early January! Learn more here.
And finally, don't forget that you can also eat your Christmas tree / holiday bush. Click here for recipes!
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We're Here to Help
My office assists people with housing issues, seniors, the disabled, the recently un (or under) employed, the food insecure, and all those suffering the many consequences of this pandemic, to help in any way we can. We also provide on-going advocacy with our public schools and other public services.
Please call (212) 873-0282, leave a message and we will call you back as soon as possible; email [email protected]; or check our website, HelenRosenthal.com. We update it on a regular basis with information about public benefits, non-profit resources, and health facts Upper West Siders need to get through this crisis.
Warmly,
P.S. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, or have them subscribe to my e-blasts here. Also, follow my social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram.
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