John,

Over the past week, two emergency shelters for asylum seekers have opened in our district. We have heard from dozens of concerned community members asking how they can help our newest neighbors, so before we get into the Stated recap, I wanted to share the best ways to help.

● If you have non-perishable food, please donate to CHiPS. We also know many asylum seekers are coming to CHiPS for a hot meal. CHiPS needs sandwich bread, sandwich meats and cheeses, pantry staples, and bottled water.

● If you’re looking to donate your time, CHiPS’s kitchen needs Spanish speaking volunteers to help with outreach and more volunteers to prepare hot meals. A few hours each week will go a long way to support asylum seekers in our community.

● We also know mutual aid groups in our district, specifically Gowanus Mutual Aid, are working to provide warm clothes and other direct assistance to asylum seekers. Your donation will help support the direct work of neighbors helping neighbors.

● Mixteca is a City-contracted asylum seeker navigation center satellite site working to provide mental health services, immigrant rights services, and ESOL classes. Learn more and support their work.

This is an ongoing situation, and we will continue to update the community as we gather more information. As my office and I determine our discretionary funding allocations for 2024, we are prioritizing local groups supporting asylum seekers. At City Hall, we are continuing to advocate the federal government for expedited work authorizations and ensure the Mayor follows all humanitarian standards when offering housing to asylum seekers.

Thank you to all of our neighbors who have reached out and offered to help. We have been fighting to ensure every single one of our newest neighbors, have what they need to not just survive but thrive. Together, we will continue to ensure our City, and our neighborhood, is welcoming to all New Yorkers.

Stated Recap

At our first real Stated meeting of the year, I was proud to help pass several important pieces of legislation as well as introduce a few of my own. Thanks to the leadership of my friend, Council Member Crystal Hudson, our Council passed a package of legislation to help older New Yorkers age in place. From increasing culturally relevant programming for seniors at older adult centers to increasing the availability of know-your-rights pamphlets for our older neighbors, I know this suite of legislation will be a great help to so many of our community members.

We also had two resolutions, from Council Members Ayala and Cabán in support of political and economic self-determination for Puerto Rico. While the Council can’t legislate freedom for one of our nation’s last colonies, our resolutions in support of sovereignty and energy independence send a strong message of our body’s values.

Additionally, we passed legislation from Council Member Brooks-Powers on creating more transparency for Independent Expenditures alongside a bill from Council Member Dinowitz to create transition services for students with disabilities going into higher education.

In terms of introductions, I helped introduce a package of bills focused on improving the accessibility of CityFHEPS (check out our Twitter thread to learn more). Our legislation will remove the 90-day period that is required for shelter residents to qualify for the voucher and expand to undocumented people and asylum seekers.

I was also proud to join Council Member Restler on his new legislative package aimed at tightening up our City lobbyist rules. It’s no secret that a number of former government employees and elected officials leave their jobs and almost overnight become lobbyists. This revolving door breeds corruption and gives special interests a leg up in getting what they want from City Hall. These bills will tighten the rules and ensure no one is unfairly benefiting from their time in public service.

I also signed on to two bills from the Public Advocate to offer training and education to small businesses regarding workplace accessibility and disability inclusion as well as one to expand the availability of rapid testing for STIs at City health sites.

More to come at the next Stated!

Community Bulletin

● The MTA borough-wide bus network redesign is underway and feedback sessions for our community boards are coming up over the next few weeks. The next one is Community Board 6 on 1/26 at 6:30 PM followed by Community Board 7 on 1/31. Sign up for the next workshop to learn more!

● Next Wednesday, 1/25, the Council’s Committee on Education is holding an oversight hearing on the City’s new admission policies for high and middle schools. I have been a vocal opponent of these changes and recommend concerned members of our community sign up to testify!

● Community Board applications are live! If you’re interested in getting more involved with local government, learn more about what Community Boards do and consider applying using their online application form.

● The Gowanus Green Team is a paid apprenticeship program held from Saturday, 5/6 - Saturday, 8/13, for high school sophomores and juniors. Young people will engage in environmental stewardship, urban conservation and community work, and learn about green infrastructure, garden design, and more through hands-on experiences. Learn more and apply!

● The NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s 37th Annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest has begun! 2nd through 12th-grade students are invited to create original art and poetry that reflects an appreciation for our shared water resources. The deadline to submit is Friday, 3/3. For questions, contact [email protected].

● Housing instability can impact anyone and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development wants to hear from impacted youth directly. The 2023 Youth Count aims to collect feedback on services and programs for #NYCYouth 14 - 24 experiencing homelessness. Visit https://bit.ly/2023YouthCount to learn more.

● Support local businesses this restaurant week, going on now through 2/12! 6 restaurants located in Brooklyn Community Board 6 are participating!

● The Department of Transportation is hosting a job fair to fill full-time, entry-level engineering positions on Friday, 2/3, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at 55 Water Street, Concourse Level/BID Room. RSVP at: http://on.nyc.gov/dotjf. Anyone unable to attend the fair can complete the online form and attach their resume for consideration for future job openings and events.

● 2023 is an Education Council Election year! The 32 Community Education Councils and 4 Citywide Education Councils make important decisions regarding youth education. Learn about the councils, the election, and how to run for a seat on an Education Council by attending a virtual Information Session.

● Celebrate Lunar New Year next Saturday, 1/28 with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum as they usher in the Year of the Rabbit! Learn about the traditions of Lunar New Year through storytelling, live music, calligraphy workshops, and a lion dance parade led by the Chinatown Community Young Lions.

● Check out Brooklyn Book Bodegas resources for educators. Request books for your classroom and/or attend their events for book giveaways and information tablings.

In Solidarity,

Shahana