Budget Hearings, BQE, & More

Dear Neighbors & Friends,

Over the last several weeks, I have participated in several public hearings to review the Executive’s budget proposal for 2023-24 and examine critical issues facing New Yorkers from education to transportation, health, aid to local municipalities, the environment, public safety, taxes and more. We heard testimonies from the agency commissioners, in addition to non-profits, social services providers, and advocates. Below are some of my thoughts on the budget.

Home care is health care, but there is scant evidence of this in the Executive Budget. We have a massive staffing shortage of home care workers, and we must pay them more if we are to ensure we have enough staff to care for our older and vulnerable populations. Year after year, health care plans have been pocketing money meant for home care workers. Private Insurance companies paid themselves 3/4 of a billion dollars in 2021 alone; as I pointed out in the hearing (watch video clip), for that amount we could fund full implementation of the #FairPay4HomeCare campaign. Taxpayer dollars should go to home care, not to enrich private insurance companies. Further, under federal law and the Olmstead decision, people are supposed to be allowed to live in their homes in their least restrictive setting – and it saves NY money because it is cheaper to provide home care than to pay for institutionalized care in a long-term care or assisted living facility.

Housing Affordability is a Crisis in NY. The Governor has proposed a new housing compact, which has some components I like and some I dislike. In short, it relies much too heavily on providing subsidies to private developers to build new housing – but I know from past experience how often the “affordable” housing promised is not delivered, but enriches developers on the backs of taxpayers. The state has long given tax incentives like 421a, which has consistently been shown to create luxury/market-rate housing without making a meaningful dent in affordable housing. I’m very concerned about bringing back a program that does the same thing but calls itself by a new name. For example, 25% of the Black community in Brooklyn Community Boards 2, 3, 6 and 8 – the same communities who were to receive a preference for affordable units at Atlantic Yards. which relied on 421a – were permanently displaced while only a fraction of those housing units have even been built. Here is my video clip on this issue.

There are several proposals we could implement to address homelessness and affordable housing. For starters, we need:

REAL affordable housing (like the Housing Voucher Access Program) & renter protections (like & Good Cause Eviction);

Increased Access to Capital for Nonprofit Developers who can build more units more affordably;

To create a new Mitchell-Lama program;

Funding for the HOPP program - this is the state’s only tool to combat deed theft;

Funding for Legal Advocates for eviction & foreclosure cases - the advocates cannot meet the needs;

We must address the issue of 60k unused rent-stabilized units.

Education: I also urged the City Dept of Education to make progress on lowering class size and on addressing the needs of children with dyslexia and related learning disabilities, as well as ensuring those children with disabilities who suffered the most pandemic-related learning losses would be able to receive the compensatory educational services to which they are entitled. I also pressed state Education officials and public university chancellors about the need to better support our postsecondary students (including not raising tuition), increasing the funds necessary to provide services for students with disabilities, and improving the way NY colleges of education train future teachers how to teach reading. Reading is key to learning and our children deserve nothing less than strong foundational skills that will last them through a lifetime of learning.

During the hearings, I also pressed the MTA about needing to construct a second entrance at the York Street station and to renovate the Smith-9th Street station to be wheelchair accessible. I also pressed the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to increase its direct involvement and communications with the community regarding the 47 Brownfields sites in the Gowanus area, and to more aggressively pursue holding the Responsible Parties, such as National Grid, accountable for cleaning up to mandated levels, and for repairing the deteriorating Bond-Lorraine sewer.

There were many other topics covered, so feel free to reach out if you have questions in particular areas. You can also see my video clips on my website here. You can also watch the full hearings on particular topics here.

What’s next? Each house will soon craft their one-house budget resolutions. After those are adopted in mid-March, negotiations with the Governor begin in earnest. As you may recall, the fiscal year ends March 31 and so the budget is due by April 1st.

Sincerely,

Jo Anne Simon

BQE Central Updates: This week, City DOT held both in-person and virtual meetings. The City shared its updates of the design concepts that it first revealed in December for the BQE from Atlantic Ave to Sands Street.

Initial Design Concepts for BQE Central. I have already expressed my feedback–based on a few decades of meetings with the community and two previous unsuccessful planning attempts for this roadway–that I’d like to see more forward-thinking options that re-imagine the entire BQE corridor and focus on climate change and environmental justice. There is a lot that I like in the initial designs, including covering more of the roadway and increasing green space, and improving connectivity to open space around the bridges. The environmental review process will be long and I will stay engaged as it’s important that we get this right. You can read my full statement in response to the initial designs here, issued in coordination with local electeds.

BQE Lane Expansion? I was also concerned that the city’s initial proposals attempted to expand the roadway to 3 lanes (the triple cantilever portion had been reduced to 2 lanes to extend its lifespan given its rapid deterioration). The desire to limit lanes may seem counterintuitive since we all want reduced traffic congestion, but in fact studies have consistently shown that increasing roadway capacity does not reduce congestion, but rather incentivizes roadway use and produces higher traffic volumes. Restoring the Triple Cantilever portion of the BQE to three traffic lanes would likely represent at least six million more vehicles per year in our communities. This is not just about lanes, but about our public health, climate change, road safety and a modern approach to reconnecting communities.

I joined in with local electeds to urge US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to support a maximum two lanes of car and truck traffic on this stretch of the highway and to design solutions that will curb emissions and reconnect Brooklyn communities. NYCDOT is refining its funding proposal to the federal government and pursuing the environmental review process for BQE Central, so they will be reviewing the city’s application. Widening highways in public-transit rich New York City is in direct conflict with our shared public health, safety, and climate goals. You can read the full letter here.

I’m very pleased that the City announced on Tuesday night that they have agreed to study concepts that include 2 and 3 lane options due to community feedback.

New BQE Governance structure? A few years ago, I drafted legislation to create the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Authority to address both the short- and long-term needs of the I-278 corridor from the Verrazano Narrows to the Kosciuszko Bridge, including the viability of the existing roadway structures, tunnel alternatives, and environmental justice concerns. In this Authority, provision is made for a significant number of community members to serve on the governing board and work alongside a robust community advisory entity. Such legislation is often difficult to get passed, but it is what I believe is needed to plan properly for the corridor and be able to execute given this project’s false starts and stops.

BQE South Workshop on Tues., March 21, 2023, 6:30PM - 8:30PM, P.S. 24 Cafeteria, 427 38th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232. The DOT virtual workshop will take place on Thurs., March 30, 6:30PM - 8:30PM. Register & see full list of meetings here.

“BQE South” includes Cobble Hill, Columbia Street Waterfront, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, Gowanus, Sunset Park and communities south down to Fort Hamilton.

BQE North & South Community Survey Closes 3/5: Take NYC DOT ’s BQE North & South survey - March 5th is the last day. I was extremely surprised to see that there is no option on the survey to give feedback on climate or public health impacts of the BQE (though you can write in anything you like), given that we know that asthma and pulmonary rates are higher along the BQE, and that climate is one of the top issues I hear from constituents about.

Transportation Alternatives BQE Central & South Walking Tours: Here’s another opportunity to shape the future of the BQE! Join the BQE Central Walk & Talk Saturday 3/4 or the BQE South Walk & Talk Saturday, 3/18 with community leaders, transpo specialists, neighbors, & environmental experts. Work with speed guns, air quality monitors, and noise meters and share your experiences/ideas for improvement with NYC DOT and Transportation Alternatives teams.

Town Hall on Climate Resiliency in Gowanus & Red Hook, 3/6. Rep. Dan Goldman and CB6 are hosting this virtual town hall on Monday, March 6 at 7pm. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will discuss their climate resiliency proposals for the Gowanus and Red Hook areas. You will hear briefly from me and other elected officials before we engage in an in depth discussion with a representative from USACE. Register for the Zoom here.

Free Right to Read Film Screening Through March 9. I’m excited to share that The Reading League CT is offering a free screening of the film The Right to Read in honor of National Reading Month. If you are curious to learn more about the science of reading and why it is so important we all join in this fight, I recommend checking out the film.

From now until March 9 you can access a free link to stream this film at home on your own device. The Reading League shares that this film “tells the story of an NAACP activist and public school teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read. The Right to Read was directed by Jenny Mackenzie and executive produced by LeVar Burton. The film features Kareem Weaver, Emily Hanford, and Dr. Kymyona Burk.”

DSNY Changes Collection Pick Up Times on April 1. In order to curb the increase in the rat population, the NYC Department of Sanitation recently announced that starting April 1, the new pick up times for trash and recycling will be pushed back to 6pm if in a secure bin with a lid or 8pm if in just a plastic trash bag for residential buildings. For a business, if using a container with a secure lid, place waste at the curb 1 hour before closing, or if putting bags directly on the curb, place waste out after 8:00PM. You can find more information on the DSNY website. We have questions, and we bet you do, too! DSNY will be going to the Community Boards to present, so check out their website for meeting details.

Gowanus Update: I raised a number of issues relating to Gowanus to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner during the recent budget hearing and I am pleased that DEC followed up with information that their experts are communicating with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) to ensure they make the necessary repairs to the Bond Street sewer.

I had a separate meeting with DEC Commissioner Seggos about ongoing Gowanus community concerns about the cleanup. DEC expressed their willingness to provide the community with the best information that is also “to the extent possible,” easy to understand. DEC will be moving forward with a rescheduled Gowanus Canal Area Cleanup Projects Public Availability Session (originally scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, which many constituents objected to). While a new date has not been confirmed yet, the meeting will cover NYS DEC’s Brownfield Cleanup Program and State Superfund sites located within the Gowanus neighborhood, and I encourage residents to attend with your questions for DEC. As soon as a date is confirmed, we’ll let you know.

Per the EPA, progress has recently been made between EPA, DEC, National Grid, and the development community on the issue of Public Place. We’ve been informed that the necessary parties are aligned about what’s necessary to remediate the site to EPA’s requirements. Now we need to ensure that actually happens.

New Emergency Benefit: Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). A second HEAP Emergency benefit for heat and heat-related emergencies is now available to eligible households until March 15, 2023, when the Emergency component closes. The eligibility criteria for the Second Emergency benefit is the same as the First Emergency benefit which is slated to end March 5, 2023, but will continue until funding allocated to this component is exhausted. Applicants must have exhausted, or have unavailable to them, both the Regular benefit and the First Emergency benefit to be eligible for the Second Emergency benefit. First and Second Emergency benefits cannot be issued concurrently. All applicants for the Emergency benefit component may apply via telephone and in person. More information, including 2022-23 benefit amounts and eligibility requirements, can be found here. The HEAP application is now available on ACCESS HRA.

MTA Customer Service Centers. The Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center subway station is home to a new MTA Customer Service Center, which will assist customers with switching to OMNY, including helping Reduced-Fare MetroCard customers switch to OMNY and providing applications to first-time Reduced-Fare customers. Additionally, Customer Service Centers will provide customers with information about how to submit complaints and receive updates and information on travel delays. Customer Service Centers will also be available to assist customers with wayfinding through the transit system. The Center is staffed 24/7.

Tax Benefits & Rebates for Homeowners - Apply by March 15. The Department of Finance (DOF) administers a number of benefits for property owners in the form of exemptions and abatements. Exemptions lower the amount of tax you owe by reducing your property's assessed value. Abatements reduce your taxes by applying credits to the amount of taxes you owe. Additional information and application forms can be found here.

Senior Citizen Homeowner Exemption (SCHE): Available to owners 65+ with annual income of $58,399 or less.
Disabled Homeowner Exemption (DHE): Available to owners with disabilities and annual income of $58,399 or less.
Veterans: Available to eligible veterans of foreign wars, veterans with honorable discharges, spouses/widow(er)s of veterans, and Gold Star parents.
Clergy Exemption: Available to eligible members of the clergy or their unremarried surviving spouses.

Affordable Housing Lottery in Bklyn Heights, Due April 3. This building is located at 200 Montague St in Brooklyn Heights, and preference is given to Community Board 2 residents. Apartments include studios up to three bedrooms. To learn more and apply online, visit Housing Connect. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: 200 Montague Street Apartments C/O Affordable For NY INC, 141 Flushing Avenue, Suite #1315, Brooklyn, NY 11205.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Summer Internship: Apply by March 17. Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Summer Internship Program connects college-attending students and college-bound high school seniors to a wide range of paid internship opportunities with businesses within the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Over the course of an 8-week session, students will be connected to Yard-based businesses and departments according to their future career interests, skill sets, and educational background. Click here for the Summer 2023 Internship Program application: bit.ly/BNYSummer23. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. The deadline for all applications is Friday, March 17th.

Elder Fraud Workshop, 3/15 at 2pm. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan Stern and Adam Amir will join Heights and Hills Center to present on how to identify, prevent, and protect yourself and your loved ones from telemarketing, mass-mailing, tech-support, and other fraud schemes. Attend this event in person at Park Slope Center for Successful Aging at 463A 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 or attend virtually at this Zoom Link. No RSVP or advanced registration required.

How to Help Asylum Seekers. The city has opened 2 emergency shelters in our neighborhood as well as a Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) just outside our district in Red Hook to house asylum seekers arriving to our city from the southern border. If you are able to donate any time and resources, please consider giving to Gowanus Mutual Aid and CHiPS, who are working tirelessly to both provide food and collect needed supplies for our new neighbors.