By Mayoral Control of Our Schools – Continued improvement of New York City schools relies on the continuation of mayoral control of the system. The reforms and accountability that have helped secure record-setting progress in our schools would not have been possible without mayoral control. With state lawmakers once again considering whether to grant an extension to this vital authority, the Mayor and a bipartisan coalition of education allies are working around the clock to make the case against returning the system to the dysfunctional control of local school boards.
Crime Declines – Building on the City’s safest quarter on record, the Mayor and Police Commissioner have announced that April was the safest April in modern history, with crime falling more than 4% compared to April of last year.
Affordable Housing on NYCHA Properties –NYCHA, HPD and three affordable housing developers are working together to create nearly 500 affordable apartments on underused NYCHA properties in Brooklyn and the Bronx. The City has announced the selection of development partners for housing at the Ingersoll Houses in the Fort Greene, the Van Dyke Houses in Brownsville, and the Mill Brook Houses in Mott Haven. In addition to affordable senior and family housing, the design plans include community centers and programming supporting NYCHA residents and the surrounding communities.
Shelter Repair Squads Continue to Show Results – New shelter repair squads and shelter providers have cut outstanding building code violations at non-cluster shelters by 23 percent over the last month. Since the end of January 2016, open violations in non-cluster shelters are down 57 percent.
Pier 57 Revitalization – Rehabilitation work is now underway at Hudson River Park’s Pier 57, where a privately funded $350 million revitalization of a long-empty historic pier will pave the way for public and commercial use and generate millions of dollars to help maintain Hudson River Park. With its new role as the anchor tenant of Pier 57, tech giant Google will further expand a Manhattan campus already home to more than 5,000 workers.
Brooklyn Navy Yard – Ground has been broken at a new tech and innovation hub, Dock 72, marking a major milestone in the 200-year history of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 675,000 square-foot building will bring $380 million in private investment and 4,000 living wage jobs to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, bringing the de Blasio administration closer to meeting its goal of doubling employment at the modern industrial park by 2020. Dock 72 will serve rapidly emerging technology and creative industries in Brooklyn. The project will be one of the largest New York City commercial buildings to be constructed outside of Manhattan in decades.
Dept. of Corrections Career Fair – Hundreds of local residents filled out applications for non-uniform career-track jobs at the Department of Correction’s first agency-wide career fair. From those interested in serving as cooks and mechanics to social workers and attorneys, qualified candidates were eligible for on-the-spot interviews Saturday at York College in Jamaica, Queens. The agency will also host a career fair for veterans and active-duty military personnel and their spouses later this month.
Dept. of Finance & SCRIE – The Department of Finance has kicked off a month-long series of events aimed at enrolling eligible seniors in the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption, better known as SCRIE. SCRIE is a New York City program that freezes the regulated rent of eligible senior tenants, providing crucial financial assistance to some of the City’s most vulnerable residents.
First Lady McCray Goes to Washington – In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, First Lady Chirlane McCray will travel to Washington, D.C. this week to meet with key congressional members working to improve our nation’s mental health services. In addition to meeting with congressional members of the Mental Health Caucus, the First Lady will host a leadership discussion on minority mental health for TriCaucus members, and she will lead a briefing on mental health for New York City’s congressional delegation.