A large group of students and staff from dozens of community organizations came to City Hall this afternoon to fight for continued funding of after school programs (see our earlier coverage here). Mayor Bloomberg decided to cut off money the city allocates to 88 community-based after school programs. A coalition representing those programs delivered petitions with almost 5-thousand signatures to Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott. Several City Council members, including Alan Gerson, John Liu and Robert Jackson addressed the rally, promising to support their campaign. Look for a full video report tomorrow, featuring highlights from the speeches given by the councilmen and several students.
Along with his tattoos and his Harleys, Dr. Dave Ores is practically legendary on the LES for helping people gain access to affordable health care. He doesn't take insurance (doesn't believe in it) and you almost always "pay what you can". Last year he started a Health Care Co-Op for restaurant workers. We spoke with him recently about his very important non-profit program.
Curbed crunches the numbers from the Citi Habitats May rental report. Vacancy rates are extremely low, although some experts think these kind of reports mask the true vacancy situation in Manhattan. Average rents declined a little bit. On the LES, a one bedroom averaged $2117 in May.
Among the casualties of the coup in Albany: legislation to protect tenants from shady landlords.
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, which has refused to release even the most basic details about plans to install surveillance cameras across Lower Manhattan.
The Transportation Committee of Community Board 3 has a full agenda tonight. Among the issues they'll address:
A request from residents and the Seward Park Co-op Board to put up signs on East Broadway limiting truck traffic to local deliveries.
A request for a crosswalk in the middle of the block on Clinton, between Grand and East Broadway.
The controversial redesign of Chatham Square. In recent days, there have been reports that the project has been put on hold, but no confirmation from the city so far.
Extending a loading zone in front of the Bowery Hotel.
A request from New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets to ban horse-drawn carriages on city streets.
The meeting will be held at 630pm at University Settlement, Speyer Hall. The address is 184 Eldridge Street, between Rivington and Delancey.
Housing rights advocates fought for a stronger stance in support of affordable housing Monday night, as a committee of Community Board 3 came close to completing a "statement of principles" for the redevelopment of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA). Chairman David McWater, vowing to have a plan by the end of the year, nudged the economic development, planning and zoning committee towards a consensus.
SPURA consists of 10 sites near Delancey and Essex Streets that have sat under-utilized for 40 years as community groups feuded bitterly about how they should be developed. Specifically, supporters of affordable housing and Grand Street Co-op residents have never been able to agree on the mix of low income, middle income and market rate housing to be built.
There now seems to be general agreement, within the committee at least, that the redevelopment plan should include an equal mix of all three types of housing. But the devil is in the details. Both groups are determined to make sure the statement that's drafted reflects their own priorities.
Moving forward was difficult Monday, since none of the most vocal representatives of the Grand Street residents were present. McWater and CB3 Chairman Dominic Pisciotta were hesitant about making changes to the document with a key constituency absent – the very same group that derailed the last attempt to develop SPURA six years ago.
It just keeps getting weirder and weirder in Albany. The deposed Democrats lock the door to the Senate chamber so the new GOP majority can't get in. The Republicans, for their part, plan to hold court in a park (not a great day for a picnic, unfortunately). And the story behind the coup: the upstate billionaire who just can't stand people who use blackberrys during meetings! Meanwhile, nothing that actually matters to the people of New York is getting done.
Tenant Planet.org says the 1st District City Council race is getting more interesting all the time.
More than 300 supporters of New York's community boards rallied at City Hall, protesting the mayor's budget cuts.
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