Public Policy
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations whose goal it is to influence the debate Washington.
Featured Stories
World War II Vet Honored
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, May 18 -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., a veterans service organization, issued the following news release:
In a special ceremony on April 20 at Post 1333 in Neptune, New Jersey, World War II veteran Stanley Dubroff, 97, was awarded this year's Neptune Township/VFW Hometown Heroes Award.
Nominated by Post 1333, where he serves as the oldest living member, Dubroff was selected by the Neptune Township Veterans Committee as its annual Hometown Hero for continued activity in assisting his Post reach its community goals.
World War II veteran Stanley Dubroff, center,
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri, May 18 -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., a veterans service organization, issued the following news release:
In a special ceremony on April 20 at Post 1333 in Neptune, New Jersey, World War II veteran Stanley Dubroff, 97, was awarded this year's Neptune Township/VFW Hometown Heroes Award.
Nominated by Post 1333, where he serves as the oldest living member, Dubroff was selected by the Neptune Township Veterans Committee as its annual Hometown Hero for continued activity in assisting his Post reach its community goals.
World War II veteran Stanley Dubroff, center,accepts the 2024 Neptune Township/VFW Hometown Heroes Award on April 20 from VFW Post 1333 Jr. Vice Commander Anthony Gualario, left, and VFW Post Commander Wilbur Martin at VFW Post 1333 in Neptune, N.J.
Hollister, Calif.'s VFW Post 9242 Commander Bernie Ramirez stands in the front ready to lead his team onto the field on April 27 to play against the San Benito Bambino team. Photo courtesy of Anthony Gualario.
"I was humbled to receive the award," said Dubroff, who spoke of his being drafted at the age of 18. "I was in the Army as the son of a naturalized citizen. My father was a fierce American. I had two brothers who were medically unable to serve. It was a matter of personal pride on his part that he had a son going to fight for his country."
Dubroff went on to serve in the Army from December 1944-46, his original enlistment into the Navy being rejected because of color blindness. He did his basic training at Camp Croft in South Carolina before being deployed with A Co., 382nd Inf. Regt., 96th Inf. Div., to the Philippines in July 1945.
"I didn't feel that I did anything special," Dubroff said. "I was serving in the Philippines preparing to go into combat as a BAR man when I learned we were to be in the lead for the invasion of Japan. The atom bomb saved Company A from being at the forefront of the invasion of Japan as not invading Japan undoubtedly saved my life."
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Original text here: https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/5/wwii-vet-honored
[Category: National Defense]
Wilderness Society: House Farm Bill Forestry Title Potentially Disastrous for National Forests
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Wilderness Society issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson (R-PA) released a draft of the Farm Bill.
The Wilderness Society released the following statement from Mary Olive, Senior Government Relations Representative:
"The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation governing our national forests, and the current text from the House of Representatives attacks bedrock environmental laws, such as the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, which are often the last lines
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WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Wilderness Society issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Today, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Thompson (R-PA) released a draft of the Farm Bill.
The Wilderness Society released the following statement from Mary Olive, Senior Government Relations Representative:
"The Farm Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation governing our national forests, and the current text from the House of Representatives attacks bedrock environmental laws, such as the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, which are often the last linesof defense against corporate interests trying to mine, drill and log. We need a Farm Bill that promotes a resilient network of connected and healthy forests, especially those containing old-growth trees, at a time when our forests are increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change.
"Together, a Farm Bill with healthy forests components and the Forest Service's proposed National Forest Plan Amendment can secure protections for old-growth and future old-growth forests across the country so they can do what they do best: provide clean air and water to communities, trap carbon pollution, and contain key habitat and migration corridors for thousands of wildlife species across the nation."
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Original text here: https://www.wilderness.org/news/press-release/house-farm-bill-forestry-title-potentially-disastrous-national-forests
[Category: Environment]
Tiny Displacements, Giant Changes in Optical Properties
MATERIALS PARK, Ohio, May 18 (TNSres) -- ASM International posted the following news:
Researchers described a new pathway to obtain novel optical and electronic properties from structural disorder in a recently published study. They found that tiny displacements of just a few picometers - that's 100,000 times smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper - in the atomic structure of a crystal could have minimal impacts on optical properties in one direction but produce giant functional enhancements when viewed from another angle.
In this case, the refractive index of the material, or how much
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MATERIALS PARK, Ohio, May 18 (TNSres) -- ASM International posted the following news:
Researchers described a new pathway to obtain novel optical and electronic properties from structural disorder in a recently published study. They found that tiny displacements of just a few picometers - that's 100,000 times smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper - in the atomic structure of a crystal could have minimal impacts on optical properties in one direction but produce giant functional enhancements when viewed from another angle.
In this case, the refractive index of the material, or how muchlight bends or deviates from its original path when it passes through, changed dramatically with atomic disorder.
Such functional enhancements could have practical applications in imaging, remote sensing and even medicine. By controlling the degree of atomic disorder to achieve desired optical properties, the researchers anticipate developing crystals that enable advanced infrared imaging in low light conditions, for example, improving the performance of autonomous vehicles driving at night or medical imaging devices.
"We've been working on semiconductor materials for years, gradually moving down the periodic table, looking for materials that behave well but also do interesting or unexpected things," said Ravichandran, the Philip and Cayley MacDonald Endowed Early Career Chair and associate professor in the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC. "When we started looking at ways to get more tunability - to craft materials ideally suited for specific applications - we found that properties varied dramatically when measured from different directions."
When materials have different properties or behavior when measured or observed from different directions, that's known as anisotropy. Anisotropic materials have different characteristics depending on how you look at them, and that can make a huge impact on features including light transmission, mechanical behavior, and other physical or electrical properties critical to the functioning of everyday devices like cameras.
The material the team studied, barium titanium sulfide (BaTiS3), a hexagonal crystal, was already known to have large optical anisotropy, but scientists couldn't figure out why. It took years of back-and-forth collaboration between teams at WashU, USC and various national labs, but eventually the team cracked the case.
"We were seeing big discrepancies between theory and experiment - shining a light on the material at different angles was making a huge difference in optical properties for reasons that weren't clear," said Mishra, associate professor of mechanical engineering & materials science in the McKelvey School of Engineering at WashU. "The key turned out to be structural instabilities that result in certain atoms, in this case the Ti atoms, to displace away from more symmetric positions in a disordered manner. Small anisotropic displacements showed up in high-resolution synchrotron experiments, then we knew to look closer at the atomic structure using an electron microscope."
"Picometer-scale displacements are so tiny that you'll only find them if you're specifically looking for them," Ravichandran added.
That level of fine detail usually isn't needed, even for cutting-edge materials science research, because light vibrates so quickly that it smooths over local imperfections in a material. Not this time.
Ren and Zhao had to look at every assumption and every piece of theory to figure out how to explain the mismatch between theory and experiment, Mishra and Ravichandran said, noting that solving this mystery was only possible through collaboration. Using a combination of advanced techniques including single-crystal X-ray diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the researchers found evidence of anisotropic atomic displacements of the titanium atoms in BaTiS3. These incredibly tiny, picoscale displacements happen in local clusters within the material, yet they exert a profound influence on global optical properties.
"The key thing is that tiny displacements can have giant effects," Mishra said. "We're still exploring how factors like temperature might change this material's optical properties, but with this study we've developed a deep understanding of the relationship between structural disorder and optical response. That will help as we continue discovering new materials and functionalities."
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JOURNAL: Advanced Materials https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202311559
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Original text here: https://www.asminternational.org/tiny-displacements-giant-changes-in-optical-properties/
[Category: Industrial Materials]
Sierra Club: Evergy's Energy Plan Falls Short for Kansas Customers and the Climate
TOPEKA, Kansas, May 18 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Evergy, the largest electric utility in Kansas, filed an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with state regulators today that doubles down on dirty fossil fuels and doesn't go far enough on clean, renewable energy.
IRP updates are filed annually, and last year Evergy reversed its climate progress, slashing its previous renewable energy goals, pushing back the retirement date for its coal-burning Lawrence plant, and proposing to build two new fracked 'natural' gas power plants.
Evergy's latest plan continues
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TOPEKA, Kansas, May 18 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Evergy, the largest electric utility in Kansas, filed an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with state regulators today that doubles down on dirty fossil fuels and doesn't go far enough on clean, renewable energy.
IRP updates are filed annually, and last year Evergy reversed its climate progress, slashing its previous renewable energy goals, pushing back the retirement date for its coal-burning Lawrence plant, and proposing to build two new fracked 'natural' gas power plants.
Evergy's latest plan continuesto take Kansas in the wrong direction even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized four rules (https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2024/04/epa-finalizes-package-standards-slash-power-plant-pollution-helping-advance) that will slash air, water, and carbon pollution from gas and coal-burning power plants.
"Evergy's new energy plan doesn't offer much confidence for a better future, but when the monopoly utility reworks its plan to account for new environmental rules, I hope we'll see a much better plan for Kansans," said Ty Gorman, Senior Kansas Field Organizer for Sierra Club.
The new EPA rules, coupled with other climate and environmental standards, make Evergy's proposed gas plants a risky investment because the plants could shut down before the company can recoup all the costs of building them. These costs, called stranded assets, are almost always passed on to customers.
"Evergy needs to ditch expensive coal as soon as possible, and hit the brakes on a costly buildout of gas infrastructure that will expose customers to volatile utility bills," said Ty Gorman. "Dollar for dollar, clean, renewable energy and energy conservation measures are best for Evergy customers and the climate."
Evergy also serves Missouri and, based on its energy plans and operations in both states, the monopoly utility received a 9 out of 100 in Sierra Club's latest Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges (https://coal.sierraclub.org/the-problem/dirty-truth-greenwashing-utilities) report that was released last October. Evergy's score backslid from 18 (2022) to 9 (2023) due to its pivot away from the large clean energy investments it previously announced coupled with its plan to burn coal longer and build new fracked 'natural' gas power plants.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action.
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Original text here: https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2024/05/evergy-s-energy-plan-falls-short-kansas-customers-and-climate
[Category: Environment]
Independent Women's Forum Ambassador Prisha Mosley Wins Legal Victory In Groundbreaking Lawsuit Against "Gender-Affirming" Medical Professionals
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Independent Women's Forum issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Today, Independent Women's Forum (IWF) announced a landmark victory in detransitioner and IWF Ambassador Prisha Mosley's lawsuit (https://www.iwf.org/2023/08/04/detransitioners-iwf-identity-crisis-sue-healthcare-professionals/) after the first substantive hearing in her case against "gender-affirming" medical professionals took place, making this case the first detransitioner lawsuit of its kind is ruled legally viable and allowed to move forward in the court of law in the United States.
The
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WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Independent Women's Forum issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
Today, Independent Women's Forum (IWF) announced a landmark victory in detransitioner and IWF Ambassador Prisha Mosley's lawsuit (https://www.iwf.org/2023/08/04/detransitioners-iwf-identity-crisis-sue-healthcare-professionals/) after the first substantive hearing in her case against "gender-affirming" medical professionals took place, making this case the first detransitioner lawsuit of its kind is ruled legally viable and allowed to move forward in the court of law in the United States.
Thelawsuit was brought against eight defendants, including a plastic surgeon, two licensed counselors, and a physician, who Prisha alleges persuaded her to undergo "gender affirming care" treatments at just 17 years old. Prisha alleges she was misled into taking testosterone injections and having her healthy breasts removed, turning her into a lifelong medical patient.
Prisha is also suing for fraud and negligence after the healthcare professionals advised her toward medicalization despite her history of trauma and well-documented mental illnesses.
Prisha contended that her lawsuit has merit and should proceed to trial, despite the defendants' motion to dismiss the case. In a groundbreaking victory on May 7th, Judge Robert Ervin of the North Carolina Superior Court signed an order in which he denied the Defendants' motions to dismiss with respect to Prisha's claims for fraud, facilitating fraud, and civil conspiracy.
Prisha's lawsuit states, in part:
"These individuals whom Prisha trusted to care for her lied to and misled her into these treatments and procedures for the purpose of making money off of her and bolstering their credentials in the emerging field of so-called 'gender-affirming care.'"
Josh Payne, Prisha's lead attorney with the firm of Campbell Miller Payne, which represents detransitioners nationwide, said: "This is the first substantive ruling we are aware of in which a Court has held that a detransitioner's case against her health care professionals is legally viable. We are honored to represent Prisha as she pursues justice for herself and her family and tries to prevent what happened to her from happening to others."
"I am grateful that the Court has recognized my case has merit" said Mosley. "The legal process can be daunting. I am encouraged by the Court's ruling in my favor, and I am determined to see the case through to a final victory. Young people struggling with their mental health, like I was, deserve better. They need compassionate support. They do not deserve to be lied to and misled into life-altering medical procedures that only cause harm."
Kelsey Bolar, who was the first to report on Prisha's story as part of IWF's Identity Crisis documentary series (https://www.iwf.org/identity-crisis-stories/prisha-mosley/), said: "This ruling is a historic step in Prisha's fight for justice against the providers who caused her lifelong pain and suffering, and for all detransitioners as they fight for dignity and justice. Prisha is one of many detransitioners who needed mental health care, but was instead prescribed testosterone and a double mastectomy. All those involved in the practice of exploiting the insecurities and mental health struggles that young people like Prisha face should take note of this landmark ruling: A reckoning is coming."
Prisha's lawsuit reflects the growing movement of individuals across the country who want to prevent other young people from suffering the consequences of pervasive gender ideology and hold those responsible for medicalizing otherwise healthy children and teens accountable. Prisha has been a leading voice for detrainsitioners on the negative impact of "gender affirming care" and the malpractice of health professionals by sharing her story through Independent Women's Forum's Identity Crisis documentary series.
More of Prisha's past efforts to amplify the voices of detransitioners harmed by the gender ideology movement in health care:
* Detransitioner Prisha Mosley Joins Independent Women's Forum As An Ambassador
* Detransitioners Speak Out On Anniversary Of New Mexico's Dangerous Law Harming Children
* BREAKING: Female Detransitioner Sues American Academy Of Pediatrics Alleging Fraudulent 'Affirmative Care' Model
As an IWF Ambassador and destransitioner, Prisha is a bold voice speaking out against the gender ideology movement which caused her years of psychological and physical pain. Now that her case is moving forward, the first detransitioner lawsuit of its kind, Prisha is making history in bringing justice to patients harmed by gender affirming care.
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Independent Women's Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren't just well intended but actually enhance people's freedom, choices, and opportunities.
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Original text here: https://www.iwf.org/2024/05/17/independent-womens-forum-prisha-mosley-wins-legal-victory-groundbreaking-lawsuit-against-gender-affirming-medical-professionals/
[Category: Political]
Electeds, Groups Rally at City Hall for Enactment of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act
NEW YORK, May 18 -- New Economy Project posted the following news release on May 16, 2024:
On Thursday, more than 50 community, housing, and environmental justice groups and elected officials rallied at City Hall for enactment of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which would give community land trusts (CLTs) and other nonprofits a first right to bid on multifamily buildings when a landlord sells. COPA - which was reintroduced at Thursday's City Council stated meeting - is part of the Community Land Act, a slate of bills backed by 150+ groups that would dramatically expand the supply
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NEW YORK, May 18 -- New Economy Project posted the following news release on May 16, 2024:
On Thursday, more than 50 community, housing, and environmental justice groups and elected officials rallied at City Hall for enactment of the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), which would give community land trusts (CLTs) and other nonprofits a first right to bid on multifamily buildings when a landlord sells. COPA - which was reintroduced at Thursday's City Council stated meeting - is part of the Community Land Act, a slate of bills backed by 150+ groups that would dramatically expand the supplyof permanently affordable, community- and tenant-controlled housing.
Groups also urged the City Council and Mayor Adams to commit $2.5 billion in capital funding, over four years, to help CLTs and other nonprofits create and preserve deeply and permanently affordable housing; and to fund the citywide Community Land Trust Initiative at $3 million in the city's FY25 budget, to expand CLT organizing and technical assistance.
CLTs are community-controlled nonprofit organizations that steward land for the public good. More than 20 CLTs are working to facilitate neighborhood-led development, combat real estate speculation and displacement, and develop or preserve deeply affordable housing.
The push for legislation and funding to support CLTs comes as ink dries on a state housing deal that denies hundreds of thousands of renters basic protections from predatory landlords. It also comes as city rents rise seven times faster than wages, driving the displacement of low-income New Yorkers and New Yorkers of color. Supporters emphasized that to address the root causes of the housing crisis, city policymakers must support strategies to decommodify housing.
COPA, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera and modeled on successful policies implemented in San Francisco and Washington, D.C, has already garnered widespread support. Last year, the bill acquired a near two-thirds majority in the Council, including co-sponsorship by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Housing Chair Pierina Sanchez.
The Community Land Act package also includes the Public Land for Public Good Act (Intro 78), sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler, which would require the city to prioritize CLTs and other nonprofits in public land dispositions; and Resolution 374, sponsored by NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, which calls on New York State to enact the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. Another Community Land Act proposal would permanently abolish the tax lien sale and require the City work with CLTs to convert distressed properties to permanently affordable housing; Intros 782, 783, and Res. 327, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse, would convert key pieces of this proposal into law.
At the rally, CLT and tenant organizers spoke about campaigns that would be bolstered by COPA. Tenants of landlord Daniel Ohebshalom, who was arrested for failure to correct hazardous conditions in his buildings, are fighting to take control of their buildings. East New York CLT recently worked with tenants at 248 Arlington Avenue to purchase their building from an absentee landlord. And two years ago, tenants at 700 East 134th Street in the Bronx, a neglected multifamily building, worked with UHAB to buy their building. COPA would multiply these successes across the city, advocates said.
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QUOTES:
"Across the city, we're seeing a surge of longtime residents and CLTs fighting to take housing out of the hands of predatory landlords," said Elise Goldin, CLT Campaign Organizer at New Economy Project, which coordinates the NYC Community Land Initiative. "COPA would bolster this rapidly growing movement and address root causes of housing insecurity. We call on the City Council to pass COPA - and the entire Community Land Act bill package - to expand the supply of deeply-affordable, community-controlled housing New Yorkers desperately need."
"The Community Land Act is a critical set of bills to remove housing from speculation and expand housing models that give tenants a say in the future of their homes," said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. "With the state failing to protect tenants, the City Council and advocates are pushing for much needed tools and investments at the city-level. The New York City Council must pass the Community Land Act now and ensure funds to make these programs succeed today, tomorrow, and for generations."
"Now is the time to be talking about social housing. As landlords and corporations continue to place profits over people and even their own properties, it is time to move to create alternatives to this private, corporate ownership model," said Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. "Housing owned by communities of tenants, rather than corporations, is the path forward. While investing to reverse decades of decline in New York's public housing, the state and city should also be making efforts to acquire, preserve, and develop properties that can be owned and managed through community land trusts, occupied by tenants across the income spectrum. On a city level, we need to move forward to pass COPA, and urge the state to pass TOPA through my resolution - we cannot wait as rents continue to rise and tenants lose their homes."
"We are facing an unprecedented and persistent affordability crisis in New York City right now - a crisis that demands urgent action," said Council Member Carlina Rivera. "I am committed to supporting access to safe and affordable housing and we must implement measures to increase supply and maximize housing development. My bill, the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, gives qualified affordable housing developers and Community Land Trusts a first opportunity to submit a competitive offer to purchase certain residential buildings when offered for sale. As part of the Community Land Act, this legislation looks to expand community ownership housing policies we need during this shortage."
"Cities like New York are cities of opportunity, and if we don't provide spaces for people to come and live and stay -- and stay for generations -- then we're failing," said Council Member and Housing and Buildings Committee Chair, Pierina Sanchez. "The market does not deliver homes at the affordability levels that low-income and working-class New Yorkers need, which is why we gather to uplift the role of mission-driven organizations and community land trusts in building and preserving affordable housing. Through a $2 billion investment into HPD's capital budget through the Homes Now, Homes for Generations campaign, we invest in ensuring our city remains a city of opportunity with the participation of this key sector."
"We have an affordability crisis plaguing our City," said Council Member Lincoln Restler. "Far too many city-owned lots have been misused to develop housing that is unaffordable to local residents. As rents continue to rise and more and more New Yorkers are struggling to get by, we need to act now to ensure redevelopment of every public lot maximizes truly affordable housing."
"As we continue to face a housing and homelessness crisis, we must commit to building and preserving affordable housing for those who need it most," said Will Depoo, Senior Campaign Organizer at the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. "The package of bills in the Community Land Act provides our communities with more tools to fight speculation, develop responsibly, move distressed buildings into the hands of responsible community stewards, and ensure that public resources go where they're most needed."
"The Community Land Act is key to determining how the City develops and evolves," said Arif Ullah, of South Bronx Unite and the Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Stewards. "In essence, it's a reflection of the City's values. The question is, are our legislators, our Mayor, our Council Speaker equally committed to a just and equitable city that prioritizes the well-being of the vast majority of its residents, or is their allegiance to the real estate industry and private interests? Whether they support and champion the CLA is the answer."
"It's outrageous that the city has not met the basic demand that our public assets - city owned land - be used for public good, for permanently affordable housing. We must pass the Public Land for Public Good Act," said Brianna Soleyn, a board member of the East New York Community Land Trust. "And we must pass COPA. The ENY CLT put in the work to organize residents and donors to directly purchase our first building, which was neglected by its former owner. Through COPA, the city can support acquisitions like these, of over-leveraged rent stabilized housing stock, to ensure that these buildings are kept affordable and under tenant control. These acquisitions are proven to work and directly improve New Yorkers' lives."
"This Land Is Ours CLT is working on several new construction projects, and all will be deeply affordable," said Valerio Orselli, Project Director of This Land Is Ours CLT. "On the East 5th St. NYPD Parking Lot, we plan to develop upwards of one hundred apartments for seniors and disabled people. The site has been designated for low-income housing, and we have secured over 600 signatures in support of our project from our Lower East Side community as well as the overwhelming support of Community Board 3. But the City insists on issuing an RFP open to all developers and refuses to prioritize CLTs. Public Land for the Public Good would allow us to move forward, instead of waiting for an RFP they haven't even drafted yet. Another major project would greatly benefit if COPA or TOPA were passed, along with a funding stream. We must pass the Community Land Act now."
"CLTs all over New York City are showing that they have the momentum and the know-how to take land off the speculative market and put people over profit," said Alexis Foote, Founder and Board Chair of ReAL Edgemere Community Land Trust. "Let's pass the Community Land Act to give CLTs the tools they need to turn neighbors into owners."
"Having lived in the same apartment in Hell's Kitchen for more than forty years and witnessed firsthand the devastating effects the action and inaction of a predatory landlord has had on fellow tenants and neighbors, I believe it is high time for the city to pass the Community Land Act," said Nicholas Latimer, Tenants' Association leader at 438/440 W. 45th Street, apartment buildings formerly owned by Daniel Ohebshalom, a NYC 'worst landlord' as declared by the NYC Public Advocate's Office. "The care and maintenance of our homes should be entrusted to the people to whom it matters the most: the residents of our community."
"Every year, hundreds of thousands of violations of housing law are issued in NYC while millions of renters are severely rent-burdened," said Mark Natanawan, Tenant Organizer at Housing Conservation Coordinators. "We need to fix up run-down apartment buildings across the city and tackle the affordability crisis by investing in and supporting community-owned, nonprofit-operated housing. Our city needs to pass the Community Land Act as well as funding through Homes Now, Homes for Generations this year!"
"The NWBCCC and Bronx CLT are already beginning to demonstrate the power of community-driven development to provide deeply and permanently affordable housing through our new construction and preservation projects," said Todd Baker, Community Development Project Manager at Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC). "The Community Land Act would provide the policy framework and Homes Now, Homes for Generations would provide the resources necessary to scale projects like these across the Bronx and beyond. This is the kind of transformative approach that our neighbors need and deserve."
"The importance of passing COPA cannot be overstated," said Gilbert Butcher, Member of Met Council on Housing and Tenant Leader at 709 W 170th St, another apartment building owned by Ohebshalom, who was recently arrested for negligence and endangerment. "It gives tenants an opportunity to buy the buildings they live in which have been mismanaged by their slumlords. At a time when homelessness is so prevalent in the city, COPA can create a sense of security and peace of mind for tenants."
"Land is a precious resource and it is unacceptable that publicly owned land is sold to developers for as low as $1 in a city facing a serious housing crisis," said Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director of Chhaya Community Development Corporation. "The Community Land Act will ensure that it falls in the hands of community centered groups like CLTs, CDCs and nonprofits who have long been fighting against gentrification, foreclosures and homelessness. The time to act is now."
"TakeRoot is thrilled that the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act will build on NYC's generations of community development infrastructure to transform market-rate units into permanently affordable housing," said Paula Z. Segal, Senior Staff Attorney in the TakeRoot Justice Equitable Neighborhoods unit. "It will level the playing field for tenants and the community-based organizations. The Act strikes a balance between tenant power and current owners' property rights by ensuring that tenants have time to develop partnerships and raise funds to purchase properties at market value."
"NYC is facing a critical shortage of deeply affordable housing, and we continue to lose affordable units to ongoing rent hikes and landlord warehousing," said Jenny Dubnau, Co-Chair of the Western Queens CLT. "Gentrification and displacement are hollowing out Black and immigrant communities, and largely unaffordable housing is being built even on publicly owned land, often by for-profit developers. For example, a city-owned site on Hunters Point South in Queens is now being offered to developers, at only 60% affordability--and the proposed AMI levels are still too high. Mission-driven non-profits and CLTs can provide far deeper affordability than for-profit developers: our city leaders must pass the Public Land for Public Good Act to ensure deep, permanent affordability on public land. The Public Land for Public Good Act, part of the CLA, could also help WQCLT obtain a large city-owned manufacturing building on the gentrifying Queens waterfront, offering affordable work and cultural spaces to those who are currently priced out. And the CLA could help us obtain and fund additional sites for deeply affordable housing: we need the Community Land Act to pass!"
"Chinatown has one of the lowest rates of home ownership in all of New York City, and no new affordable units have been built in the last 30 years," said Justin Yu, Member of the Chinatown Community Land Trust. "This systemic neglect has long-term social and economic ramifications for our neighborhood, with extreme fire hazards being just one of them. These problems are driving our neighborhood's rapid decline, and it is time for a change. The CLT funding would enable the community to explore practical and sustainable solutions. It's high time for our voices to be heard, and for the city to take action to uplift and improve our community for generations to come."
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Original text here: https://www.neweconomynyc.org/2024/05/electeds-groups-rally-at-city-hall-for-enactment-of-the-community-opportunity-to-purchase-act/
[Category: Economics]
CAIR Calls on Biden Admin to Condemn Israeli Bombing of Refugee Camp
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to condemn the bombing and shelling of the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza.
Israeli forces reportedly killed 6 civilians in the Jabalia camp and wounded scores more. Residents said Israeli tanks and armored vehicles moved deep into the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps. Bulldozers are demolishing
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WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued the following news release on May 17, 2024:
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to condemn the bombing and shelling of the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza.
Israeli forces reportedly killed 6 civilians in the Jabalia camp and wounded scores more. Residents said Israeli tanks and armored vehicles moved deep into the heart of Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps. Bulldozers are demolishinghomes and shops in the path of the advance.
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
"Once again, the Israeli government is openly engaging in a genocidal massacre in a refugee camp. How many more innocent Palestinian men, women and children have to die before President Biden stops enabling the Israeli government? We call on the Biden administration to suspend all military aid to the openly racist, homicidal Israeli government and demand an end to the genocide."
SEE: Israel's war on Gaza live: Tanks, jets 'wipe out everything' in Jabalia (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/5/17/israels-war-on-gaza-live-700000-palestinians-flee-military-onslaught)
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Original text here: https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-on-biden-admin-to-condemn-israeli-bombing-of-refugee-camp/
[Category: Sociological]
