May Newsletter: Retirement for All, Pesticides Banned, No More Robot Dogs, Empty Storefronts, Affordable Housing, Free Summer Camp, Saving Our Planet, and Cleaning Up Our Streets

Below is a re-post of my City Council government office's May newsletter. For the original, visit BenKallos.com/newsletters

Dear Neighbor, Every New Yorker should be able to retire, but few have access to savings through their employers, which is about to change. After working with now-Attorney General Tish James and the Obama administration, fighting Trump and Steve Bannon who made it a top priority to stop us and two acts of Congress over the course of 8 years, the Council just passed Retirement Security for All. Earth Day is more important than ever, particularly during a climate emergency. After kindergarten students of Paula Rogovin at P.S. 290 advocated to ban toxic pesticides, I introduced legislation back in 2015 to do just that. The New York Times reported on 6 years of advocacy by these children who have emerged as an unlikely force that finally won this ban. As we seek to close marine-transfer-to-landfill stations like the one on East 91st, we as a city must achieve zero waste and my legislation to do so got a second hearing just as the city had cut funding to vital diversion programs like composting. With reduced trash pick up and rats everywhere, I've also proposed legislation to put rat-proof solar compactors on every corner that can hold five times more trash and clean up our streets. I’ve allocated $3 million to redesign Ruppert Park. Share your vision for the park at a virtual Scoping Session hosted by the Parks Department on May 20 at 6pm. Our environment and children also won participatory budgeting with more than 500 residents voting to fund new trees and guards for sidewalks and new laptops for 15 public schools. We forced the NYPD to retire their robot "dog" that they used in public housing, following a subpoena and legislation to prohibit them from being weaponized. The truth is that we need community policing where police officers are building relationships with residents, not military robots. With Derek Chauvin convicted on all three counts, many celebrated that there might finally be accountability for the murderer of George Floyd and we as a nation have taken the first step in a long journey towards justice. The best thing we can do for our city's future is to invest in our children. On Roosevelt Island, I joined Congress Member Carolyn Maloney to cut the ribbon on a new Youth Center. In the City Council, I authored legislation for Universal Summer Camp and am proud to support Mayor de Blasio's Summer Rising program offering free summer learning, enrichment, and play at public schools throughout the city. Another road to recovery is filling vacant storefronts and supporting our non-profits who have been on the front lines of this pandemic. That's why I introduced legislation to force absentee landlords that hide behind LLCs to reveal their names. As chair of the Contracts Committee, I was also able to win permanent funding to cover overhead costs for non-profits that work on behalf of the city to help those who need it most. As continue to fight Covid-19, anyone over age 16 can walk up for a vaccine without an appointment. This month please join us for our annual forum on how to fight overdevelopment as well as preserve and build affordable housing. Thanks to my support in the Council we even have an opportunity to own your own affordable studio coop in the neighborhood. As we celebrate Mother's day, I mourn the loss of my mother and celebrate my wife and all the mothers out there as we fight for pay equity in this recovery. Yours in service, Ben Kallos Council Member District 5

SPECIAL EVENTS: Overdevelopment, Preservation, and Affordable Housing Forum Thursday, 5/6, 6PM Affordable Home Ownership Opportunity Wednesday, 5/19, 6PM Public Hearings on Property Taxes 5/11 & 5/27, 6PM MONTHLY EVENTS: First Friday Friday, 5/7, 8AM - 10AM Mask Distribution Varies Free Legal Clinics By Appointment

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HEADLINES

1. Retirement Security for All
2. DigiDog Sent to the Farm
3. Pesticides Finally Banned Following Student Activism
4. Participatory Budgeting Results

ENVIRONMENT

5. A Solar Compactor on Every Corner
6. Zero Waste by 2030
7. Proposal to Spend $22 Billion to Save the Planet

EDUCATION & YOUTH

8. 3-K Fully Funded for 2023
9. Billions in Federal Funding to Be Invested NYC Education, Thanks to Congresswoman Maloney
10. Cutting the Ribbon on the Newly Renovated Roosevelt Island Youth Center
11. Summer Rising

COVID-19 + Recovery

12. Finding Empty Storefront Owners So We Can Recover
13. Won Full Funding for NYC Nonprofits on the Front Lines
14. New Yorkers 16 and Up Can Get Vaccinated, No Appointment Needed
15. Museums, Zoos & Movie Theaters See Indoor Capacity Increase
16. Citywide Curfew Extended
17. “Back to Normal” on July 1st

EVENTS

18. Overdevelopment, Preservation and Affordable Housing Town Hall
19. Info Session for Affordable Homeownership Opportunity at 1402 York Ave
20. Scoping Session on $3 Million Ruppert Park Redesign
21. Property Tax Reform Public Hearings Are Back
22. Blood Center Update at Community Board 8 Land Use Committee Meeting
23. First Friday Online
24. Free Mask Distribution

OFFICE UPDATES

25. Free Legal Clinics
26. Here to Help
27. Help the Homeless

 

HEADLINES

Retirement Security for All

About 1.5 million private sector workers in New York City don’t have access to retirement plans through their employers, and nearly half of New Yorkers who are retirement age have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. That’s why, as CBS recently reported, I sponsored legislation to automatically enroll employees in a plan that puts five percent of their wages into a retirement fund and lets them adjust the amount or opt out. I am proud to share that last week the City Council passed the bill.

Employers with five or more employees that do not currently offer a retirement plan would be required to automatically enroll employees through payroll deduction. Enrollment would come at no cost to employers and gig workers would be able to voluntarily join the program.

In 2016, we introduced this bill with New York State Attorney General Letitia James (then–Public Advocate), who first authored the legislation, and Council Member Miller, but our efforts faced uncertainty when former President Trump signed resolutions in April 13, 2017 that rolled back federal regulations permitting states and municipalities to offer retirement savings plans. With the election of President Biden, our City was finally able to get this passed into law so every private-sector worker in New York City can save pre-tax for retirement, even if their employer does not offer a 401(k).

For more, read the release or see full coverage on CBS and in Patch.
 

DigiDog Sent to the Farm

As the New York Times recently reported, the New York Police Department’s $94,000 contract for a robotic police dog has been terminated after I worked with Council Speaker Corey Johnson to subpoena records related to the device that many New Yorkers shared negative reactions to online. As I told the Daily News:

“Our city needs more community policing, officers connecting to residents, not scary military-style gadgets that scare folks.”

In last month’s newsletter, I shared how new legislation I introduced with the support of Human Rights Watch would ban the weaponization of remote or autonomous robots that interact with the public in the City of New York. After videos of the NYPD utilizing a robot dog in the Bronx went viral in February, New Yorkers debated the merits of utilizing military technology to police neighborhoods and how groundbreaking robot technology will affect the lives of New Yorkers. That’s why Int. 2240  would expand the Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology or POST Act, requiring the NYPD to be more transparent on its surveillance and technology tools.

Currently, there is no policy or transparency on the current and future capabilities of technology loaned to or procured by New York City law enforcement. The NYPD’s exploration of utilizing military technology and weaponry in New York neighborhoods demands statutory oversight to formally ban certain controversial technology with weaponized capabilities. Though this issue has been temporarily remedied, we must pass my law to ensure that this does not happen again. For more information, read the release or see coverage in the New York Times, New York Daily News, and New York Post.
 

Pesticides Finally Banned Following Student Activism

The New York Times reported that, thanks to a law I authored with the help of public school kids and a very determined, now-retired elementary school teacher, Paula Rogovin, New York City is finally banning the use of toxic pesticides such as RoundUp in our parks and open spaces. 

The road to passing this bill has been long and involved multiple hearings in the City Council, where even school children sang and testified alongside experts like Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides. Over the years, successful lawsuits across the country against companies using glyphosate in their weed killers have bolstered support for our legislation. In late 2019, Bertha Lewis’s The Black Institute published a report titled Poison Parks highlighting the fact that New York City was spraying this potentially carcinogenic substance in far greater quantities in communities of color than in white neighborhoods.

Around the country and world, several cities and states have also banned glyphosate. However, the legislation we passed on Earth Day goes much further, banning all man-made pesticides in favor of natural herbicides and real land management techniques in our City’s parks. This legislation undoubtedly makes New York City a safer place to live for our children and pets, or anyone who enjoys City parks.

Thank you to organizations like Beyond Pesticides, The Black Institute, Grassroots Environmental, and the Church of the Stop Shopping Choir for their advocacy and energy dedicated to passing this law. For more information, see coverage in the New York Times, NY1 and Patch, or watch the press conference at BenKallos.com/videos
 

Participatory Budgeting Results

As Patch reported, more than 500 residents 14 and over voted online on how $1 million in tax dollars would be spent to improve the community in the first Participatory Budgeting (PB) cycle since the citywide process was suspended last year due to the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who voted in participatory budgeting this year. The results are in and the two winning projects that will get fully funded (in order of highest to lowest vote totals) are:

• New Trees and Guards for Sidewalks: $187,000
• Laptops/STEM for 15 Public Schools: $750,000

Congratulations to the winners and all who participated! There were many other worthy projects on the ballot. If you’d like to learn and organize for next year, visit BenKallos.com/PB. If you have thoughts on the participatory budgeting process or interest in becoming more involved next cycle, please submit a project at BenKallos.com/pb/propose

 

ENVIRONMENT

A Solar Compactor on Every Corner

Every New Yorker hates seeing overflowing trash cans and garbage on the street that attracts rats. That’s why, as the New York Daily News reported, I introduced legislation to nearly double the number of solar trash compactors in the City of New York. My legislation would force the Department of Sanitation to purchase 1,000 additional solar trash compactors and then place them on the busiest highly trafficked street corners throughout our City. These solar trash compactors are able to hold up to seven times more trash than regular trash cans, they need to be emptied less often and are 100% rat-proof.  There are currently around 2,500 solar trash compactors in our City parks and areas where BIDs feel they are necessary. With my legislation we would put these in street corners where data shows they are needed. For more information, release the release at BenKallos.com/press-releases or coverage in the New York Daily News.

 

Zero Waste by 2030

I joined Council Member Antonio Reynoso, environmental and labor advocates and more at a press conference at City Hall and a subsequent hearing to demand immediate action on the Mayor’s goal to send zero waste to landfill by 2030. Currently, New York City sends nearly all of its waste to rot or burn in landfills and incinerators outside of New York City, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Many of these facilities sit within environmental justice communities, forcing residents who don’t even live within the City to grapple with the impacts of our waste stream. Furthermore, the transfer stations within the city where waste is loaded on to the trucks headed to landfill sit almost exclusively within low income communities of color. We need environmental justice and the “0x30” plan helps us work toward that together. The framework is there but until the Department of Sanitation produces an actionable plan for reaching this goal, it won’t happen.

Thank you to Solid Waste Advisory Boards from around the city, the Center for Zero Waste Design, Align New York, Cafeteria Culture, CURES, GrowNYC and many others that contributed to the robust conversation on concrete steps towards sustainability in our city.
 

Proposal to Spend $22 Billion to Save the Planet

On Earth Day, I introduced legislation to update how New York City spends billions of dollars through the Environmental Preferential Purchasing program. The legislation aims to overhaul rules that have not been updated in 16 years. Setting new ambitious goals that are responsive to our climate emergency and would adopt some of the toughest standards for purchasing electronics, furniture, and overhaul environmental goals. As a result of the new rules, if passed, any contract that did not follow Environmental Preferential Purchasing regulations would be required to consider how long a purchased piece of equipment would last and whether it would hurt the environment in the long run. The legislation would also establish a taskforce to regulate how the City sources and disposes of textiles so it is done in an environmentally friendly way. For more information, read the release at BenKallos.com/releases

 

EDUCATION & YOUTH

3-K Fully Funded for 2023

Last month we shared that, after a seven-year fight, 3-K for All will expand to include our district along with the rest of the city for the 2021-22 school year, extending the program to up to 16,500 three-year-olds across New York City. Now, Mayor de Blasio is committing $377 million to guaranteeing that 3K is available for every family by September 2023.

The City says it will support approximately 40,000 3-K seats across all 32 community school districts by the fall and I intend to do everything in my power to hold them to their word and ensure that this promise comes to fruition in time for the fall semester. Just as we secured 900 new pre-kindergarten seats for Universal Pre-K, I will work with parents, providers, and real estate developers to build the seats we need for 3-K for All over the next six months.

But, we need your help:

• Co-op, condo, and building owners: Do you have a space with at least 1,000 square feet and on the first, second or basement level? If so, you may qualify to host a 3-K site and we can help match you with a provider.

• Child Care Providers: Are you a private or non-profit provider that is able to operate a new 3-K site? If so, we can work with you to become a 3-K site.

If you are interested in helping to open new 3-K sites in the district, email Education@benkallos.com

If you have a child born in 2018, please be sure to apply for 3-K by Friday, May 28, 2021. If you have any questions about 3-K in the district, email Education@BenKallos.com or visit schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/3k.
 

Billions in Federal Funding to Be Invested NYC Education, Thanks to Congresswoman Maloney

Patch reported on the $5.2 billions that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney helped secure for our district and City. I was proud to join her for the announcement in front of Eleanor Roosevelt high school on the Upper East Side. Much of the money will be used to fund 3-K, pre-K, and K–12 education. $1.2 billion of the money will be used to help fund our City’s public colleges and universities.  
 

Cutting the Ribbon on the Newly Renovated Roosevelt Island Youth Center

I had a great time at the grand reopening of the newly renovated Roosevelt Island Youth Center with Congresswoman Maloney, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President Shelton Haynes and more, and I am proud to welcome this safe space for our youth back into the community at a time when they need it the most!
 

Summer Rising

Every kid looks forward to their 104 days of summer break, but for far too many children this break comes without meals and time unsupervised while parents continue working. In April, Mayor de Blasio announced Summer Rising, a program to provide wraparound services to children including academic support, enrichment, childcare, and meals.

Summer Rising offers to deliver on the promise of universal summer camp that we've been fighting for with legislation I co-authored in the council last year. I look forward to working together with the Departments of Education and Youth & Community Development to launch the innovative Summer Rising plan, and I hope it is here to stay!

Registration is open now and the program runs July through mid-August, apply now at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer
 

COVID-19 Recovery

Finding Empty Storefront Owners So We Can Recover

Every day there are more empty storefronts throughout our City, an issue that has only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic as small businesses have been squeezed for months by social distancing regulations. As we shared in March and as you may have recently read in WNYC, I introduced legislation to pull the veil of secrecy created by Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs) by requiring that building owners tell us who the real person is behind the LLC.

LLCs would have to disclose the names, physical address, email address, and telephone numbers of any “real” person with at least a 5% ownership interest in the property when applying for a building permit or certificate of occupancy (CO).

Currently, property owners can conceal their personal identities by using various corporate structures, such as LLCs making it difficult to work with them to help bring commercial tenants or for the City to collect on outstanding fines. Knowing who the real owners behind these vacant storefronts will allow City officials like me to work with landlords to bring good commercial tenants into vacant storefronts and address quality of life concerns leading to the issuance of fines.

The ownership information would then be shared by the Department of Buildings with any City agency to aid in the collection of unpaid fines. The collection efforts are meant to enforce violations of New York City’s codes, rules, regulations and quality-of-life laws. For more information, read the release or see coverage in WNYC, Gothamist, and the Daily News.
 

Won Full Funding for NYC Nonprofits on the Front Lines

As NYN Media recently reported, New York City’s nonprofits are finally getting the full funding they deserve, after a year on the frontlines of the pandemic acting as a lifeline for communities in need. Last month, Mayor de Blasio announced that the City will commit $120 million to the  Indirect Cost Rate initiative which covers overhead costs for nonprofits. Since the funding is baselined, $94 million will be committed to the effort for the future. This is great news, especially after last fiscal year when nonprofits were only reimbursed for 60 percent of their funding requests. Like I told NYN:

“The baseline means that they’re not gonna have to worry about this happening again.”

I am proud to have been a part of the push. This is the least we can do to support our nonprofits during this recovery and ensure they can afford to keep serving our communities. For more information, read full coverage by NYN Media.
 

New Yorkers 16 and Up Can Get Vaccinated, No Appointment Needed

All New York City and State mass vaccination sites are now offering walk-in vaccinations to New Yorkers aged 16 and up on a first come, first serve basis. Appointments are reserved for first doses only with second doses to be scheduled automatically after administration of the initial shot.

State-run vaccination sites offering walk-in appointments in New York City include:

• Javits Center (Manhattan)
• Medgar Evers College (Brooklyn)
• Bay Eden Senior Center (Bronx)
• York College (Queens)
• Aqueduct Racetrack (Queens)

Locate a City-run walk-up vaccination site near you at nyc.gov/walkupvax. Anyone wanting to get vaccinated must complete a NYS-Covid-19 Vaccine Form. For more information, visit governor.ny.gov/news.
 

Museums, Zoos & Movie Theaters See Indoor Capacity Increase

As of April 26th, movie theater capacity in New York is increased to 33 percent, while low-risk, indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment centers such as museums, aquariums, zoos and botanical gardens have increased to 50 percent capacity.

On May 19th, spectator capacity will increase to 25 percent at large-scale arenas and event venues including professional and collegiate sports, and major performances. Social distancing, masks, health screenings and all other health and safety protocols remain in effect.

For more information, visit governor.ny.gov/news.
 

Citywide Curfew Extended, Soon to End

Recently, Governor Cuomo extended the curfew for dining out in New York City from 11pm to midnight, with catered events allowed to go until 1am. Additionally, as of May 3rd, patrons will be permitted to sit at bars again.

This month the curfew for dining establishments in New York will be removed, starting May 17th for outdoor areas and May 31st for indoor areas. For more information, visit governor.ny.gov/news.
 

“Back to Normal” on July 1st

With the widespread availability of vaccines, Mayor de Blasio set July 1st as the target date for when New York City can finally go “back to normal.” As of the end of April, 6.3 million New Yorkers—roughly three quarters of the city’s population—had been vaccinated. As July 1st approaches, we will need more details on what “normal” means so that New Yorkers can be assured of their safety and businesses can begin to recover.

 

EVENTS

Overdevelopment, Preservation and Affordable Housing Town Hall

Overdevelopment, Preservation and Affordable Housing Town Hall
Thursday, May 6, 6pm
RSVP

On Thursday, May 6th at 6pm, my office and the offices of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be hosting our Overdevelopment, Preservation and Affordable Housing Town Hall. The annual event will take place on Zoom this year.

Join me and the featured expert speakers for this important discussion on how the community can get involved in closing loopholes and stopping overdevelopment. The organizations participating in this event include:

• Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts
• CIVITAS
• Manhattan Community Board 8
• Department of Housing Preservation and Development
• RxHome NYC

RSVP by calling 212-860-1950 or visit BenKallos.com/events
 

Info Session for Affordable Homeownership Opportunity at 1402 York Ave

Info Session for Affordable Homeownership Opportunity at 1402 York Ave
Wednesday, May 19, 6pm
RSVP

As you may have read in Patch, 10 newly constructed cooperative apartment units at 1402 York Avenue will be offered to eligible buyers that qualify as low-income households at 63% AMI, with estimated sales prices ranging from $43,488 to $60,165. Amenities in the building for residents’ use include a gym, bike storage lockers and a rooftop terrace. Each apartment has a washer-dryer hookup and large, street-facing windows. Applications for affordable housing are available at HousingConnect.nyc.gov.

At 6pm on Wednesday, May 19th and June 16th, I am joining the Housing Partnership for an information session to educate the public on how to apply in time for the deadline on June 29th, 2021.

To join the May 19 information session, click here and enter meeting code 129 996 3049, password 4hBYRmtp26n. To join by phone, dial 646-992-2010 and enter code 1299963049##.

For the June 16 meeting, click here and enter meeting code 129 075 9699, password 3RGeuPabp23. To join by phone, dial 646-992-2010 and enter code 1290759699##.

For more information on these units, read the release or RSVP at BenKallos.com/Events

 

Scoping Session on $3 Million Ruppert Park Redesign I’ve allocated $3 million to redesign Ruppert Park. Share your vision for the park:

Join me on Thursday, May 20th at 6pm for a Scoping Session for Ruppert Park co-hosted by the City Parks Department. This is a public meeting to discuss details relating to the redesign of the park with the community and to get your input.

You may submit questions or comments with your RSVP.

This meeting will be hosted over Zoom and streamed at Facebook.com/BenKallos/Live

Property Tax Reform Public Hearings Are Back

The Property Tax Reform Commission is restarting its public hearings with two virtual hearings at 6pm on May 11th and May 27th. The Commission is soliciting input from the public on the 10 initial recommendations in the Preliminary Report, specifically whether they would achieve the goals of a fairer system, would be improved by certain modifications, or should be enhanced with additional recommendations.

To testify, speakers may register at the Commission’s website. Anyone wishing to testify must register no later than 24-hours in advance. Following registration, speakers will receive further instructions. Speakers may (but need not) submit their presentations ahead of time by emailing them to PropTaxInfo@propertytaxcommission.nyc.gov or uploading them through an online portal. The portal and email address may also be used by those who are unable to attend but wish to submit testimony.

To request interpretation services please email PropTaxInfo@propertytaxcommission.nyc.gov or call 212-676-3072 by 5:00pm three business days before the hearing. For ASL, or to request an accommodation for a disability, please email or call by 5:00pm five business days before the hearing.

 

Blood Center Update at Community Board 8 Land Use Committee Meeting

As the Real Deal recently reported, we continue working to ensure that construction of the Blood Center’s new building does not proceed without the consent of the community. In our March newsletter, we updated you that the Blood Center’s proposal for a 334-foot tall tower would include biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratories, which are considered high-containment research laboratories intended for the study of highly infectious pathogens. As a frame of reference, Covid-19 is considered BSL2 and in 2016, the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) noted significant risks associated with these kinds of labs, including the potential for an accidental outbreak, which could severely harm residents in the surrounding area. This information, revealed after the public scoping session in January, raised new concerns about safety and the potential impact of this proposal on quality of life. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and my office have since reached out and are working to ensure that there is accuracy and transparency with the community in this planning process.

The Blood Center’s proposal initially came under fire from the community after an environmental impact assessment determined that the tower would directly impact sunlight in St. Catherine's Park. In December, Community Board 8 voted 16–1 to oppose the project and, as TAPinto reported, nearly a dozen residents joined me at my monthly First Friday meeting to express their concerns for the project. All of them supported the Blood Center increasing its height and density threefold within its existing footprint but had concerns about the impact that increasing the size of the project tenfold would have on the Park across the street.

I want to hear from you on whether you support, oppose, or have a suggestion to improve the proposal. Please share your position at BenKallos.com/petition/BloodCenter 

Join Community Board 8 on Wednesday, May 12th at 6:30pm to hear the Blood Center report on the progress of the project since the last meeting in April. 

For more information, see coverage in the Real Deal, the New York Post and Patch.

 

First Friday Online

First Friday Online
Friday, May 7th, 8am–10am

First Friday remains one of my favorite parts of my job representing you as your Council Member. While my East 93rd Street office remains physically closed for everyone’s safety, we are still working remotely and remain here to help. Thank you to all the residents who participated in last month’s virtual First Friday.

You must RSVP by Thursday, May 6th to participate.

Video Conference: RSVP for your URL (create a free account at Zoom.us)
Teleconference: RSVP to receive the number and access code
Facebook Live: Skip the RSVP and watch the stream at Facebook.com/BenKallos/live

Questions must be submitted with RSVP or by email to Questions@benkallos.com

RSVP now at BenKallos.com/events
 

Free Mask Distribution

As TAPinto reported, I am proud to share that more than 15,000 face masks have been distributed through my office’s collaboration with the East 86th St. Association. Many thanks to Andrew Fine and our local volunteers for their hard work. We will continue to distribute disposable masks and hand sanitizer to ensure the safety and health of residents. Reach out to our partners to get yours now:

• Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood Center (RSVP) – Thursday, May 13, 11:15am–12:00pm, 415 East 93rd Street in the Courtyard
• East 79th Street Neighborhood Association – Please write to the neighborhood association at the address below and they will drop off the masks to your lobby: P.O. Box 20052, Cherokee Station New York, NY, 10021-10060

Please consider volunteering with us as a building captain so that friends and neighbors can pick up masks and hand sanitizer from outside your door, or hand them off to your door person to distribute, and let us know when you need more to be dropped off. 

 

OFFICE UPDATES

Free Legal Clinics

Need a lawyer? Every month I sponsor legal clinics where you can get free legal advice. These clinics usually take place at my District Office but, due to Covid-19, all clinics will be done by phone (no video) until further notice. Appointments take place 2pm–6pm:

• General Civil Law, 2nd and 4th Friday with Patricia Murrell, Esq.
• Life Planning Clinic, 3rd Wednesday with Tina Janssen-Spinosa, Esq.
• Family Law and Domestic Violence, 1st Tuesday with Afua Fullwood, Esq.
• Housing Clinics:
  • 1st & 3rd Monday with Paul Kushner, Esq.
  • 1st Wednesday with Daniel Espo, Esq.
  • 2nd & 4th Wednesday with Kyle Carraro, Esq.

Please call my office at 212-860-1950 or email ConstituentService@BenKallos.com with the subject “Requesting Legal Clinic” to make appointments to meet by phone.

Here to Help

We are here to help. My social work team can help you find out what services you are eligible for and assist you in your application. Some examples include:

• Seniors: Medicare savings, Meals-on-Wheels, Access-A-Ride 
• Housing: searching for affordable units, free legal housing clinic at my office
• Job Resources: training resources and assistance, unemployment benefits
• Families: Universal Pre-K, Head Start, After-School programs
• Finances: cash assistance, tax credits, home energy assistance
• Nutrition: WIC, free meals for all ages

Please also call us at 212-860-1950 or email us at BKallos@BenKallos.com with any unresolved 311 complaints.
 

Help the Homeless

In March, I joined Communities United for Police Reform in an open letter to the Mayor calling on the City to take care of New York City’s homeless population during the Covid-19 outbreak. Read the full letter at Changethenypd.org.

Back in 2016, I launched the Eastside Task Force for Homeless Outreach and Services (ETHOS) with Borough President Brewer, Senator Krueger, Council Member Garodnick, Department of Social Services (DSS), community and faith leaders and service organizations. We’ve already been able to help a chronically homeless individual in the community who we believe had long been suffering from mental illness, after a resident was willing to come forward working with me, the 19th Precinct, the District Attorney and DSS to get them the help they needed.  We hope to get every unsheltered person living on the street the help they need. If you see one of our City’s most vulnerable on the street, please call 311 or use the NYC 311 App (Android/iPhone) to ask them to dispatch a “homeless outreach team.” They will ask where you saw the person, what they looked like, and offer report on whether the person accepts our city’s offer of shelter, three meals a day, health care, rehabilitation, and job training. By connecting our dedicated nonprofits and religious institutions with city services, ETHOS is really making a difference. For more information, visit BenKallos.com/Homelessness.