Rivera Co-Writes Article on Misinformation Surrounding Public Charge
Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) co-wrote an opinion piece for the Gotham Gazette about how to combat fear and misinformation around the new public charge rule.
The article, written with Council Member Francisco Moya (D-East Elmhurst, Elmhurst), explains that the new rule will expand the definition of “public charge” to include anyone who receives public benefits such as cash assistance, SNAP and Section 8 housing.
But the article notes that the new law’s “intentionally misleading” language has driven countless immigrants to sacrifice their benefits unnecessarily.
“Some immigrants who may not be affected by the policy change are nevertheless considering disenrolling from these life-sustaining programs out of confusion, fear, or both,” reads the article. “This is where city officials must rise to the occasion, and it is precisely why we have introduced a package of bills in the City Council requiring agencies to create and distribute comprehensive fact sheets and resource materials.”
The full article is available here.
Hoylman Discusses His Mental Health Days Bill on CBS
State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) appeared on CBS NY yesterday to discuss his new “School Mental Health Days” bill.
Hoylman’s bill would allow students to claim “mental health days” and take days off as a way of practicing self-care. Hoylman wrote the bill after the Pew Research Center released a report that 70 percent of teens view anxiety and depression as a major problem of theirs.
“It’s important because we’re seeing more and more young people thinking about suicide,” said Hoylman. “By allowing schools to actually have mental health days for students, we think that this will raise awareness among school administrators, teachers and families.”
Brewer, Rivera Hire Consultant for East Coast Resiliency Project
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) and Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) have announced the hiring of a consultant for the East Coast Resiliency Project (ECRP).
In her Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) recommendation, Brewer requested an independent environmental expert to review the ESCR Project and prepare comments. The consultant they have chosen for the job is Deltares, a Netherlands-based environmental consulting group, lead by Dr. Hans Gehrels.
“We’ve heard the requests of the community for an independent review before this goes into effect, and we listened,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “Dr. Gehrels will bring his vast experience and expertise to his analysis of this project, and I look forward to seeing the results of his review.”
Johnson, Menchaca Announce Funding for New York Immigrant Family Unity Project
Today, Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) and Council Member Carlos Menchaca (D-Red Hook, Sunset Park) fill be formally announcing additional funding for the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP).
The NYIFUP is the nation’s first public defender system for detained immigrants facing deportation. NYIFUP service providers provide free legal representation to eligible detained immigrants facing deportation.
The announcement will be made today at 12:00 p.m. at 26 Federal Plaza.
