WORLD WORLDWIDE USA NewYork NY NewYorkCitye NYC thecity THECITY Newspaper News Journal Update - THE CITY Scoop: Promised NYCHA Turnaround Trust Has Yet to Materialize

 

View this email in your browser Dear New Yorkers, Last summer, Gregory Russ, then the chair of the New York City Housing Authority, hailed Albany lawmakers’ approval of an innovative Preservation Trust, a new nonprofit entity created to nurse the city’s largely dilapidated public housing back to financial and physical health.  Russ predicted the trust would be up and running by early 2023. Instead, the trust is in the twilight zone.  A nine-member board that is supposed to oversee the Preservation Trust has yet to materialize. The chair of NYCHA's board sits on the trust board and gets to appoint four of its members, but Russ left last month and has not been replaced. Mayor Eric Adams is supposed to fill the other four slots, but as of this week has not named a single appointee to the trust's board. Without anyone to run it, the trust can’t get to work financing and managing construction projects. So now what?  Read more here. Some other items of note: Some low-income New Yorkers without flood insurance will have a new resource in the event of a disaster. A pilot program run by the Center for New York City Neighborhoods and the Environmental Defense Fund will provide up to $15,000 in emergency cash assistance. The program aims to support homeowners like those who struggled to get back on their feet after Hurricane Ida. THE CITY previously reported that the Bronx borough president has extended the deadline for residents to join community boards by almost two weeks — until March 15. Read our handy guide for everything you need to know about how to join a community board and what to know before applying. “I’ve been locked up almost 30 times for weed.” On the latest episode of the FAQ NYC podcast, 39-year-old Bronxite Jason Morales talks about how normal that seemed growing up, how traumatic that was in hindsight, and how he hopes to give back to his culture with support from the state to build a legal business. Does your FYP need more local news? Follow THE CITY’s new account on TikTok and hear our stories as you scroll. See how New York City is doing with our newsroom’s economic recovery tracker. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations, testing rates and more, check our coronavirus tracker. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday's Weather Rating: 3/10. Snow showers move out of the area this morning with partly cloudy skies expected for the rest of the day. Much chillier, with highs only reaching the lower 40s. The vibes are feeling wintry out there again! THE KICKER: Before Judy Heumann, who passed away last Saturday, helped spark the movement that led to the Americans with Disabilities Act, she was an aspiring New York City school teacher. In 1970, the Board of Education denied her a teaching license on the grounds that Heumann, a quadriplegic, wouldn’t be able to evacuate students in case of a fire. She sued — and became the first teacher in New York City to use a wheelchair on the job. Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday. Love, THE CITY P.S. If you liked something about today's newsletter, or didn't, let us know at zshah@thecity.nyc THE CITY's work is made possible, in part, through the support of our sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor of THE CITY? Contact us here.  Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.