WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Migrants brave cold reticketing line, NYCHA monitor replaced, hundreds of legal pot licensees could get green light

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Since opening it in late October, the city has begun to send all adult migrants to a reticketing facility in the East Village as their 30-days in shelters expire. There, they’re given the option of a free trip to any state or country in the world — but are not guaranteed a bed to sleep in if they stay.

Of the thousands of people who’ve passed through the East Village reticketing site, just 10 percent have accepted tickets elsewhere according to internal data obtained by THE CITY.

The rate of people accepting passage out of the city slumped even more dramatically this week, as hundreds of people lined up in the cold outside, waiting for hours for another shelter bed. Of the 442 people who passed through the Seventh Street and Avenue B reticketing site Monday, just three of them took the city up on its other offer of a ticket elsewhere.

That is less than one percent, the data obtained by THE CITY showed.

For those who refuse tickets and are not transferred to another shelter bed, the only option given by the city once the site closes each day at 7 p.m. is to take the train to a facility in The Bronx with no cots — and returning to the East Village in the morning to keep waiting.

Some people told THE CITY they left The Bronx as early as 3 a.m. to try to secure a spot at the front of the reticketing line. Others said they hadn’t bothered going uptown, instead opting to sleep outdoors in the cold.

Franklin Rodriguez, 32, slept outdoors Sunday — then on Monday fainted and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Doctors told him he had hypothermia and low blood pressure. They fed him a meal and let him warm up then released him.

He was back on line several hours later, where he spoke to THE CITY while preparing to bed down on flaps of cardboard for the second night in a row.

“If we leave, we lose our spot,” he said. “It’s hard.”

Read more here

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday's Weather Rating: 5/10. Cold again this morning, with overnight lows having fallen into the upper 20s! High temps will reach near 40° F with a blustery west wind. No snow showers today, just partly cloudy skies. The vibes are chilly out there once again!

Our Other Top Stories

The independent monitor appointed nearly five years ago to push for reforms to the troubled New York City Housing Authority, will end his tenure in February and be replaced by an international law firm, THE CITY has learned. Bart Schwartz and his consulting company, Guidepost Solutions, began work in February 2019. The goal was for NYCHA to attain substantial improvement of apartment living conditions within five years, but earlier this year it became apparent the agency — the biggest public housing authority in the nation, with more than 400,000 residents — had not reached required milestones. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and federal prosecutors then moved to extend the monitorship for another five years. While Schwartz applied to continue in the role, HUD, the Manhattan U.S. attorney and the city Law Department picked another firm: Jenner & Block. If the terms of a settlement filed in State Supreme Court on Tuesday are approved, hundreds of people previously convicted for cannabis-related charges will be able to move forward with opening pot shops — which they were already licensed to do. Under the state’s legal cannabis program, a class of licensees were created for those most harmed by old drug enforcement policies. But a lawsuit, in which a group of veterans claimed that the state had discriminated against them and other protected classes by not providing licenses for them, resulted in an injunction that stopped new businesses from opening up shop. (That’s why there are only 23 legal shops in the state.) Now, if a judge approves the settlement, hundreds of licensees would be able proceed with their business plans.  City Council leaders are crafting an alternative to the budget cuts announced by Mayor Eric Adams two weeks ago, using the city’s robust financial reserves to stave off immediate cutbacks and asking Albany for tax increases next year to bolster the coffers. The city is facing a $7 billion gap, or about 6% of total spending, in the 2025 budget that must be adopted by June 30. Adams’ proposed cuts would affect police hiring, libraries, universal pre-kindergarten and more. A clash between the mayor and the Council is likely to be in the spotlight Dec. 11, when the Council holds a hearing on Adams’ most recent budget plan.

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, Nov. 30: The 41st Annual Wreath Interpretations show’s opening reception, a holiday exhibition of more than 30 imaginative wreaths by Parks Department employees, artists, designers, and others. Free from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park.  Friday, Dec. 1: Montefiore Park's Annual Holiday Tree Lighting, a celebration and seasonal festival in the park. Free from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Montefiore Square in West Harlem. Saturday, Dec. 2: The next Access Morning event at the Museum of the Moving Image offers workshops and opens exhibitions to children on the autism spectrum and their families before public hours. (Measures are taken to reduce overstimulation in the galleries, and complimentary breakfast and coffee are provided.) Free from 11 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of every month through May 2024, at MoMI in Queens.

THE KICKER: Yesterday marked the season’s first flurries in NYC, but it hasn’t snowed more than an inch in the city for nearly two years. (Of course, it can still get dangerously cold without snow: If your apartment loses heat, THE CITY has a guide on what to do next.)

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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