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Dear New Yorkers,

The Adams administration is seeking to expand the Fountain House mental health clubhouse model, long seen as a therapeutic — and cost effective — way to keep people out of prisons and homeless shelters.

But the plan has been widely criticized.

The Health Department in April only offered contracts for 13 locations under a reorganization plan, meaning several pre-existing sites will likely have to shut down. City officials have said their goal is to operate new, larger sites, focused in high-need areas.

Plus, added city funding is specifically earmarked for clubhouses with 300 or more members — a bar only three out of the 350 clubhouses in the world pass, and just Fountain House in New York City.

The front door of Fountain House is manned by a member of the community — someone with serious mental illness. In fact, almost the entire self-contained community is operated by one of its approximately 2,000 members, from preparing meals to helping set the organization’s policy agenda.

Read more here about the success of the clubhouse model, and the city’s controversial reorganization plan.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday's Weather rating: 5/10. Dew points are on the rise and so are temperatures, with highs in the upper 80s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening, too. The vibes are starting to feel uncomfortable again ...

Our Other Top Stories

HotHead Grabba, a street brand that sells tobacco, is being investigated by federal safety inspectors for potentially combustible dust in its Queens processing facility. Employees had previously told THE CITY that they experienced dizziness and injury during work shifts at that facility, and that they were owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. The city is considering enacting a ban on cell phones in its 1,600 public schools as early as February, reports Chalkbeat. While a city Department of Education spokesperson stressed that no plan is final, principals told Chalkbeat that schools would need to enact their own policies — but did not expect to receive additional funding for the measures, which might require storage cubbies, magnetic pouches, or other materials.

Reporter’s Notebook

NY Pols React to Biden News

Elected officials across New York showed appreciation for President Joe Biden after he announced on social media that he would not seek re-election.

“Joe Biden is an American hero, a true statesman, and he'll go down in history as one of the greatest champions of working families our nation has ever known,” Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on her personal account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The governor also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination, calling Harris “a champion of justice.”

Another quick endorsement came from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY): “Kamala Harris will be the next President of the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez posted on X. “I pledge my full support to ensure her victory in November. Now more than ever, it is crucial that our party and country swiftly unite to defeat Donald Trump and the threat to American democracy.”

Mayor Eric Adams — who on Thursday said that he was “riding with Biden,” despite calls for the 81-year-old candidate to back out — said the country “owes a debt of gratitude to President Joe Biden for his decades of service.”

“He and his team took us out of COVID, stabilized the country and restored the soul of the nation,” Adams said in a statement. “President Biden is now again delivering for the American people by passing the torch at a critical moment, when the country needs strong leadership from a new generation.” In an appearance on CNN, Adams notably declined to endorse Harris.

Biden’s decision came weeks after a disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump that left Democrats and others questioning his ability to compete in the race and less than one month before the Democratic National Convention.

Biden endorsed Harris to succeed him; she was quickly endorsed by a raft of top Democratic leaders, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and NY Attorney General Letitia James.

— Katie Honan

Summer & THE CITY brings you the best of summer, by and for New Yorkers. It’s a free, weekly newsletter to help you enjoy — and survive — the hottest months in the five boroughs.

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Things To Do

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

Monday, July 22: A summer arts experience offered on weekdays for youth ages 6 to 13, with different classes offered in painting, dance, theater, and more. Free from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Herbert Von King Cultural Arts Center in Brooklyn. Thursday, July 25: The Queens Jazz Trail: Salcedo’s Latin Soul, a free outdoor performance, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Travers Park in Queens. Friday, July 26: Dance for Every Body, a movement and dance class hosted by the Brooklyn ensemble Urban Bush Women and Lincoln Center. Free at 5 p.m. at the Garden at Damrosch Park in Manhattan.

THE KICKER: Harlem’s Apollo Theater has become the first institution to be named a Kennedy Center honoree.

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

Love,

THE CITY

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