Volume 67, No. 56 FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021 50¢ ADVOCATES RENEW PUSH TO END HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST FORMERLY INCARCERATED JULY 2, 2021 HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND! Stay safe and stay hydrated. ««« DESPITE OVERCROWDING IN THE district, Community Board 7 voted 23-13 against the proposal for a new 572-seat public school in Bay Terrace citing lack of community input and infrastructure concerns, QNS reported. “We’ll continue to work with stakeholders and our partners at DOE to provide the seats and resources our students need and deserve,” School Construction Authority representative Kevin Ortiz wrote in a statement. ««« SURFRIDER FOUNDATION NYC AND the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Park Conservancy The Fair Chance for Housing Campaign rallied at City Hall this week to call on the City By Jacob Kaye have relaunched their “respect” campaign to Council to pass a bill to end housing discrimination against formerly incarcertated Queens Daily Eagle promote water safety and environmental awareness people. Photo via the Fair Chance for Housing Campaign/Twitter Activists are calling on the New York City for the 2021 beach season. “We hope the respect Council to pass legislation to end housing campaign encourages New Yorkers and visitors to discrimination against people with a criminal enjoy these places while also being respectful of record. neighboring communities and the unique plants Legislator’s bill aims to change Over 80 criminal justice, law and public and wildlife that call these parks and shores home,” defender groups are urging the City Council to said Shanna Blanchard, the director of strategic pass a stalled bill that would ban landlords from partnerships and projects of JBRPC. how we pay for long-term care doing background checks or inquiring about a ««« person’s arrest or conviction record at any point FOREST HILLS-BORN PAUL SIMON By Jacob Kaye elderly people to stay at home for care rather during the housing application process. is signed on to co-headline the Aug. 21 Central Park Queens Daily Eagle than enter a nursing home on Medicaid dollars. A similar law was passed in New Jersey last celebration of New York City’s comeback as part A Queens congress member introduced “We have a storm coming, with the number month, however the Fair Chance for Housing of “Homecoming Week.” Bruce Springsteen and legislation Thursday that aims to change the of disabled elders expected to double in the Campaign says the law doesn’t go far enough. Jennifer Hudson are also signed on to perform. way long-term care for elderly Americans is coming years,” Suozzi said in a statement. Unlike the City Council bill, which was “First of all, proud son of Queens,” Mayor Bill de financed. “Fewer family caregivers are available for these introduced in August 2020 and has been sitting Blasio said of Simon during the announcement The Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be aging Americans and the market for long-term in committee since September, the law in New Thursday. “He is an American legend.” at Home Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom Suozzi, care insurance is not currently sufficient to Jersey allows for landlords to check a tenant’s ««« would steer money towards a public-private address these demographic challenges.” criminal history later in the application process. A NEW BILL BANNING EMPLOYERS long-term care insurance, which would allow CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 “In New York City, it’s undeniable that from penalizing employees for COVID-related there’s housing discrimination against people absences, including mandatory quarantine or medical with convictions, and it’s also a contributor to treatment, was signed into law Thursday by Gov. the city’s homelessness crisis,” said Zoë Andrew Cuomo. “From the beginning of this national Johnson, the policy coordinator with the John public health crisis, we have done everything possible Jay Institute for Justice & Opportunity. “The to protect those New Yorkers who needed to make racially disparate impact of arrests and sacrifices in order to cope with the hardships of prosecutions don’t stop as soon as somebody COVID,” Cuomo said. “No one should have to suffer leaves prison — a criminal record follows a penalty for missing work because of COVID, and someone for life.” under this new law, every public employee in our state Johnson says banning housing discrimination will get the protection they deserve.” based on a person’s criminal record is a racial ««« justice issue. In Queens, Black people accounted REGISTRATION FOR FRESH AIR FUND for 38 percent of all arrests in 2019, despite summer programs is open for children between the making up 19 percent of the population. ages of 5 and 10. Queens sites open from July 6 Hispanic people, which make up around 26 through Aug. 19 are in Jackson Heights at 34th percent of the total population in the borough, Avenue from 73rd Street to 74th Street and 34th accounted for 33 percent of the arrests. Avenue from 93rd Street to 94th Street. The bill would also break the cycle of having ««« people bounce from homelessness to incarceration and then back to homelessness, it’s THE QUEENS FARM FARMSTAND AT supporters say. Borough Hall launched yesterday. It will be set up “Should I stay in the shelter system? Should every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I live on the street? That doesn’t help the city at ««« all,” said Hilton N. Webb Jr., a member of the A MAN WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION campaign who was formerly incarcerated and Thursday after a hit and run in East Elmhurst where has experienced housing discrimination. “It’s the driver ran a red light, CBS reported. “Some car more conducive to the city’s well-being if I have hit the guy, and the guy, like, flipped in the street, a place to just put my head and I can get a job all the way to the bus stop,” nearby deli manager and contribute back to society.” Algabyali Ali said. “I feel so bad.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 p,pf Activists urge council to pass bill to end housing discrimination The bill is supported by Brooklyn Councilmember Stephen Levin. Photo via the Fair Chance for Housing Campaign/Twitter Continued from page 1 Webb was released from prison in 2017 and Queens beachgoers pose threat to piping plovers began his housing search in Far Rockaway. He quickly found himself turned away. “I looked around in the neighborhood and went to quite a few private homes and I was straight up with people,” Webb said. “I’d tell them I have the money for first and last month’s rent but I told them that I was formerly incarcerated. They were immediately like, ‘no, we can’t have you living here, it’s bad for the neighborhood, it’s bad for the other tenants.” Webb was eventually able to settle in a supportive housing building operated by The Fortune Society in Manhattan. There, he earned his master’s degree, something he said he wouldn’t have been able to do without a solid living situation. “I couldn’t have done that commuting from a shelter,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to use wi-fi to be able to continue my classes. Having a place to lay your head at night is crucial.” Ultimately, supporters of the campaign say that formerly incarcerated people have already been punished for the crimes they were convicted of. Once they’ve been released, it’s unjust to continue the punishment. “The deal is supposed to be you do the crime and you do the time and you’re done,” Webb said. “Doing background checks and eliminating people just because of that, with no regard to who they are, what they are, what they’ve done to be where they are at this point — you’re making the punishment forever.” Piping Plovers nest along the Rockaway Peninsula. Photo Courtesy of Chris Allieri By Jacob Kaye on the open beach.” • Help keep the beach clean. Food or Queens Daily Eagle “While there is some minimal roping off of garbage left out on the beach attracts piping It was a hot week. protected areas in the dunes, there’s still many plover predators such as rats, cats, and gulls. Surely, Queens residents are heading to the human-caused threats to these sensitive species,” • Observe and enjoy piping plovers beach this holiday weekend to cool off and he added. “Many people walk through these from a distance. Piping plovers are in NYC for celebrate Independence Day. areas especially since enforcement is basically breeding. Approaching plovers may cause However, there’s likely a group of locals who non-existent.” incubating adults to leave their nests. aren’t looking forward to the flocking crowds. Here are some tips to make sure you don’t Beachgoers should be mindful of the • Keep kites at least 200 meters away foul up any of the native wildlife on Queens from breeding plovers. Piping plovers may see endangered piping plovers who call Rockaway beaches. beaches their home. kites as an aerial predator. “For the next two months, the birds are in • Fencing and signs are put up to protect • Keep dogs leashed, and away from peril,” Allieri told the Eagle last summer. “From vulnerable plover nests and chicks. Respect piping plovers. Rockaway Beach rules prohibit Far Rockaway, through to Jacob Riis and Fort these sensitive breeding areas and give them dogs on the beach from Memorial Day weekend Tilden to Breezy Point Tip, many birds nest out some space. to Labor Day. 2 • Queens Daily Eagle • Friday, July 2, 2021 Choose the newspaper you want sent to your home -- or your computer.