Time: 9:30 am-10:30 am, Location: We will meet via video conference using ZOOM.US

SUMMARY

This meeting’s topics: Jodie Leidecker, Cooper Square Committee discusses why we should oppose S6352/A6772 Local Regulated Housing Restoration Adjustments; Layla Law-Gisiko discusses Open New York (they market themselves as housing proponents, but that may not be the case); We’ll be discussing the Progress of 7A, receivership that’s taken away the management from Ohebshalom, one of the worst landlord abuse case, who has purposely allowing his building to dilapidate; and Relate and our gov attempts to demolish and end public housing.

CHAIR: John Mudd

WELCOME / INTRODUCTIONS

We appreciate all suggestions to help us run this meeting proficiently.

• Housekeeping (Zoom protocols) copying chat, muting, etc.
  • Signing in: Please sign in with your name and organization
• Please email subject and speaker suggestions by the 15th of each month
• Items to Triage: To give time to pressing topics, please forward items at least 24 hours prior to meetings
• Introductions, welcoming new and old members (keeping it short and sweet)
• Need someone to summarize actions and followup

PURPOSE

The Homeless and Housing members, attendees, and speakers share knowledge, ideas, and resources to identify problems and find solutions to the homeless crisis.

5 min

POLICY MEETING UPDATES

The prior 8:30 Homeless and Housing Policy meeting wrap-up as presented by attending members.

2 min

COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS

Council’s progress report on actions and initiatives.

• Farms!
• Web
• Healthcare (medicare) Committee
• Vornado / ESD Development / Community-led plan
• For The Greater Good Forums (4)
• Other

3 min

SPECIAL INTRODUCTION(S) AND OR UPDATES: 

The below list of intros and updates are brief; everyone is welcomed to present for a planned lengthier discussion

• Elected officials/agencies—updates
• Katy Lesell, Right To Counsel
• Ryan Chelsea Clinton—updates 
• Alex Yong, WSNA NYC, Member of the End Apartment Warehousing Coalition—Albany tripartite negotiations for Statewide Right To Counsel
• Charisma White
• Right To Counsel
• Saving Public Housing Coalition
• Others
• New attending members?

5 min

7A RECEIVERSHIP PROGRESS

The court appointed new management for Daniel Ohebshalom’s 410 W 46th Street tenement building through a 7A process. He was neglecting his property and abusing the tenants that live there.

Speaker(s): Marc Kessler, long-term resident and tenant organizer at an Ohebshalom-owned building

10 min

WHY OPPOSE S6352/A6772 LOCAL REGULATED HOUSING RESTORATION ADJUSTMENT

The Regulated Housing Restoration Adjustment bill S6352/A6772 encourages harassment of long-term tenants, rewards bad landlords with taxpayer money, revives landlord fraud and abuse of the IAI system—prevented by the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, aaggravates the worsening wealth inequality gap, decrease the affordability of rent-stabilized housing. For more information, please contact: Cooper Square Committee, Jodie Leidecker, jodiel@coopersquare.org or 212-228-8210

Speaker(s): Jodie Leidecker, Cooper Square Committee

20 min 

OPEN NEW YORK

Open New York proclaims to be a proponent of housing. Layla Law-Gisiko, will dissect this perception.

Speaker(s): Layla Law-Gisiko, District leader and advocate

40 min

PUBLIC CONCERNS

• Immediate needs?
  • Charisma White
  • Young man named Oliver is sleeping in the shed outside Seraphinas on Broadway between
    West 55 & West 54th (see Addendum A)

10 min

ACTIONS

• Summary
• Additional Requests
  • Letter writing campaign, press releases

2 min

ANNOUNCEMENTS / EVENTS

• Additional announcements from new attendees, committee members, elected officials, others 
• Last words?

2 min

DEVELOPING INITIATIVES & PROGRAMS

• Forums: Health, Housing, and Development
• Rally to highlighting the inequities and bad policies
  • Locations: Midtown near Port Authority, Hudson Yards, NYCHA, Penn Station
• One Stop Shop
• Hurt Committee
• Objectives/Mission/Vision: MSCC is busily restructuring to become more effective in accomplishing its goals and making plans for the coming new year to complete their:
  • Mission: Midtown South Community Council strives to dismantle the causes of homelessness by building an equitable, just, and sustainable social infrastructure to ensure dignity, health, and home for all. 
  • Vision: Midtown South Community Council envisions a city where homelessness and poverty are eradicated
• Committees: Managing our overwhelming tasks together with our intersecting network. If anyone wants to be involved with building committees to serve programs and projects of mutual interests (Housing, Urban Farming, Education & Awareness, healthcare, incarceration, workshops, health access, Home Improvement, communications/social media messaging, Midtown Street Sheets…), please let us know
• Street Sheets; New batch printed

4 min

AOB

• Topic Suggests:
  • Illusion of Choice: How Source of Income Discrimination and Voucher Policies Perpetuate Housing Inequality, UnlockNYC
  • Charisma White (MSCC), what does deeply affordable housing mean
  • Network marketing and communications committee (suggestion)
  • Planning committee with Mount Sinai about their unused wings (suggested)
  • Common Point’s services
  • Prison to shelter and back again
  • Policing the problem away; 50% of the Riker’s Island jail population are mentally ill
• Speaker Suggestions: All suggestions are welcomed
• New Members: Thank you for joining, feel free to tell us your needs, schedule a presentation, and connect with anyone within this network
• NEXT Meeting Homeless and Housing Meeting: 9:30 AM Tuesday, May 7, 2024
  • Always the 1^st Tuesday of every month

2 min

Contact hello@localhost or john.mudd@usa.net for more information and Zoom invitations.

ADDENDUM A: INDIVIDUAL SERVICE REQUEST

Hi John: Hope all is going well for you and your important work. 

I am aware of a situation that I am requesting some assistance with. I will try
to be brief but please call me if you would like. I’m writing this on my
iPhone in b/w things today. 

I passed a young man sleeping in the shed outside Seraphinas on Broadway between
West 55 & West 54th. I know this young man. He is the son of a woman who lives
in a rent-friendly apartment in our building The Adlon. He has a restraining
order as he has been loud and difficult-I am unclear if he has been violent or
if he has a criminal record. 

His name is Oliver and he has emotional and psychological problems.  

He has been kicked out of our building and many tenants would be indeed
annoying with my reaching out to you but I saw him this AM and I spoke to him.
He is not permitted back into the building. He is smelly and desperate, I
believe he has a drug problem, and he is on the path to total destruction for
himself and possibly others. 

He was so happy to see a familiar face. He wrote his phone number on a torn
piece of his comforter and gave it to me. His number is 407-724-0243. 

His name is Oliver and he expressed a strong issue in getting shelter. I don’t
know what his expectations are-he suggested a DNA test as he has 100s of
children and wants them to have shelter as well—so you see -this is a
situation. 

He is aware he has anger issues and doesn’t respond well to other men. I
thought this an interesting observation to share so I am passing it on. 

I apologize I am writing this quickly-but I didn’t know who else to turn to
and having met you a few times based on my work for the West 50s and
CB5-and seek your for direction. 

Can someone from your organization send someone or city services for the
homeless. Can someone call him? He seems very willing to get out from the rain
and cold and I can only hope on the path to medication and care. I’d like to
see him not end up hurting himself or anyone else. I fear this is possible.
I’d like to see him have a chance. 

Sorry for typos. I forget my readers and again am writing very quickly. 

I am available by phone after 3pm. My # is 917-232-5786. 

Thank you John for your time and attention. This is out of my area of expertise
and complicated because I live at The Adlon and am aware of the problems he has
caused. 

Suzanne