Senator Daniel Squadron’s Community Town Hall happened last night, Tuesday, November 15 @ DCTV Firehouse Building, 87 Lafayette Street, Manhattan. (btwn White and Walker Streets below Canal). It was packed.
The Senator answered questions, encouraged activism and calmed fears without pretense.
We went to remind our Senator that we are here, paying attention and to remind him of our ‘asks’. We went to support his efforts – to let them know we have his back. Our role is to help politicians govern better and smarter.
Daniel is a good bet. He’s principled and very very smart. That doesn’t mean we will always agree on everything.
Many of us will be going to ask for help on getting Parks to return Park buildings in SDR Park to public use and to think about the earth and environmental sustainability State-wide.
Many of us will go to encourage him to be even more active in fighting for Rivington Houses return. And to ask for his help creating a more inclusive and human approach to elder care, disabled care, caregivers and institutions such as nursing homes.
SDR Park.
Sen. Squadron has been a good supporter of the park and greenspaces in general. He organized and led a park’s equity group (SDR Coalition was a part of) to figure out ways to support parks that had no wealthy advocates.
In these coming times we will need publicly accessible community spaces to meet in and to anchor all of our efforts as stewards here. The Stanton Street Building could play that role.
We could provide an intelligent push on the environment. Senator Squadron understands climate change, but how should that translate in terms of his job as a Senator? What kind of legislation should he be looking to craft (that could pass the NY State Senate! or could send a message or educate his colleagues)? What are the points of common interests in the entire State of NY?
Rivington House
Senator Squadron immediately joined the voices to protest Rivington House debacle and supported the community wish to fight for the return of Rivington House.
Rivington House: Neighbors to Save Rivington House supported his Rivington House Bill S8208.
This bill would ensure that the community is warned of any potential nursing home closures. In addition to the community being warned (which this bill ensures), we agree that language should be added to make sure the residents and their families are also warned (at least a year’s notice). Follow up on the issue. How can we help?
At the City Council hearing on DCAS failures it was noted by CM Landers that nursing home residents have fewer (or no?) rights than even those in rent stabilized apartments. We mentioned this to Sen. Squadron who said he’d take it to Albany. It will be good to follow up.
Positions Sen. Squadron fought for: Below are his positions on parks, housing, and a bill off of what happened with Rivington House (RH):
An advocate for parks and open space, Squadron made a proposal that led to over $15 million for neighborhood parks through a voluntary agreement with the largest park conservancies, an agreement that was hailed by New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante as one of the “surprises from 2015, and reasons for hope.” He has long worked towards a Harbor Park — a Central Park for the center of the city. He helped secure the future of Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, and the Lower East Side’s Pier 42, and brought the Macy’s fireworks back to the East River.
A fighter for affordable housing, Squadron sponsored the law bringing over $1 billion in federal funds to NYC public housing, and worked to end the practice of charging public housing residents for policing. Squadron successfully led the charge to ensure families were not charged rent by city shelters. He has also pushed for better protections for rent stabilized tenants, including individual apartment improvement rent increase (IAI) reforms. In 2013, Squadron passed a law expanding eligibility for middle class families in Mitchell-Lama housing.
Senate Bill S8208
Relates to the approval of the closure of nursing homes and residential health care facilities by the commissioner of health.