
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announces Operation Urban Sustainability on Earth Day. Image credit: Queens Borough President’s Office/Twitter.
On April 22, 2022, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced the start of Operation Urban Sustainability, a group that will consist of borough and city leaders in sustainability and resiliency who will work together to guide environmental initiatives in Queens. In recent years, Queens has seen devastating flooding, including last year’s Hurricane Ida, where dangerous flash flooding killed thirteen people, mostly in Queens. The announcement is part of a growing response on a borough and citywide level to address environmental concerns and protect New Yorkers. (read more…)

Bronx Borough President Rubin Diaz Jr.’s Proposed Changes to the School Construction Authority aim to address overcrowding and other issues. Image Credit: Bronx Borough President’s Office
Report outlines action plan for the School Construction Authority to address public school overcrowding and cost proposals. On September 4, 2019, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released a report outlining an action plan for the School Construction Agency to address public school overcrowding and school construction cost proposals. The School Construction Authority is charged with the building and maintenance of public school space in New York City. (read more…)

Image Credit: Bronx Borough President
The Cottage is one of 101 projects the Borough President has provided capital dollars for this year. On August 14, 2019, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced that he will provide the Edgar Allen Poe cottage with $450,000 in capital funding through his 2020 Fiscal Year budget. Poe Cottage, built in 1812, is known for being horror writer Edgar Allen Poe’s final home. The Cottage is now a historic house museum and is a New York City and State landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (read more…)

Image Credit: Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s Office.
Since 2017, Borough President Diaz has allocated over $16 million to renovate the ‘Bronx Riviera.’ On July 17, 2019, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced that his office has allocated an additional $6,107,400 toward the restoration of the historic Orchard Beach Pavilion and South Yard in the Pelham neighborhood of the Bronx. (read more…)

Image Credit: Google Images.
Borough President Diaz proposes new policy to prevent homelessness and displacement of tenants of preferential rent units. On December 13, 2018, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. issued a report titled “The Preferential Rent Crisis in New York City.” The report examines the scope of the preferential rent issue in all five boroughs and the risk tenants of preferential rent apartments face should landlords increase their rents to the legal registered rent for those units. The report argues that it would cost the City billions of dollars to respond to such an occurrence, as over 145,000 families could end up homeless if all preferential rents were increased at once. To prevent such drastic spending by the City, the Borough President Diaz recommends a solution that will help preferential rent tenants remain in their homes, while making it worthwhile for landlords to continue charging preferential rents. (read more…)