Lorraine Grillo is the City’s new “Recovery Czar,” responsible for coordinating the City’s economic recovery efforts. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
Grillo has prior experience managing recovery efforts from after Superstorm Sandy. On February 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of Lorraine Grillo as the City’s Senior Advisor for Recovery. As “Recovery Czar”, Grillo will coordinate the City’s recovery agenda, “Recovery for All,” across City agencies and work with non-profits and the private sector. The “Recovery for All” agenda highlights vaccination efforts, addressing unemployment, inequality, neighborhood policing, environmental justice issues and closing the achievement gap in schools as a result of COVID-19. (more…)
Image credit: Mayor’s Office
On April 6, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched the City Cleanup Corps, a new economic recovery program designed to help clean and beautify the city through the creation of 10,000 jobs for projects to revitalize public spaces. (more…)
Image of current districts under the FRESH program. One of the Mayor’s proposed zoning amendments will expand the FRESH program in outer boroughs. Image Credit: NYC DCP
The zoning proposals include allowing gyms and spas to open as-of-right. On March 9, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced several proposed zoning changes to support small businesses, create more groceries stores and improve accessibility across the city. The zoning proposals will enter the public review process later this year. (more…)
Renderings of the new co-op buildings that will be part of the Soundview campus, one of the many projects initiated by the City in 2020. Image Credit: NYCHA
The newly financed homes keep New York City on track to meet its goal to provide 300,000 affordable homes by 2026. On February 9, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City financed the construction and preservation of 29,521 affordable homes in 2020. Fifty-seven percent of the affordable homes financed in 2020 will serve families of three that earn less than $52,000 per year. The city has financed over 177,000 homes through the Housing New York plan since 2014. The city has leveraged over $7.4 billion in city capital subsidy to drive a $39.4 billion investment for the five boroughs. (more…)
Mayor Bill de Blasio. Image credit: CityLand
The process will be a comprehensive study of environmental justice issues with the goal of developing a citywide Environmental Justice Plan to combat the issues. On February 9, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of the Environmental Justice for All Report, a comprehensive study of environmental justice issues. The report will study and collect information from various communities on environmental justice issues and work to formulate a plan to end the burden of pollution, the age of fossil fuels, and climate change. (more…)
