Mayor Adams Announces Social Services, Homeless Services, and HRA Appointments

On February 2, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced three new appointments of his administration connected to social services. The three appointments are: Gary Jenkins as Commissioner of the Department of Social Services (DSS); Lisa Fitzpatrick as Administrator of the Human Resources Administration (HRA); and the reappointment of Joslyn Carter as the Administrator of the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).


City Planning Holds Public Hearing for Permanent Open Restaurants Program, Launches Design Public Engagement Process

Many residents and community board members complained of quality of life issues, including noise, trash, cigarette smoke, and loss of parking. On October 6, 2021, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing for the Permanent Open Restaurants program. The Permanent Open Restaurants program will formalize a process for restaurants to operate sidewalk or roadway cafes in a shortened process. The proposed permanent program follows the popularity of the temporary open restaurants program, which was … <Read More>


Permanent Open Restaurant Program Proposal Continues Through Public Review Process

Over 11,000 restaurants are currently participating in the Open Restaurant Program. Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced four citywide zoning amendment proposals to support small businesses, create more grocery stores and improve accessibility in transit. One of the proposals, the permanent open restaurant zoning text amendment, seeks to establish a permanent open restaurant program by removing the geographic restrictions on where sidewalk cafes can be located.


NYC Mayoral Candidates Land Use Policy Recap

The Mayoral Election will help shape the City’s land use and housing policymaking decisions. Between now and June 20th, early voting is available for the NYC Primary, in which New Yorkers will help decide who will be the next Mayor of New York City. Over the course of their campaigns, mayoral candidates have developed and shared their positions on a variety of land use and housing issues including developing affordable housing, handling the eviction and <Read More>


City Launches Training Program for Digital Platforms for Small Businesses

A new training recourse is available to small businesses and their employees and offers free classes on digital platforms like Zoom, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and more. On February 4, 2021, Major Bill De Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris announced the launch of “Training for Your Employees.” The program provides business owners and their employees with no-cost training courses in digital literacy, marketing tools, online security, and COVID-19 safety.


Governor Suspends Indoor Dining, Updates COVID Zones as Hospitalization Rates Continue to Rise

Indoor dining will be suspended in New York City while gyms and salons can operate on new guidelines. On December 11, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced changes to COVID restriction guidelines starting Monday, December 14th. Among these changes, indoor dining would be suspended across New York City due to the increase in COVID-19 hospitalization rates. Outdoor dining and takeout/delivery are still permitted. Indoor dining will be allowed to continue at only 25 percent capacity across <Read More>