Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, with Council Members Brad Lander and Carlos Menchaca, called for Mayor Bill de Blasio to issue a directive to the Department of Buildings to suspend non-essential construction due to the COVID-19 Crisis.
In a letter, Williams, Lander, and Menchaca highlighted other cities which have taken similar measures, including Boston and San Francisco, and discussed the need to protect workers, their families, and the general public by halting all but the most critical construction projects. Essential construction includes "work on hospitals and health care facilities, transit, utilities, public infrastructure, supportive housing and homeless shelters, as well as emergency repairs such as heat and hot water in existing residential buildings."
The elected officials also called for the City to "work to ensure that construction workers, and especially day laborers who are particularly vulnerable, receive compensation for work they have already performed." and to ensure that not only would construction workers be including in unemployment insurance relief, but that undocumented workers ineligible for the state's program are provided an emergency fund during the suspension.
The full text of their letter is below and can be downloaded here.
Dear Mayor de Blasio: We are writing to urgently request that you immediately issue a directive to the NYC Department of Buildings to suspend all non-essential construction in New York City due to the COVID-19 crisis. We ask that New York City follow the example of other major cities in this regard. Boston has suspended all construction, other than emergency projects for 14 days, and will reassess in two weeks. Similar restrictions have been instituted in San Francisco.
Essential construction includes work on hospitals and health care facilities, transit, utilities, public infrastructure, supportive housing and homeless shelters, as well as emergency repairs such as heat and hot water in existing residential buildings. Essential construction does not include new construction or rehabilitation for typical residential or commercial construction. We know that delay on development projects incurs additional construction interest, and that economic recovery funds will be needed from the federal, state, and city government to help address this hardship. This painful step is needed as part of the city's aggressive social distancing policy, to protect the health of construction workers, their families, and the general public. Although some construction is outside, even in those cases workers gather in groups, travel via subway or van, and have to place their kids in childcare. Those are exactly the kinds of contact we must reduce in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by keeping all non-essential workers in their homes.
At the same time, we need to have a short-staffed Department of Buildings able to prioritize essential and urgent projects, including the expansion of health care facilities to meet urgent needs, as well as other emergency issues. Cancelling non-essential construction will make this possible. We also ask that the City work to ensure that construction workers, and especially day laborers who are particularly vulnerable, receive compensation for work they have already performed. We must also work together to ensure that construction workers who are unable to work due to construction suspension are included in unemployment insurance (UI) relief and other programs. For undocumented workers who are excluded from New York State's UI program, the City should establish an emergency fund to help ensure that these workers are able to support their families in this crisis.
Construction is a core component of New York City's economy, and this is a drastic and painful call. At this urgent moment, however, it is necessary as part of our social distancing policy, to slow the spread of the virus, give our health care system a chance to meet the dire need that is growing, and save lives. Thank you for your rapid attention to this matter. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact First Deputy Public Advocate of Policy Nick E. Smith at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov and correspondence@advocate.nyc.gov. Sincerely, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams Council Member Brad Lander Council Member Carlos Menchaca
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