Press Room

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams and Council Member Mark Treyger, Education Chair, released the following joint statement after the Mayor announced another delay in school re-opening, just four days before the previous revised re-opening date of September 21 and after over 50 schools citywide have reported COVID-19 cases among staff.

The Public Advocate, who has previously released a school reopening plan, will join a march and press conference to further respond to this announcement and call for a safe schools plan this afternoon. Details are available here.

"It's obvious that in-person schooling needed to be delayed - it has been, as we have said, for months - and it's just as obvious that the Mayor's so-called strategy of bringing us to the brink over and over is misguided and detrimental. The insistence on reopening as soon as possible, at any cost, is a strategy doomed to keep students and parents, teachers and administrators on the line only to pull a bait and switch again and again. The city needs time to increase staff, yes- but without also increasing safety measures, we will only see cases rise and time and lives lost. 

"COVID-19 and disastrous state level budget cuts have put our education system in crisis, and the Mayor's lack of a clear vision and a clear plan are only deepening that crisis. There are ways to address childcare concerns, ways to better serve students most in need, but ignoring these methods in favor of a broad reopening by an ever-shifting date has only created more chaos, including for parents whose own plans rely on a City that doesn't have one. 

"The City needs to utilize this extra time, as they should have all along, to order and review the supply of technology devices available for students and staff. Remote learning will always be part of this school year, and all students should have access to quality technology, regardless of their zip code.

"The Mayor argues that the plan changes only as the reality does, but fails to accept the self-evident reality that the safest, smartest choice has always been to open the school year remotely before phasing in in-person learning as safety standards - not a schedule - warrant."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams announced a campaign today to re-define public safety today, a public education campaign to work alongside the ongoing public policy effort aimed at envisioning and expanding non-police alternatives to ensuring safety in ten key areas in New York City.

"Over the past months, New York City has experienced a pandemic, an economic crisis, and an overdue reckoning on race and policing-- all of which have contributed to an atmosphere of social unrest. This moment demands bold leadership and clear-headed analysis around what makes a city safe," said Public Advocate Williams. "Building a safe New York City necessitates reframing public safety to cover all components that make up personal and community wellbeing."

Amid a citywide and national dialogue about police reforms, the campaign to re-define public safety goes beyond promoting enhanced transparency and accountability measures in a revised policing model. It aims to highlight the intersection of public safety in other aspects of city life and governance, outlining a new framework and empowering with effective tools to be the change agents in defining public safety ahead of the FY 2022 budget cycle.

The Public Advocate's office will engage community members in all five boroughs over the coming months, partnering with community organizations and issue experts to advance legislation, release policy papers, and distribute public information materials that will fully explore the following issues:

Gun Violence Gun violence in our communities is a public health crisis. On the federal and state levels, actions need to be taken to reduce the flow of guns into New York. On the City level, we must further the success of credible messengers in preventing and interrupting violence. We must prioritize the experiences of Black Trans, Black and Brown, and low-income communities who are most impacted by this crisis to implement targeted solutions that address the root causes of gun violence.

Schools Increasing the quality of public education and equitable learning opportunities is key to providing thriving environments for young people. We must maximize the number of social workers and psychologists who work from a restorative justice and trauma-informed approach. This will empower students, prevent violence, and resolve conflicts before they cause harm.

Housing and Homelessness Access to housing is a human right. Our approach to homelessness must center permanent housing solutions, including supportive housing and expanded affordability measures. Homelessness should never be criminalized. We must develop a citywide non-police system that responds and engages with homeless individuals, especially Black and Latinx LGBTQIA+ youth abandoned without shelter.

Mental Health In 2018, there were 179,569 emergency calls involving individuals in mental health crisis. The City must do more to prevent these crises from occurring by strengthening local community based mental health infrastructure, especially in communities of color. For when crises occur, we must implement a citywide non-police response system in order to improve services and minimize hospitalization and justice involvement.

Transportation We must envision transportation as a widely accessible tool for NYC, especially low-income and BIPOC communities. We must question unlawful traffic stops and the over-reliance of law enforcement in the subways, while simultaneously strengthening the infrastructure and affordability of public transportation.

Technology Law enforcement's recent broad deployment of technology has raised legitimate questions on how underregulated mass surveillance can negatively impact New Yorkers. We need a community-regulation process around the usage and deployment of surveillance technology to ensure that it is fully transparent, non-discriminatory, respectful of privacy rights, and limited to necessary use.

Domestic Violence Responses We must utilize a survivor-centered approach to responding to domestic violence calls. We must also expand the use of community-based response to intimate partner violence and increase funding for survivor services outside of the scope of police calls and orders of protection.

Immigration New York has declared itself a "sanctuary city" in name, now it is time to implement these values in practice. We must strengthen our rejection of federal law enforcement against immigrants and proactively work to further immigrants' rights through civic engagement, employment, and educational opportunities.

Protecting Vulnerable Families Keeping families together is paramount to building thriving communities. We must cease separating families in crisis and instead dedicate resources towards a restorative approach that includes family care and trauma-informed support services for poverty-driven issues that disproportionately impact Black, Brown, and immigrant families.

Prioritizing Public Health We have an opportunity to change our approach from applying punitive measures to developing transformative models of leadership that empower community members and restore justice when harm is committed. We must imagine new systems that discourage prohibited methods of survival and help communities secure access to the resources they need.

The Public Advocate further discussed the initiative and framework at a virtual town hall this week. Video is available here.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after it was announced, only hours before remote learning was set to begin, that students opting for a blended learning model would not necessarily receive synchronous live instruction while learning remotely. In-person learning is still set to resume on September 21 amid concerns from students, parents, teachers and administrators, and as the City Council considers a resolution which calls on the Department of Education to delay the reopening of public schools until each school meets the safety standards children and school staff require.

"If the city had acknowledged the scientific and logistical realities months or even weeks ago, our schools would be in a better, safer, and more stable place, equipped to implement the best possible remote learning environment for the majority of students. Instead, the Administration has once again made an eleventh-hour reversal, with no excuse and no notice. It's broken a pledge that was likely a factor for many families in selecting the blended learning program. This last-minute brinkmanship is destructive to administrators trying to manage their schools and teachers trying to best execute their curriculum and teach their classes, impossible for parents and traumatizing for students struggling to keep up. It is unsustainable and unacceptable.

"Two weeks ago the Mayor relented and delayed the start of blended learning. At the time I feared that we were poised to make the same logistical failures and logical fallacies, only at a new date, and those fears are being realized. The Administration is exacerbating the crisis and the need to delay schooling outright with a stubborn insistence on reopening buildings, even as there are alternative plans that meet both educational and childcare needs. Now, with confirmed cases among staff in more than 50 schools across the city and just five days until students are set to physically return to schools, the Mayor must again postpone in-person education, to admit sunk costs and prevent potential human costs."

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams opposed the Industry City rezoning application today in testimony for a hearing held by the New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. The controversial proposed rezoning has been met with opposition from community members, environmental organizations, and the local Council Member, among others. In his opposition, Public Advocate Williams cited their concerns and stressed that the potential risks of the project could outweigh the possibility of reward.

The Public Advocate discussed the failures of the rezoning process and necessary reforms, arguing that "For far too long, rezonings have not taken into consideration the views of communities of more color. Developers push through projects despite local community members' opposition and concerns. We need to change the process of rezonings, and ensure that residents have ample opportunities to be engaged, especially during the pandemic." He pointed to the need to pass his legislation mandating a racial impact study of any potential rezoning.

He also acknowledged the current financial situation facing the city, but argued that this project would not be a solution, saying "I am not convinced that rezoning will lead to these neighborhoods getting the assistance they need. The promised 20,000 jobs from the proposal, is just that, a promise-- it may not benefit everyone in the community. That worries me." He cited the Hudson Yards project as an example, noting that in that instance "the intended effect of stimulating our economy is yet to occur," and warning of a similar outcome with Industry City.

Public Advocate Williams' full statement is below and can be downloaded here.

TESTIMONY OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON ZONING AND FRANCHISES - HEARING SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Good morning,

My name is Jumaane D. Williams, and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I would like to thank the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises chair Francisco Moya for holding today's hearing. 

Today the subcommittee will hear the rezoning application for Sunset Park, Brooklyn. I have made my opinion clear on this application. I stand by the community that is genuinely concerned about this rezoning and oppose the application before the subcommittee today.After listening to residents in Sunset Park who would be affected by the rezoning, I cannot agree that this proposal is reflective of the community's needs. There are many questions and genuine concerns. One example is the environmental impact from the development.

The plan would redevelop the waterfront for wealthier residents at the risk of displacing low-income residents. Construction jobs are helpful, but not at the expense of local residents or long-term sustainability. Advocates already have a plan to reimagine the waterfront for sustainability and resilience with green jobs for residents. Yet the environmental impact statement is insufficient per local concerns, and I agree that it is not prioritizing climate-related issues.

For far too long, rezonings have not taken into consideration the views of communities of more color. Developers push through projects despite local community members opposition and concerns. We need to change the process of rezonings, and ensure that residents have ample opportunities to be engaged, especially during the pandemic. Only then can we have a genuine conversation about the intent and impact of rezonings. Otherwise, these processes will benefit the developers rather than the community that will be impacted the most from these projects.

I am not alone in advocating a review of our land use application processes. Community Board 7, which did not offer its support for the Industry City rezoning, also highlighted that the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure does not work. How can we sit here and offer support for a rezoning application based on a broken system? What does that say about rezonings in general? History shows the rezoning processes are never guaranteed. In 2016, there was a rezoning of East New York that led local residents and organizations to propose to the New York State Department of State a cease-and-desist zone in East New York's rezoning area. In Inwood, Manhattan, the City Council-approved rezoning in 2018 led to a state lawsuit, and the Council vote in favor of it was initially annulled. If the application is approved today, residents may rightfully continue to oppose it through legal means.

There should be a moratorium on all rezoning applications until Int. No. 1572 is passed. The legislation would require a racial impact analysis with all land use applications. This would evaluate racial and ethnic impacts from a proposed development as well as whether it would address fair housing under the Fair Housing Act of 1968. In short, this would finally create accountability for the City's rezoning process.

I am aware that the City's finances are dire. I am aware that there is a City unemployment rate of about 20 percent. Some proponents view the Industry City rezoning as a chance to provide an economic lifeline for the City, especially amid the fallout from the pandemic. I understand this argument. However, we have seen communities of more color endure significant health and financial impact from the pandemic. I am not convinced that rezoning will lead to these neighborhoods getting the assistance they need. The promised 20,000 jobs from the proposal, is just that, a promise-- it may not benefit everyone in the community. That worries me.

The Hudson Yards development comes to mind since it obtained billions of dollars in City subsidies. However, the intended effect of stimulating our economy is yet to occur. This may have resulted from the pandemic, but pre-pandemic there was evidence suggesting it was not helping the community despite the substantial government subsidies. I believe there is a lesson to be learned. No one can predict the future since there are always risks. I worry that the risks are being downplayed with this application today. We should remember that, especially when listening to local residents who understand and must live with these risks.

We need to listen to the communities that will be most affected by rezonings, and we need to reimagine our rezoning application process, which now fails to center local concerns. My bill Int. No. 1572 is a way to improve this process, and I call on the City Council to hold a hearing. I thank the chair for allowing me to speak today, and I look forward to today's discussion.

"Nineteen years after the attacks of September 11, the memories, the pain, the devastating impact of unimaginable loss remains heavy on the hearts and minds of New Yorkers and the nation. I pray all who lost loved ones have found some measure of healing and modicum of peace. We remember not only those who were killed on that day, but all, especially first responders, who have suffered and lost their lives to illness as a result of their courage to provide aid in the area of the attack. I hope that all with the power of action will use it to help those in pain.

"The impression of the tragedy that took place on September 11, and the lives of those lost, will forever be remembered in our minds, our hearts, and our history. New York is again experiencing a time of great pain, of tens of thousands of lives lost to a deadly virus, a city stricken by grief and wary of an uncertain future. Now, as we did then, is a time to comfort all who are mourning, to support all who are struggling, to give gratitude to our heroes and aid to our suffering neighbors.

"Tragedy can sometimes discourage a city, a nation, but with commitment and tenacity, I am strong in my belief that New York and its people will remain strong and unified, lifting each other in times of tragedy and standing together to rebuild and recover."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement as the United Federation of Teachers considers moving forward with a strike and as the Mayor and Chancellor continue to push for school buildings to reopen with in-person instruction on September 10, despite widespread opposition and safety concerns.

"Amid a flurry of last-minute strategies and hasty adjustments which place an impossible burden on schools and students alike, the city has just over a week to either ensure the safety of students and parents, teachers and staff, or to finally heed the urgent calls to delay in-person schooling and begin the year opening remotely, to implement one of the other viable plans put forth. In the spring, a delay in closing school buildings had devastating impact on the city. Now, a rush to reopen could have the same impact.

"No one knows their classrooms like teachers, and no one wants more to safely educate our city's students. That's why strikes are a last step, not a first option. But the city has not yet shown that to be possible, while clinging to a deadline it cannot meet and a plan that carries inordinate risk for insufficient benefit - we have reached that last step. Many parents, myself included, have already decided to keep our children home for their safety, and if the city cannot meet the safety needs laid out by its teachers and school staff, who are the lifeblood of our school system, then educators should themselves stay home. For the safety of themselves, their students, and the city, I support the calls for a teachers strike if the city continues to rhetorically hold up teachers as heroes while hypocritically holding fast to a plan that places them and their students in unnecessary danger."