Press Room

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement reiterating his opposition to the proposed Industry City rezoning, as the City Planning Commission voted to move the plan forward today.

"Today I am glad to stand with the community, and with its local city representation, to oppose the Industry City rezoning. As it stands, the proposal lacks adequate climate adaptation or mitigation and threatens to exacerbate issues of gentrification, loss of social cohesion, and climate vulnerability. There are accommodations and alterations which could have been made to this proposal, requests the community made and which were not adequately met - including through failure to make an ironclad commitment against including unwanted hotels. "Rezonings must be done with the community needs in mind and in full consultation with that community. I have previously called for a moratorium on all rezonings until a racial impact study has been completed, which is clearly needed in this case.   "It's true that the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis have framed in stark and urgent relief the need for job growth and revitalized and reimagined economic development in our city. But the pandemic has also magnified existing structural issues and inequities that have long devastated communities, and this rezoning would be a continuation of those issues, not a cure. Jobs are essential, in this crisis and beyond it, but this rezoning is not a way to spark and sustain economic and community health. Like the Hudson Yards project before it, which now siphons crucial city resources while doing nothing to help everyday New Yorkers, this proposal is not a short term solution to the city's economic situation, and it could have long term negative consequences. "I stand with residents, who face an affordability crisis. I stand with this community, who face an oncoming wave of gentrification and oncoming threats of climate damage, both of which will be exacerbated if this rezoning takes place. I stand against the current proposal and urge my fellow city leaders to do the same."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after the U.S. Census Bureau announced it would end all counting efforts for the 2020 Census on September 30, a month earlier than the previous deadline.

"The Trump administration has been transparent, blatant, and shameless in its efforts to undermine the 2020 census, particularly by discounting metropolitan areas and disregarding black, brown, and immigrant communities. It has been rebuffed and rejected in every past attempt, and changing the deadline is a last-ditch effort toward these same ends. Ending the count early all but ensures an undercount for New York City, and a subsequent lack of resources and representation. In the midst of a global pandemic, we need more time to ensure an accurate count, not less, but this is an administration unconcerned by inaccuracy, indifferent to the consequences - particularly in communities of more color.  "In New York City, an average of only 53% of residents have completed the census - lagging behind both the statewide and national average. If this trend continues, it could have a devastating impact on New Yorkers' voice in government and the resources that government provides. "The best way to combat this failure by design, this undercount by intention, is for each New Yorker to complete the census online and to encourage their neighbors to do the same. Many communities have had reason to be distrustful of governments seeking personal information, and it is incumbent on us to reassure people of the security and necessity of responding to the census in order to overcome that understandable obstacle. Completing this simple form takes less than ten minutes, but its impact - or the impact of not completing it - will be felt in New York City for more than ten years."

As New York continues to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams is calling for the city and state to shift from single-use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in medical facilities to reusable, cost effective PPE that would save money and serve as a safeguard against any potential PPE shortages.

In a letter to the Mayor and Governor co-signed by medical professionals in a number of roles, the Public Advocate argues, "The lack of a clear end to this pandemic requires hospitals to create a long-term plan to deal with shortages of PPE. Utilizing reusable respirators such as Elastomeric Filtering Facepiece Respirators (EFFRs) and Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) will save healthcare institutions from expensive emergency purchases of disposable respirators such as the N-95 while providing superior protection for healthcare workers during the duration of COVID-19 and subsequent pandemics."

They continue, "The constant replacement of N-95s to adequate levels in the current climate and post-pandemic environments will prove unsustainable. The order for every healthcare facility to have its own 90-day supply of PPE poses extreme challenges...We urge you to include and promote the partial replacement of N-95s with durable and sustainable reusable PPE for our frontline health care workers in city and state-level procurement initiatives."

Public Advocate Williams joined a coalition of doctors, nurses, and other hospital personnel Wednesday morning to discuss the need for this strategy. Video is available here.

The full letter is available below and can be downloaded here.

Dear Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio:  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of our lives and has placed a tremendous demand on personal protective equipment for our health care workers. The lack of a clear end to this pandemic requires hospitals to create a long-term plan to deal with shortages of PPE. Utilizing reusable respirators such as Elastomeric Filtering Facepiece Respirators (EFFRs) and Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) will save healthcare institutions from expensive emergency purchases of disposable respirators such as the N-95 while providing superior protection for healthcare workers during the duration of COVID-19 and subsequent pandemics.  This crisis has highlighted the importance of having a reliable supply of PPE for our healthcare workers. Shortages of the N-95 have led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create protocols for extending the use of N-95 beyond common recommendation. In the absence of aggressive plans via the Defense Production Act and other national and international means, shortages are unavoidable at these times, especially in smaller hospitals and clinics that do not have the budgets or supply chains to ensure provision of high volumes of masks for extended periods of time. Reliance solely on N-95 respirators puts healthcare workers at risk, in addition to creating an increased risk in patient population and community.  The need for PPE for our frontline health care workers will be an ongoing effort for months to come as we continue to battle this pandemic. The constant replacement of N-95s to adequate levels in the current climate and post-pandemic environments will prove unsustainable. The order for every healthcare facility to have its own 90-day supply of PPE poses extreme challenges. Hospitals will stock according to rationing protocols that allow for limited distribution of PPE among healthcare workers and extended use of N-95, rather than stocking to levels that would provide adequate coverage and safety for all healthcare workers.

We urge you to include and promote the partial replacement of N-95s with durable and sustainable reusable PPE for our frontline health care workers in city and state-level procurement initiatives.  In pandemic conditions, if following standard safety protocols, an ICU or ER nurse could use between 30-40 single-use N-95 respirators each day. The use of one re-usable elastomeric respirator, therefore, can save hundreds of N-95s per provider per week. At current market rates, an N95 costs between $3 and $7. An elastomeric respirator and replacement filters cost approximately $30-$40 for a lifetime of use. Additionally, as the increased shortage and rationing of N-95s has led to an abandonment of standard infection control precautions, access to reusable respirators will significantly reduce the misuse of N-95s, which continues to put staff and patients in danger. Implementing reusable respirators will also reduce the pressure on waste management systems at state and city levels, which are currently tasked with processing an unprecedented volume of medical waste safely.  As we continue the fight against this pandemic while phases of reopening begin in New York, we must be proactive in our preparation for a potential second wave. Shifting to the use of reusable respirators such as Elastomeric Filtering Facepiece Respirators (EFFRs) and Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) will prove to be a rational choice economically and environmentally, building the self-reliance and resilience of healthcare facilities as we endure long-term engagement with COVID-19. We look forward to receiving your response. For further discussion, please contact First Deputy Public Advocate Nick E. Smith at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov. Thank you for your time and consideration.  Sincerely,  Jumaane D. Williams  Public Advocate for the City of New York Natasha Anushri Anandaraja M.D., MPH  Founder, COVID Courage  Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez President, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Steven Miller Delegate, Committee for Interns and Residents Housestaff President The Brooklyn Hospital Center Frank Proscia M.D President, Doctors Council

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after Dr. Oxiris Barbot resigned from her role as New York City Health Commissioner on Tuesday morning.

"I want to extend my gratitude to Dr. Barbot for her service to New York City in an unparalleled time of public health crisis. Her resignation is a great loss for a city in need. Even in moments when we did not agree, I have always recognized, respected, and been deeply appreciative of her commitment to the health and well-being of New Yorkers.  

"The circumstances of her departure during the city's health crisis are troubling. Dr. Barbot has for months faced immense pressures internally and externally as she led efforts to combat this pandemic and save lives, often seemingly without necessary support, with what appeared to be inordinate resistance, and while being held to impossible double standards. Recent outside attacks on Dr. Barbot as a woman of more color have been far out of line, misogynist, and demonstrated a toxic attitude by many toward her and her leadership, one where she has been forced to apologize even as those who attacked her have not. Many are still struggling to understand the re-assigning of contact tracing to another agency without articulable reasoning. "This is not a time to be without strong, medically guided leadership on public health matters, especially as concerns grow about reopening schools. To that end I am encouraged that Dr. Dave A. Chokshi will immediately fill the role. As Dr. Barbot knew, this is an area where we need an independent thinker who can meet these immense challenges, guided by science and public good and supported by the agencies most responsible for public health and safety."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after newly reported data showed a deep racial disparity in NYPD enforcement of s̶t̶o̶p̶,̶ ̶q̶u̶e̶s̶t̶i̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶s̶k̶ m̶a̶r̶i̶j̶u̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶e̶n̶s̶e̶s̶ c̶y̶c̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶d̶e̶w̶a̶l̶k̶ s̶o̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶v̶i̶o̶l̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ alcohol summonses.

"At the same time that the city is rightly prohibiting people from consuming alcohol inside, it is penalizing them for doing so outside - primarily in communities of more color. Even as the total number of enforcement actions have fallen, the disproportionate targeting of people of more color continues. Again and again, from marijuana offenses, to social distancing, to stop, question, and frisk, we see that these disparities have continued to afflict Black and brown New Yorkers through overpolicing.

"The department continues to assert, in the face of overwhelming evidence, that it always enforces laws fairly and equally. In far too many instances, this is not the case, and these disingenuous denials do further damage. If leadership fails to even acknowledge these systemic inequities, how can we collectively confront and change them? This city deserves to see the same standards and methods applied, whether in the West Village or in East New York."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced in the City Council Tuesday two bills that would reform correctional facilities operations by providing a higher, consistent presence of social workers in correctional facilities, and by making videoconferencing more accessible to incarcerated individuals.

The first piece of legislation, Intro 2008, would require the Department of Corrections to maintain a ratio of one social worker for every ten incarcerated persons at each city correctional facility. The Department would also have to issue quarterly reports regarding the number of full-time licensed master of social work and clinical social workers, as well as the number of incarcerated persons, within all city facilities. Right now, there are significantly more correction officers than incarcerated individuals in city facilities.

The second bill, Intro 2009, would require the Department of Corrections to provide video conferencing services to individuals in their custody at no cost to such individuals or to the receiver. Under the legislation, persons in custody would be authorized to receive a minimum of five video conferencing calls per week for a minimum duration of one hour per call. This would not affect a person's ability or rights for in-person visits.

"In addition to broad criminal justice changes to lower the number of incarcerated individuals, it's critical that we drastically change the way our correctional facilities treat people on the inside, and how we think about the practices and purposes of incarceration," said Public Advocate Williams of the bills. "Adding more social workers is vital to helping incarcerated individuals and preparing them to come home while lowering the probability of recidivism. Expanding and improving videoconference access, especially in the midst of this pandemic, is another key way to support the mental and emotional well-being of incarcerated people, as well as support their right to fair legal proceedings."

The bills come as in-person visits and court appearances are severely limited amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a devastating impact on incarcerated individuals and correctional facility staff. Earlier this year, the Council heard legislation from Council Members Keith Powers and Brad Lander as well as the Public Advocate which would limit commissary transfer fees, which were previously drastically higher for remote transfers than the now-prohibited in-person visits.