Press Room

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

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today calling on the city and state to suspend broken windows arrests and similar criminal penalty enforcement policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable populations.

"Over-incarceration and the approach to broken windows policing have long been a disastrous approach devastating lives and communities. Now, amid the rapid spread of COVID-19, the public health danger is even greater and more acute. I'm calling on the NYPD to suspend non-violent, so-called victimless quality of life arrests which could increase exposure rates among at-risk individuals, and calling on the Department of Correction to release those who are most at risk from incarceration, where the close-quarters contact of our jails represents an immediate danger. "New York State, right now, is showing itself willing to use incarcerated labor to respond to COVID-19, but not to adequately protect incarcerated people from it. The city must do better. If we value safety in this city, we value safety. If we value health, we value health. If we value each other, we value each other. If we continue to knowingly expose the most vulnerable New Yorkers to this disease through over policing of broken-windows offenses, those values are laid bare."

This follows a virtual press conference on the issue with Council Member Brad Lander, Communities United for Police Reform, and a coalition of criminal justice advocates. More information is available here.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today calling for the creation of a defined 'shelter in place' policy for New York City.

"As the spread of COVID-19 continues, our city and state have had to make a number of difficult decisions to impose restrictions for the good of the public's health. While I know that these decisions take much consideration, the truth is that we have been behind when it comes to these restrictive citywide policies. "It's time for decisive executive leadership. I'm calling on Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to create a defined "shelter-in-place" policy-not a quarantine- immediately, one that is reassessed on a weekly or biweekly basis. Under such a system, New Yorkers who are asymptomatic/non-vulnerable and non-essential employees would be able to leave their home for food, medicine, and light exercise, but the message would be clear: stay home unless absolutely necessary. For the 80-90% of New Yorkers who will not experience the most serious symptoms, the 10-20% who will are depending on our good judgement in adhering to a shelter-in-place strategy. We shouldn't have to relearn lessons from other cities, localities and countries. This moment demands that the city and state act now, and adjust and evolve as needed, to curb a pandemic that is growing by the day."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today calling for the closure of New York City schools, among other measures, in order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

"It has become clear that in order to mitigate the dangers posed by the spread of COVID-19, strategies must shift when it comes to our educational system. For the safety of students, of faculty and staff, and of the most vulnerable New Yorkers who they may come in contact with, it is time to close New York City's public schools, while implementing a summer school-style model like the one proposed by my colleague in government, Council Member Mark Treyger- one that ensures critical services still reach students, that no one falls through the cracks. Under this model, we must also allow schools that close to be used for needed resources, such as testing sites, to relieve pressure from hospitals. Parents and students should be able to go to schools near them to receive these resources. "I believe we also have to go further, and have more restrictive measures in place today to slow the spread of the virus. All non-essential operations and business must be temporarily closed if they can not put substantial telecommuting policies in place, re-evaluated on a weekly basis. I know that this will put strain on many, and the city and state need to prepare to provide financial relief to all affected. We in the city have an obligation to take all needed action, both individual and systemic, to protect the 10-20% of people at greatest risk from the virus. Responsible leadership means we also have an additional obligation to provide aid to people such as small business owners who are hurt not by the virus itself but by the economic impact of this outbreak. "No solution is perfect or all-encompassing, and no action will please or protect everyone. I know that as we confront this outbreak, we will all have to make sacrifices. But I also know that inaction and inadequate action are not options. New Yorkers can and will adapt, uplift, and aid each other through this time of crisis. Through it all, our goal must remain the same - harm reduction, particularly for the most vulnerable among us. "Personal and policy decisions cannot be made from a position of privilege, or from fear, but from a fact-driven approach that centers on protecting the people who are at greatest risk. My office will continue to work with city leaders to make sure that our most vulnerable populations are receiving the care and resources they need."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today announcing new workforce safety measures being implemented in the office of the Public Advocate to limit congestion and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"As our city adapts to the spread of the coronavirus, it is important for us to put facts over fear. We should not panic, but rather adapt, and act preventatively. In an effort to limit congestion and exposure among our city's workforce, the vast majority of employees at the Office of the Public Advocate will be telecommuting effective immediately, and we will be re-assessing on a continual basis over subsequent weeks. When possible, both the public and private sector should adopt similar telecommuting policies and employ staggered schedules to mitigate contact by employees with New Yorkers at the greatest risk. The city must also support businesses and nonprofits directly impacted by the outbreak with additional aid to help them adapt to the evolving economic and workforce implications. "It is incumbent on our office to protect the most vulnerable, often marginalized people in our city. We know that in the days and weeks ahead, we will see an increase of positive tests, but 80-90% of individuals who contract the virus will not experience the most serious symptoms. The city must work to ensure the safety of the 10-20% of individuals who may experience more severe symptoms.  Our office is committed to uplifting and protecting the most vulnerable people around our city in the coming weeks and months, addressing the needs of New Yorkers while putting into practice our own strategies to mitigate the spread of this virus."

Due to the office's new workplace policies, the Public Advocate's Department of Constituent Services has temporarily restricted in-person access. New Yorkers seeking help can continue to contact the office through its website, advocate.nyc.gov, email at gethelp@advocate.nyc.gov, or by calling our Constituent Services hotline at (212) 669-7250.

New legislation would expand communication between childcare services and parents

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced legislation today aimed at protecting the safety of young children by preventing them from falling through potential gaps between parents or guardians and childcare centers through improved communication. Under this bill, childcare centers would not only be required to quickly contact the primary caretaker such as a parent or legal guardian if a child is absent without advance notice. Rather, if they are unable to reach that primary caretaker, they would need to reach out to two additional emergency contacts.

"Right now, there is an information and safety gap between childcare providers and parents in confirming that young children are unaccounted for," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "While this is thankfully usually harmless, we have also seen tragedy in these accidents and oversights. By simply expanding outreach to include two additional contacts, we increase the opportunity for a child's whereabouts to be confirmed and their safety protected. This is a measure that would provide peace of mind and prevent tragedy for parents and childcare providers alike."

This bill, Intro 1880, would help reduce incidents where a child's whereabouts are unaccounted for and any potential tragedy resulting from such errors. In July of 2019, a Rockland County father was charged with manslaughter after inadvertently leaving his one-year old twins in the car for eight hours. This was not an isolated incident - in the last two decades, over 400 children have been killed in similar situations. When a child is unaccounted for, it increases the possibility of these and similar dangers, but current law only requires that a childcare center make a single attempt to reach a primary caretaker.

The New York City Health Code mandates childcare providers reach out to their primary contact within an hour of the child's unanticipated absence by call, text, or email. This bill, which is co-sponsored by Council Members Farah N. Louis and Fernando Cabrera, would expand upon that requirement, providing that there must be confirmation of receipt through one of the approved methods within 30 minutes of the first attempt to reach out. If there is no confirmation of receipt within the designated time window, the childcare provider would have to reach out to two other emergency contacts listed at least three more times.

"Last July an unthinkable tragedy occurred in my district, in which a father mistakenly left his year-old twins in a car while he went to work," said Council Member Fernando Cabrera. "The extreme heat that built up in the vehicle led to the children's deaths leaving a family and a community heartbroken. We learned that a number of factors contributed to this devastating event.  One of these was the daycare provider's inability to obtain a response from emergency contacts regarding the children's unexplained absence. I'm joining Public Advocate Jumaane Williams in strengthening the City's health code by requiring parents or guardians to provide two additional emergency contacts, and child care providers to reach out at least three more times after the initial call.  Nothing is more precious than our children and we are taking all necessary steps to prevent any more such tragedies."

"As adults - parents, guardians, and childcare providers - we are the first line of defense when it comes to the well-being of our children, said Council Member Farah N. Louis. "Raising a child is a wonderful responsibility that we share collectively and therefore the onus is on us to do all that we can to account for their whereabouts around-the-clock. Intro 1880 is a critical step forward in expanding the lines of communication to save lives and prevent tragedies that no family should ever have to experience."