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NYS Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson’s State Of The District



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Residents and community leaders were invited to the 2nd State of the District Address on Feb. 23 held by Assembly Member Khaleel M. Anderson at the YMCA on Beach 73rd Street. Anderson addressed the accomplishments during his time in office as well as the challenges that have yet to be faced.

“In 2022 the most common issues impacting our constituents were housing insecurity, gaps in social services, food insecurity, and unemployment. We seek to address these structural issues through collaboration with state agencies like the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (HCR), the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of Health (DOH). Our office has held regular agency briefings with each of these state entities and works collaboratively with intergovernmental affairs personnel to coordinate constituent support.” said Anderson.

“We have also partnered with local organizations like Catholic Charities and Legal Aid Society to fight back against homelessness and evictions in Southeast Queens by providing emergency rental assistance and housing stabilization services for more than 50 families in our Assembly District,” he added.

Anderson said he is proud to be a champion and fighter for NYCHA public housing.

“In just two years, my office has introduced the NYCHA Utility Accountability Act demanding recourse for tenants; fought against the privatization of NYCHA; held advocacy rallies with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer at Oceanside Apartments and with activists in Albany; joined tenants at Carleton Manor and Redfern Apartments demanding restoration of heat and hot water; renovated basketball courts at Hammels and Beach 41st Houses; and so much more,” he added.

Anderson also announced his office’s $1.25 million investment in partnership with Senator James Sanders Jr. to address a long-standing mold crisis at Hammels and Carleton Manor.

“This winter, our office has continued to meet the moment by activating a Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Outreach and Enrollment site at our Far Rockaway location. I am proud to share that we will soon be expanding this state-funded energy and utility assistance program to my South Ozone Park office this winter as well,” said Anderson.

“With US Senator Chuck Schumer, many of our advocates on the government side, as well as the nonprofit side, have joined together to ensure that we have more funding and resources to restore investments in our public housing. When we talk about heat, hot water, and other utilities. We’ve provided over $20,000 in investments to our public housing developments to upgrade some of the recreational spaces,” said Anderson.

Anderson addressed the many factors that have left people no choice but to depart from the area; high costs, high housing costs, and quality of life issues.

“As we work with our government and community partners to address quality of life issues, I am excited to share that this Spring, my office will be unveiling the first-ever Assembly District 31 ‘Stronger Neighbors’ toolbox. In this toolbox will be everything from resources on conflict resolution and noise mitigation to parking etiquette and guidance on how to form a block association. These tools are critically important to help improve quality of life. Please call my office to obtain this resource,” said Anderson.

The Assembly Member’s Office has partnered with the New York City Housing Authority Family Partnership Program in all five developments on the peninsula to ensure that residents can be assisted in social services support, as well as support for utility concerns. Also, a transition to the building management system is expected to happen that would help NYCHA monitor heat and water in real-time to prevent future outages.

Anderson thanked The Campaign Against Hunger for their work in terms of helping address the food insecurity gaps on the Peninsula and announced additional investments.

“Last Fall, my office announced the creation of our Food Sovereignty Coalition, a network of stakeholders serving Assembly District 31, and helping us to develop a more self-sufficient and food-sovereign community. In October, I announced historic funding for The Campaign Against Hunger’s Greenhouse Project ($250,000) and the Queens Defenders Emergency Food Warehouse ($150,000) to ensure timely food distribution not if but when the next disaster occurs,” added Anderson.

Domestic violence was another topic that was addressed, with people and families across the peninsula who reported experiencing domestic violence as well as intimate partner violence at the height of the pandemic.

“As part of its Domestic Violence Family Shelter Outreach programming, my office funded Queens Public Library to host literary, music, and art programs to provide children with a creative outlet at family shelters. This program also provided 75 families with free books and informational resources to promote literacy, including 50 library card activations with a total of 600 books donated to women and families in domestic violence shelters,” he added.

The Queen’s Public Library has also launched a program called ID Assist that will ensure that individuals who are returning home from prison can get identification cards and begin the process of reintegrating back into society and being able to get gainful employment in the district. The program will be funded by Anderson for the next several years.

Gun violence has been another issue that has plagued the Rockaways, including the tragic death of Justin Wallace nearly two years ago.

“The Edgemere Community Mediation Program was created in honor of Justin Wallace, a 10-year-old whose bright light was extinguished much too soon due to preventable gun violence stemming from a dispute among neighbors,” said Anderson. “I am proud to announce that last year, in partnership with Full Gospel Tabernacle and Community Mediation Services, we launched the first-ever cohort of residents who learned conflict resolution skills, de-escalation tactics, and restorative practices to face conflict civilly and peacefully. My office will continue to join forces with our faith community to peacefully resolve conflict, promote safety, and advance the common good. We are dedicated to investing in restorative practices and preventive measures to stop violence at its root.”

Anderson’s office has joined forces with the Rockaway faith community to peacefully help resolve conflicts with faith leaders undergoing that training over the next couple of months to help support that initiative.

One response to “NYS Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson’s State Of The District”

  1. danprecc@aol.com says:

    The Assemblyman mentioned “Gun violence has been another issue that has plagued the Rockaways” boy is he on the mark and it continues at a fast rate if we don’t stop the flow of these guns that are coming into our city were all in trouble. We hear about the different law enforcement agencies working hard at stopping the flow of guns into our city our communities I understand that but let’s face it something is plainly not working.

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