NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: A Call for More Birthing Centers in NYC, Criminal Defendants and Access to Mental Health Care, the Road to Close Rikers Island Jail Complex, Affordable Housing in New Jersey and NYC’s Landmark Laws

Episode Date: April 17, 2025

New York City’s public advocate released a report showing Black women are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than white women in the city. Plus, defense lawyers have developed backdoor legal maneuvers to move their clients to the front of the line for mental health services. Also, criminal justice experts say the Adams administration is not doing enough to shutter Rikers Island on time. Meanwhile, many residents of the Garden State say the search for affordable housing is a timely one. And finally, it’s been 60 years since Mayor Robert Wagner signed New York City’s Landmarks Law, beginning an era of historic preservation across the city.

A call for more birthing centers in New York, criminal defendants and access to mental health care, the road to close the jails on Rikers Island, affordable housing in New Jersey, and New York City's landmark laws. For WNIC, this is NYC now. I'm Sean Carlson. New York City's public advocate, Jumani Williams, wants more birthing centers across the five boroughs that employ midwives and limit medical interventions. He says that's one way to combat high maternal mortality rates among black women. The way that we do this in the hospital hasn't worked, and we just really have to change it to center the person, the center the baby and the mother in a way that hasn't been happening in care up until now.

Williams released a report Thursday showing black women are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or during childbirth than white women in the city. The report says state and city lawmakers have made progress in increasing accessibility to prenatal and postpartum care, but more needs to be done. Williams says there are only two birthing centers in the city. Both are in Brooklyn. New York City's pipeline to get criminal defendants in need of mental health services, the care they need, has become so clogged that defense lawyers say they've developed backdoor legal maneuvers to move their clients to the front of the line.

DEMIC's Charles Lane has more. The number of people found mentally unfit to stand trial in New York City has more than doubled since 2020. But the state has only increased the number of treaties. treatment beds by less than 10%. That's left a growing backlog. People with serious mental illness stuck waiting on Rikers Island for care before they can face trial. To speed things up, defense lawyers have tried suing the state and even asking judges to hold mental health officials in contempt of court. But the most effective strategy seems to be filing forthwith orders, emergency court motions demanding immediate treatment. Evan August is a forensic psychologist.

The justice or lack thereof, I don't think is on the part of the lawyer. August says the real issue isn't the lawyers. It's a criminal justice system under enormous strain. I think it's just the lack of ability of these systems to efficiently and effectively and safely move people through these processes. The State Office of Mental Health says it plans to add around 100 more beds this year and criticize the legal tactics as unfair to other defendants stuck waiting. Most defense lawyers agree. These aren't solutions, just short-term workarounds and a system that urgently needs more capacity. Charles Lane, WNYC News. Lawmakers and criminal justice experts say the Adams administration is not doing enough to shutter Rikers Island on time.

The jail complex must shut down by a 2027 deadline. Jonathan Lippman is New York State's former chief judge. He currently chairs a commission charged with developing a plan to shut Rikers down. He was among those who criticized City Hall at a council hearing. Now is the time for strong leadership by all present and future officeholders in this city to close Rikers as soon as humanly possible. Researchers who study the city's jail population say more than 7,000 people are still incarcerated on Rikers. Five people have died in city custody or just after their release so far this year. The Adams administration says city agencies have been working tirelessly to close Rikers quickly, efficiently, and thoughtfully. Stick around. There's more after the break.

Governor Phil Murphy says New Jersey's built 400,000 affordable housing units over the past 50 years, and the state has plans to add another 80,000 low-price homes over the next decade. But for many residents of the Garden State, the search for affordable housing can still take years. WNIC's Mike Hayes reports. In 2023, Tammy and Tunisia, And her husband were renting a small two-bedroom apartment in Lyndon, New Jersey. And they wanted an upgrade. We wanted to get something bigger because we're trying to build a family.

Plus, we have my mom that comes very often to stay with us. But even with their combined $80,000 in income, Tammy and her husband struggled to find something in their price range. They decided to try New Jersey's affordable housing program. So we apply for everything that we could. We were actually able to get a few lottery numbers. Two years later, they haven't had any success. I feel very frustrating.

In his 2025 state of the state address, Governor Phil Murphy acknowledged that many people are struggling with rising housing costs. He sees the state's affordable housing plan as a solution. One of the biggest barriers our families face when it comes to building wealth is the skyrocketing costs of housing. And that is why last year our administration worked with all of you to pass the most sweeping affordable housing. legislation in more than 40 years.

But experts say that stories like the one Tammy and Tunis tells are the norm. Liz DeCorsi is the CEO of Greater Middlesex and Morris Habitat for Humanity. She says the demand for affordable units is outpacing supply, and it's only going to get worse in today's uncertain economy. The need is just tremendous out there, and you want to help everyone, but obviously we can't. DeCorsi says that in 2021, her branch of Habitat for Humanity had a wait list of about 2,500 people. Today, it's over 5,000.

Sharon Clark runs the Central Jersey Housing Resource Center Corporation, an organization that helps people find affordable housing. She says she never tells her clients how long the process might take. We're in a housing crisis. Gone are the days where you just apply and they have units vacant and you can move in. That supply and demand crunch is leading to wait times for affordable housing that can drag on for years.

she says. But housing experts say there's another problem that's making things worse. New Jersey's system for connecting residents with opportunities to get a home is too complicated. Applicants have to go through a variety of nonprofits scattered across the state. The system is disjointed because there's really not a centralized place for people to go. If you have to maneuver multiple websites to figure out where housing is available, you know, it's kind of like trying to find a needle in the haystap. That's state assembly member Cody Miller. He has a bill currently before the legislature that would create an online hub with all the information about available affordable housing across the state in one place. By creating that streamlined statewide directory, we're basically laying the foundation for a more effective and efficient housing system.

Meanwhile, Tammy Antunas continues her now years-long search for an affordable home. She says it's hard to drive around North Jersey where she works. and see all the luxury apartment buildings she can't afford. We see those buildings everywhere, and it's like out of range for a majority of people that leave in that area. But she says she hasn't given up. She'll just keep applying. That's WNYC's Mike Hayes.

It's been 60 years since Mayor Robert Wagner signed New York City's landmarks law and began an era of historic preservation in the city. But have you ever wondered what exactly is? is preserved by the landmark designations. Sarah Carroll chairs New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission. She says the preservation movement started after the city lost several historic buildings. The 1960s was a period leading up to the landmarks law when grassroots advocacy around

historic preservation was growing at the national level and also here in New York City in response to the loss of some historically significant buildings in New York City, most notably the original Penn Station, which is, I think, the most famous site. Also, you know, I think the last straw. Carol says one of the first landmarks the city ever commissioned was the Wyckhoff House in Brooklyn, which was built in the 1650s to Dutch American farmers. The first interior landmark was the New York Public Library, now the Stephen A. Schwartzman building, which included the primary circulation spaces, including Aster Hall. the Central Stairs and the McGrath Rotunda. That was in 1974. And the first scenic landmark was

Central Park, also in 1974. And just last year, we designated our most recent scenic landmark, which is the first scenic landmark in the Bronx, which is the aqueduct walk. A 2016 study by NYU's Furben Center says residents of historic districts were typically more educated and more likely to be white. But Carol says the city as a whole benefits. from landmarking, and the commission is focused on equitable representation. It foster civic pride, and particularly historic districts, have a real sense of place that creates a pride place. And I think that that is a quality of life factor that all New Yorkers should have access to. The balance between growth and preservation is tense. The city is currently

in an extreme housing crisis, and some people question the city's goal in protecting old buildings. But the chair says preservation doesn't necessarily freeze housing development. She says the commission has had a long history of approving new homes in the city's historic districts and adapting historic buildings for new uses. Thanks for listening. I'm Sean Carlson, and this is NYC Now. We'll be back tomorrow.