NYC NOW - July 16, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: July 16, 2024

The city's social services agency is restarting so-called 'welfare to work' rules for New Yorkers who receive public assistance, ending a four-year suspension. WNYC's David Brand reports. Meanwhile, a fleet of driverless 8-passenger shuttles begins running this Tuesday at JFK Airport. Plus, the New York City Council has made it easier for renters facing eviction to get a housing voucher before they become homeless. But so far, Mayor Eric Adams has refused to implement the new rules. WNYC's Karen Yi reports this has left some New Yorkers with few options but to go into shelters. Finally, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is running for re-election in 2025. While incumbent mayors don’t usually face a competitive primary contest, recent fundraising numbers from some of Adams’ potential opponents suggest next year may be different. WNYC’s Michael Hill speaks with senior politics reporter Brigid Bergin with the latest.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, July 16th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. The city's social services agency is restarting so-called welfare-to-work rules for New Yorkers who get public assistance. WMYC's David Brand reports on the end of a four-year suspension. The Department of Social Services paused the work requirement at the beginning. beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

Now they say they'll restart the requirement for people to access benefits on July 28th. Public assistance lawyers say the rule will end up cutting benefits for people in need. But the city says its hands are tied. Federal and state laws require cash assistance recipients to have a job, attend training, or prove they care for a family member. More than 550,000 New Yorkers receive cash assistance. Small sums that total less than $200 a month for single adults. A fleet of driverless eight-passenger shuttles begins running today at JFK Airport.

The blue and yellow shuttles will navigate JFK's expansive long-term parking lot and help customers get to their cars. Current shuttle drivers will transition into safety attendance, prioritizing customer service while ensuring a smooth ride. The rollout marks the beginning of a summer-long testing phase where the futuristic shuttles will be on autopilot, steering passengers to their destinations. We're at 91 now with sunshine out there. Heat advisory till Wednesday night. Air quality alert as well. A slim chance with some afternoon showers and thunderstorms today.

Sunny in 96, the wind might give us a little relief. Then tonight just a low of 78 with showers and storms. And then tomorrow hot once again, perhaps the last day of this heat wave, a 50-50 chance of midday showers and thunderstorms and 93. Stay close. There's more after the beach. break. The New York City Council has made it easier for renters facing eviction to get a housing voucher before they become homeless. But so far, Mayor Adams has refused to put the new rules into

action. W.N.C.'s Karen Ye reports has left some New Yorkers with few options but to go into a shelter. Arnaldo Fernandez is sitting behind a pile of paperwork in his Queen's apartment. In the stack is an eviction notice that arrived last month, letters from housing court and a note from his doctor, declaring him legally blind. He's the worst really ever. Fernandez used to be a truck driver delivering cement, packages, and food across the country, but he stopped working four years ago when he lost his peripheral vision and couldn't drive safely anymore. After that, he could no longer cover his $2,000 monthly rent for the apartment he's lived in for 15 years with his wife and two children.

I can't see myself living in the shelter. I'm scared. Fernandez is one of four plaintiffs who joined a lawsuit led by the Legal Aid Society against the Adams administration for failing to expand the city's housing voucher program known as city febs that helps people pay their rent. The city council passed a series of laws last year that lowered income requirements and allowed New Yorkers to get a voucher before they entered the shelter system. But the mayor has refused to implement the laws. arguing that it would cost the city billions. So for now, Fernandez is stuck, unable to get help paying his rent unless he and his family go to a homeless shelter,

where he would qualify for a voucher under the old rules. I see the people in shelters and I feel bad. Yeah, it's my turn now to remission the military shelters. With the city's shelter population and street homelessness at record highs, lawyers at the legal aid society say the city needs to implement the laws to keep people in their homes. In the Bronx, 48-year-old Cheryl Thompson

received an eviction notice last month. She's lived in her apartments since surviving from Jamaica in the 1990s and pays $1,200 a month. I hate seeing people outside. It's scary. Homelessness is not something I like to see. You don't want to end up that way.

Thompson fell behind on her rent after her mom died, and she had to cover the bills on her own. She would also qualify for a city FEPS, under the expansion. Your heart is coming out of your mouth. You're not sure if what's going to happen to you.

The city and legal aid will meet in court later this month. Tenants are hoping a judge will order the city to help them stay housed. Karen Yee, WNYC News. New York City has a mayoral election next year, and Mayor Adams is running for re-election. Incumbent mayors don't usually face a competitive primary contest, but recent fundraising numbers from some of Adams' potential opponents suggests next year may be different.

Double Edmise's senior politics reporter, Bridget Bergen, joins us now with the latest. Bridget, before we talk about the money, put this race in context for us, please. Yeah, Michael, so as you said, we're talking next year, the 2025 city elections. There would be a primary in June. As you said, incumbents don't usually face much of a challenge from within their own party. You'd have to go as far back as 1989 when Mayor Ed Koch, lost the Democratic primary to then Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins to really find a race where the incumbent mayor faced a real fight. And that race, of course, Kotch lost. So in this cycle,

Adams has faced scrutiny from state and federal investigators for his fundraising practices in last election. But I have to say, no one close to the mayor nor the mayor himself has been charged with any wrongdoing so far. But that certainly is still opened him up for criticism. Mayor Adams has also spied with the city council recently, and we've been reporting on that constantly. We've been talking about money for libraries and parks. Have those issues played any role in whether candidates might try to challenge them next year? Yeah, absolutely, Michael. Now, of course, we're not talking about any challengers from within the council, but those budget issues.

And overall criticism about City Hall's management of the city have really created a lane, particularly to the left of the mayor, for candidates offering an alternative. vision. And so far, former controller Scott Stringer and Brooklyn State Senator Zellner Mirey are the two alternatives who have been raising money for a potential challenge to Adams, but others may be coming. I'm curious then, Bridgett. And for Stringer and for Mayer for their campaigns, how do they seem to be doing in terms of raising money? Well, I want to be careful not to throw a lot of numbers of people this early in the morning, but Stringer raised nearly $425,000 from about 2,000 donors since setting up his campaign committee in January.

Brooklyn State Senator Zulmer Myrie raised about $100,000 less than that, coming in around $326,000 from about 1,800 donors. But Michael, that's just over about two-month period, a two-month period. He set up his exploratory committee back in May. And as we know, City Controller Brad Landers' name has also been out that mentioned as a possible challenger to Adams. is he running? How much has he raised so far? Well, he's brought in about $674,000 altogether, but keep in mind, he's had an active fundraising

committee since January of 2022. That's shortly after he took the Comptroller's office. And he's also spent a large amount of money, nearly half a million dollars. As you said, there were reports he's actively considering running for mayor, but, you know, if he decides to do that, that would mean giving up a chance to run for re-election as city controller where he would be the favorite. What about the Adams campaign? Any signs of weakness when it comes to fundraiser? You know, as I said before, he's obviously had issues with his 2021 fundraising. We know there are multiple investigations. But that being said, the mayor had a really strong six months of fundraising, bringing in more than a million dollars. So even though his challengers have

brought in respectable sums in a short period of time, Adams is still far and away a leader on the fundraising front. You know, we have five months left in this year. I'm curious as to what Bridget Bergen will be looking out for what she'll be watching for going forward because we're talking about 2025. It's not that far away and plenty of people have already indicated. They're interested in running from there. Well, that's true. And so, you know, is there any fallout from these investigations? Does anything slow down the Adams campaign? Does anyone else jump in the race? We've heard some other names mentioned. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Senator Jessica Ramos, former council speaker Christine Quinn, or does anybody bow out of the race?

And, you know, there's another filing deadline coming up in October. These candidates are going to be fundraising throughout this summer. But it's December when we find out how much they actually receive in public matching funds. That's going to be a crucial date. WNIC's senior politics, Bridget Bergen, on it this morning once again, Bridget, thank you. Thanks, Michael. Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC.

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