Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Older Adult Town Hall

December 21, 2023

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you. Happy Holidays. Good to see you. Good to be back in B.K., you know for many years. Some people don't know but I was the Brooklyn borough president at one time, you know.
And so we have been doing a series of these older adult town halls, and I'm happy to see in her red Santa outfit, you know, Assemblywoman Zimmerman that's here as well.
Did Assemblywoman get to say hello to everybody? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, say hello. Say hello.
State Assemblymember Stefani Zimmerman: Mr. Mayor, you're being addressed by the elder. I can't speak before the elder. All righty. Good afternoon, everyone. Well, you know that all of us who work and serve as public servants in these elected offices are all here before, you've heard that we stand on your shoulders.
What we also know is that as strong as you are and have been for all of these years, your shoulders are getting tired and you need assistance. You need assistance from us, you need assistance from the next generation. And I am happy to be here with the mayor who has bought his entire administration out. Right?
He didn't just come by himself, he brought everybody out so that you can ask the questions that are germane to your life, your quality of life, to ensure that you know who to call, contact, what each agency does and how to get problems taken care of.
We're not just listening to somebody talk, we're actually workshopping the issues in our community at tables so that we can come up with solutions. This is the new model of civic engagement, of public engagement that we want to continue to foster.
When you come to my office, we're workshopping issues that are happening. I'm listening to what your concerns are and we're working together with these agencies to make it happen for you. So, I know that sometimes progress is very, very slow, but please know that we are moving. But we cannot move without you. If you are not in our ears, if you're not sharing your stories that touch our hearts so that we can find the resources to make things better, it's not going to get better. going to take all of us.
So, in this beautiful time of the holiday spirit when we're all looking out for each other and loving on each other, let's also remember the people who are not here today who don't know that their voice is as powerful as the mayor's, who don't know that there is help, that help is on the way.
Remember when you leave here today and go and talk to them and tell them that this is a community that cares for them, and we will speak up for them even when they can't do so for themselves. So, everybody, have a blessed, blessed holiday, and Happy New Year.
Mayor Adams: Well said. Well said. Thank you so much, Assemblywoman. So, we're going to open the floors. We have the whole team that's here to hear your questions. But first, you know, let me just give you a quick overview of what's happening in the city because, you know, when you are the mayor, everything falls on you.
You know, I was telling someone the other day, someone stopped me the other day. I was on the subway system and he said, listen, man, I'm getting… My wife is divorcing me and it's your fault. You know?
You know, the level of, no matter what happens, particularly if you are a mayor that's accessible and that you can see, no matter what happens, it's like, that darned Eric Adams. You know? And I move through the city and I speak to some of the most intelligent people academically, and we talk about the crises that we're facing.
First, I want to talk about January 1st, 2022, what we were doing. January 1st, 2022, when I became mayor, crime was surging through the roof. We were coming through Covid, many people forgot about that. We were unsure if we were going to open schools or not. Our employment was going in the wrong direction. No one wanted to be on the subway system.
There was just a state of freefall in the city. We came into office, I've been mayor for 24 months. I know it's hard to believe, but 24 months. What happened in 24 months? 24 months, homicides are down, shootings are down. Five of the seven major crime categories are down. People are back on the subway system, 4 million.
We have more private sector jobs in the history of this city. We took down the cost of childcare, because of Assemblywoman Zimmerman and our partnership up in Albany, parents where child care was paying $55 a week if they made $55,000. We took it down to under $5 per week.
Earned Income Tax Credit. Invested in our Older Adult Centers with the partnership doing the older adult cabinets with our amazing commissioner of what's happening. The bond ratings, there's something in the city that's called bond ratings. They look at a city and they say how well is a city being managed to determine what your bond rating would be.
You know what they did last year, my first year in office? They raised the bond rating up because of how I was managing the city. And then what happened in April? In April, out of nowhere, we started to get thousands of migrants and asylum seekers that came into the city. I stated that wait a minute, this is not sustainable. Last year.
Now we're up to over 150,000 migrants and asylum seekers. And so when people stop me on the street, they say, Eric, listen, why aren't you stopping these buses from coming in? Why? Because it's against the law for me to do that. Well, Eric, why aren't you deporting people? Why? Because it's against the law for me to do that.
Well, Eric, when people come in, you're giving them more than what you're giving everyday New Yorkers. Try going to see where people are living in Floyd Bennett Field and other places. They're sleeping on cots, outside bathrooms, outside showers and getting basic meals every day. And they can't get the housing that long‑term New Yorkers are qualified to get. No one is getting more than longtime taxpayers, New Yorkers.
What the problem is, the problem is this is costing us $5 billion this year, $7 billion the next two years, $12 billion. Who is a homeowner in here? Who owns a home? Okay. You own a home, right? You budget yourself out on your income. That income may be let's say $50,000 a year.
For your food, your lights, your gas, your children, everything, you have $50,000. All of a sudden the roof caves in. You go to your insurance policy and say, my roof caved in, I need you to pay for the roof. The insurance policy says, you're on your own.
That money gotta come from somewhere. My insurance policy was the federal government. I said, this is not my problem. This is not your problem. This is not a New York City problem. This is the federal government's problem. They said Eric, you're on your own.
So, I have to go into the agencies and find the money because the law tells me, Eric, every two years you have to balance the budget. You have to. And you have to find it from somewhere. So, when you look at these cuts that everybody's running around saying, well, don't cut here, don't cut here.
So I ask them, where do I cut? Not one person is telling me where to cut from. This is hurting me. This is not the budget that I wanted to pass. The budget I passed invested in children, 100,000 summer youth jobs, 100,000 Summer Rising and invested in my senior centers and the police and invested in cleaning our streets. It invested in providing services. That's the budget I passed.
But I'm saddled with this crisis that was created when we were trending in the right direction. This city recovered in two years. People thought it was going to take me four, five years, and I did it in two years. And now I'm saddled with this, this crisis that has been dropped into my lap. And the most intellectual people that I meet say, listen, man, we don't care, we're going to blame you anyway.
You know what, that's your problem, Eric. You know what? They're not different than Washington saying it's my problem. This is not our problem. We don't deserve this. And so I need you to write letters. I need you to call the congressional leaders. I need you to write to the White House and say New York City does not deserve losing our tax dollars to a crisis that we did not create.
This is wrong for migrant and asylum seekers to live this way and it's wrong for longstanding New Yorkers to live this way. I'm going to continue to navigate us out of this, but I want you to fully understand, I do not have the authority as the mayor to stop people from coming into the city, to deport people, to say I'm not going to pay for people to be here, to all the things that you're saying, why are we allowing this to spiral out of control, we don't have the authority and the legal right to do so. That is what I'm up against.
Now, we're in court right now because there's a belief by some that no matter where people come from anywhere on the globe, New Yorkers should have to pay their food, clothing, washing their clothing, everything, for as long as they want. I don't believe that.
The number one thing we can do, we need to give them the right to work. These asylum and migrant seekers, they want to work. And we have thousands of jobs. And all of us who have come from some form of country somewhere, you came here to pursue the American dream and the precursor to that dream is being able to work. It is wrong that we're not allowing, it's undignified not to be allowed to work.
And all of you know what I'm talking about because you may have done menial jobs when you first arrived here, but you worked your way up to buy a home or to take care of your family. Now your children may be in college and professionals. It all started with your right to work.
We're telling 152,000 people, you have to come here, do nothing but sit around all day and not have the right to work. Can you imagine an 18 to 24‑year‑old young man being told you cannot work, you can't do anything and you've got to sit around all day? An idle mind… 
Audience: Is the devil's workshop.
Mayor Adams: You don't have to go to church to remember that. So, we have 152,000 idle minds. What's that going to produce? So, I just wanted to share that off the top so you'll know, so when people are out there talking about how they hate the mayor, you need to just give them a backhand and say, fall back. Fall back.
So, why don't we open the floor to some questions. I'm giving a proclamation. I want to give this out first. So, do we give these out, these magnets.
D.J. is giving them out. These are magnets. We're asking you to put on your fridge. If you ever have an emergency at home, it has all your basic information so if a first responder comes, you don't have to look and search.
It has your name, your emergency contact, what medicine you take, if you have any allergies, any chronic condition. It's already there. So, minutes determine outcomes, help outcomes. So, just place it on the fridge. You can get it for yourself and your boo, whoever. 
And you can just put it on your fridge, okay. We all good? Okay. We're going to do a proclamation. I want to give this proclamation, Fort Greene Council always give quality care throughout the years. 50 years of… Whereas, FGC has been a stalwart institution of accessibility, inclusivity, ensuring that both flagship programs remain free of charge for participants.
This council has served as a community center for half a century. A sanctuary for those in need and a welcome space to forge new friendships is important that we bolster institutions like this. And so I'm proud to give this proclamation to the Fort Greene Council. Congratulations, 50 years of service.
So, thank you. Appreciate you. So, why don't we open up? Where are we starting for questions? We're going to open up to questions. How are you, sir? We're going to open to questions, so listen to your fellow table. I think this is the most crowdest room we've had, you know that?
Question: So, the two things my table wanted to discuss was, one, the MTA being more suitable for the older adults, for example… 
Mayor Adams: Talk into the mic. They can't hear you.
Question: Sorry. The MTA being more suitable for the older adults, like lowering the buses while they go on. The second one was the Access‑A‑Rides having bad service and improving the services for the older adults. And that's it.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. And they should do that. If you find on your bus route that there is a bus route where people are not lowering the step. That makes a big difference. People don't realize how much of a difference that makes.
If you find they're not doing that, let us [inaudible] after the mayor. It is controlled by the state, and you have an excellent constituent service not only with our office but with Assemblywoman Zimmerman.
So, if you find there's a bus route where they're not lowering the bus, let us know and let us identify the bus route. And every bus has a number attached to it. Write down that number, and this way we can find out who was the driver at that time and we can make sure, because sometimes it's some habitual offenders to lowering the bus. They're supposed to lower the bus. We want to make sure that is done.
Now, In-Access‑A‑Ride that's always accessible. We need to modernize Access‑A‑Ride. And that's the conversation we're having. We've been meeting with teams. We believe that we're moving to the place where you'll be able to look on your phone and see exactly where the Access‑A‑Ride vehicle is.
We want you to get to it the same way people use Uber and Lyft, we want that same type of system with Access‑A‑Ride. You shouldn't have to be sitting around wondering when it's coming. We have to modernize that system. And that is the goal that we're trying to do right now. But again, that's an MTA issue but we are going to use our bully pulpit to get Access‑A‑Ride to the level of professionalism that it deserves. It is nowhere near.
I've been hearing about these complaints when I was borough president. We need to change the way Access‑A‑Ride is being operated, and we're zeroing in on doing that. We're doing it with some of the school buses now. We want to use that same methodology on Access‑A‑Ride. Thank you. Next table, what are we doing? [Inaudible] per table. What have you guys got going on. One per table. But go ahead. Since we've got you.
Question: Good afternoon, Mayor Adams. This is Sylvia Garcia, [inaudible] senior citizen. Buses 43 and 45 are always late with very long waiting time [inaudible] the older adult group. Due to the long intervals, people are very congested. Long wait times are dangerous at the intersection of Kingston Avenue and St. Johns Place. Individuals are hanging out at our bus stops using drugs, et cetera. Police pick them up but they come back the next day.
Mayor Adams: Got it. Somebody make note of that location. Okay. You're the COO? Who is the COO? Okay. Are you familiar with that location? Okay. What's happening there? Let the inspector speak. Give him the mic, respond to this young lady's question. You heard the question, captain?
Captain Daniel Fennessey, 77 Precinct, Police Department: Issues at the bus stop?
Mayor Adams: At that location.
Captain Fennessey: Can everybody hear me, or no. I've got this working now. Yes. So, we don't have any specific issues going on at Kingston and St. Johns. If there's something that you see that you would like us to know about, you can speak to myself or speak to one of my community affairs officers here at the end, and like I said, obviously we'll make sure it's addressed as well as we can get it addressed. Promise that.
Mayor Adams: That's the 71...
Captain Fennessey: 77.
Mayor Adams: Who is the senior liaison for the 7‑7, are they here?
So every precinct now has a senior liaison. Every precinct. So, you don't have to try to figure out when you go inside a precinct or you have a problem like that… I'm sorry, ma'am, stay with me. Stop flirting.
So, every precinct has a senior liaison. So, when you have a problem like that, this is the senior liaison for that precinct. So, Officer Vidal, introduce yourself give her your contact information so she can reach out to you talk about the issue she has over there
Mayor Adams: Right here.
Officer Kelvin Vidal, 77 Precinct, Police Department: Actually, we were dancing together, actually.
Mayor Adams: That's a good sign.
Officer Vidal: Officer Vidal crime prevention officer also older adult liaison. My phone number, if you're ready. (929) 375‑8102. Most of you guys have that number already in here.
Mayor Adams: So, call Officer Vidal and share that issue you have at Kingston. So he can take a look at that issue as well as the captain. That's a real good sign. As a matter of fact, she knew you and your connectivity. That's what we want. That's what we want.
Now, remember, we're going to go from table to table. I'm going to come back to you once we finish all the tables. Bless you.
Okay, come on, let's stay together. You don't have to stand up if you don't want.
Question: It's such a pleasure to see you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Question: I used to see you all the time down at the borough, down in Borough Hall, yes. Now, I have a few concerns. They've already been mentioned with respect to the Access‑A‑Ride. I have a collection of petitions that I took the trouble to take. And many of the people who are here signed the petition because it is really terrible that a lot of people who make appointments for Access‑A‑Ride either comes one, two hours late or they don't show up.
Unfortunately, what happens, if any one of us seniors has an appointment to a doctor's appointment, some doctors charge you for either a late fee or the fee that you didn't show up that you have to redo your appointment.
Some of the new drivers they have with the new company, they come from various countries, third-world countries. They have terrible attitudes because they don't know how to deal with people. They think that we're just a taxicab ride. They don't really understand and have the training to understand that we are physically challenged people.
Okay? I was sitting in an office to renew my membership last year, and while I was… They were late to come, Access‑A‑Ride was late to come pick me up. But then by the time I was seen by the nurse, I was being interviewed, and the driver, who was there to pick me up, he called and when I answered the phone he said where are you? I said I'm coming right downstairs. He said you're supposed to be downstairs. And this is the way he spoke.
Now, when I went downstairs, the nurse went downstairs with me. And she said don't you have any respect for seniors? No. They don't have any respect for seniors. And especially ladies, because they don't even have the desire to help carry your packages or put your packages in the cab. Okay?
So, that's a major problem that we have, and we wanted to meet with you with the city council to discuss this further so that these things can really be improved.
Mayor Adams: Right. And we will do… Again, Access‑A‑Ride is a state issue. So, what we want to do and what we should do, commissioner, we should hold a meeting with just Access‑A‑Ride and bring in… Right, Janno Lieber and the state and the Assembly chair of Transportation.
We can only do one, sister. Okay. So, we want Janno. We want the Assembly Transportation chair, the senate transportation chair, and we should have just a meeting so we can find out how do we improve on Access‑A‑Ride.
But that goes back to that app. If you have that app, you don't have to come downstairs. You know when to come downstairs. When people do Uber and Lyft, they know how many minutes it's away. I don't want you downstairs waiting. We need to modernize Access‑A‑Ride. So, we're going to hold a meeting just for that.
But that's why the app can show that. Yes. How are you, ma'am? It's all good, whatever you want to do.
Question: I'm going to stand up. Grace and peace.
Mayor Adams: Grace and peace to you.
Question: How are the budget cuts going to affect the service for our mental ill, both men and homelessness individuals? Many buildings are being put up and buildings are being underutilized for the migrants. What else can we do for the mentally ills in our community? I also came with some maybe a solution.
Mayor Adams: Yes.
Question: Okay. Have a set program, a structured pipeline to help obtain permanent residence. If they visit the hospital through the evaluation, not just make sure that they are just thrown out, because I think they're let go. I'm the mother of five sons, all sons have mental illness. And I just see there's no services.
And then since the pandemic, it seems like everywhere there's mental illness. And I don't feel like it's being addressed in any form. I think that's one of the main causes of homelessness. Every corner they're building something, but what are they doing about the homeless?
Mayor Adams: Thank you. And DOHMH. You want to add on also, like you were excited to share something.
Rosa Kelly, Executive Director, Government Affairs, Department of Housing Preservation and Development: I wanted to commend you for your solution there. My name is Rosa, I'm from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. This administration supports supportive housing, which is permanent residence for those who are experiencing mental illness. It comes with resources, case managers. We are proud that we've built more supportive housing than any other administration to date. And I think this is an excellent solution. You hit the nail right on the head there, ma'am. So, I just want to commend you for that. We support that as well.
Mayor Adams: Did you hear what she said? More supportive housing at this time than any other administration, talking about what you said. What we find also, many people are not aware of what resources are out there and how to get access to those resources.
Dr. Vasan, from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has really leaned into how do we get people the wraparound services they need so your sons and family members should know what services are available. Do we have a website for DOHMH? How do we list the services that are available?
Assistant Commissioner Duncan Maru, Center for Health Equity & Wellness, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: This is Dr. Duncan Maru assistant commissioner from the Department of Health. As Mayor Adams mentioned, this is a huge priority for us. It's a deeply personal issue for many of us who are clinicians and family members at the DOH and our commissioner.
In terms of the website for a list of services. You can start by going on just nyc.gov and the Health Department website and search for severe mental illness, and we can actually get another specific URL as well.
Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Department for the Aging: You can also call NYC Aging Connect and we will make sure that you're connected not only for those services for your sons but we also will make sure that you're connected to supportive services for you. All right. So, we'll give you the number to Aging Connect in two seconds because I know it's (212) 244‑6964 but I want to make sure that's the correct number. But we'll make sure we follow up with you.
Mayor Adams: All right. Brother Cooper we need to do these tables. We'll come back once we finish the table. We have 20 tables. Let's give the brief version so we can get to all 20 and come back to those other questions. Yes, ma'am.
Question: Good afternoon, mayor.
Mayor Adams: How are you?
Question: Welcome here to Crown Heights. My issue, one of the issues, I was told we can only address one. This is the dog poop in the community.
I have done all that I could possibly do to help my neighbors and others. I give them free bags. I come out, clean up behind them. We don't have any animals. And I'm tired of playing hopscotch trying to get into my house without dragging that filth into my house for the grandbabies.
This is no news for the 77 or Community Board 8 because I've already asked for help. I just want to know now where are we in getting that help? Whether you need to give tickets, summons, I don't know what you need to do.
But last summer we had a physical confrontation with two gentlemen, of which I couldn't get in between. One allowed his animal to poop in front of his property and walk off. The other one said, oh, no, you're not going to that. So, you know where that was going. Now, I wanted to avoid that. But this is the way we are.
Mayor Adams: Right. And listen, first of all, thanks a lot for doing your part on it. And we hear that complaint. You know, some of our neighbors do not have the basics of what it is to be a good neighbor.
So, it's a combination of enforcement. It's a combination of education. We want to do that combination of doing so. If you have a block where you're seeing a particular problem, we could have from the community affairs and the precinct just giving special attention.
If you have a block, let me get my community affairs, where is our community affairs officer? My older adult. Please find out what block it is. But it is a problem and we are trying to do a combination of enforcement and education. Like what you were saying, giving people the bags, allowing them to make the proper way of walking their dogs and walking their animals. I gotcha. We're with you. Find out where that location is. Next table.
Question: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. My name is Karen.
Mayor Adams: How are you, Karen?
Question: I'm great. Great to see you.
Mayor Adams: Folks, let's give Karen our attention.
Question: Thank you. I did invite a friend here, and she said this is a meeting because you need to be encouraged. So, be encouraged. But while I'm encouraging you I have a question about bike safety. I'm a driver. They are driving me… I'm so overwhelmed. They do not obey the traffic rules, the lights.
They're crisscrossing in front of me. They're going up one… I'm going up the street and they're coming down a one‑way street at night with a bright light at me. So, I decided one day to take the bus. The bus hit somebody on the bike. Something needs to be done because they're not obeying the rules, the traffic rules in this city.
Mayor Adams: And they're supposed to.
Question: I know they are.
Mayor Adams: Bike riders are supposed to follow the same rules. So, what we have done — I spoke to the commissioner because we were at a meeting about a week and a half ago — that we are going to put in place real proper enforcement to remind people they're supposed to follow the same rules and not just a free for all driving on sidewalks and do whatever they want. They do have to follow those rules.
Question: One day I had to roll down my windows and have a word with one of them. And I shouldn't have. I could hear my daughter's voice, Karen, don't do it, don't do it. But I had to roll the window down. But God was with me. He was a nice guy. He apologized. But it didn't have to go that way. But that's how frustrated I was.
Mayor Adams: I got you. They should follow the rules.
Question: Okay, thank you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. How are you ma'am? You don't have to stand up if you don't want. Whichever way you want to do it.
Question: Good afternoon to you, sir.
Mayor Adams: Good afternoon.
Question: Blenman Older Adult Center is well attended but poor transportation. Is there a way that the city can allocate funds to Blenman Center to transport us. When I say us, I'm including because I have to take the public transportation.
One day the driver of the city bus, I was going on with my [inaudible] behind me here, and under his breath, why she doesn't take the Access‑A‑Ride. But I didn't say anything to him because it would escalate.
Mayor Adams: You know what, I agree with you. You should have told him why he doesn't take the Access‑A‑Ride. You have a right to use public transportation. That's why it's called public transportation. And he needs to make it as accessible as possible for you to do so.
So, the Access‑A‑Ride is what you can sign up for. And that was part of the conversation we were having. If any public official like a bus driver, et cetera, is disrespectful, don't just take that. Take the number of the bus and they need to be held accountable. We have to treat people with the dignity that they deserve.
Don't just take that negative comment from anyone. You can take public transportation as much as you want. I'm happy you're doing it because you get your steps in in the process. Brother, you're not going to do that, not going to disrupt. We don't rock that way.
Question: I'm sorry.
Mayor Adams: All right. Next table. How are you, ma'am?
Question: Fine. Good afternoon, everyone. Happy holidays to everyone.
Mayor Adams: Show some love.
Question: Prison reform for younger adults. Instead of putting younger adults in prison, what services are available for young adults to keep them out of prison?
Mayor Adams: There's a saying, I say it all the time, Archbishop Desmond Tutu stated we spend a lifetime pulling people out of the river, no one goes upstream to prevent them from falling in. Putting people in jail is a downstream mindset. We need to be upstream. How do we prevent people from falling in the river?
So, the way you do that, you do an analysis of what is the population that's in prison or jailed, and look at that and state what can we do upstream to prevent it. Such as 30 to 40 percent of our young people at Rikers Island are dyslexic. What are we doing? We're doing dyslexia screening to get them the support upstream. Foster care children age out, don't have support. We're finding that many of them are incarcerated, homeless, dealing with mental health issues.
So, what do we do? We gave them something called Fair Futures, instead of them aging out at 18, they age out at 21, with a life coach, and we're finding that 95 percent will graduate from high school. And we're paying their college tuition of our children in foster care and giving them a stipend while they're in foster care. We're doing something that's never been done in the city before. We gave 100,000 summer youth jobs to our young people so they could be employed over the summertime.
Then we opened the school, 110,000 Summer Rising programs, where children are in school all year round. And we have our College Connect program, we have the program giving them internships, putting them on a pathway of going to college. So, we're with you. We need to not be focusing on how we incarcerate, but how do we educate and support. That's what this administration has done like no other administration has done before.
Number nine. How are you, ma'am? Talk into the mic so they can hear you. You have a nice soft voice
Question: Fine, thank you. I would like to know about safety for kids in the parks.
Mayor Adams: I'm sorry, the question is how… 
Question: Safety for kids in the parks.
Mayor Adams: As I started it off, the success of decreasing some serious crime in the city. We have really zeroed in not only in our investments in parks, but public safety. We have what's called PEP officers, the Park Enforcement Officers, and we really want to make sure that people are not using our parks for using drugs, for homelessness, for creating dangerous environments for our children.
We have really zeroed in making safe public spaces that a lot of focus has gone into making sure our children are safe in parks, and even some of the playgrounds around schools. We're doing a proposal where we can have some of those playgrounds opened that could be focused on the use by our children.
So, we're focused on that. That's what each precinct is zero, their focus to make sure that our parks are safe for our children. That's very important to us. Listen, this is Mr. Parks.
Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Martin Maher, Department of Parks and Recreation: Hello. And in CB8, I've been in Parks for 40 years. There's never been the investment in parks than under this mayor here. Just around the corner, Saint Marks Playground, has been funded for the Community Parks Initiative program for$5 million to completely renovate it.
We'll be having a community meeting for that. We invested in St. Johns also just a block way. We have a lot of projects there. Like the mayor said, between park enforcement officers, we have a great relationship with the 77 Precinct, we meet twice a year. So, we have a great relationship with them. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. 40 years. I never met a man that loves his job as much as you do. Yes, next table. Where am I going?
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: Table 11.
Mayor Adams: Yes, 11.
Question: 10.
Mayor Adams: 10. What's up, brother?
Question: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Adams: How are you?
Question: My question is how can my street get attention? Side parking, street cleaners can't come through.
Mayor Adams: Alternate side parking cleanup? They're not doing it, not cleaning?
Question: The street is… 
Mayor Adams: Talk into the mic.
Question: Both sides. Cars parked both sides in the street.
Mayor Adams: On Eastern Parkway.
Question: [Inaudible] avenue.
Mayor Adams: Somebody get that address, please. Somebody from DSNY? Okay. We're going to get that information where and let's find out from DSNY. Okay? All right, Karen? His information and hand it over to Commissioner Tisch to find out what the problem is over there. Next table.
Question: Hello.
Mayor Adams: What's happening?
Question: Our question is about affordable housing. So, many of the apartments available that are listed as affordable on Housing Connect and elsewhere have income thresholds that are just too high, especially for our older New Yorkers.
What initiatives is your administration taking to provide truly affordable housing for low income families and older New Yorkers on fixed income?
Mayor Adams: HPD? We're going to let… Get the mic for HPD. Here's what we need, folks, around housing. People talk about this all the time. The problem with housing is that we don't have enough of it. HPD is going to give you some of the numbers of how successful we have been, but we need Albany to free up with the incentives that allow us to build more housing.
We don't have enough. And last year we went to Albany with an aggressive plan and there was nothing done to assist us in building more housing. We don't have enough housing. There's too many people looking for housing without us being able to build more.
Now, we've done some great projects, but we still need help from Albany to give us 421-a incentives and other incentives so we can build more. And we have to build all over the city. Oftentimes I hear people say we need housing on Monday but on Tuesday they're protesting don't build it on my block. You can't have it both ways. Everyone needs to take on the housing condition. HPD, tell us about how we're doing around housing?
Kelly: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You're absolutely right. We have done the most for very low income households since we started tracking these numbers way, way back in 2014. Just last year HPD produced the highest level of housing serving between zero and 30 percent of the median area income.
That's 23 percent of our entire totals but that's not all we track. For folks who are seniors, we have produced — older adults, thank you so much — more than 2,230 units of affordable housing for older adults. But that is not all.
All of our housing is open to older adults because just like every person is the same, older adults are not all a monolith. Some folks want to live in intergenerational housing with their grandkids, with their kids. Some folks want to live in an older adult community. So, that's where we have set asides for folks who are age restricted.
But we need to do more. So, I want to thank you so much for pushing us to do more. But the mayor is absolutely right. It is up to all of us to make sure we are building more across the entire city. I'm available for questions for anybody who wants to follow up.
Mayor Adams: We want to build more. We need help to build more. We're doing our own rezoning to build more. But make sure your Albany electeds are fighting to do more, to build more.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: I want to add that Commissioner Carrión, the commissioner of HPD, has been really clear that he wants to have age‑inclusive housing. So, he wants communities not just to be older adults to be separated away because we live in families. We live in communities. I just wanted to add that.
Mayor Adams: Well said. Well said.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: Number 12.
Mayor Adams: Number 12.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: 12.
Question: Good afternoon… 
Mayor Adams: What's happening?
Question: Good afternoon.
Mayor Adams: Good afternoon.
Question: I want to talk about the high gun violence that they have here in Crown Heights. I mean, I would like to know what's happening with that.
Mayor Adams: Yes. When I started out my conversation telling you shootings are down, I think, 23 to 26 percent. We removed, we removed off the streets of New York, this year alone, 6,000 guns. Since I've been mayor, 13,000 guns we've removed off the streets.
Here's the problem. We have extreme recidivists. We have people who are shooters who carry guns. They are arrested on Monday. They're out on Tuesday. It's not like the police is not doing their job. We're in control of getting the gun off the street.
The entire criminal justice system must be responsible for holding people accountable who are carrying these guns. There's a small number of people, about 1,400 people in this city, who have made up their minds that no matter what we say, they're going to be violent in our city.
We need to hold them accountable and I'm hoping that not only are we doing our job of doing a good job. Think about it, 13,000 guns off our streets. We need those who are carrying these guns to remain off the streets. Yes. How are you doing? Good. Good.
Question: This question is in regards to policing and it's why isn't there more or at least a bear minimum police presence at our subway stations? Safety is a very serious concern at particular stops, ones that could benefit from more law enforcement.
Mayor Adams: As many of you know I started my policing career, I was a transit cop during the '80s. When I was a transit cop, we rode by ourselves, the radios didn't work. The best way, whenever we were in trouble, we just used to yell help.
Right now, January 1st, 2022, as I stated, no one wanted to be on the subway system. We're now peaking again at four million riders. That's number one. Number two, crime in the subway system has dropped. When people talk about public safety in the city, they often talk about Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the safety period. Do you know we are safer now than in his last year in office?
So, the perception is not matching the reality. Our subway system has become safer. We have a lot of high profile crimes, particularly with people who are dealing with severe mental health illnesses that are creating some of the disturbances. We're giving them wraparound support services so they don't have to sleep on our subway system. But we're getting safer every day.
Are we where we want to be? No we're not. No we're not. But listen, I policed these trains in the '80s and the '90s, I know what disorder looks like, and that disorder is not now. This city is much safer and our subway system is much safer.
And the chief of the transit system is unbelievable. He's energetic. He's focused. He's using all the tools that are possible to continue to drive down crime, and we're going to do even better in 2024. But crime in the subway system is down. Yes, how are you?
Question: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. [Inaudible] Heights and New York City housing entrance, the sidewalk is broken. And there are no lights in front of the building making it dangerous for us. How can you help us with this situation?
Mayor Adams: I'm sorry, where is it?
Question: Albany Housing.
Mayor Adams: Albany Housing.
Question: Across the street.
Mayor Adams: As a matter of fact, can somebody take note of that? Have we got that? You got it. Okay. Listen, you all know Tony Herbert. Tony is Mr. NYCHA. He's Mr. NYCHA. And he knows how to get stuff done. So, Tony, can we check into that? As a matter of fact, Tony will have me go around and do a couple of NYCHA resident meetings. We're looking forward to do that also.
How many in NYCHA here? Are you aware of what we've done in NYCHA? Okay. Okay.
Yeah, see? You know that. I mean, let me share. NYCHA is our New York City Housing Authority, that's our public housing, which is one out of 17 New Yorkers live in NYCHA. And NYCHA was never included in the housing plan in the city. This is the first administration where we put it at the top of our agenda, top of our agenda.
But then we did something else. We went to Albany with our partners in Albany, we were able to fight to get NYCHA Land Trust that you vote on. You can make a determination to do renovation. Nostrand Houses just did it. They're going to get new cabinets, new floors, do major renovation using federal dollars and partnering with our PACT initiative.
We're getting ready to do a new program that I think is going to be the most important one over in Chelsea Houses where they're going to… Zero displacement, but they're going to tear down the old buildings, put people into the new buildings and totally convert. Those of you who know NYCHA know, listen, those buildings are beyond repair in many cases.
And so we have to think differently. When you look at $80 billion budget deficit, $80 billion capital deficit, don't let people kid you that we can keep saying year after year that help is going to come. Listen, help is not coming. We've got to do this on our own, and that is what we did in Albany. And this is a real opportunity for NYCHA residents to get the decency they deserve and respect. How are you?
Question: I'm fine, thank you.
Mayor Adams: Good to see you.
Question: I'm [Diane Hodges.] I would like to know what is the city doing to enforce sanitation violations and traffic violations?
Mayor Adams: A combination of both two, it's some specific or you're talking about not picking up garbage? Talk to me.
Question: They come to pick up the garbage, but the sidewalks is a mess. As if they had not been there. And as far as traffic is concerned on Lincoln between Utica and Schenectady, they act as if the drivers is a racetrack. You know, the smallest street in Brooklyn, and they be racing down. We do have one bumper, and we've been trying for years to get another so the traffic can slow down.
Mayor Adams: DOT.
Mayor Adams: Grab a mic.
Deputy Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Claudette Workman, Department of Transportation: Can you hear me now? My name is Claudette Workman, Deputy commissioner for the Brooklyn DOT office. I have the location. I'll take a look at it. And if I can squeeze it in, I'll make it happen for you.
Mayor Adams: All right. We want traffic to slow down. Thanks a lot, commissioner. We want traffic to slow down. And even while it's happening, [Captain Kenowith], is that your precinct? Can we have these folks do some enforcement over there? Okay? All right?
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: Mayor, you may want to talk to them about what DOT has done for older adults and some of the pedestrian projects that we've done, where older adults are telling us exactly what is happening in their neighborhood.
Mayor Adams: Okay, I like that. Commissioner, do you want to talk about that.
Mayor Adams: Some of the...
Deputy Borough Commissioner Workman: So some of the SIP programs that we currently are working off for older adults, we're extending, we call them bumpouts, curb bump outs to narrow down the roadway which allows you more time to cross.
We have the pedestrian. We call them LPIs, where we actually basically stop all the traffic so that you are allowed, all the traffic stops so that you're able to cross the street safely as well. So, those are just a few things. But we have quite a few things in the works for us.
We have teams that go out and actually survey in locations specifically for older adults as well to see what the concerns are and needs are in the community.
Mayor Adams: And that's probably one of the programs that I'm the proudest of. They go out and walk with the older adults and get their bird's‑eye view of what it's like and what we need to do. Everything from redesigning intersections to the curb outs to ensure we have proper lighting in the intersections.
We've done over 1,000 thus far. But it's about hearing from you and seeing it on your level. And the Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez has been amazing, his team over there. We're going to continue to do more because the streets, traffic fatalities is something that we want to make sure we decrease. Vision Zero is not just a bumper sticker. It's what we want. Next question. 16.
Question: Hi. What can you do to make sure that the police are doing their job and being more present in the community?
Mayor Adams: Hear from you. I think that's one of the most underrated actions you could do is go to the precinct council meetings. You know, when are your precinct council meetings, captain, do you know the dates? Who is the president?
Number one, precinct council meetings are crucial. You get an opportunity to speak with the CO. Give me the date of the meetings, folks. You get an opportunity to speak to the CO. You get an opportunity to give your observation where there are some crime problems.
And it's imperative that you become present at these precinct council meetings. Those who have not been there, this is something that's crucial. Second Sunday, second Monday of every month. It's at the precinct or certain location?
So as was indicated move around to give everyone an opportunity to do so. But it's posted online to find out exactly what date it is. But you also have your liaison that's here. You can always hit him a text or give him a call, he'll tell you where it is. But it's the second… January 8th is the next one.
Question: Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Good to see you again.
Mayor Adams: Always good seeing you.
Question: My commissioner, how are you? I'm a director of the senior center in Crown Heights, Albany Avenue, the other side of Albany avenue. My seniors had a couple of questions but some of them were asked already. One of the questions they're asking is why are there so few benches for seniors to sit down? And they would like to have more of those.
Mayor Adams: Any particular area? Do I have anybody from Parks? Okay.
Question: I got one put in front of the senior center a few years ago that made a mistake the bus bumps into it all the time.
Mayor Adams: Okay. Let the commissioner answer.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: We are working very closely with DOT, as well as with Parks to look for locations exactly for that. Where people can sit. We have worked very, very closely with Department of Transportation to make sure that also the older adult clubs are accessible with curbs and everything. So, you just tell us the location where you think we missed and we will make sure that we look at getting some benches there.
Mayor Adams: All right. Sounds like a plan. How are you, ma'am.
Question: Hi, Mayor Adams, welcome to Albany Older Adult Center. My name is [Daphne DeGeorgalis.] I live in NYCHA across the street. My main concern for us seniors — older adults, excuse me — some of us who live alone, I was wondering about those Ring cameras. Is there a program for us to get free service?
Mayor Adams: And those Ring cameras are excellent. Those Ring cameras are excellent. That's a good idea.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: That's an excellent idea.
Mayor Adams: If we can get some type of corporate partner to help raise money for seniors and Ring cameras. Maybe be able to partner with Ring.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez: We'll look into that. We'll also look at what our Crime Victims Unit program is doing with NYPD and see if we can come up with a joint partnership on that. Thank you for that.
Mayor Adams: Thank you for that. I'm sorry, ma'am, what's your name.
Question: Daphne.
Mayor Adams: Daphne, we're going to see the feasibility of partnering with Ring the doorbell and a nonprofit and if we can make it happen we're going to call it the Daphne Program. How are you ma'am?
Question: I'm well, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for having this meeting. I think it's very appropriate and needed. I would like to know, what can be done regarding the double‑parking of cars and people are not moving their cars so the streets can be cleaned. This is a prevalent problem on my block.
Mayor Adams: NYPD, what block is your block?
Question: Saint Marks between Brooklyn and New York.
Mayor Adams: Saint Marks between Brooklyn and New York.
Question: And the cars are not being ticketed.
Mayor Adams: Got it. Got it. All right. Vidal.
Officer Vidal: Location again?
Mayor Adams: Saint Marks between Brooklyn… Captain do you want to talk about it?
Captain Fennessey: Got it. Routinely, I don't know who asked the question. I'm not looking at...okay. We routinely do traffic enforcement with double‑parked cars and things of that nature. A lot of times we don't like to necessarily tow cars right away. We don't want to tow somebody's car who just ran in to grab a sandwich at the deli for two seconds.
But if it's a routine, constant issue that we constantly see the same, whatever, the same red Toyota, the same blue Ford truck at the same location, then it would become an issue where we would probably start speaking to the person that we're going to tow them and again if they still disregard we'll be towing them.
I'll have my crime prevention officer and my traffic officers do a survey of that location. Saint Marks between what was it Brooklyn and New York, is that what you said?
Mayor Adams: Yes.
Captain Fennessey: Brooklyn and New York. We'll survey the location and do an assessment see what we can do about it, though.
Mayor Adams: Thanks a lot, captain. How are you, ma'am?
Question: Good afternoon, mayor, welcome to Crown Heights, how are you doing?
Mayor Adams: Quite well.
Question: I am a homeowner, and my concern is the parking also. And if people don't move their cars, I still have to sweep 18 inches in front of my door. And I think something should be done about that. I did experience one time so I figure since all the other cars were parked on the wrong side I would do the same thing, but I got a ticket.
Mayor Adams: What block are you on?
Question: Albany between St. Johns and Lincoln.
Mayor Adams: All right captain, Albany between St. Johns and Lincoln. We'll take a look over there also because people need to respect alternate side of the street parking. That cleans the streets, and that is something that we want to zero in on. So, they'll take a look at that, okay?
Mayor Adams: How are you?
Question: Good afternoon, mayor, good to see you. All right. I want to make a great suggestion.
Mayor Adams: Ready for it.
Question: This suggestion is the Citi Bikes, the Citi Bikes are installed on the streets, they should be going, they should put them into Parks. A lot of people are looking to park their car. You have to walk half a mile to park their car and it's right in front of the building. A line of Citi Bikes lined up there.
I find these bikes should go into a park. Some of these parks have spaces that they could put the Citi Bikes.
Mayor Adams: Right. No, got you.
Question: Thank you, sir.
Mayor Adams: Are you all right? I know you like me, but don't fall all over me.
Let me tell you what I learned about New York City. The most important lesson I learned in New York City is that New York City has 8.3 million people but we have 35 million opinions. If we move those bikes in the parks, there's going to be someone that's going to say, you know, that darned Eric, what is he moving these bikes in these parks for?
What we have to do and what DOT has been doing is we have to find a sweet spot and a balance of where we're going to place them. We want to do community interactions. We want to hear from you. But let me tell you, in addition to that, we're hoping that you utilize these bikes.
Bikes are an excellent way of exercise. Bikes are an excellent way to get around the city. We are finding that people live longer by doing various forms of exercise in the city and not being stationary. And so we're hoping to encourage more senior uses of bikes.
You know what's interesting, many of you — because I'm picking up some of your dialect — many of you who come from the Caribbean diaspora, back then you were riding bikes all the time. Now you get Yankee-ized and you don't want to get on the bike.
You don't want to get on the bike. You don't want to move around. And we begin to believe that the bike is a status symbol, if, you know, we were brainwashed to believe that if you have a car, you're doing well, but if you have a bike you're doing poor. No, it's not.
And so we want to find the right location. DOT has been doing an amazing job but it's going to be challenging to put in a park. Everyone will be… They march already. They'll be marching all heck if you try to put them inside the park spaces. Okay, Mr. President. This is the president of the precinct council. You know, so we could connect with him. Yes.
Commissioner Cortés-Vázques: Next table. Mr. Mayor, we also have Commissioner Rodriguez and I are in conversation about how we can make those bikes safer and more accessible for older adults so that we can encourage you. So, more to come on that.
Mayor Adams: Yes, thank you. Thank you. How are you, ma'am?
Question: Hi, how are you?
Mayor Adams: Shh. Let's show her some love. Show her some love.
Question: The bikes, I can't ride a bike so maybe I'll do better with a tricycle. Where I live, there's been scaffolding for like over 10 years. A scaffold is not supposed to be a permanent fixture. It's just a sore thumb and it's just ugly.
So why can't I get that scaffold out of the way? And besides, if they're going to fix, they never fix anything. There's nothing being fixed here. It's not supposed to be there permanently.
Mayor Adams: Listen, I'm with you. Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi and the Department of Buildings Jimmy Oddo… It's Atlantic Terminal? They have put in place real scaffolding reform because we're with you. These sheds are standing up too long.
And we have put in place new procedures, and we're going to use new technology that can actually use infrared to examine these buildings because they should not stay up this long. They put in new reforms, and you're going to see a big difference.
Question: [Inaudible.] 
Mayor Adams: You're right. We're with you. That's a big issue for us. We're with you. I'm with you 100 percent. Okay. Listen.
>> All right. So that's the end of our questions. Thank you, all.
Mayor Adams: Where is Michael Cooper. Did Michael leave? Michael, you had a question? Now you're eating. Now you forgot. Michael Cooper is a long, long time activist in the Crown Heights community. He just about raised me, you know. I've known him for, what, 40 years, brother?
Question: Something like that. We stopped counting.
Mayor Adams: Go ahead and ask your question, brother.
Question: There's $30 million of scholarship money that usually goes unused in New York City.
Mayor Adams: $30 million scholarships.
Question: $30 million. I would like to know how we can utilize those funds for young people to get a head start on the opportunity that when it comes time to use the money, that they are equipped academically in order to then utilize those funds.
So, it's $30 million I'm talking about. Students from middle school up to college that we can possibly do because I think you know we had a program called Root Revision, used to take people.
Mayor Adams: To Africa and other places.
Question: Throughout the country as well as outside of the country, 23 countries in Africa, as you know, South America, all of that. I'm going to stop preaching now.
Mayor Adams: We have you connect with our person at DOE that deals with these scholarships and DYCD. Can we have someone connect with DYCD to find out about it.
Question: Appreciate it.
Question: Mr. Mayor, we have a person right here she has a very concern.
Mayor Adams: Yes, ma'am.
Question: Mr. Mayor, happy to see you stay well and be good.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Question: My problem is I clean up the sidewalk. There's nothing more I can do. They're giving me summons after summons and threatening me… 
Mayor Adams: Let her finish. So they repeatedly have given you summons.
Question: Summons after summons. I've got a summons that I've got to go to court. Then they sent me summons. The scooter, they're scooting up and down. They're riding the bicycle up and down. When are they going to block the scooters and the bikes from the sidewalk so that they wouldn't kill a child, knock over the elderly?
Mayor Adams: Too many of them have happened. We have a real scooter enforcement plan that we're doing. But can we have someone from CAU look at the summons problem she's having, sister? Go ahead, ma'am, we'll do our last question. Only one of you.
Question: You know those orange things you put on the sidewalk around the trees.
Mayor Adams: Tree guards.
Question: Anyway, if people bring the garbage and throw it inside there, I have to clean it otherwise we will get a ticket. So when they first put it, they had the ring and the whole thing sank down, I had to call they filled it back up. These block railings that you put on the sidewalks.
Mayor Adams: Tree guards. So, what do you say you don't want the tree guards.
Question: I don't like it because they cut away the sidewalk and all the water goes there.
Mayor Adams: The drain. Okay. I gotcha. But the purpose of it is because we are getting such heavy rain now that we need to be able to drain it. That's the program. And everyone is asking for one. You said you don't want one? This one don't even look finished. Okay. That's DEP. Can we… DEP. Let's look at it. It's not supposed to look like that.
Question: This is on Pine Street, Pitkin and Pine.
Mayor Adams: Not supposed to look like that. Looks like a grave site. Listen, have a Happy New Year's. Good to see you all again. Love you. Thanks so much.
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