A special report to the
Residents of the 41st Assembly District

Spring 2022

Assemblywoman

Helene E. Weinstein

Dear Friend,

As your Assemblywoman, my mission has always been to effectively advocate in Albany on issues directly affecting the families living in my district.

As Chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, I have committed to ensuring that the budget crafting process provides an opportunity for all interested parties to weigh in. The 2022-23 State Budget is the product of exhaustive and unbiased consideration, and I feel it is truly sympathetic to the many needs of New Yorkers, state-wide. More importantly, the budget goes great lengths to counteract the adverse effects of rising inflation.

I’ve included some of the highlights below, but, as always, you’re more than welcome to reach out to my office for more information. You can do so by calling (718) 648-4700 or emailing me at weinsth@nyassembly.gov.

Also, I encourage all to follow me on twitter @heleneweinstein and contact my office to sign up for my free e-newletter, both great ways to stay informed and up to date. Keep safe and stay healthy!

Sincerely,

Inflation and Pandemic Relief

After two incredibly challenging years of physical, emotional and economic distress and uncertainty, we’re facing new hurdles. Families are being burdened with rising inflation that’s putting major stress on their wallets.

This year’s budget includes measures to offset the effects of inflation, including various tax cuts, new tax credits, and subsidies:

• The phasing in of a tax cut that will save New York families $162 million in 2022-23 and $615 million in 2023-24
• A suspension of state gas taxes for the rest of the year, saving drivers $585 million
• A one-year property tax rebate credit for households eligible for STAR and with incomes below $250,000
• A supplemental earned income tax credit (EITC) to taxpayers equal for an average of $190 per taxpayer as well as a supplemental Empire State Child Credit for families with children over the age of four

Education/Higher Education

The budget also makes an historic investment in education, including:

Childcare:

• Increases in eligibility for childcare-related subsidies up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level
• Tax incentives for property owners expanding or creating new childcare centers in New York City
• An increase of the market rate reimbursement to 80 percent
• Grants to childcare providers including funds for wages
• $1.1 billion for Universal Prekindergarten

Public Schooling:

• $31.2 billion in School Aid
• $21.3 billion in Foundation Aid

Higher Education:

• $203 million - a $6 million increase - to opportunity programs that help individuals in New York Access Higher Education

Buying and Staying In Your Home or Apartment

Even prior to the pandemic, buying a home was not an easy task. And, once purchased, the challenge of maintaining regular payments on a mortgage is an issue for many.

In an effort to help those New Yorkers trying to find a home and keeping those who have one in them, the budget makes significant investments in affordable housing and rent and homeownership relief, such as:

• $350 million for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Developments
• $100 million for additional Mitchell-Lama repairs and homeownership programs
• $100 million for the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity (HONDA) Program
• $7 million for the construction of rental housing with under 20 units
• $2 million in additional funding for the HOPE/RESTORE program for a total of $3.4 million to help keep seniors in their homes
• $1.1 billion in funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) and the Landlord Rental Assistance Program (LRAP)
• $250 million for a utility arrears program, to be administered by the Department of Public Service

Health and Mental Health

We have seen the effects of the pandemic on our health care system as well as on New Yorkers’ mental well-being. This budget addresses the health and wellness of New Yorkers by making critical investments in our health care system as well as in mental health programs that have become more essential to our communities.

We’ve included bonus payments for many full-time health and mental hygiene frontline workers, a long-overdue increase in the home care worker minimum wage, and a boost in funding for peer-to-peer support and counseling for veterans dealing with civilian life transition, PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

For more information on these items and more, please visit https://nyassembly.gov/Press/.

Nostrand Sheepshead Houses Tablet/Phone Distribution

Assemblywoman Weinstein joined State Senator Roxanne Persaud at NYCHA’s Sheepshead/Nostrand House to publicize the services and programs offered through their offices and distribute free cell phones or tablets to qualified NYCHA residents in conjunction with New York City’s Human Resources Administration.

Free Rapid Covid-19 Tests Available!

At a recent event, Assemblywoman Weinstein and Councilwoman Farah Louis distributed free Rapid Covid-19 Testing Kits and KN95 Masks to their constituents. Please call our district office if you are interested in picking up some Rapid Covid-19 Tests for your family.

Standing With Ukraine

Along with her City and State Government colleagues, Assemblywoman Weinstein visited the Ukrainian Consulate in New York City to meet with General Oleksii Holubov, Consul General. The Elected Officials expressed their strong condemnation of the unprovoked military action taken by the Russian Federation, and pledged unity with the government and people of Ukraine.

Mobile Tolerance Museum

This year, Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein - with help from the fantastic administrators and nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital of Brooklyn brought the free flu shots outreach program to Sheepshead Bay and residents of the Philip Howard Building at 1655 Flatbush Avenue.

Lewis Fidler Park

Assemblywoman Weinstein joined family, fellow elected officials and friends in the official ribbon cutting of Lew Fidler Park, located on Emmons Avenue at Knapp Street. The park had been a decades long project of the late Councilman and community leader.

United Chinese Association of Brooklyn

For two decades, the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn has been working to improve the quality of life for the Chinese-American community, borough-wide. Assemblywoman Weinstein participated in the ribbon cutting for newest branch of the UCAB, on Avenue U.

Criminal Justice Reform: Keeping Us Safe

The 2022-23 State Budget includes meaningful and significant changes to our public safety laws including:

• $227 million for initiatives strengthening gun violence prevention efforts by law enforcement and community-based organizations
• Expansion of the list of factors that judges must consider when setting bail
• Allowing police to make arrests, not just issue desk appearance tickets, for all repeat offenses covered by the bail law
• Expansion of the arrest/bail eligibility to include all hate crimes committed by individuals 18 or older
• Expansion of bail eligibility to include all three felony gun possession offenses
• $11.3 million to launch the Governor’s Safe Options Support (SOS) homeless outreach teams, which will conduct direct one-on-one outreach to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness

These investments and meaningful changes in public safety law pave a clear path towards a safer and more just New York, which in the end benefits everyone.

Helene Weinstein brings the Senior Half-Fare
MetroCard Bus to the Community Office

On the First Tuesday of the Month 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon

You can apply for the Senior Half-Fare MetroCard if you are 65+ or have a Qualifying Disability
(photo identification is required)

Only MetroCard holders get a
FREE transfer between buses and trains

Catch the MetroCard Bus at Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein’s Community Office

3520 Nostrand Avenue • 718-648-4700

No Appointment Required
Only Cash Transactions