Author: Honey Berk

Free Rides to Vaccination Appointments for NYC Seniors

Posted on by Honey Berk

Curb has recently started an important partnership with the City of New York to provide rides to and from vaccination sites for COVID-19 related transportation for NYC Seniors. Please forward this to anyone you know in need.

What you need to know
Residents aged 65+ unable to travel for their vaccine are eligible for free vaccine transportation services to and from City vaccination sites with Curb-powered taxi services.

How do you get a ride?
It’s easy. Call 877-VAX-4NYC to make an appointment at a City-operated vaccination site or go check out NYC COVID-19 Vaccine Finder. After making an appointment to get vaccinated, participants will be screened and directed to Curb’s 24/7 call center to book their trips, Access-a-Ride, or ambulette services as appropriate.

Taxi safety
All vaccination trips in Curb taxis have partitions; all cabs are routinely cleaned and disinfected as outlined by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. Masks are required for all riders & drivers.

If you have any questions, please call 877-VAX-4NYC.

Don’t forget to share this with anyone you know who is having difficulty traveling to a vaccination site.

Make a Vaccination Appointment Today: Book online or call 877-VAX-4NYC.

GPTA February 2021 Newsletter

Posted on by Honey Berk

Feb 2, 2021

Topics:

  • Class Action Update
  • GPTA Annual Meeting
  • Food Drive beginning Monday
  • Clarification for QRS residents switching apartments
  • Voter registration for NYC elections

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT UPDATE

Many of you have asked about the credits from the Class Action that were supposed to be applied by Feb. 2. Because of a glitch in calculation of the credits, however, the credits have been delayed by a week or so but are expected to appear on your rental accounts by Feb. 15. The glitch was not a Gateway error, but an error by the claims administrator. This error now appears to have been resolved.

GPTA will be following up if the credits do not appear by that time.

In our conversation with management, we advocated for late fees to be waived and management agreed to waive fees for Feb. 

Also, Gateway will not provide information to residents in reference to the Class Action settlement amounts and calculations. Such information should be provided by the resident attorneys.

GPTA ANNUAL MEETING

The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association will hold its annual meeting, by ZOOM, in March 2021 (date to be announced).

The meeting will feature updates from City and State elected officials, as well as the election of GPTA Board Members for the next term.

GPTA membership is open to all Gateway residents.

We will be providing information on the website in the weeks to come so you know how to join, participate in the meeting and vote for Board representatives.

(Perhaps you’d like to run for the Board?  If so, write to us at gatewayplazata@gmail.com. Think about it!)

GPTA/ FOOD BANK OF NY FOOD DRIVE

Help fight hunger in New York City by donating food to the Food Bank Of New York City. 

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE

Deposit food items listed below in the boxes provided by FBNY from Monday evening, Feb. 1 to morning of Feb. 10. Boxes are locate in the lobby of the 400/375 building.

Vegetables·       Canned Vegetables (low sodium preferred)
·       Tomato Sauce
·       Vegetable Soups (low sodium preferred)
·       Broth (low sodium preferred) 
Fruits·       Canned Fruits (in juice or light syrup)
·       Dried Fruits
·       100% Fruit Juices 
Proteins·       Beans – canned or dry
·       Peanut Butter
·       Canned Meat (chicken, beef, ham)
·       Canned Fish (tuna, salmon, sardines)
·       Canned Stews (chicken or beef) 
Grains·       Rice (white or brown, flavored)
·       Pasta/Noodles
·       Cold Cereal
·       Hot Cereal (grits, oatmeal, farina)
·       Flour/Cornmeal/Baking Mixes
·       Whole Grain Crackers
·       Couscous 
Dairy·       Dry Milk Packets
·       Shelf Stable Milk
·       Soy/Almond/Rice Milk 
Specialty Items·       Cereals
·       Nutrition Beverages (Boost, Ensure, Carnation Instant Breakfast)
·       Granola Bars 
Other Items·       Diapers
·       Feminine Products
·       Personal Care Items/Hygiene Items

RENT STABILIZED RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO SWITCH APARTMENTS

GPTA has received inquiries about QRS residents switching apartments and whether the agreement covers the apartment or the tenant. The answer from management was as follows: “QRS Rights move with the resident if they transfer to another Gateway apartment at the end of a current lease term.”

NYC PRIMARY ELECTIONS COMING UP.  ARE YOU REGISTERED?

Primary Elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President and Council Members is Jun. 22.  If you are not registered, or want to declare or change party affiliation, here are dates to be aware of:

We send our sincere hopes that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.

GPTA

Rosalie, Robin, Jeff, Bruce, Karlene (Executive Board)

Audrey, Sarah, Howard, Honey, Pat, Steve, Larry, Denise

Class Action Settlement Info as of January 11, 2021

Posted on by Honey Berk


Latest news from Marina Towers states that the settlements will be posted in time to be applied to February rental invoices.  However, they state that there have been some discrepancies with the administrator overseeing the distributions, so it is possible that the settlements are posted to accounts in February but perhaps not in time to be reflected n the February invoices.  The amount per resident is not fixed and varies greatly based on a number of factors.

Settlement + Stabilization Updates

Posted on by Honey Berk

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT UPDATE

Our August 28 Newsletter reported that the notice of entry of the Court’s judgment approving the class action settlement was served on August 6, which should have meant that the settlement would have become final 30 days thereafter – that is, the day after Labor Day.  However, because of Gov. Cuomo’s COVID-19 Executive Orders, all court deadlines were suspended until November 4.  As a result, the class action will not become final until December 4.  Settlement credits are required to be posted to tenants’ rent accounts within 60 days of settlement finality, or by February 3.  We understand that the settlement administrator may move more quickly than that.  Gateway Management has informed us that they hope that the settlement credits will appear on the January or February rent bills.

If you would like get the most up to date information about the class action settlement, please see the settlement website:  https://www.gatewayplazasettlement.com, or contact class counsel, Jeffrey Norton, JNorton@nfllp.com, (212) 619-5400.

RENT STABILIZATION UPDATE

Now that HUD has signed off on the QRS Agreement, GPTA has been  told  that  all QRS tenants, who received 5% increases prior to the new stabilization agreement, have received credit for the overpayment as of this December billing cycle.

Tenant Survey to Collect Info About Pandemic-Related Effects on Rent Payments and About Lease Renewals

Posted on by Honey Berk

GPTA asks you to please take a moment and fill out this important survey as soon as you possibly can.

SURVEY LINK: https://forms.gle/MCnspGYuAXEcoUYF7

The data from this survey will help us and our elected officials better understand the impact of the past five months on our Gateway community, for both rent stabilized and market rate tenants. We need information from residents about the financial effects of the pandemic on the ability to pay rent. We are also interested in knowing more about your lease and renewal status

Please assist us by providing responses to the following questions. You can provide personal information if you wish, but you can answer anonymously as well. GPTA will keep all identifying information confidential. (One entry per household, please.)

We are taking action but we need this information. Please participate!

Thank you for your support,

Resources for Tenants Suffering Financial Hardship

Posted on by Honey Berk

The following resources were recommended to GPTA by Sen. Brian Kavanagh’s office:

Legal Aid Society 
Website: legalaidnyc.org
Manhattan: 212-426-3000
Brooklyn: 718-722-3100

Legal Services 
Website: legalservicesnyc.org
Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, call general intake line: 917-661-4500
Will be referred to borough-based offices

New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
Website: nylag.org

For tenants with housing issues, call: 212.613.5000
Monday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Following is a list of other Manhattan legal providers that the senator’s office refers constituents to on a regular basis, though we have been told that many of their services are available across all five boroughs. Contact info can be found on their respective websites.

Lease Info for Rent Stabilized Tenants

Posted on by Honey Berk

Please be advised that lease renewals being sent to “stabilized” tenants do not reflect the increases recently approved by the Battery Park City Authority and Gateway management. The new rates will be included in the renewals once HUD has approved the agreement.  We do not have a time-line for HUD approval, but we understand that the application for HUD approval has been made. 

In the meantime, we have learned from residents that Management has advised them to sign the non-stabilized offers that they have received and that tenant accounts will be adjusted, including credits for any money overpaid, once the new stabilization agreement has been approved by HUD.

GPTA will be following up and reporting once we have more information. 

Rent Stabilization Deal Announced!

Posted on by Honey Berk

The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association (GPTA) is pleased to report that the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) and the Gateway Plaza landlord (Marina Towers) have reached an agreement to extend rent protections for the tenants who had been covered by the prior rent stabilization agreement that expired on June 30.  The new deal is not perfect, but it continues significant protections to those long-term tenants who have lived at Gateway since 2009.

The new agreement will be retroactive to July 1 and it provides a right of lease renewal at fixed rates for 10 years, to June 30, 2030.  Unlike the prior agreements, the new agreement does not reference the NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines.  Instead, covered tenants will be offered one-year renewals at a maximum increase of 2.5%, and two-year renewals at a maximum increase of 3.78125%.  The one-year 2.5% figure is greater than the current and recent-past NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates, but is roughly equal to the 20-year average NYC Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates since 2000.

While we are glad that a new rent protection deal has been reached, we are disappointed that the deal did not provide stabilization for all current tenants.  We are also disappointed by the decision to permit annual rent increases for “stabilized” tenants based on fixed percentage rates, even though those percentages may be based on averages of past Rent Stabilization Guidelines rates.  The NYC Rent Guidelines Board takes account of current economic conditions in setting its rates.  Even though Rent Guidelines Board renewal rates in the last 20 years have sometimes been as high as 4.5%, Rent Guidelines Board renewal rates in recent years have been below 2.5% and in fact are 0% for the coming year, due to the pandemic.  Notwithstanding the new agreement’s 2.5% rent cap, GPTA believes that during the coming pandemic year all Gateway tenants should be offered renewals at 0%. There are many Gateway tenants who are suffering job and income loss due to the pandemic; they will be particularly hard hit by any rent increase at this time.

Although imperfect, the new rent protection agreement is a step in preserving housing affordability for those covered by the agreement.  GPTA expresses its thanks for the hard work and determination of the BPCA negotiation team in completing a new deal. We also want to express our appreciation to our elected officials, including Congressman Jerry Nadler, Comptroller Scott Stringer, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou, Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Margaret Chin for their long advocacy in support of Gateway’s residents.

GPTA Newsletter 6

Posted on by Honey Berk

Dear Neighbors,

We hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy.  

Before we go into our updates, we want to address concerns voiced by some tenants that they have not heard from us. There are two (2) ways we distribute information.  First, you would have received this newsletter by email because you had provided us with your email address at some point. If you know of any neighbors not receiving our newsletter, please forward this to them or have them email us at gatewayplazata@gmail.com to get on the distribution list. And second, you can always come here to our website. We update the website as helpful information comes in.  It is important that residents regularly check the website for the most up to date information. 

RENT STABILIZATION UPDATE
As most of you know the current Rent Stabilization Agreement expires tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30th.   We know this is very distressing especially in these uncertain times.  We have been working diligently to push towards an agreement.  As we have mentioned in previous notes, the negotiations are between BPCA and Marina Towers, the Gateway landlord, and they are protected by a Non-Disclosure Agreement.   However, as a result of our engagement with BPCA and the  elected officials, we can provide this information:

  • We are in regular communication with BPCA as to the importance of reaching an agreement ASAP.  During our last meeting on Friday, we were once again informed that BPCA and Marina Towers are in active negotiations for an extension of the agreement.  
  • BPCA issued a public statement on June 11th (which we conveyed to our email lists and posted on our website) that states both sides are committed to negotiating an extension and if the extension agreement is completed after June 30th, it will be retroactive.  Retroactivity is an important element that GPTA has strongly urged be included since many rent stabilized tenants have had to sign leases without their former protections.  (see gpta.org for more information regarding leases that expire after July 31st and August 31st)
  • GPTA has reached out to Governor Cuomo to urge his office to press for the conclusion of the rent stabilization extension.
  • GPTA continues to work closely with our elected officials- Congressman Nadler, City Comptroller Stringer, Manhattan Borough President Brewer, State Senator Kavanagh, NYS Assembly Member Niou and NYC Council Member Chin. Most recently they have sent a joint letter to Marina Towers and BPCA to push for a conclusion to the agreement.  
  • GPTA has been informed that BPCA as well as the elected officials have been in contact with the Governor’s office. 

While we remain hopeful that an agreement between BPCA and Marina Towers will be reached, it is quite possible that it will occur after the expiration of the existing agreement.  We encourage our members to continue (indeed redouble) their emails to our elected officials including Governor Cuomo of the importance of signing off on an agreement. You will find the elected officials addresses at the end of this newsletter.

COMMUNITY BOARD ONE
GPTA congratulates Gateway resident, Tammy Meltzer, on her election as Chair of Community Board 1. Tammy served on the GPTA Board in the past and we have no doubt that she will continue to be a great advocate for our community.

WEAR YOUR MASK
Whenever we leave our apartments to go to the lobby, laundry room or outside we must wear a mask.  Please understand that wearing a mask protects you and saves others.  If you need a mask or if you know of anyone who needs one Email gatewayplazata@gmail.GPTA recently passed out surgical masks that were provided by the Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer, for our residents. We have some left so reach out to us if you need one. 

STAY INFORMED…STAY IN TOUCH
We invite all residents to join GPTA ($25 per household per calendar year) and follow us on our social media to stay informed.  Our website will be updated with useful information for our residents. Our email is below to stay in touch. 

Website: gpta.org
Facebook: Gateway Plaza Tenants Association
To post on our FB page:

  • Like our page (not simply a post or a picture on the page.)
  • Click on “Post”. The “Post” option appears on the same row and to the right of “Home” and “About”.

Twitter: @GPTA_BPC
Email: gatewayplazata@gmail.com

LINKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
New York Coronavirus Hotline
New York State has established a helpline for employees to report their employer if they believe they are not following proper PPE, hygiene, and social distancing guidelines. Employees can call (888) 364-3065.

Testing Sites in NYC
All New Yorkers are now eligible for free COVID testing, regardless of whether or not you have symptoms or are at an increased risk. Click here for more information and to find a testing center.

The New York State Department of Health has created a map where individuals can find all of the State run testing sites. To find a New York City Health + Hospitals testing site, click here.

Plans for Pets
As a reminder, the Animal Care Centers of New York is encouraging pet owners to have a plan in place for your pet in case you need to go to the hospital. If you are in need of assistance, you can all call the NYC COVID-19 Pet Hotline seven days a week, from 8:00 AM-8:00 PM at (877) 204-8821.

For emergency preparedness advice during COVID-19, please refer to NYC Office of Emergency Management’s website.

For Seniors and At-risk Neighbors
PSS COVID-19 Resource Guide
PSS, an organization dedicated to strengthening the capacity of older New Yorkers, has created a Resource Guide. This guide contains legal assistance, resources for caregivers, and more. Additionally, they are hosting a number of virtual events on topics ranging from chair yoga, support groups, managing bills, and more. For more information and to register, click here.

PSS also has a caregiver support program, entitled Circle of Care. Through this program, PSS will provide free personalized support through a Care Consultant.

VNSNY CHOICE
VNSNY CHOICE, part of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, is launching a series of online classes and workshops. They have partnered with community groups, including local community centers, senior advocacy groups and health and wellness experts to deliver these programs. The first event is an online exercise class on Tuesday, June 23rd from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM. For more VSNY Choice events, click here.

SAGE
SAGE, a DFTA-funded senior center dedicated to LGBTQ+ seniors is holding virtual programming for seniors throughout the month of June. Programming includes classes, social hours, discussion groups, workshops, art therapy, and physical activity. The calendar for virtual events can be found here.

Senior Strong NYC
The Grey Panthers and the Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation, through their program, Senior Strong NYC, have created a list of resources for seniors during this pandemic. Individuals can find information relating to how to cope with anxiety, avoiding scams, and how to access food and supplies.

LiveOn NY
LiveOn NY is an Authorized Enroller for the GetFoodNYC program and able to register New Yorkers for home delivered meals. For those in need of home delivered meals, please reach out to their Benefits Outreach program number by calling (212) 398-5045.

Free Financial Counseling
NYC Financial Empowerment Center is providing free one-on-one financial counseling. Counselors can help individuals develop a strategy to minimize debt, access federal, state, and local resources, receive student loan debt tips, and more.

The Met Council is continuing to offer services throughout this pandemic. By calling (929) 292-9261, individuals can access free tax filings, emergency home repairs for seniors, food access, and more. Additionally, if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, the Met Council’s hotline is open and available to provide confidential help. You can reach the hotline by calling (212) 453-9618.

Meal Hubs
The NYC Department of Education (DOE)  is committed to making free meals available daily for any New Yorker. Any New Yorker who wants one, can get free meals at more than 400 Meal Hubs across the city. Vegetarian, Halal and Kosher options are available. For more information and to find a location near you, please click here. In Battery Park City, free meals are available at PS276, 55 Battery Place.

Through the GetFood NYC website, individuals and families can find information regarding free food locations, recipes for cooking at home, food delivery programs, how to report an issue with a delivery, and more.

DOE Updates
As the school year comes to a close, the Department of Education (DOE) has launched an anonymous survey to help them understand what is important to families as preparations begin to reopen in the fall. Parents and guardians may complete the Return to 2020 Survey here. Similarly, Students may complete the Return to 2020 Survey here.

Click here to read the full letter from Chancellor Carranza, plus a FAQ section on what a return to school would look like.

FOR TENANTS
Eviction Free NYC!
Despite the eviction moratorium in place in NYS due to COVID-19, Eviction Free NYC! Is still available to assist tenants in responding to an eviction notice and connecting them with available resources. Click here for more information.

Met Council on Housing
The Met Council on Housing’s hotline for Tenant’s Rights is still available for tenants. This hotline is free and open to any tenant living in New York City. For assistance, call (212) 979-0611 at the day and times below:

  • Monday, 1:30 PM-8:00 PM
  • Tuesday, 5:30 PM-8:00 PM
  • Wednesday, 1:30 PM-8:00 PM
  • Friday, 1:30 PM-5:00 PM

Click here for additional information, including an FAQ section.

LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES’ CONTACT INFORMATION

We wish you good health and strength during this challenging time.

GPTA

Rosalie, Robin, Jeff, Bruce, Karlene, Honey, Sarah, Pat, Howard, Audrey, Larry, Steve, Denise