Affordable Housing Policy
Mayor Eric Adams has announced a $75 million plan to upgrade infrastructure and build affordable housing in the neglected neighborhood of "The Hole" on the Brooklyn-Queens border.
This area has been plagued by frequent flooding due to its lack of connection to the city sewer line, and residents have expressed dissatisfaction about substandard living conditions. The funds will be used to install sewer lines, create a drainage pond, and implement green infrastructure to address the flooding issues.
Grants for Faith Institutions
Trinity Church Wall Street has awarded over $22 million in grants to 111 nonprofit organizations across the globe. The grants focus on urgent issues such as housing affordability, mental health, community safety, and asylum seekers. A significant portion of the funding, more than $8 million, is allocated to organizations addressing the affordable housing crisis and homelessness in New York City.
Four historically black churches have been awarded grants through the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund partnered with Conserving Black Modernism, which focuses on preserving modern architecture by Black architects and designers. This $3.8 million grant aimed at preserving 40 historical sites related to African American history, and in addition to the four churches, will support the preservation of theaters, and swimming pools. The grants range from $50,000 to $155,000 and will contribute to building restoration, staff capacity, project development, and educational programs.
The churches included in this preservation effort are Second Baptist Church of Detroit, MI, Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia, PA, First Baptist Church-West in Charlotte, NC, and Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond, VA.
Halal Food in NYC
NYC is home to approximately 770,000 Muslims from a variety of countries. Muslim Foodies bloggers set out on a mission to map out all of the halal restaurants in the City. What began as frustration by the limited search results for halal options, turned into a discovery of a diverse culinary world offering a wide range of cuisines beyond the typical halal carts.
Their blog now has reviews of approximately 370 halal restaurants around the City.
