City Council Candidate Responses
District 46
1. Please briefly share your background and note any experiences you may have in engaging older adults, whether professionally or personally, and in connecting with the non-profit sector.
Gardy Brazela
As a lifelong community advocate, I have worked with numerous senior centers and organizations within my district to ensure that older adults have adequate access to affordable housing and food resources. During the pandemic, I have help distribute over 10,000 boxes of food and PPE within my community. A large number of the recipients were older adults on fixed incomes.
Zuri S. Jackson
I’m is a lifelong resident of Brooklyn. Born and raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn New York, I grew up in a two parent household, where her mother was an educator and father an entrepreneur. My parents' strong work ethnic and commitment to contributing to the building of their community and making their “village” problems their problems, instilled in me, an unshakable commitment to be a part of the solution. As a student, I was educated at New York City public schools from kindergarten through high school. I hold a B.A. in Education and Master’s in Guidance & School Counseling. I also hold a Master’s in Administration and Supervision in Education from Brooklyn College. I’m is a long time Georgetown resident with my husband and their daughter. From being a classroom Teacher, School Counselor, Assistant Principal, School Based Services Administrator, Borough Enrollment Director and lastly a Senior Administrator with the Office of Counseling Support Programs at Tweed, I have devoted my life to public education, to empowering and nurturing our students, supporting our families and taking on the politicians and corporate interests that harm our young people and destabilize our communities through corrupt and inequitable policies that promote cultures of “the have and the have nots” As a Borough Enrollment Director for the Office of Enrollment I worked tirelessly with school administrators, school counselors and social workers across all school districts (including my district) to ensure there was equity in school placement. Oftentimes challenging the central office of enrollment city’s admissions process that promoted racial and economic segregation by way of prioritizing students who lived in the surrounding school communities, had the highest math and reading scores and whose parents were connected . My advocacy against the Office of Enrollment inequitable polices resulted in equitable school placements during which my enrollment center developed a reputation of support, equity and justice for all of our city’s families. Throughout my 32 years as an educator I have worked collaboratively with my older citizens (intergenerational families) which has resulted on increased student achievement, improved graduation rates, and better preparation for families. I have called on the village for support by partnering with community based organizations as a means of providing wrap around services for our young people and families . These services included mentoring programs, resources for families and students such as connections to mental health services, affordable housing, health care and employment opportunities.
Mercedes Narcisse
I am registered nurse for over 30 years who was raised in district 46 and have raised my four children in the district. My most recent title was a manager at the Renaissance Adult Social Day Care Center where I had to oversee many of the social and economic needs for our seniors. During my career as a registered nurse, I served as a visiting nurse where most of my clientele were seniors so I have first-hand knowledge of the needs of homebound seniors. During the height of the pandemic, I made sure that I delivered food and services to our seniors especially making sure that they had access to not only their PPE, but also their medication. I partnered with church organizations who had a lot of seniors as members and needed this assistance and I was happy to serve,
2. As we live longer and healthier lives, what are your priorities with respect to promoting equity across all ages in our City?
Gardy Brazela
My main priority is ensuring that our elderly residents have the proper resources to stay in their homes and communities with dignity. This includes securing more funds for freezing rents for elderly New Yorkers, increasing access to food delivery services and ensuring that all New Yorkers who need at home medical attention have the opportunity to get good, affordable care.
Zuri S. Jackson
The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its response measures, have blown the whistle on health inequalities built into New York City’s physical infrastructure and embroidered into the social fabric of our communities that occupy them. If New York City does not address the underlying theme of these inequalities, known as social determinants of health , it’s equivalent to putting a ban-aid on the wound and not curing the disease. This calls for the investment in New York City’s Social Determinants of Health. Where can New York City begin? It is necessary to unite as a village. I will work collaboratively with community and faith-based organizations, healthcare systems and providers, public health agencies, government agencies, policy makers and others that all play a pivotal role in advancing equitable access to health.. I will also advocate to allocate a certain percentage of the budget an annual basis, for the acquisition of real property, and the construction and rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities that provide safe places and facilities for after-school, weekend and holiday programs for local children, youth and families, provide opportunities for healthy living in all neighborhoods, and improve the quantity and quality of green spaces in the county. Also the infrastructure of a federal jobs guarantee could facilitate the provision of other jobs like those created by green infrastructure programs, efforts to rebuild schools and public housing, and energy efficiency improvements of low-income housing. Since a federal jobs guarantee would work through state and local organizations, it could also ensure not only that these jobs go to people in the communities most affected by climate change but that local communities can decide which projects and, thus, which jobs to invest in, based on their needs
One of the financing solutions I would implement is a modern Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Addressing the threat of climate change will require even more significant industrial shifts. To get there, we need a renewed public role for financing solutions to problems the market can’t resolve on its own.
Mercedes Narcisse
My primary focus is public health. We need more Healthcare facilities. District 46 has the highest number of individuals with chronic illnesses yet we have no hospitals or community health centers (CHCs). Providing access to CHCs in multipurpose spaces is a priority for me. We need Mental Health for All and a separate call number (besides for 911) to de-escalate issues that are occurring when they are occurring. We need to make sure that everyone has access to decent and affordable housing. A lot of seniors live in NYCHA and are unable to advocate for themselves. We need to develop a metric for what decent and safe means for NYCHA residents and partner with housing CBOs to educate and serve individuals living in NYCHA and other low-income housing. Education is the greatest equalizer. We have a lot of grandparents who are raising young individuals and need the support. Therefore we need more afterschool and sports programs that young people can access with ease and that would not be a strain on our grandparents. We need more cultural resources for individuals who are accessing low-income programs to increase resources within our communities.
3. Do you support increasing the budget for the Department for the Aging (DFTA), which funds programs such as Senior Centers, NORCs, home-delivered meals, and more? Please give rationale for your response and specify any specific funding changes you are most committed to achieving.
Gardy Brazela
Yes, I fully support this Initiative and support LiveOn's funding priorities. As the pandemic disrupted all of our lives, we found that isolation and loneliness became another epidemic amongst our elderly residents. Combating this must become a priority of our road to recovery.
Zuri S. Jackson
I definitely support increasing the budget for the Department of Aging as now is the time for NYC to make a bold investment in older adult support services to address the increasing needs of the largest population in our city’s history. Their should be an increase in funding for several of our agencies from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD)—to expand or develop programs for older adults. We can begin by doubling funding for the Department for the Aging (DFTA). The agency has primary responsibility for funding older adult services across the five boroughs, but with one of the smallest budgets of any agency DFTA has long lacked the resources to support innovative new programs and scale up current initiatives to meet surging demand. Doubling DFTA’s budget, from approximately $400 million today to $800 million by 2021, will enable the agency to sustain and grow critical support services that are at or over capacity—from home delivered meals and digital literacy programs to NORCs. But at least half of the increased funding for DFTA should be dedicated to supporting innovative programming and experimenting with new initiatives that address social isolation, support the caregiving workforce, develop intergenerational programs, and much more.
Mercedes Narcisse
Yes, in my role as a registered nurse, I served as a visiting nurse which consisted of many seniors, and I recently managed Renaissance Day Care Center in the Flatbush section in Brooklyn.
4. Do you support implementing a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for city-contracted human service workers and the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) initiative for non-profits? Please explain your response.
Gardy Brazela
Yes, these workers have been instrumental in ensuring that our residents were safe, healthy and cared for. Meeting these minimum adjustments is the least we can do as a City.
Zuri S. Jackson
Our city-contracted and non-profit human service workers play a critical role in uplifting our most vulnerable New Yorkers of all ages. These human service workers provide a broad array of essential services to fellow New Yorkers and it is critical that they receive the resources and funding needed to continue the delivery of these services. Community-based organizations have always been the lifeline of our communities and invaluable members of our government’s village but have not received the complete funding needed for indirect services like administrative expenses and overhead costs, such as rent. As such, I unequivocally support implementing a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for city-contracted human service workers and the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) that requires the City to cover the full indirect cost of programs delivered by our CBO partners.
Mercedes Narcisse
Yes I support this whole-heartedly because I realize that human service workers serve individuals that are similar to them. Human service workers are providing a valuable service to our society and deserve to have a livable wage. They know what their clientele needs and will provide sound advice on how to access these services in a way that minimize bureaucratic hurdles. Usually, human service workers are also eligible for the services that they are providing.
We definitely need the full implementation of the Indirect Cost Rate initiative for non-profits. As someone who has managed a senior day care, indirect costs are a significant part of the budget and many funders do not provide enough "room" for indirect costs.
5. Given that many older New Yorkers rely on limited fixed incomes and would prefer to age in community, rather than entering costly nursing homes, how will you address the need for affordable senior housing with services for a growing older population? How will you evaluate/respond to affordable senior housing proposals during ULURP?
Gardy Brazela
I will demand that any new development within my district has a certain portion of units allocated to affordable senior housing, or sets aside funds to subsidize aging residents who have trouble meeting rising costs. I also support the expansion of programs like SCRIE and SCHE to help our seniors stay in their community and homes.
Zuri S. Jackson
I will also advocate to allocate a certain percentage of the budget an annual basis, for the acquisition of real property which includes affordable senior housing and the construction and rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities that provide safe places and facilities for our growing older population as well as provide opportunities for healthy living in all. I will fight to ensure that newly constructed units include a minimum of 40% affordability with priority given to local residents. Furthermore, I will advocate for the redefining of how affordability is calculated and introduce legislation requiring the use of census tract data which is more useful than the one-size-fits-all AMI which is still too high for low-income communities. Demographic data shows that homelessness is on the rise among two distinct age groups: people who are very old, and people who are relatively young. Efforts to serve these groups will depend upon the ability to define and fund targeted strategies for each. Older individuals experiencing homelessness not only face dramatically higher health vulnerabilities, but also will amass especially high health care costs associated with their homelessness. As such, We can begin, by fully funding the New York City Housing Authority and public housing across the district by supporting Rep. Velazquez's bill to fund public housing with the $70 billion it needs. I will advocate relentlessly for the advancing of a FY 2021 Federal budget that dramatically scales up investments in the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program. As NYC deal with lost revenue and diminished budgets following the pandemic, this is critical. This would include the Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8) so that more people can afford housing. We must address historic injustices and reverse discriminatory housing policies. This includes advocating for stiffer penalties for landlords and real estate companies who are found to be perpetuating segregation and discrimination because of race, gender, age, sexuality, and all protected classes.
I will support reforms to the ULURP in order to move towards racially equitable comprehensive planning that aims to prevent displacement and gentrification. For example, I will advocate for the inclusion of climate change vulnerability assessments in all land use and capital planning processes through the use of surveys and the provision of technical and financial assistance to help protect all systems and infrastructures that are highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly within disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, I will demand that during planning and implementation of land use and community development decisions all stakeholders involved in our most vulnerable communities consider and avoid negative consequences of actions, including displacement of low-income disadvantaged community residents and businesses, that could inadvertently increase frontline communities’ and individuals’ climate vulnerability. I will advocate for targeted funding for our older population to support capacity building, resources, and supplies for communities to recover and prepare for climate disasters.
Mercedes Narcisse
In building affordable housing, it is important that we set aside a certain amount for seniors given that their fixed incomes are not keeping pace with the cost of living. Also, given the new bill sponsored by Public Advocate Williams on the racial impact of re-zoning, our seniors will be a big part of this. Also, as a city councilmember, I will commission a study to assess an increase SCRIE and DRIE.
Further, we know that seniors that are displaced attempt to access other services such as healthcare, we need to access this data and utilize it in making our decisions. For example, the social workers in our hospitals should have valuable information on the residency of seniors and/or the these questions on housing should be a part of the intake process across all social services that seniors access.
6. While many older adults wish to be connected, many lack the financial resources or training necessary to fully access technology, exacerbating the digital divide. How would you encourage the City to address this?
Gardy Brazela
I support increasing direct funding to libraries and senior services specifically earmarked for technology purchases and costs associated with training or connecting with seniors.
Zuri S. Jackson
I will advocate for the City to improve older adults’ use of technology and confidence in key digital skills. This looks like embedding technology training in existing community-based organizations, with increased funding prioritized at the City level. This training must include online safety training. Older adults are more likely to fall victim to online scams, putting their personal information at risk, but with tailored digital literacy training, they can learn to navigate the internet safely and securely. Furthermore, by tailoring these tools for older adults, we could drastically expand usability, training, and access to broadband and devices.
We must advocate for broadband providers to streamline the enrollment process for their affordable internet programs and expand eligibility. Partnerships between service providers and community-based organizations focused on older adults will be key in ensuring that these efforts actually meet the needs of older adults.
Mercedes Narcisse
We have to encourage wifi for all in all neighborhoods. We need to invest in the digital infrastructure and improvements in digital access that eliminate unfair disparities based on our geography. District 46 has a very low level of connectivity. We need to make sure that families can afford the broadband access for students, and that businesses can also afford this access to remain viable and competitive to push through these tough times. We need to engage additional suppliers for broadband access rather than only having the traditional suppliers to drive down costs.
7. During COVID-19, Senior Centers continued to work remotely, offering services in new ways to ensure their clients’ needs were met. To date, providers have not been authorized to operate in-person, despite restaurants, movies, and other entities, which older adults could also attend, being open. Further, community-based organizations, in many cases, have not been leveraged in the new meal delivery system. What are ways that you feel the City should work with nonprofits and engage older adults in the event of a future emergency?
Gardy Brazela
The City should learn from the gaps in funding and preparedness that we saw during this emergency. One area to immediately invest is in remote access for senior centers and non-profits that engage older adults. This would help prevent gaps in care and social isolation that many seniors felt over the past year.
Zuri S. Jackson
Our Senior Center providers have always been a vital lifeline to our communities. Older New Yorkers not only account for the majority of deaths from the virus, the data shows that 70 percent of those who died from he virus were age 65 over during which they also faced unprecedented barriers accessing meals, groceries medicine, and support services. Furthermore, many faced social isolation compounded with the closing of senior centers.
The City should work with nonprofits and engage older adults in the event of a future emergency by increasing flexibility and funding contracts at levels the accurately reflect the full cost of service delivery. Some of these services to name a few could include:
-Redeploying senior staff and volunteers to combat social isolation
-Create a centralized intake process that includes leveraging community based organizations to expedite meal delivery to our seniors
-Provide technology to allow community based organizations (CBOs) to engage seniors in the emergency response, create virtual support groups, and send informational updates on community resources. Repurpose senior centers into community kitchens to combat food insecurity.
Mercedes Narcisse
We need to have more Mobil unit accessibility throughout the district. City agencies should partner with nonprofit organizations that are based in certain communities or assist nonprofits in expanding their services to neighboring communities on providing essential services. In preparing for future emergencies and disasters, we need to employ language assistance and more public service announcements targeted towards seniors so that they know where and how to access these services. For seniors that are homebound, more funding should be applied so that there could be more home services options.
8. With 1 in 5 New Yorkers over the age of 60, what are the changes you would seek to make to create a more age-friendly district? Please consider addressing the physical infrastructure of your district (walkability, accessibility, etc.), health care access, safety net resources, and other district specific items of note.
Gardy Brazela
I support increasing access to more ADA accessible public transportation routes, more buses, and widened sidewalks across my district and community in South Brooklyn.
Zuri S. Jackson
I will support reforms to the ULURP in order to move towards racially equitable comprehensive planning that aims to prevent displacement and gentrification. For example, I will advocate for the inclusion of climate change vulnerability assessments in all land use and capital planning processes through the use of surveys and the provision of technical and financial assistance to help protect all systems and infrastructures that are highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly within disadvantaged communities. Furthermore, I will demand that during planning and implementation of land use and community development decisions all stakeholders involved in our most vulnerable communities consider and avoid negative consequences of actions, including displacement of low-income disadvantaged community residents and businesses, that could inadvertently increase frontline communities’ and individuals’ climate vulnerability. I will advocate for targeted funding for our most vulnerable communities to support capacity building, resources, and supplies for communities to recover and prepare for climate disasters.
NYCHA Public Housing- The current situation of our public housing is deplorable. We must address endemic conditions of ill repair, from peeling lead paint, to molding or rotting subflooring, to failing HVAC systems and the list goes on and on. Our residents of public housing suffer health harms caused by mold, lead contamination, poor indoor air quality, and unsafe temperatures. As such, I will support a New Green Deal for Public Housing.
The need to address the poor social conditions that disproportionately impact the health of our vulnerable communities became increasingly self-evident, we must remember access to primary care is a social determinant of health. These disparities in COVID-19 outcomes reflect the pervasive and persistent racial and economic inequalities in health status as well as the importance of primary care access and addressing the social determinants of health as a top priority for governments, elected officials and health care organizations. Some of my solutions, to name a few are as follows: Promote and encourage utilization of primary care- To incentivize primary care utilization, the State should reduce or eliminate patient cost-sharing, including co-pays, deductibles, and premiums for primary care for the foreseeable future. Require reporting of COVID-19 surveillance data by race and ethnicity. Protect Medicaid. Extend health coverage to all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status. Promote community-based population health initiatives aimed at increasing cultural competence in provider settings. I will also advocate of the following for our older citizens:
Advocate for Universal Family Care.
Advocate for public policies that will support programs that create opportunities for low-income elderly to get outside of their neighborhoods, to have more diverse connections.
Increase funding for Senior Services and Community Centers.
Advocate for more dedicated subsidized and affordable housing for older people.
Advocate for financial assistance such as debt relief for older people. As retirement benefits will cover only one-third of your living expenses.
Advocate for more funding for the Older Americans Act (OAA).
Advocate for more funding to help combat Alzheimer’s disease.
Advocate for improve transportation for older citizens.
Epand Access-A-Ride
Dedicated Bus Lanes and Bike Lanes
We can curb emissions from transportation by redesigning our streets to make it safer and more convenient for all community members.
Mercedes Narcisse
As a registered nurse for over thirty years, I believe that we should utilize the multipurpose spaces in our district such as NYCHA and other spaces to provide Community Health Centers (CHCs) to provide greater access to Healthcare. We need more CBOs in our district to educate seniors on fixed incomes who are homeowners or small property owners on how to access resources and information on how to keep their housing costs down. While district 46 do not have a lot of tall buildings, we need to survey businesses and any new business ventures to assess its accessibility.
9. In the event of a budget shortfall, how would you push for the City to close the gap? Are there agencies or programs you feel should or should not absorb cuts? Please be specific.
Gardy Brazela
The Department of Aging, and Department of Social Services should not see any cuts in the event of a budget shortfall given the vulnerability of the populations they serve.
Zuri S. Jackson
The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its response measures, have blown the whistle on health inequalities built into New York City’s physical infrastructure and embroidered into the social fabric of our communities that occupy them. If New York City does not address the underlying theme of these inequalities, known as social determinants of health , it’s equivalent to putting a band-aid on the wound and not curing the disease. This calls for the investment in New York City’s Social Determinants of Health. Where can New York City begin? It is necessary to unite as a village. I will work collaboratively with community and faith-based organizations, healthcare systems and providers, public health agencies, government agencies, policy makers and others that all play a pivotal role in advancing equitable access to health.. I will also advocate to allocate a certain percentage of the budget an annual basis, for the acquisition of real property, and the construction and rehabilitation of parks and recreation facilities that provide safe places and facilities for after-school, weekend and holiday programs for local older citizens, youth and families, provide opportunities for healthy living in all neighborhoods, and improve the quantity and quality of green spaces in the county. Also the infrastructure of a federal jobs guarantee could facilitate the provision of other jobs like those created by green infrastructure programs, efforts to rebuild schools and public housing, and energy efficiency improvements of low-income housing. Since a federal jobs guarantee would work through state and local organizations, it could also ensure not only that these jobs go to people in the communities most affected by climate change but that local communities can decide which projects and, thus, which jobs to invest in, based on their needs
One of the financing solutions I would implement is a modern Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Addressing the threat of climate change will require even more significant industrial shifts. To get there, we need a renewed public role for financing solutions to problems the market can’t resolve on its own.
Mercedes Narcisse
We would evaluate the agencies' budgets to see how some services could come together to streamline some of their services such as the Dept. for the Aging and H+H. There have been controversial but popular discussions on how funding for the NYPD is utilized. We need to have stronger conversations on where this funding would be re-directed to in a way that all social services sectors benefit. HRA should not be cut because the one-shot deal and other rental and homeownership assistance are becoming more and more popular amongst our seniors.
10. How should your constituents look to measure your success in achieving your responses outlined above?
Gardy Brazela
I am willing to make these responses public and welcome community groups and constituents in holding me to this priorities.
Zuri S. Jackson
They can look to measure my success through the use of data driven public engagement strategies. This practice will help me to inform, consult with and deliberatively engage community residents on topics such as land use, budgeting, housing, sustainability, health and environment, public safety and much more. The assessment is critical as it enables local officials and others to gauge community members satisfaction, identify lessons learned, and make refinements and improvements in future efforts.
Mercedes Narcisse
I am currently engaging in a series of Tele town halls where these issues are becoming more and more popular and are seeking the community's advice on this matter. A survey as a city councilmember as well as other testimonials would serve as a good evaluation instrument to see if promises made were also kept.