The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Surviving COVID-19

New ‘Community Build Back’ Program Aims “to Enable Families to Stay in their Homes”

by

Program will Assist Westchester Residents Facing Homelessness Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic

In an effort to stabilize communities and families in the County impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Westchester County Executive George Latimer is announcing the Community Build Back Program.  The four pronged umbrella Program has four programs under it.  Two utilize HUD money, the RED STOP Eviction Project and the RED Rent HELP Project, and two separate ones utilize $10 million dollars in CARES ACT money the Blue Priority Homeowners Initiative and the Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative.

Latimer said: “As a result of COVID-19 and the impact on the economy, both the federal government and New York State issued moratoriums on tenant evictions.  Those moratoriums are coming to an end and unemployment benefits have been greatly diminished.  The Community Build Back Program will enable families to stay in their homes as we head into the fall/winter season.”  

The RED STOP Eviction Project utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to 4 months of rental or utility arrears for tenants facing eviction or shut off as long as they can demonstrate that their financial hardship is due to COVID.  Tenants must be within 21 days of eviction, must demonstrate ability to pay their rent going forward, and must live in a Westchester Urban County Consortium municipality.  Assistance is available through select non-profits including: Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance and Choice of New Rochelle. 

RED Rent HELP Project – “moving forward” also utilizes federal HUD funds and will provide up to 12 months of rental assistance for families impacted by COVID but focus on households where the tenants worked in industries closed until Phase 4, or who worked for a business that no longer exists. RED Rent HELP Project will be run by the County’s Planning Department.

The Blue Priority Homeowners Initiative, uses $2.5 million dollars and focuses on homeowners facing foreclosure.  That part of the Program, which is estimated to help 325 households in the County, and assist them with up to 4 months of mortgage / cooperative arrears.  Homeowners must show that COVID has negatively impacted their ability to pay their mortgage.  The homeowner will also have to show that they were up to date on payments as of March 2020.  This part of the Program also runs until the end of the year and will be administered through select nonprofits including: Westchester Residential Opportunities, Community Housing Innovations, Washingtonville Housing Alliance, HDSW (Human Development Services of Westchester) and the Bridge Fund.

Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. Executive Director Marlene Zarfes said: “This eviction prevention program will be a lifesaver for so many County residents at risk of becoming homeless.  Westchester Residential Opportunities is proud to partner with the County to help keep people safely in their homes and keep families together.”

For the Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative, $7.5 million dollars has been earmarked to assist approximately 2,400 households in the County by working directly with their landlords and bringing their rent up to date. The Program runs from now until the end of 2020, and can cover up to 75% of back rent for up to 4 months of rent for landlords who can show that their tenants were up to date in March, but have since not been able to pay their rent due to COVID.  This program, to be done by lottery, will assist landlords who own between 4 and 20 units.  Blue Small Business Landlord Initiative will be run by the County’s Planning Department.

Building & Realty Institute (BRI) of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region Executive Director Tim Foley said: “We’re thankful for the creative leadership shown by Westchester County’s Community Build Back Program, and the focus on supplying urgently-needed aid to struggling tenants, landlords, and property owners alike. The landlords and property owners of the Building & Realty Institute have been checking in on our at-risk tenants, offering flexibility and payment plans on their rent, and trying to be as accommodating as possible to good tenants who lost their jobs or lost income due to the COVID pandemic. But as the public health and economic emergency stretches on with no end-date in sight, we need government to step up to stabilize our housing situation. With this four-prong approach, Westchester County is clearly doing so.”

Latimer said: “Landlords, many times, are small business owners who depend on the rent from their properties to support their own families.  We realize the chaos that nonpayment can put into their lives and their communities.  The last thing we want to see is a landlord lose their property over nonpayment.  That benefits no one.”

Board of Directors of the Apartment Owners Advisory Council Member Carol Danziger said: “I am thankful to Westchester County for setting up these programs aimed at helping tenants and landlords during this crisis. I’m a second-generation owner of a family-run small apartment building, like so many small business owners, COVID-19 took any financial problems we had and made them that much worse. After the financial hardships and unimaginable personal losses we’ve experienced, we are still here for our tenants if the needs arise, especially if anyone is struggling. But since we do basically everything ourselves and have no staff, there was no relief for us under the CARES Act previously, and we were quickly running out of options and flexibility. These subsidies and stabilization funds will help us remain steady while the public health emergency continues this fall.”

Fact Sheets and Applications (English and Spanish) for the programs are available on the County’s website at:  www.westchestergov.com/HousingHelp.

News courtesy of the Westchester County Executive Office

Westchester County Announces Grant Initiative of $10 Million in Funding to Local Businesses, Nonprofits

by

Westchester County Executive George Latimer today announced a $10 million funding initiative to support small businesses and nonprofits facing challenges due to COVID-19. Westchester County Business FIRST: Financial Investments for Recovery and a Sustainable Tomorrow is a new grant program designed to offer immediate financial relief to organizations in Westchester County that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

L-R: Bridget Gibbons, Westchester County’s Director of Economic Development; George Latimer, Westchester County Executive; Dr. Marsha Gordon, Business Council of Westchester President/CEO

“We are at a critical point in Westchester County’s history – and such times call for leadership and innovation,” said Latimer. “The Westchester County Business FIRST Program will provide urgent financial assistance to businesses and nonprofits now, and set the foundation to rebuild our economy as we work toward a sustainable future.”

The Westchester County Business FIRST Program is being administered by the County Office of Economic Development through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Program is open to businesses and nonprofits that employ 99 or fewer people and whose primary business location is in Westchester County. Eligible business and nonprofits can apply for grants of up to $49,000.

Applications will be accepted from September 21 through September 30, 2020 at https://westchestercatalyst.com/business-FIRST-programs/

“These are difficult times, but as ‘The Catalyst’ for economic growth and vitality, the Office of Economic Development is here to support County businesses and nonprofits,” said Bridget Gibbons, Westchester County’s Director of Economic Development. “These organizations help fuel our economy and provide quality jobs in our communities. This funding is designed to help them recover and get back to business.”

To be eligible, organizations must be in good standing with Westchester County and are required to demonstrate revenue losses of at least 25% from March 7, 2020 to present due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The applicant must establish that the organization was a financially viable operation prior to March 7, 2020, the date Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order 202 declaring a disaster emergency. The organization must have been open as of Feb. 1, 2020, currently be in operation, or closed temporarily and plan to reopen for business in 2020.

Business Council of Westchester President/CEO Dr. Marsha Gordon said: “The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) is extremely supportive of this program and applauds the leadership of County Executive George Latimer and Director of Economic Development, Bridget Gibbons in developing this initiative for small business and not-for-profits in Westchester.  These sectors have been especially hard hit and desperately need these financial resources to survive.  The County is also analyzing which sectors have been hardest hit, so that these resources can be deployed most effectively. It will be important to make sure that all businesses are aware of this opportunity , so outreach via business organizations, community- based organizations and churches will also be important, as well as outreach in different languages to ensure that as many as possible are aware. The BCW will certainly work to share with our outreach to our over 1000 members and robust database of County businesses and not for profits as well as through social media.  This is a ray of hope for those organizations struggling to stay alive.”

Westchester County Association President & CEO Michael N. Romita said: “So many of Westchester’s businesses and non-profits suffered significant economic hardship as a result of the pandemic crisis.  As our local economy begins to transition from reopening to recovery, programs like Westchester County’s Business FIRST initiative will go a long way towards helping businesses regain their economic footing.  We applaud the County Executive and his economic development team for its innovative use of CARES Act funds and look forward to helping spread the word to eligible organizations.”

Nonprofit Westchester Executive Director Jan Fisher said: “Nonprofit Westchester is grateful for our partnership with Westchester County Government during these unprecedented times. We thank the County Executive and his team for this grant opportunity, and for ensuring that there are county resources available to support nonprofit organizations as they continue to provide essential services to Westchester’s most vulnerable residents.”

Certain entities are not eligible to apply for Westchester County Business FIRST grant, including units of government; real estate holding companies, businesses or nonprofits that generate revenue through passive real estate; adult entertainment establishments; gas stations; and businesses or nonprofits that have defaulted on federal debt, including loans from the Small Business Administration.

For more information on the application process, visit https://westchestercatalyst.com/business-FIRST-programs/

 

News Courtesy of the Office of the Westchester County Executive

Vaccinations for the Flu Available Soon at Open Door Family Medical Centers

by

Deemed Especially Vital During COVID-19

Since March, many of us have been consumed, rightfully so, by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Months later, the virus continues to dictate our lives.

But, as summer moves into fall, should we also start worrying about the flu?

Dr. Daren Wu, Chief Medical Officer, Open Door Medical Center

According to Dr. Daren Wu, Chief Medical Officer at Open Door Family Medical Center, protection against the flu has never been more important than now.

“We strongly encourage patients to get the flu shot and, once a vaccine is available, a vaccine against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 as well,” said Dr. Wu. “These viruses are two completely different species, so getting vaccinated for one will not protect you against the other. What you definitely do not want is the 1 – 2 punch of getting both viruses, which is entirely possible.  Each virus can be deadly, and in tandem they can be that much worse. When your immune system is down because of the flu, other infections – including coronavirus – can kick in.”

Flu vaccinations will be available across Open Door’s six health centers in Westchester and Putnam Counties and eight School-Based Health Centers in the Ossining and Port Chester School Districts, beginning in September. Most patients, he said, usually need little convincing to get an annual flu shot, and it is available to all patients over six months old. However, he added, there is still a great deal of misinformation about the flu and he encourages “anti-vax” community members to learn more and get the flu shot.

This is particularly important among those most at risk: the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with certain health conditions that make them more vulnerable to serious flu complications.

“Our minds are on Covid-19, but getting the flu will lower your immune system and can make you more susceptible to all sorts of secondary infections, including bacterial infections and other viruses such as Covid-19,” said Dr. Wu. “The flu shot is not perfect, but we keep framing the message that it is overwhelmingly safe and can give you significant protection.”

Flu activity begins to increase in October and November and can last until May. It typically peaks in January or February.

“The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older,” said Dr. Wu.  “Young children up through the age of eight years old, who are getting vaccinated for the first time, require two doses of flu vaccine, spaced at least 28 days apart. Because children under the age of six months are too young to receive the vaccine, it is especially important that their parents and older siblings get vaccinated to prevent the spread of the flu to infants who are particularly vulnerable to serious complications.”

The effectiveness of the annual flu vaccine depends in part on the match between the viruses used to produce a vaccine and the strains of flu that will circulate in the new flu season. While the vaccine is produced to protect against the flu viruses that research and surveillance indicate are most likely to be common this season, there is no way to predict with certainty.

“Flu viruses not only change from season to season, but can even change within the course of a single season,” said Dr. Wu. “Still, antibodies made in response to a vaccination with one flu virus can sometimes provide protection against different flu strains. That’s why, even if the vaccine is a less than a perfect match, it is still far more effective in preventing the flu than getting no shot at all.”

This year, he added, it’s even more important for people to comply.

EIGHT GOOD REASONS TO GET A FLU SHOT

Here, according to Dr. Wu, are eight good reasons to get a flu shot:

Getting the flu can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to secondary infections. This takes on especial importance this year, at least until there is a vaccine for Covid-19, which is a more lethal virus.

The flu can affect anyone. The flu is a serious virus and spreads easily. Vaccination protects you, your family and friends.

The flu shot is safe. Flu vaccines CANNOT cause the flu – they are made with either killed or weakened viruses. One of the biggest myths out there is that flu shots can cause the flu and that simply is not true.  Serious reactions are extremely rare. Mild reactions include soreness, redness or swelling where the vaccine was given.

The flu shot you received last year is no longer effective. The influenza virus changes and mutates fairly rapidly. New flu vaccinations are developed each year to ensure evolving viruses are adequately targeted and protected against.

You want to protect your kids. Young children under the age of five are more susceptible to serious complications from the flu, such as pneumonia, secondary infections from bacteria and other viruses, and dehydration. Both children (over six months old) and parents need the shot.

You are pregnant or considering getting pregnant. Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing complications from the flu. The flu shot is safe during pregnancy.

You or someone you know is over 65 and/or has a long-term illness. As human immune defenses become weaker with age, a vaccination is designed specifically for people 65 years and older. Additionally, a number of long-term, chronic health conditions such as diabetes or cancer, are associated with an increased risk of flu-related complications (as they are with Covid-19).

Getting vaccinated is part of a healthy lifestyle. The flu can blindside you with its intensity and leave you feeling sick for days. When you get a flu shot, you build up your immunity, making you stronger and more resistant to the flu.

If you would like to make an appointment to get a flu shot, please call Open Door at 914-632-2737 or email hello@odfmc.org.

Information courtesy of Open Door Family Medical Center. 

Open Door Family Medical Center

Open Door Family Medical Center provides health care and wellness programs to individuals and families in need throughout Westchester, Putnam and Ulster Counties. A pioneer Federally Qualified Health Center, Open Door provides more than 300,000 patient visits annually and serves nearly 60,000 individual patients who might not otherwise have access. Open Door offers integrated services and a holistic approach to building healthier communities. Primary medical care, dental care, integrated behavioral health care, clinical nutrition, wellness programs, and chronic disease management are the foundation of its clinical programs. Founded as a free clinic in 1972, Open Door’s mission of building healthier communities through accessible, equitable, culturally competent health care has led to site and service expansions. Today, Open Door operates centers in Brewster, Mamaroneck, Mount Kisco, Ossining, Port Chester, and Sleepy Hollow, in addition to eight School-Based Health Centers in the Port Chester and Ossining School Districts, a mobile dental van in Mount Kisco, and a new dental practice in Saugerties, NY. Open Door is accredited by the Joint Commission and is recognized by the National Committee on Quality Assurance as a Patient-Centered Medical Home.

 

School Districts Receive Guide from County Relaying Opening Guidelines Surrounding COVID-19

by

By Brian Zhang

Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced on Monday that The Westchester County School Reopening Workgroup has released an eight-page “Frequently Asked Questions” guide that will assist the County’s school districts in addressing the health, COVID-19, and contact tracing requirements for their schools to reopen safely this school year.

Being one of the “major tasks” ahead of us, Latimer stressed working with school districts in reopening is a responsibility the county will do their best to coordinate. As of last week on August 7, New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced he was authorizing school districts to open. This means 44 of the schools in Westchester are approved to reopen their doors to students in September.

“Each of these schools had to submit plans for what reopening would look like with a host of different protocols. And those protocols involve not just what you do physically to keep people safe, but how you intend to educate children,” Latimer explained.

Although the County Government does not directly control school districts, they play a role in helping implement elements of the school district’s plan. Thus, the working group was created, the County Executive states. The Workgroup has been created to provide a direct link between the County’s health and facilities departments to school administrators, staff, faculty, students, and families as they prepare for the start of the school year.

“The most important thing for all of us is to create a safe and effective plan to best educate our students this fall,” Latimer states. “I am proud of the fast and efficient guidance the County and this working group has provided to assist our school district by making this a reality. By creating these FAQs, we are serving the proper role of government: assisting those who fall within our mandate of public service.”

The work group is co-chaired by Joseph Glazer, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Community Mental Health, and Joseph Ricca, White Plains School Superintendent, and President of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents.

The FAQ’s are part of a larger effort by the Workgroup which has already provided four workshops and answered dozens of questions from school officials and medical staff.

As for the complexity in reopening schools, Latimer acknowledges this is a heavy situation to deal with. “It’s complicated in a school setting. We have the complications in the school setting with younger children. For kindergarten, first, and second graders, it’ll be tough for them to keep their masks on; it’s going to be tough for them to remember who they interacted with.”  Regarding older students, Latimer said, “While they’re capable of understanding what you’re saying, they have to give it the same weight and importance. And one of the issues we’ve had to deal with in this society at large, outside of the school setting, is how do 16, 17, 18-year-olds react when asked to change their lifestyle.”

Not only within the schools, but reopening will also have a large effect on society as a whole. “In opening schools, we are opening a major entity within our society. It’s an economic impact. It directly involves other types of decisions that have still yet to be made.” says Latimer.

“There’s a real dynamic here involved with the schools. This is the biggest thing we’re opening, probably since restaurants. But even restaurants are still voluntary. School, if school is open and is mandatory, you have to participate. And we’ll see how it plays out. I’m hopeful, but the jury is out until we get into it, and I do think we’re prepared. If it doesn’t work, however, we’ll shut it down–I think that has to be your mindset.” the County Executive concluded.

As for the statistics, there are 434 Active cases now in Westchester, a reduction of almost 30 from the previous week, 92 from the previous month, and over 700 from the peak in cases in April. The testing has been “consistent and sufficient,” according to Latimer, with 3000-4000 range of individuals being tested per day. There have been 428,800 people tested, which is well over 40% in the Westchester area, and 1/10 tested have come out positive.

“This is a good sign,” says Latimer. “The statistics are not so you can write them down in a little book; it’s to show that the level of infection here in Westchester County has dropped. And that’s important because here in Westchester, we’ve opened restaurants, retail establishments, beaches, offices, and throughout all of those different changes, we’ve been able to maintain a decreasing level of invention and impact.”

Brian Zhang, a Byram Hills High School student, is an aspiring journalist, and summer intern for the Inside Press.

 

Westchester County Executive Addresses Studies to Help Identify COVID Hotspots; also Describes Hurdles to Overcome in Upcoming Election

by

By Brian Zhang

In his weekly briefing Monday evening, County Executive George Latimer announced the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities is partnering with the City University of New York (CUNY) to study the wastewater at county treatment plants to better understand the impact of COVID-19. Latimer said the analysis could help in identifying hotspots before seeing a spike in Coronavirus cases.

“It is a wastewater treatment study to determine the incidence of COVID-19 in our wastewater,” Latimer explained. “What it is going through the sewage that’s generated by all of us. And there are ways to test that output from a community to determine what the incidence of COVID infection is and to identify and then address some of those areas.”

Latimer mentioned that this technology has been helpful in Europe and has now come to the United States.

“It’s another valuable tool in our toolkit, Latimer said, “Everything we’re doing anticipates that we’ll get a vaccine at some point, but until we have it, we don’t have direct tools that we can use to fight this disease. So, we use every other thing we can think of to be helpful.”

Voting Concerns/Challenges

In other news, the County Executive expressed that there may be some hurdles in the near future with elections amid the pandemic.

“Come this November with the presidential race, which is always the greatest turnout race in any four-year cycle, we face some very significant concerns about making sure that we have a smoothly run election,” he stated.

The county has already faced some difficulties in the June primary elections as school board elections and others were forced to be moved because of the pandemic.

“So, knowing that we had a difficult time in June, for a number of different reasons, some of which were outside of our control and some of which we can refine by the way we operate ourselves, we made an offer to the Board of Elections of different actions the county administration would take that we thought would be helpful,” Latimer said.

The offer from the County Executive is a “four-point offer.”  The first one he introduced would be helping with poll locations in the upcoming election.

“We offered to help the Board of Elections recruit additional polling place inspectors by working through that portion of the county workforce that will be not working on Election Day and therefore eligible to be poll inspectors,” saif Latimer.

He explained that there aren’t going to be as many poll inspectors because of the advanced age and fear of COVID-19. Latimer is also offering replacement polling sites, as some of the usual ones will be not accessible during the pandemic, such as those inside nursing homes and senior apartment buildings. He has offered to gather a bipartisan team to work with the County Board of Elections to help identify and secure alternate polling locations for November. Latimer also offered to help develop a marketing plan to promote early voting.

“We’ve had early voting in elections now in 2019, in the November elections, and then in the primaries of 2020 in June. Early voting has been embraced in Westchester County. We were the third most populated number of votes for early voting, and we’re probably about the eighth largest county. So, we outperformed a number of other countries that are much larger than we are in the state, and, as a percentage of turnout, highest in the state,” Latimer stated, “However, we can do better.”

He said the County is also prepared to assist with having temporary staffing to make sure that requests for absentee ballots, and then the ballots themselves, get mailed out in a sufficient time frame so that everybody has it well enough before the election.

“We’re going to try to be helpful, so when the November 3 election comes by, there will be the best possible result,” said Latimer

COVID Incidence

In the fifth month of quarantine, they continue to oscillate but the trend is the steady decline. According to Latimer on Monday, there are now 472 active cases of Coronavirus and there have been four straight nights without a fatality, a first to happen during the pandemic. There have been 374,827 tests in Westchester, which approaches almost 40% of the county’s population. Under 10% of all people tested have been tested positive, a major decline from its peak at about 30%.

“That’s a good sign,” Latimer noted, “That’s a sign the infection has not roared back and become what it was in March and early April.”

As reiterated time and again in previous briefings, Westchester County Executive George Latimer stressed that individuals must continue to be cautious and thorough. These times involve “individual sacrifice, individual modification…we’re in the heart of the summertime, wearing masks are not pleasant, but necessary. Social distancing: not the way we function as a society normally, but necessary. We have to beat this pandemic, we have to reopen our economy, but we don’t do it by gusting our way through it. We open our economy by prudent actions, public health actions, and we do them diligently and then we prepare for what we hope to be a better tomorrow.”

 

Brian Zhang, a Byram Hills High School student, is an aspiring journalist, and summer intern for the Inside Press.