The latest from Bloomberg Philanthropies ... The Arc Westchester ... NYC contracts

Michael Bloomberg warns about threats to the nonprofit sector in a letter released on May 23 alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies annual report. A “direct assault on facts and data is making it harder for America to address major challenges here and around the world,” he writes in the letter.

The topic was also on his mind during his recent commencement address at Rice University.

Bloomberg Philanthropies also announced an additional $42 million investment in What Works Cities, a three-year-old program that works with 100 cities to address issues such as health, homelessness and blight.

Five organizations have new contracts with the New York City department for the Aging to provide senior services, according to the City Record. The recipients are Hamilton Madison House ($105,556), Isabella Geriatric Center ($129,400), Jewish Association for Services for the Aged ($220,000), Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement ($191,000, and NIA Community Services Network ($150,490).

The City Record also included news that the Administration for Children’s Services has two new contracts with organizations providing analytical studies consulting. The contract with the New Jersey-based Public Catalyst Group Corp. is for $450,000, while the contract with the Vera Institute of Justice is for $870,000.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is throwing his weight behind an effort to speed up implementation of a new law that would provide legal representation for low-income New Yorkers in housing court. A May 22 letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio urges him to speed up the rollout of the “Right to Counsel” law by two years ahead of a current July 2022 deadline.

“Our City's tenants simply cannot wait. We must work harder to keep them in their homes and neighborhoods, rather than deal with a crisis when they are evicted and forced into the shelter system,” Diaz said in the letter.

There is a new executive director at The Arc Westchester. Tibisay Guzmán will assume the new role in June, replacing Richard Swierat who has led the organization for 35 years, according to a press release. Guzmán has overseen for 13 years different parts of the organization, which supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Send your press releases, photos, and word of your latest happenings to reporter Zach Williams at zwilliams@nynmedia.com.