New federal grants are available for addiction treatment

A new federal grant offers up to $2.5 million to nonprofits who want to help minority populations dealing with HIV/AIDS. A total of 24 grants, offering up to $500,000 per year up to five years, will be given via the Minority AIDS Initiative, according to a Feb. 26 press release. The grants aim to help people dealing with substance abuse who are at an increased risk of contracting HIV or already have it and need treatment. The deadline to apply is April 22, 2019. More information is available here.

Attorney General Letitia James has announced an $8 million expansion of the Community Land Trusts Capacity Building Initiative. This will allow cities and counties to apply for funding to create or expand nonprofit Community Land Trusts, according to a Feb. 26 press release. Enterprise Community Partners is teaming up with the attorney general for the initiative, which is being funding through financial settlements between the state and the Royal Bank of Scotland and UBS.

“Through Housing New York we are continually seeking new tools and community-driven solutions to secure the affordability and stability of our city's neighborhoods,” said Maria Torres-Springer, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development commissioner, said in the press release. “Thanks to Attorney General James for providing new funding to expand the use of Community Land Trusts and help build the capacity of nonprofits and community based organizations that are so critical to keeping our city affordable today and far into the future.” Read more here.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has 21 reasons why New York state should raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products. The first reason is that e-cigarette use has jumped by 160 percent from 2014 to 2018, according to a Feb. 26 press release. Over the next 20 days, another 20 reasons will be promoted as well. About 75 percent of state residents – including in New York City – now live in localities that prohibit tobacco sales to people under age 21, according to the press release.

A series of upcoming state hearings will consider issues related to the 2020 U.S. Census. The state Complete Count Commission is holding seven hearings across the state in upcoming weeks to hear experts and members of the public give their take on issues like outreach and related matters. Public testimony will be limited to three minutes, according to a Feb. 26 press release, and people can pre-register here – the deadline is 5 p.m. the day before the event. Written testimony can be emailed to hearing@labor.ny.gov. Here are the details of each hearing:

• Monday, March 4, 2 p.m., at Rochester City Council Chambers (30 Church St., Rochester 14614)
• Monday, March 11, 6 p.m., at Hostos Community College (500 Grand Concourse, Bronx 10451)
• Wednesday, March 20, 7 p.m., at SUNY Sullivan (112 College Road, Loch Sheldrake 12759)
• Friday, April 12, 3 p.m., at the Suffolk County Legislature - William J. Lindsay County Complex - William H. Rogers Building (725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Smithtown 11787)
• Friday, April 26, 10 a.m., at Mohawk Valley Community College - Utica (1101 Sherman Drive, Utica 13501)
• Wednesday, May 1, 6 p.m., at Queens Borough Hall (120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens 11424)
• Monday, May 6, 6 p.m., at Rockefeller Institute of Government (411 State St., Albany, NY 12203)

The Citizens’ Committee for Children has something to say about the needs of disabled students in New York City. Alice Bufkin, director of policy for child and adolescent health, testified at a Feb. 25 hearing held by the New York City Council Committee on Education. In her testimony, she advocated for better data collection and reporting the effect of pay disparities between pre-K teachers employed by the city versus nonprofits, as well as a state decision to close the Early Childhood Education Direction Centers and Special Education Parent Centers in June 2019. Read her testimony below:

CCC testimony 2.25.19 by on Scribd