New York nonprofits file lawsuit over public charge rule

The Department of Social Services awarded a $957,071 contract to University Consultation and Treatment Center for Mental Hygiene. The funding will go toward non-emergency scattered housing and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, according to the City Record. The department also intends to renew a contract with Urban Upbound, formerly known as East River Development Alliance, for services related to the city’s Jobs-Plus program. It also has awarded a $1.3 million contract to Enterprise People for IT consulting services and a $557,550 contract to Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings for paternity testing services. 

TD Bank committed $1.5 million to an arts program in Hudson Yards. The bank serves as the lead sponsor of the Shed’s Open Call program, which commissions New York City-based emerging artists. The arts nonprofit, which has also received philanthropic support from former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, selected three rounds of artists this year for performances and events that ran until Aug. 25. 

While the overall inmate population in New York City jails has declined, the number of detainees accused of technical parole violations is on the rise. The new data, compiled by the New York City Independent Budget Office, found that the number of inmates arrested for alleged parole violations increased by 20% from 2014 to 2018. On average, these inmates spend about 60 days in city jails for violations such as being late for curfew or testing positive for drugs while their cases are being determined. The stays come at a cost to New Yorkers – $190 million a year, to be exact. 

Rockland County food pantries have a new funding opportunity. The Program to Assist The Hungry funds, given by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, will go to nonprofits that regularly distribute and serve food in the county. For more application details, look here. 

In honor of its tenth anniversary, Fora Financial donated more than $25,000 to New York Cares. Last year, the company pledged to give $10 to the city’s largest volunteer network for every new customer it acquired. Fora also touted its volunteer work, which includes hosting a City Harvest fundraiser for Thanksgiving. The partnership between the two organizations will continue into the fall, this time with a focus on environmental sustainability. 

New York nonprofits have joined the legal fight against the Trump administration’s public charge rule. Several immigration-advocacy organizations – Make the Road New York, African Services Committee, Asian American Federation, Catholic Charities Community Services and Catholic Legal Immigration Network – filed a lawsuit against the heads of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

The Legal Aid Society, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison are representing the organizations fighting against the rule, which would penalize immigrants seeking permanency status while on public assistance. According to the lawsuit, the proposed rule violates the administrative procedure act and describes the rule as “confusing, vague and broad” as well as “discriminatory” to disabled people. Read the rest of the filing below: