presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance

September 4th, 2020

Quotes of Day

"Despite the changes that have come with this year, there are so many folks that have not wavered in their commitment to Long Island.  Vision Long Island is proud to spotlight these important people and projects that have done so much to add to the fabric of our community.  Congratulations to our deserving honorees in 2020, you’ve really made a difference." – Tawaun Weber, Assistant Director, Vision Long Island

"Even though this year’s award presentation may have been different than previous years, there was still a fantastic group of people and projects to honor.  Vision was happy to showcase the rezoning projects, walkability programs, diversity of housing projects, community leaders, and others that were deserving of these awards.  Being able to present the awards on site and share that experience with the public was particularly enjoyable." – Elissa Kyle, Placemaking Director, Vision Long Island

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Long Island Smart Growth Awards held Virtually

Better late than never - the Coronavirus shutdown has postponed this year's LI Smart Growth Awards to Thursday September 3rd at noon.

Vision Long Island has been delivering the Awards to the honorees at their project locations throughout the last month and we were excited to hold the virtual program to bring everyone together yesterday, September 3rd.  We have some fantastic honorees with projects planned, under construction, or completed in 25 communities across Long Island that cover two cities, 10 villages, and six towns.

This year’s event recognized several developers and supportive municipalities, including:

Terwilliger & Bartone and the Village of Lynbrook for the Cornerstone at Yorkshire

Greenview Properties and the Town of Islip for Westbrook Village in Great River

G2D Development and the Town of Oyster Bay for WorkSmart in Hicksville

Southern Land Company for its Garden City apartments with affordable housing

D&F Development and the Town of Hempstead for the Village Green assisted living community

The Gitto Group and the Village of Port Jefferson for The Brookport mixed-use project

The Town of Huntington and George Tsunis for Hampton Inn Huntington

The Village of Westbury for their TOD zoning Master Plan and code

The Town of Hempstead and Cameron Engineering for TOD zoning in Inwood and Lawrence

Conifer Realty & the Town of Southold for Vineyard View affordable housing development

The Village of Lindenhurst and Greenman-Pedersen Inc. for their work on walkability and revitalizing their downtown

The Village of Sea Cliff for their bike and pedestrian improvements

The MLK Community Center in Long Beach for their decades of work at revitalizing communities.
We will also honor:

Don Monti of Renaissance Downtowns for Regional Leadership as one of the first developers focused on placemaking and community participation

The Split the Bill NY program of the Sidgmore Family Foundation for Regional Leadership bringing resources to local downtown restaurants through the pandemic.

Major Charles Roberts of the Hempstead Salvation Army for Community Leadership for his long history in providing food, housing and programs for some of the neediest community members.

All of these projects were planned with the local community and had more support than opposition at their multiple hearings. They serve as a model for the types of projects, plans and leadership that will need to be in place as we work toward needed economic recovery.

Here are a few quotes about yesterday’s virtual event:

"Despite the changes that have come with this year, there are so many folks that have not wavered in their commitment to Long Island.  Vision Long Island is proud to spotlight these important people and projects that have done so much to add to the fabric of our community.  Congratulations to our deserving honorees in 2020, you’ve really made a difference." – Tawaun Weber, Assitant Director, Vision Long Island

"Even though this year’s award presentation may have been different than previous years, there was still a fantastic group of people and projects to honor.  Vision was happy to showcase the rezoning projects, walkability programs, diversity of housing projects, community leaders, and others that were deserving of these awards.  Being able to present the awards on site and share that experience with the public was particularly enjoyable." – Elissa Kyle, Placemaking Director, Vision Long Island

We will be releasing a full write up of the event in next week’s newsletter so please stay tuned.  In the meantime, check out the preliminary press coverage from Long Island Business News.

“Taste Nassau Today” Campaign Launches

In a move aimed at helping a devastated restaurant industry, the “Taste Nassau Today” campaign has been launched in Nassau County.

This new program is a social media and digital marketing campaign that will attempt to attract diners from around the region to Nassau County where regulations allow for indoor dining.  Restaurateurs are encouraged to use the new hashtag #TasteNassauToday so that the program can accurately gauge the response.  The program will slowly ramp up throughout the fall and winter while also monitoring infection rates to help prevent spreading the virus.

“Our restaurants are not only eager to serve, they are ready – having spent many hours implementing health and safety protocols, acquiring the proper PPE, and ensuring that social distancing is maintained. And the proof is in the numbers,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.

The hospitality industry has been hit hard during the economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus.  Employment has dropped by two-thirds since the beginning of the pandemic, and programs like this should help to encourage a bounce back.  Unfortunately, with regulations still in place to limit interaction and increase social distancing, the recovery will be a long time in the making.  Safe indoor dining will be paramount in that effort.

“Since reopening for indoor dining in June, Long Island has sustained an infection rate of around 1 percent or below,” Executive Curran continued. “You won’t be left out in the cold in Nassau – literally. Whether you’re coming from Greenwich Village, Greenwich Connecticut, or some other place with a low infection rate, we welcome you to experience and support our downtowns and hometown restaurants.”

People are also encouraged to download the Downtown Deals Travel Pass, which is an app that will help visitors to locate dining districts within easy walking distance of LIRR stations.  The app was launched in partnership with Discover Long Island and the Nassau and Suffolk County IDA’s.  It features 100 businesses in Farmingdale, Great Neck, Rockville Centre, Greenport, Huntington and Patchogue as well as exclusive coupons and deals that can only be accessed on the app.

You can read more at Long Island Business News.

Pink Tie Delivers to East Northport and Westbury / New Cassel

There is something special about working with great people to help local communities.

Vision Long Island has been blessed to be around folks who give so much of their time and resources to helping others, and the Pink Tie Delivers team has really stepped up for months through this Coronavirus shutdown and partial reopening period.

Now the organization has reached an important milestone with their 49th and 50th stops last week.  The visits of food and financial contributions brought them to the Salvation Army Center in East Northport and the Salvation Army Center in Westbury/New Cassel.  They both shared the status of community members still in need of food but also that of families trying to sort out the upcoming school year.

Someone once said “you are what you repeatedly do”.  What we have learned from the volunteers and staff of these community level pantries is a dedication and caring that is infectious.   That spirit keeps the team going for sure.

The companies that participated in this drop included 1st Equity Title, Trinity Solar, National Grid, Late Night Chauffers, Vision LI, Keller Williams, and Shoprite.

For more info on how you can take part in the doorstep donation program or join the Delivers Team, check out pinktie.org or please email us at mailto:contact@pinktie.org.

8th Annual Car Free Day Long Island will take place on September 25

Car Free Day is an international event celebrated every September in which people are encouraged to get around without cars and instead ride a train, bus, bicycle, carpool, subway or walk. This year, Long Island will once again join in by celebrating its 8th Annual Car Free Day on Friday, September 25, 2020.

The COVID-19 lockdown dramatically reduced cars on the road and Long Islanders enjoyed fresh, cleaner air. Now, your help is needed to maintain some of those gains.

Car Free Day allows Long Island residents the opportunity to consider the negative impact of single occupancy vehicles. Using cars less, by using alternative modes such as transit, carpooling, bicycles, walking and telecommuting, helps reduce traffic, conserve energy, reduce harmful emissions, reduce parking problems and save money.

To participate in this worthwhile event, all you have to do is pledge to be car free or car-lite on September 25, 2020 by filling out a pledge form. It’s that simple. Once you pledge, you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win great prizes.

Last year Car Fee Day was celebrated in more than 3,100 cities in 50 countries around the world. The benefit to our society is a day with less traffic congestion, a greener environment and reduced energy use.

Help make the 8th annual Car Free Day LI a great success – pledge here today!

LICH to Host Housing Discrimination Training

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is honored to host Long Island Housing Services in their presentation of this important workshop on Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination.

This FREE online training will take place September 24, 9:30AM to 11:30AM.

Presented by Long Island Housing Services and hosted by the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless, this training will provide a history of fair housing and the federal, state and local fair housing laws.  The training will include the different types of housing discrimination that are prevalent in Long Island, including racial discrimination, discrimination against individuals with disability, and source of income discrimination. Participants will learn to identify and report housing discrimination, including how to file a complaint.

Presenters: EJ Torres and Harriet Spiegelman

This event is FREE, but tickets are required to reserve a spot. You can access tickets by using the link below, beginning August 20, 2020 at 5PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/housing-discrimination-training-tickets-117665652133

LICH Seeking Full Time Street Outreach Worker  and a Full Time Case Manager

The Long Island Coalition for the Homeless is currently looking to fill two position in their offices in Amityville office.

Street Outreach Worker: Responsible for providing housing-focused street outreach and case management targeted for single adults experiencing long-term homelessness either living on the street or living in shelter. Street Outreach Workers will engage in community canvassing, partnered outreach, and coordination with partners to identify and engage all persons experiencing homelessness that are residing unsheltered in Nassau County. Street Outreach Workers must be highly mobile and will have access to a Street Outreach van for transport of clients.

Engagements focus around direct and person-centered support in obtaining necessary documentation/applying for various housing programs, as well as connecting households to other services that relate to housing placement and housing retention and health and safety, such as employment, entitlements/benefits, medical/clinical services, linkages to care coordination, budgeting and credit, legal, and other services for which they are eligible and interested in.

Street Outreach Workers will work as a supervised/guided team of direct care workers, comprised of staff focused on street outreach and shelter inreach. This team collectively provides referrals for permanent housing programs (permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing), including programs funded through HUD, NYS Office of Mental Health, nursing home programs, housing choice voucher programs, and other housing that meets each household’s needs and preferences.

Case Manager: Responsible for providing housing-focused case management for single adults experiencing long-term homelessness either living on the street or living in shelter. Caseloads are assigned and targeted for those that remain homeless the longest in the region and/or have the highest levels of vulnerability and most significant barriers to exiting homelessness on their own. Prioritization factors are determined by regionally established policies. Case Managers must be highly mobile (personal vehicle w/ reimbursed mileage) and will be assigned households that are experiencing homelessness in Suffolk or Nassau counties.
Engagements focus around direct and person-centered support in obtaining necessary documentation/applying for various housing programs, as well as connecting households to other services that relate to housing placement and housing retention, such as employment, entitlements/benefits, medical/clinical services, linkages to care coordination, budgeting and credit, legal, and other services for which they are eligible and interested in.

Case Managers will work as a supervised/guided team of direct care workers, comprised of staff focused on shelter outreach and street outreach. This team collectively provides referrals for permanent housing programs (permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing), including programs funded through HUD, NYS Office of Mental Health, nursing home programs, housing choice voucher programs, and other housing that meets each household’s needs and preferences.

Both positions will require local travel as needed. A clean Driver’s License and private vehicle are required.
Benefits after probationary period will be available. These include paid time off (vacation, holiday, sick, personal), medical insurance for the employee (premium paid by LICH), Dental and Vision insurance optional, Life Insurance for the employee and Simple IRA plan (with employer match).

Interested parties should submit a resume and salary requirements via email to mailto:mgiuffrida@addressthehomeless.org, specifying which position the candidate is seeking.  Please do not call the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless regarding this position.  Questions should be submitted via email only.

NYSERDA, Affordable Solar and Storage Predevelopment and Technical Assistance (Predevelopment Program)

The Predevelopment Program provides grants to address barriers to solar installations serving low-to-moderate income (LMI) households living in rental housing, multifamily buildings or other households not served by traditional on-site residential solar. Individual awards will not exceed $200,000. Funding to proposals through this solicitation will offset costs for predevelopment and technical assistance work needed to implement solar installations for multifamily affordable housing and/or shared solar (Community Distributed Generation) installations that benefit LMI households.

- Eligibility: Applications must be submitted by or include the documented participation of any of the following: owners, providers or managers of regulated multifamily affordable housing, community land trusts, land banks or portfolios of single-family affordable housing; local government agencies; Community Development Corporations (CDC), Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) or other community organizations providing services to LMI households and/or demonstrating an LMI constituency; and prior recipients of Predevelopment Program grants seeking to replicate and expand upon the success from a prior completed Predevelopment

Program project.

- Funding: Up to $10.65 million is available with individual awards not to exceed $200,000.
- Deadline: Continuous through December 31, 2024, or until depleted
- Contact:
Email: affordablesolar@nyserda.ny.gov
Website: www.nyserda.ny.gov/funding

Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L)

This program supports projects that enhance the quality of library and archive services by advancing theory and practice. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices or collaborative approaches that can be widely used, adapted, scaled or replicated. All applications must designate one of the following project categories: Lifelong Learning, Community Catalysts or National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives.

- Eligibility: Either a unit of state or local government or a private, nonprofit organization that has nonprofit status and be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia or U.S. territories. Additional criteria is listed in the website.

- Funding: 40 awards for up to three years will be made with amounts varying by category: Planning Grants up to $100,000; National Forum Grants up to $150,000; Project Grants up to $1,000,000 and Research in Service to Practice Grants up to $750,000.

- Deadline: October 2, 2020

- Contacts: Jill Connors-Joyner
Email: jconnors-joyner@imls.gov;
Sarah Fuller
Email: sfuller@imls.gov;
James Neal
Email: jneal@imls.gov;
Ashley Sands, PhD
Email: asands@imls.gov
General email: imls-librarygrants@imls.gov
Website: https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/national-leadership-grants-libraries

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live.

Through the RWJF Culture of Health Prize application process, a community comes together to tell its inspiring stories of collaboration, action and results. Communities should understand they are applying for a prize and not a grant. The Prize recognizes work that has already been accomplished, so there is no required workplan or budget.

- Eligibility: A community must be a geographically defined jurisdiction in the U.S. that falls into one of the following categories:

- County, parish, borough, city, town, village or other municipality with a publicly elected governing body;

- Federally recognized tribe or a state-designated Indian reservation;

- Native Hawaiian organization serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii; or

- Region defined as geographically contiguous municipalities, counties and/or reservations.

- Awards: Up to 10 winning communities receive $25,000 and a prize package of communications materials about their community, communications guidance and help in promoting their successes.

- Deadline: Oct. 15, 2020, 3pm ET

- Contact:
Phone: (608) 890-2045
Email: info@cohprize.wisc.edu
Website: www.rwjf.org/content/rwjf/en/library/funding-opportunities/2020/2021-culture-ofhealth-prize.html

NYS Launches Rent Relief Program

The COVID Rent Relief Program will provide eligible households with a one-time rental subsidy that will be sent directly to the household’s landlord. Applicants will not need to repay this assistance.

The Covid Rent Relief Program is not first come, first served. Applications will be accepted throughout the two-week application period. HCR will prioritize eligible households with “greatest economic and social need” accounting for income, rent burden, percent of income lost and risk of homelessness.

The rental assistance payment will cover the difference between the household’s rent burden on March 1, 2020 and the increase in rent burden for the months the households is applying for assistance. Households can apply for up to four months in rental assistance.

Eligible households must meet the following criteria:

• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income must have been below 80% of the area median income, adjusted for household size. You can find your county’s area median income, based on your household size: www.hcr.ny.gov/eligible-income-limits-80-ami-county
• Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been paying more than 30% of gross monthly income towards rent.  Gross income includes wages as well as any cash grants, child support, social security, unemployment benefits, etc.)
• Applicants must have lost income during the period of April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020.

HCR has created a dedicated call center to provide residents with help Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call the COVID Rent Relief Program Call Center at 1-833-499-0318 or email at covidrentrelief@hcr.ny.gov

You can apply for assistance and check FAQ’s here.

New York State Accepting Applications for NY Forward Loan Fund

New York State has opened pre-applications for the New York Forward Loan Fund. Loans from this fund are available to small businesses, nonprofits, and small landlords in New York State that did not receive a loan from either the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for COVID-19 in 2020. New York Forward loans must be fully repaid over a 5-year term with fixed annual interest rates of 3 percent for small businesses and landlords.

Small businesses may apply for the lesser of $100,000 or up to 100% of the average monthly revenues in any 3-month period from 2019 or the first quarter of 2020. This loan can be paid back over five years with first year being interest only.  However, if small businesses have received either a PPP loan or an EIDL loan from SBA, they would not be eligible to apply. NYS has set a goal of 18% of total funds under this Program for Long Island

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as industries and regions reopen however, priority for New York Forward Loans will be given to industries and regions that have been reopened. Resources are available to assist in preparing applications for small businesses, landlords and nonprofits in industries and regions that have not yet reopened.

To view more details, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here:

If you need technical assistance through this process, please contact an Entrepreneurial Assistance Center near you and inform the counselor that you need help for the NY Forward Loan application.  You can find your closest contact center here.

Today's Sponsor

H2M Architects + Engineers

Since their early roots, H2M’s focus has remained steadfast: to provide quality service with sound judgment and to serve as an honest professional resource to their clients. With a dedicated, responsive staff and multiple service offerings under one roof, they blend “can-do” with “can-be,” developing real, workable solutions with a dose of innovation. Their diverse in-house expertise reduces the need for sub-consultants and ensures that their architects and engineers develop a comprehensive understanding of every project. 

Providing solutions to a wide variety of markets, H2M brings the combined expertise of architectural design and building systems engineering to make your project a reality. With in-house MEP and structural teams, they’re able to take a holistic approach to project design that combines a practical approach with creative results.