From left to right: AM-elect Larinda Hooks, Korean American Family Service Center executive director Jeehae Fischer, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Gov. Kathy Hochul, AM Catalina Cruz, AM Jessica González-Rojas, CM Shekar Krishnan and AM Steven Raga at the launch of the Roosevelt Avenue fund Tuesday. Photo courtesy of the office of AM Jessica González-Rojas
Nov. 27, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Gov. Kathy Hochul, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and several Queens elected officials gathered at Queens Borough Hall Tuesday to announce $1 million in funding to address illegal activities on Roosevelt Avenue.
Hochul and Richards were joined by Assembly Members Jessica González-Rojas, Catalina Cruz and Steven Raga, Assembly Member-elect Larinda Hooks, Council Member Shekar Krishnan and several non-profits at Borough Hall on Tuesday.
Hochul announced discretionary funding support for local organizations including AIDS Center For Queens County (ACQC), Korean American Family Services Center, Commonpoint Queens, and New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). Each organization received $250,000 in funding to support a variety of initiatives.
Photo courtesy of the office of AM Jessica González-Rojas
ACQC received funding to support its efforts to combat human trafficking, while NICE, Commonpoint and the Korean American Family Services Center received funding for workplace development. The funding will also support healthcare navigation services provided by the non-profits.
Roosevelt Avenue has faced a number of issues in recent years, including an uptick in crime and antisocial behavior. Several protests have taken place along the avenue in response to a rise in prostitution and shoplifting in the area, while Mayor Eric Adams has responded to quality-of-life issues in the area by announcing Operation Restore Roosevelt, a 90-day policing plan that aims to address public safety issues in the area.
Critics have described the plan as a potentially dangerous response that targets some of the local community’s most vulnerable members.
A spokesperson for González-Rojas said Tuesday that the plan intimidates residents, stating that immigrants have been “unfairly targeted and blamed” for the existing quality-of-life issues along the avenue.
González-Rojas, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Trafficking, said providing financial support to local groups is what helps keep all communities safe and truly addresses the root causes of human trafficking.
“The funding provided to these organizations will strengthen efforts to support victims of violence and trafficking through social services, offer workforce development programs to help constituents find employment, and provide necessary health resources to vulnerable populations,” González-Rojas said in a statement Tuesday.
Last month, a working group of several elected officials, including Cruz, Raga, and Krishnan, gathered on Roosevelt Avenue to launch a bold seven-point plan to make the avenue safer and brighter.
A spokesperson for Krishnan described the allocation of $1 million in funding to local community groups as a “first major victory” for the working group, stating that the funding advances efforts to make the corridor safer, more vibrant, and better equipped to support both residents and local businesses.
Krishnan said the funding will allow each of the four organizations to continue their “crucial efforts” to support survivors of human trafficking, adding that the funding marks a step toward making Roosevelt Avenue safer for everyone.
“One month ago, I joined my colleagues, Assemblymembers Cruz and Raga, at the Manuel de Dios Unanue Triangle to unveil our 7-Point Plan for Roosevelt Avenue. Today, I’m thrilled to share that Governor Hochul has partnered with us to deliver $1 million in funding to support this initiative,” Krishnan said in a statement.
Raga said the seven-point plan aims to improve Roosevelt Avenue by working with “life-saving” services located within the community and said the $1 million funding is an investment in the local community.
“It is a much needed investment on workforce development so that our community has access to job training, certification and licensing programs, and employment opportunities. This means an investment in support services for victims of trafficking as well as our neighbors who are living in desperation,” Raga said in a statement.
Cruz, meanwhile, said the funding will go toward organizations that provide critical supports within the local community, including workforce training, resources for immigrant families, access to healthcare and support for victims of human trafficking.
“This investment will allow them to expand their reach and make an even greater impact. Roosevelt Avenue is more than just a thoroughfare; it’s a cultural hub and the heart of our community,” Cruz said.
The seven-point plan aims to clamp down on prostitution, shoplifting, trash pile-ups, and other quality-of-life and public safety issues along the Roosevelt Avenue Corridor.
The plan includes several initiatives, including calls for safe and licensed institutions in New York City, including hotels and massage parlors.
The plan also calls for state and city agencies, such as the Department of Buildings, the Sanitation Department, and the Fire Department, to inspect and enforce against businesses operating outside of legal standards, including those illegally dumping garbage on the side of the street.
It further calls for fines for businesses engaging in illegal dumping and merging police precincts along Roosevelt Avenue. The 110th and 115th NYPD precincts currently share responsibility for Roosevelt Avenue.
Meanwhile, the plan calls for more support for people living along Roosevelt Avenue to prevent people living in “abject poverty” from being extorted and sex-trafficked.
