O ?

m e e t t h e m a g n a t e s
b e h i n d N e w Y o r k ' s
n e w e n v i r o n m e n t a l
r e v o l u t i o n .
N EW Y O RK' S URBAN AFFAIRS N EWS MAGAZIN E
EDITORIAL
HOW TO BE A PART OF CITY LIMITS
WRITING THIS COLUMN is one of the finer plea-
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you about the events and ideas that drive public
life in New York City. There's so much to say,
and too few oppornmities out there for intelli-
gent and informed discussion of the real issues
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in how we cover our city and our communities.)
Like many of you, I work for a nonprofit
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must constantly seek fimding to support the
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Corer photo by Sean Hemmede.
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I
CONTENTS
18 PSYCHIATRIC WARDS
Unlicensed psychiatric homes operate in the far-out corners of the
city and below the radar of the state agencies charged to regulate
them. Some are dirty and dangerous, others exemplary-and no one
knows where else their residents can go.
By Cassi Feldman
23 BETTING ON A
GREEN BUILDING BOOM
New York is poised to host a wave of environmentally sound
construction. But if you want a blueprint, don't look to the city's new
building code-industry activists are working to spark a
marketplace revolution.
By Elizabeth Cady Brown
28 WRETCHED REFUGE
When asylum-seekers go through customs at JFK airport, they
expect to receive special attention from U.S. immigration officials.
They get it-in the form of illegal detention and other mistreatment.
By Elizabeth Amon
5 FRONTLINES: TOE-TAGGING THE HOMELESS . RIDING SECTION 8 TO THE BANK STEALTH
CONSTRUCTION .. PRIVATE BUS WARS IN THE BOROUGHS ... BEATING BACK THE IRS
CHILD WELFARE PROJECT R.I.P . PATAKI PUSHES FAMILY WORK SANCTIONS
12 WHO SHAPES NEW YORK?
Community groups love to hate the Board of Standards and
Appeals, which lets developers tweak zoning rules.
But as they work to stop the machine, opponents
may find that property rights speak louder than city planners.
By Alexander Dworkowitz
2 EDITORIAL
39 JOB ADS
The Future of Public Life
33 THE BIG IDEA
New York's Medicaid program is breaking the state budget,
and rising costs of prescription drugs are a major reason why.
But we may have the power to buy our way out of the crisis.
By Bob Lederer
36 CITY LIT
The Puerto Rican Syndrome, by Patricia Gherovici.
Reviewed by Debbie Nathan
43 PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
51 OFFICE OF THE CITY VISIONARY
APRI L 2004
3
LETTERS
SIZE MATTERS
David Fischer correctly identifies the largest
problem we have in ensuring a qualified reach-
ing workforce here in New York City: the high
teacher turnover rates, particularly in high-
need, low-performing schools ["Ditching
Class," NYC Inc, March 2004]. The solution to
this problem is not to provide bonuses, but to
improve working conditions in these schools.
In North Carolina, where the increased
emphasis on testing has made it increasingly dif-
ficult to attract teachers to low performing
schools, a survey was done asking them what
would persuade them to volunteer to work in
such schools. Of the responses, smaller class size
was ranked highest, with 83.7% of teachers and
83.1 % of administrators replying that would be
an effective incentive, outstripping salary
enhancements. As a result, North Carolina
now has allocated funds to reduce class size in all
grades in its lowest performing schools.
Moreover, research in California and else-
where has shown that providing smaller classes
not only raises student achievement signifi-
cantly, but also reduces teacher turnover. In
particular, the percentage of teachers leaving
districts with large numbers of poor children to
work in wealthier districts dropped sharply
when class sizes were reduced. On the other
hand, where salary enhancements have been
tried, as in Georgia, they have not proved effec-
tive. Ben Scafidi, professor of economics at
Georgia State University and co-author of a
study on the subj ect, concluded "even large
wage increases won't help."
In fact, few teachers will be swayed by
financial incentives if they suspect that they are
purely compensatory measures to make up for
poor working conditions, lack of resources, and
overly large classes. What we need to do here
in New York, where teachers struggle to reach
low-achieving students in classes of30 or more,
is make their jobs more professionally reward-
ing, by giving them an actual chance of success.
As Harvard University professor Richard Mur-
nane has pointed out, "Paying people extra
money to do an impossible job doesn't work,
and you need to make the jobs doable such thar
at t ~ e end ~ f the day, people feel glad that
they re there.
Leonie Haimson
Executive Director, Class Size Matters
Lntns tq the Jim- am be sent tq City Limits.
120 WftII ~ 20tb j/Mn; New ytri NY
1(}()()5. 4ttn: lnIm tq tIN EJittw. II!I' fIitt mIIliJ
to eJitqr@dIJIimits.org. City LiMits W!#I'tJIS the
right to eJd MJ k#m for cIIriy _ spMe.
4
CORRECTIONS
"Money for Nothing" [February 20M} reported
that City Councilmember Eva Moskowitz
declined to comment about her campaign
finances, including $14,627 in payments to her
husband, Eric Grannis, for work on her reelection
campaign. While the councilmember was indeed
not available to comment by press time for a
November news report in the City Limits
Weekly, and her council office spokesperson
declined to comment on campaign business,
Moskowitz was not subsequently contacted for the
magazine article. Moskowitz now says that had
she been contacted, she would have wished to
comment. Says Moskowitz: "The Campaign
Finance Board felt very particular about people
volunteering their time. ... We had extensive con-
versations with the Campaign Finance Board
about how to [allow Grannis to assist the cam-
paign). I assure you my husband loses money--
this is not a money-making proposition. We were
trying to do it properly... . The Campaign
Finance Board looks askance at volunteerism, my
husband was taking hours and hours and hours
[working on the campaign}, so the best way to
meet the Campaign Finance Board's concerns
and our realities was to pay him a small fee. "
In "They called me a crack baby. So why am I in
college?" [March 20M} we foiled to credit the
photographer, Margaret Keady.
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March 25, 2004 69 pm
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CITY LIMITS
Volume XXIX Number 4
City Limits is published ten times per year, monthly except bi
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Publ isher: Kim Nauer
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Editor: Alyssa Katz
Managing Editor: Tracie McMillan
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CITY LIMITS
FRONT LINES
THE CITY CAN TELL YOU exactly how many people quit smoking last year.
It can estimate how many New Yorkers had sex with more than three
people. And, thanks to a controversial initiative begun last year, it's hop-
ing to soon have a count of people living on the streets. Councilmember
Christine Quinn says if all that's possible, we ought to also be able to
track how many homeless people die. And she's introduced a bill that
would force the city's health department to do just that.
Quinn's bill would require health officials to submit monthly reports
to the City Council with data on the number of deaths of homeless peo-
ple, the locations where they died, their age and gender, and what killed
them-including indications of cold or heat exposure.
To Quinn's thinking, all the city has to do is take note of each person
whose death certificate has no address. To officials involved in the
process, that suggestion is utterly naive. "It's always been a question: How
many homeless people die?" sighs medical examiner's office spokesperson
Ellen Borakove. "And it's a question we can't answer with any precision."
Currently, when a body is found on the streets, it goes to Borakove's
office, where doctors conduct an autopsy and missing-persons detectives
try to identifY it. If the body remains unclaimed and unidentified after
two weeks, Rikers Island inmates bury the person at Hart's Island, near the
APRIL 2004
Photo courtesy of the New Yorl< City Department of Corrections.
Body Count
Bronx. In such instances, there would be no address listed on the death
certificate. Under Quinn's system, that death would be logged as home-
less-along with the death of any person actually confirmed as homeless.
But the health department says there are all sorts of other circum-
stances where a death certificate address is left blank, like the common
scenario in which a certificate is simply filed too hastily.
"Homelessness can be difficult to define and measure," epidemiology
director Kelly Henning said during a February 12 hearing. "The death cer-
tificate, which is completed by physicians and funeral directors, is not suited
for the level of precision described in this bill. " Henning suggested the
deparunent may be able to devise a system for monitoring annual deaths,
rather than the monthly reports Quinn wants, but offered no details.
Quinn's legislative director, Jeremy Hoffman, says the bill's backers
are willing to consider alternatives, as long as the health department
comes up with them. Hoffman's wary of what he considers a common
Bloomberg administration ploy: Shoot down a council proposal on
technical grounds, but fail to offer workable solutions. "If they don't like
this mechanism, they should propose another," says Hoffman. "If we're
going to count the live homeless, you should count the ones who have
died, too." -Kai Wright
5
FRONT LINES
As Section 8
shrinks, can the
Housing Authority
help families
move up and out?
By Geoffrey Gray
FOUR YEARS AGO, Jara Correo moved, in more
ways than one. The city's housing agency
wanted her out of her Bronx apartment build-
ing so it could be fIxed. It gave Correo a Sec-
tion 8 voucher, to help her pay for a new apart-
ment, which she found near Fordham Road.
And with help from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development and its Fam-
ily Self Sufficiency Program, this former welfare
recipient started saving money for the fIrst time
in her life.
Usually, when Section 8-subsidized tenants
start making more money, they pay more toward
their rent, too. That can discourage some from
seeking higher pay and make it nearly impossible
to save for the future. But as her income climbs,
6
Building Assets
Correo's rent stays the same. HUD calculates
what her rent increase would be with her
increased income and puts that amount into an
escrow account administered by the local hous-
ing authority. A caseworker helps her set personal
goals, including securing a job. After five years,
Correo-and hundreds of other New Yorkers in
similar situations--collects that money.
"I can't really believe it," Correo says. "I've
been on welfare all my life. I'm working. It feels
great. I'm making money-that feels great
too. " With only one year to go, Correo wants
to cobble together a down payment on a home.
She's expecting an estimated $12,000 back-
perhaps not enough, but more savings than
Correo has ever seen or expected. "I better get
my money," she says. "I've earned it."
Correo may be earning something else, too:
a ticket out of Section 8. Correo is making
$18,000 a year right now, and she is the only
wage-earner in her fIve-person household. Bur
if her household income exceeds $33,900 next
year, Correo will have to give up her Section 8
subsidy. Hundreds of other households have
already left their rent aid behind because they
now earn too much to qua.li.fY. According to
Howard Marder, spokesperson for the New
York City Housing Authority, of the more than
2,700 households his agency has enrolled in
Family Self Sufficiency, 567 have made it
through fIve years and cashed in. And 41 per-
cent of those families, says Marder, "have
moved on to better things"-they no longer
rely on Section 8 to help them pay the rent.
Its focus on helping poor people earn more
money has made Family Self Sufficiency, started
in 1990 under President George Bush, a
favorite across the political spectrum. Three
years ago, the liberal Center for Budget and Pol-
icy Priorities called it "HUD's best-kept secret
for promoting employment and asset growth."
Bur it's the program's capacity to move fam-
ilies off of rent subsidies that has captivated the
second Bush administration. In its fIscal year
2005 budget, HUD says it will give fInancial
rewards to local housing authorities that move
families out of Section 8 entirely, and the
agency encourages agencies to use incentive
programs like Family Self Sufficiency to do it.
It's part of an overhaul that HUD will change
rental assistance from an indefInite subsidy to
a program that helps people make a transition
to independence.
Currently, the federal government allocates
money directly to public housing authorities
based on the number of privately owned apart-
ments they subsidize each year. In New York,
that funding is perennially short. The city has
a 10-year waiting list, with more than 125,000
families seeking Section 8 vouchers-more
than the 105,000 presently receiving benefIts.
Under the new Bush plan, the New York
City Housing Authority would get its federal
funding in a fixed block grant of cash, limiting
available resources but creating flexibility that
local officials have long demanded. Under the
plan, HUD would no longer require 75 per-
cent of vouchers to go to families living at less
than a third of their area's median income. It
would also rescind a rule that limits tenants'
rent to 30 percent of their income. So if local
authorities wanted to serve more families with
smaller subsidies, or focus the support on
higher-earning households, they could.
"We are not saying that every housing
authority will change," Michael Liu, assistant
secretary at HUD, said, announcing the sweep-
ing proposals. "We want to give them the
opportunity to change if they want."
In comments to WNYC radio in February,
New York City Housing Authority Chief
Operating Officer Douglas Apple suggested he
was interested in taking advantage of that
opportunity, and in using incentives to encour-
age households to make more money, give up
their vouchers, and free up room for families
on the waiting list. In order to "move up the
CITY LIMITS
income ladder," he said, "we have to give people the ben-
efit of additional income. "
Ie's an ambitious goal. In the 14 years that New York
City tenants have participated in Family Self Sufficiency,
only about 5,000 families have enrolled in the program,
the majority through the city Housing Authority.
The city's Department of Housing Preservation and
Development also participates in Family Self Sufficiency,
but just 73 of its tenants have completed it so far, out of
2,300 that enrolled. It's only fairly recently, explains
spokesperson Carol Abrams, that the agency has moved
to steer large numbers of households into the program.
Three years ago, HPD moved 750 households on wel-
fare, including Jara Correo's, out of abandoned buildings
needing rehabilitation. Caseworkers signed up 741 of
them for Family Self-Sufficiency.
But while the program provides powerful incentives to
earn and save more money, moving out of Section 8 requires
a f.llrly rapid increase in income. Many participants are sim-
ply not making that much, says Sandra Reyes, a caseworker
with the organization WHEDCO who helped find jobs for
HPD's Family Self Sufficiency clients. Reyes' clients found
jobs paying $8 an hour and up working at Banana Repub-
lic, in schools as assistants, and as hotel housekeepers. "It
takes a lot more than five years to become self-sufficient,"
says Reyes.
The Housing Authority is more sanguine about partici-
pants' prospects. The agency claims their average income
was between $13,000 and $15,000 last year; for more
highly skilled workers, between $20,000 and $23,000.
Their increasing earning power shows up in their escrow
accounts: last year, it ranged from $164 to $16,923. Marder
says that many of the households now earning too much to
receive Section 8 include more than one working adult.
While celebrating the program's successes, even fans of
Family Self Sufficiency are wary of the new proposal,
because funding for Section 8 rental assistance overall is
being cut dramatically. Observers estimate that the
budget falls between $1.1 billion and $1.5 billion short
of what will be needed just to keep the existing number
of vouchers in circulation. The feds also want to elimi-
nate $40 million in special federal funding for the kind
of case management Reyes provides, leaving it up to local
authorities to decide whether they want to spend pre-
cious block-grant cash on support services. 'This is
sophistry," says Barbara Sard, director of housing policy
at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "This is the
worst thing that can happen. "
Of the voucher cuts, Apple says they add up to an esti-
mated loss of 5,000 vouchers in New York City. The
National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates a loss
of250,000 vouchers nationwide. Public housing author-
ities have begin to publicly criticize the cuts.
The Bush administration's stated objective: "reducing the
number of families on long waiting lists throughout the
country. " How it will accomplish that remains to be seen .
Additional reporting by Kai Wright.
APRIL 2004
FRONTLINES
FIRSTHAND
Urban Pirates
I DISCOURAGE my men from wearing work boots or hard hats. I want them to blend into the
crowd on the street when they break for lunch because concealing a workforce is part of my
job. I practice a specialized field: stealth construction.
In the epicenter of the nation's busiest metropolis, with its myriad regulations and codes,
I fill an important niche. When a building owner wants a rotted structure transformed into
a chic new condo or emergency homeless shelter in only a few months-without the hassle
of paperwork and permits-he calls me.
We utilize underground passages and temporary bridges to put workers and material into
the site without using the front door. We climb over roofs and secretly trespass through adja-
cent buildings. Spotters on the street warn us of arriving city inspectors.
The hardest part is demolition. We keep the windows boarded up to keep noise and dust to
a minimum. At dawn, a truck drops an unmarked container out front and, temporarily, myoper-
ation is exposed as men hurry to fill it by hand with plaster debris and then a big belly of rotted
beams is placed on top. If a city inspector wanders by, I'm simply cleaning up an old storefront.
The building is then gutted, the carpenters lay down new floors, erect walls and staircases, etc.
I save months of endless inspections and the building owner will compensate me well ,
because the sooner the building is rented, the sooner money flows. But we all work this way
not to make more money, but because we couldn't do it any other way. It's our personalities.
We like the game. We revel in being the urban pirates of secret renovations.
Why? It's too easy to do it by the book. There comes deep satisfaction, a swelling of pride,
when I finally stand outside a project while painters apply the finishing touches, and the
neighbors wonder: When will construction begin?
A frustrated (and law-abiding) developer once asked me how I can sleep at night. But
given the housing crisis, I find my way preferable to the alternative: the many nonprofit
groups that attempt to build housing for the poor. They work through the bureaucracy seek-
ing money, plan and plan and plan; years go by as learned people with high degrees in social
work attend endless meetings where problems are only discussed. While they talk, my fel-
low urban pirates and I build shelter for poor people as fast as we can without having you
see or hear us. And we've learned to do it at an awesome speed. -Anonymous
7
FRONT LINES
Headed for a Breakdown
The battle over
the city's private
buses is bad
news for riders-
whoever wins.
By Tommy Hallissey
and Christine Lagorio
BROKEN WINDOWS and flat tires are mmor
symptoms compared to the busted valves and
burnt-out engines of rows of out-of-service
buses at the Triboro Coach garage in Jackson
Heights, Queens. These buses are "against the
wall"-shop talk for broken down, with little
hope of repair. But the decrepit condition of
8
the seven private fleets serving New York's bor-
oughs is indicative of much deeper troubles for
these companies and their workers.
The bitter conflict over outer-borough bus
service has exploded since the last contract
expired in 2002. Yet even if the situation
reaches a long-awaited resolution this June,
riders could still find themselves waiting on
the curb.
Aside from a blip in service during a strike in
2002, seven private companies have provided
service in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx for
the past 12 years under a single agreement with
the city. It's an unusual arrangement: The bus
lines are dependent on the city for more than
$100 million in annual subsidies, as well as bus
purchases and maintenance, and the oversight
of many of their facilities.
But the companies say the city is strangling
the life out of them, in six-month intervals.
Every six months since 2002, the city has
extended the operating agreement-ostensibly
to allow the city time to negotiate a takeover by
the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA),
under which Mayor Michael Bloomberg says
taxpayers will save the $120 million now paid
to the bus companies.
But those savings won't come easily: It will
cost an estimated one billion dollars to get the
old fleet up to speed, money the MTA says it
simply doesn't have.
"What we have here is almost like a
Bermuda Triangle," Councilmember Joseph
Addabbo said in an October City Council
hearing. The private bus companies are at one
apex, Bloomberg's administration at another
and the MTA at the third. Pressure is being
applied on all sides, but the most likely harmed
party in this political stalemate is the one
trapped in the middle: 400,000 riders.
TERESA MEADE never took the bus until a year
ago, when she hurt her shoulder and couldn't
hoist herself out of her car into her wheelchair.
After 25 years of driving, Meade needed
another way to get from her home in Linden-
wood, Queens, to her secretarial job at Veriwn
in Manhattan. It took her months to learn the
ropes of riding as a disabled passenger: calling
ahead to reserve a handicapped-accessible bus,
using the lifts and locks, and knowing the driv-
ers well enough to get assistance.
''At first, I'd get nasty, I'd get nervous, I'd get
annoyed, I'd call everyday for a working bus,
but the lifts wouldn't work, or they wouldn't
come on time," says Meade. "Now, they know
me and cater to me, but I know I was as hard
on them as they were on me."
Green Bus Lines' mechanics make sure to
send a newer bus out of the garage on Meade's
route when she rides. This is tough, because
although the accepted life span of a bus is
about 12 years or 500,000 miles before it
needs to be replaced or refurbished, more than
half of the buses operated by the private com-
panies are over 12 years old. Roughly one-
third are more than 17 years old, according to
a City Council analysis.
"These buses are dinosaurs," says Barry
Lotto, who drives the Q35 route from Flat-
bush, Brooklyn to Rockaway, Queens. "When
it is raining outside, it rains in the buses." And
drivers often end up taking heat. When the
bus is dirty or broken, Lotto says, "the first
thing [passengers] want to do is break your
head." In Lotto's case, that actually happened:
An enraged rider, he says, hit him in the head
with the butt of a revolver.
CITY LIMITS
Meade has been more patient. Two or
three times in the past year, the lift on her bus
has gotten stuck after it had worked to get her
on-not only did the Fire Department have
to hoist her down, but her fellow passengers
were delayed more than a half hour each time.
In the winter, Meade says, the lifts often
freeze up. Twice this February, she's had to
wait while two buses in a row with broken
lifts passed her by.
SINCE 1997, when the Giuliani administra-
tion implemented the One Ride, One Fare
program, the demand for service on the private
lines has increased dramatically. With uniform
fares and free transfers from the subway and
ciry-run buses, ridership grew by 20 percent on
most private routes, according to Jamie Van
Bramer, spokesperson for Green Bus Lines.
But the increased demand was never met with
an expansion of the fleet or routes. The com-
panies say service has slowly declined on the
seven private lines ever since.
Bloomberg and other ciry leaders say
streamlining the system under MTA would
provide better service and cost less in the long
run. But the ciry can't force MTA, a state
agency, to take up the 82 routes along the
ciry's outskirts. Negotiations are at a stale-
mate, where they have been for more than a
year now.
Jordan Barowitz, a Bloomberg spokesper-
son, says the ciry will not allocate another
$120 million annual transportation subsidy
payout to private operators--or to the MTA.
But Tom Kelly, an MTA spokesperson, and
Beverly Dolinsky, executive director of the
Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to
the MTA, expressed skepticism. "The ciry is
just being a bully, trying to make MTA
buckle," says Dolinsky, "so it can balance its
own budget. "
Members of the Transit Alliance-a con-
sortium comprised of Command Bus Co.,
Green Bus Lines, Jamaica Bus and Triboro
Coach-say they have been excluded from
negotiations between the ciry and MTA and
have no idea what the future holds. The
Alliance filed a lawsuit against the ciry in Sep-
tember and has spent thousands of dollars
lobbying in Albany against the takeover plan.
Jerome Cooper, chair of the Transit Alliance
and President of Jamaica Bus, helped spear-
head the effort, but doesn't know how long
the owners can hold out. "The ciry," he says,
"has done everything it can to encourage
these private lines to go out of business."
Given this tension, an MTA takeover is
APRIL 2004
likely to be rocky at best. The private compa-
nies own six of the eight outer-borough
garages, which the MTA may have a hard time
simply buying up. The already cash-strapped
authoriry, which says it is in a budget crunch
this year, is faced with estimates that a com-
plete takeover would cost roughly a billion dol-
lars. The mayor's dream of a system that saves
money and serves riders could still be years
away. "Residents are already being short-
changed," Queens Borough President Helen
Marshall says through a spokeswoman. "This
is only getting worse."
===, X ~ ~ = = : : : : : : a
Extra Credit
AN INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE plan to make
low-income families prove they qualify for a
popular tax credit program has been radically
scaled back, following a whirlwind of contro-
versy that the proposal sparked when first
unveiled last spring.
At a cost of almost $35 billion a year, the
Earned Income Tax Credit, which gives rebates
to low-income households that have children,
puts more money into the hands of the work-
ing poor than public assistance and food
stamps combined. Last year, the EITC
returned $1.5 billion to the New York metro-
politan area alone.
But the IRS, citing over-claim rates
between 27 and 32 percent, says the program
is wasteful. In 1999, the agency points out,
ineligible taxpayers collected between $8.5
billion and $9.9 billion from the credit. So
last spring, the IRS proposed an initiative that
aimed to rein in the program by requiring
claimants to prove they qualify before ftIing.
Under the proposal, people claiming the tax
credit would have had to show that a child
lived with them for six months of the year and
establish their relationship to the child.
Advocates railed against the idea, calling it
unduly burdensome, and the IRS beat a hasry
retreat. By winter, the initiative had been
whittled down to a shadow of its former self
The IRS dropped the relationship certifica-
tion idea altogether. And in December, it
launched a small pilot program requiring just
25,000 people nationwide-a tiny fraction of
the total 21 million EITC ftIers-to prove
they live with the child they're claiming this
tax season.
FRONT LINES
Members of the Ciry Council, including
Transportation Committee chair John Liu, are
growing frustrated with the pace of negotia-
tions and say they are opposed to writing
another piece of legislation extending the cur-
rent operating agreement. "I think the first
thing is that the mayor has to make a decision
here," Councilmember Addabbo says. "As
long as he is negotiating with the MTA, serv-
ice is not going to improve."
Tommy Hallissey is a Long Island-based freelance
writer.
At the end of the tax season, an independ-
ent auditor will determine whether the pilot
has addressed the over-claim rate without cre-
ating an unreasonable burden for the taxpayer
or lowering the participation rate.
"We think the IRS has made some sensible
decisions," says John Wancheck of the Center
on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington
D.C. IRS EITC Programs Director David
Williams credits those decisions to the massive
input the agency got ftom advocates when it
unveiled its original plan last spring. "Initially,
advocates hadn't really been engaged by the
task force," says Williams, explaining that now,
"anything we roll out will have strong input
from advocacy groups. "
Still, Wancheck argues that many ftIing
problems are not the result of fraud but, iron-
ically, the already complex rules governing
who qualifies.
Two years ago, Harlem resident Nicole
Miller Thomas sought help at her local IRS
office on 125th Street and Lenox Avenue but
ended up with a rejected return. "You stand
out in the cold and they only take 10 people
at a time," she recalls, adding that they
"messed up my return really bad," by incor-
rectly listing her stepdaughter as a foster
child. When she returned to rectify the prob-
lem, she was accused of providing wrong
information. This year, Thomas is filing her
taxes at one of Communiry Food Resource
Center's free tax assistance sites, located at
125th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue,
instead.
President Bush's 2005 budget proposes sim-
plifying the entire tax code by authorizing the
Treasury Department to create a single defmi-
tion for a dependent child. Advocates like
Wanchek are open to the idea. "The jury's out.
But we think it would have an overall benefi-
cial effect and help reduce errors. "
- Karah Woodward
9
FRONT LINES
Watchdog Gets Put to Sleep
SINCE 1995, the Child Welfare Project of the
Office of the Public Advocate has provided
assistance to parents, young people and others
who needed help resolving problems with the
city's Administration for Children's Services.
But February brought the end of the project
and the departure of Hank Orenstein, its direc-
tor of five years.
Now the Public Advocate's office is moving
the work of the project into its ombudsman's
office, which handles complaints about all city
government agencies. While Public Advocate
Betsy Gotbaum is sri1l seeking fUnding for it,
the Child Welfare Project-known as C-PLAN
when it was founded by Gotbaum's predeces-
sor, Mark Green-no longer exists.
'''Streamline' is the best way to put it, " says
Julia Bator, executive director of the Fund for
Public Advocacy, which raises private dollars
for special projects affiliated with Gotbaum's
agency. "We've put the operations into the
office of the Public Advocate, offering continu-
Commitment is
ous services with a reduced staff." Bator says it's
not certain how many of the project's three
other staff will remain.
"It makes me very sad," says Jane Golden,
who ran C-PLAN until 1999 and is now direc-
tor of adoption and foster care for the Chil-
dren's Aid Society. "It's problematic not to have
a third-party, neutral outside observer." Project
staff made referrals to legal and social services,
conducted independent investigations of abuse
and neglect allegations, even accompanied fam-
ilies to court. The project also issued policy
reports about such issues as the pay of lawyers
representing parents, and it pressed govern-
ment to be more responsive to families' needs.
But the shutdown of the Child Welfare Pto-
ject is also a sign of how much has improved at
ACS-gains the project can take some credit for.
There are about 23,000 children in foster care,
down from more than 40,000 in the late 1990s,
and ACS has made extensive pledges (some real-
ized more successfUlly than others) to work coop-
eratively with f.rnlllies. ACS "is a very different
organization than when I first started fUnding C-
PlAN," explains David Tobis, executive director
of the Child Welfare Fund and a supporter of the
Public Advocate's work from the beginning.
Last year, the fUnd gave its fitst-ever grant to
New Yorkers for Children, the nonprofit ACS set
up during the Giuliani years to fUnd special ini-
tiatives. New Yorkers for Children's project will
get f.rnlllies involved in neighborhood efforts of
their own design, as a way to berter connect them
to ACS' local family-support networks. "Over
time, ACS' focus has changed more to preserving
f.rnlllies than to removing children, and we're
therefore working more with them," says Tobis.
The Child Welfare Fund is also backing
Partners in Prevention, a project Orenstein
started and now will be expanding into an
independent nonprofit helping parents organ-
ize into mutual-support networks. But accord-
ing to Bator, the Public Advocate's efforts to
raise fUnds elsewhere to continue assisting fam-
ilies "have been completely unsuccessfUl."
Electoral politics are also to blame. The
Child Welfare Project had to stop fUndraising
in 2001, when Green was term-limited and
running for mayor. "We couldn't tell fUnders
what would happen with the project," says
Orenstein. "Mark put us on payroll that whole
time." When Gotbaum arrived, they had to
start raising money from scratch. The work,
Orenstein maintains, is needed as much as
ever: "Families told us they were treated very
differently once we showed up." -Alyssa Katz
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10 CITY LIMITS
less Carrot;
More Stick
GOVERNOR PATAKI proposed a budget in late
January that would cut $362 million in state
welfare spending and drastically change eligi-
bility requirements. While it highlights the
importance of creating incentives and remov-
ing barriers to work, the plan also appears to be
aimed at shrinking the state's $5.1 billion
budget gap.
One provision already generating intense
opposition from advocates is the call for full-
family sanctions, under which a family's entire
cash grant can be withheld if the head of
household does not meet work requirements.
Currently in New York State, children con-
tinue to receive grants even when the parental
portion is sanctioned.
A brief firestorm erupted last fall when Verna
Eggleston, commissioner of the city's Human
Resources Administration, implied in an inter-
view that her department might suppOrt full-
family sanctions. The Bloomberg administration
2004
has not yet taken an official stance.
That, in itself, concerns welfare advocates.
"Partial sanctions already hurt children, but if
you leave a family without any income, you
leave them with nothing, " says Cristina DiMeo,
a policy analyst at the Federation of Protestant
Welfare Agencies. Sanctionable offenses can be
as minor as being late for an appointment or
not filing paperwork with the right office.
In addition to imposing stricter penalties for
noncompliance, the budget would significantly
cut payments to families who have a member
receiving Social Security. It would also reduce job
earnings a recipient can keep before losing bene-
fits, and limit some grants given to farnilies on the
rolls longer than five years {and singles longer
than one year}.
Pataki has long defended the idea that
harsher penalties force recipients to- become
more independent. Yet that connection is still
unproven, says Margy Waller, a visiting eco-
nomics fellow at the Brookings Institution, a
Washington think tank. Waller acknowledges
that current federal work requirements have
had positive results but says there is scant
research to show that rigid requirements lead to
better outcomes.
State Senator Liz Krueger, a member of the
FRONTllNES
Social Services Committee, agrees that more
rules are not the solution. "Those families on
the rolls for more than five years are by defini-
tion the least employable people," she says.
"They are the severely disabled or they are
mentally ill or have limited English skills. They
are folks with so many issues, they can't enter
the labor market."
The debate over Pataki's budget proposal is
widely expected to be less vicious than last
year's, but his welfare ideas may draw particu-
larly intense scrutiny as federal lawmakers
begin to consider reauthorizing Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families. The TANF bill
proposed by President Bush includes its own
set of expanded work rules that would supple-
ment any new statewide regulations.
Yet opponents of Pataki's plan are still
optimistic. When he first proposed full-fam-
ily sanctions in 1997, the legislature rejected
it as too punitive. Times have changed,
explains Krueger, noting that the state did
not have a $ 5 billion budget deficit in 1997.
"But it is our obligation to stop [these pro-
posals] from happening," she says. "I believe
the legislature has the will to prevent them
from going forward."
-Elizabeth Cady Brown
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11
INSIDE TRACK
Who Shapes New York?
Angry communities are telling developers to follow loning
limits. But the law, and the panel that enforces it, may speak
even louder. By Alexander Dworkowitz
Developers' ally: The BSA was founded to protect property rights.
FOR MORE THAN a year now, a war has raged
over the fate of a former warehouse in Red
Hook. The developers of 160 Imlay Street
have sought to transform the six-story build-
ing into apartments. They enlisted a team of
lawyers, consultants, real estate agents and
architects to convince the city's Board of Stan-
dards and Appeals (BSA) to grant them the
zoning variance necessary to convert an indus-
trial site into a residential one.
The Red Hook/Gowanus Chamber of
Commerce responded by hiring its own
lawyer, who argued the conversion would cost
the neighborhood desperately needed jobs.
The developers had civic leaders testify before
the BSA that they wanted fewer trucks clog-
ging up their streets. The Red Hook group and
its members, many of them industrial compa-
12
nies, argued that the neighborhood needed
jobs above all else. Each side gave the BSA
hundreds of pages of documents to back up
their case.
Two days before Christmas, the board
voted 3 to 1 to approve the variance.
For opponents of the variance, the result
was disappointing but not surprising. For
decades, leaders of community organizations
have decried BSA decisions, saying the board
almost always sides with developers when it
comes to special permit requests and appeals
on zoning laws.
With the city in the midst of a develop-
ment boom, neighborhood opposition has
swelled into something of a citywide move-
ment against the BSA. In Btooklyn, commu-
nity leaders say the BSA's decisions are killing
off what remains of industry. In Queens, civic
gtoUpS believe the agency is bringing overde-
velopment to low-rise neighborhoods. And in
Manhattan, residents accuse the board of
allowing high-rise buildings in the few small-
scale areas left on the island. Some have devel-
oped such a strong disdain for the BSA that
they talk about the agency as if it were an
instrument of the devil. (It doesn't help mat-
ters that the BSA is listed under Section 666 of
the City Charter).
As residents citywide have become more
aware of the impact of the agency's decisions,
politicians have been paying attention, too.
Bayside Councilmember Tony Avella has gone
the furthest, introducing legislation that
would allow the City Council to override the
BSA's decisions. "The BSA has become a
power unto itself with no oversight of any
sort," says Avella, who chairs the Council's
Zoning and Franchises Committee. "They
have been issuing very questionable decisions
that in many cases vary from their own
requirements. This type of power should only
be invested in elected officials and not
appointed bureaucrats."
But while making the BSA more publicly
accountable for its decisions could help com-
munities better control their own destinies,
Avella is facing a steep uphill battle. The BSA's
powers are deeply rooted in property law-in
centuries-old, constitutionally supported pro-
tections for the rights of landowners to do
what they wish with their real estate. And to
give the City Council authority over BSA deci-
sions, Avella doesn't need just the Council's
approval, and most likely the mayor's-he'll
also have to convince the public to vote for a
change to the City Charter.
Be careful what you wish for, scholars of
city planning history might tell Avella and his
supporters. When New York City established
its pioneering zoning code back in 1916,
CITY LIMITS
which limited building height and required "set-
backs" to preserve light and air, pro perry owners
challenged the laws in court. The result was a
legal compromise: The ciry could keep its zoning
code if it also provided a forum where landown-
ers could plead for exemptions, or "variances."
New York's zoning code, including the BSA and
its variances, became a model for cities across the
country. Says Professor Jerold Kayden, an attor-
ney and professor of Urban Planning and Design
at Harvard who has authored books on New
York Ciry zoning, variances exist "to further a
higher ideal, a sense of fairness."
TO THE UNINITIATED, the BSA looks like a rubber-
Stamp agency. To receive a variance, an applicant
must meet a series of findings, outlined in the
ciry's zoning code. Most significantly, there must
be "practical difficulties or unnecessary hard-
ship" in developing according to the ciry's zoning
code, which would prevent the owner from mak-
ing a decent profit. Variances cannot "alter the
essential character of the neighborhood" or "be
detrimental to the public welfare," and the hard-
ship cannot be self-created. Often, an applicant
must provide a financial analysis and environ-
mental assessment to back up his or her case.
Last year, the board voted 198 times on
whether or not to grant new variances or special
permits. It rejected only seven items, making for
an approval rate of 96.5 percent.
But this number is somewhat misleading.
Applications can take a year or more to be
approved, and proposals are constantly altered as
applicants try to comply with the BSA's wishes.
Sometimes, an applicant's attorney realizes a case
cannot be won and drops it. In 2003, 31 appli-
cations were withdrawn or dismissed. When the
dropped cases are considered, the BSA's approval
rate comes down to 83.4 percent.
Many prospective variances do not even make
it to the BSA. Almost all applicants consult a
small clique of land use attorneys, engineers and
consultants who know the ins and outs of the
BSA like no one else. While the commissioners
on the five-member board are limited to one six-
year term, many attorneys have been practicing
for decades. They know exactly which cases can
be won and which cannot, and will reject the
more outlandish attempts at getting around zon-
ing laws. "I get one request a week, and I only
take 20 a year, " says Harold Weinberg, an engi-
neer who has specialized in BSA applications
since 1962.
Other applicants get cold feet when they real-
ize the time and money involved. Weinberg
charges a minimum of $15,000 a case, and
expenses for some attorneys can run even higher.
APRIL 2004
LEGAL ASSISTANCE
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March 26 - Program Theme ' Creative Nation" (Events starts at 10am, end at 6pm.
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14
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Application fees range from $275 to hundreds of
rhousands of dollars. Wellington Chen, a former
BSA commissioner who now works for a Queens
developer, claims it is "far easier to launch an
intercontinental ballistic missile rhan it is to
launch a variance."
"No one wants to go through a variance
process," Chen says. "It's a public humiliation
process. You have so many hurdles to go
through-attorneys, financial experts, cartogra-
phers-before you even get there."
Most applications before rhe BSA are rela-
tively simple-like rhe homeowner who wants
to add an extension. Others are for health clubs
and gas stations seeking rhe proper permits.
These arouse little controversy.
But there are always cases that touch a nerve
in communities. Avella cites two examples in his
district. In Bayside, the BSA approved plans for
rhe 8,789-square-foot Chabad of Northeast
Queens, a synagogue rhat neighbors fear will
loom over homes on rhe block. Another decision
allowed the construction of a Walgreens in Col-
lege Point-without a required parking lot.
While Queens residents want to maintain the
suburban character of their neighborhoods,
advocates in norrhern Brooklyn want rhe oppo-
site: to halt the conversion of old factories into
apartments, and preserve what industrial jobs are
left. Assemblymember Vito Lopez has sought to
legislate additional hurdles for developers who
want to convert industrial buildings. "Light
manufacturing jobs, which are entry-level jobs,
are very significant and important for rhe eco-
nomic development of my community," explains
Lopez. In much of Williamsburg, it's already too
late: A slew of variances in the 1990s helped
change industrial buildings to residential ones,
and real estate prices for commercial buildings
soon rose beyond manufacturers' reach. With
much of the neighborhood already converted,
the Bloomberg administration is now working to
rezone the Williamsburg waterfront into a
largely residential area.
WHEN CRITICS CHARGE rhat the BSA is a tool of
mayors beholden to real estate interests, they have
some justification. Traditionally, real estate is the
biggest contributor to mayoral campaigns, and
mayors appoint rhe BSA's commissioners. May-
ors Giuliani and Bloomberg have both called for
new development throughout the city, including,
under Bloomberg, a plan to build tens of thou-
sands of units of new housing. And many of the
commissioners have worked for developers in rhe
past or have close ties to the real estate industry.
Historically, BSA commissioners have bowed
to political pressure from city officials. Robert
Moses supposedly ordered the board to approve
Frank Lloyd Wright's plan for the Guggenheim
Museum, angering Manhattan civic groups. In
CITY LIMITS
the past, aaorneys with saong political connec-
tions were known ro have their way with the BSA.
Those days are over, assen lawyers who now
deal with the board. With his personal fonune,
Bloomberg does not rely on real estate conrribu-
tions. He recendy appoinred Meenakshi Srini-
vasan, a planner with the Departmenr of Ciry
Planning, as chair of the BSA, and some expect
Srinivasan ro be rougher on developers. "This
adminisrration remains aloof," Weinberg says.
Most cases simply boil down ro the details of wn-
ing laws, and those details favor developers. In Flush-
ing, for example, residenrs felt that a church that had
rom down hisroric homes ro build a parking lot
should not then be granted a permit for the lor. Bur
wning law for parking lors doesn't address the char-
acter or hisrory of an applicant-it's all about rrafEc
flow. When the commissioners concluded the new
lot would not have a negative impact on rrafEc, they
approved it.
Pat Pacifico, executive direcror of the BSA, is
well aware that his agency's decisions are often
It is "easier to
launch an
intercontinental
ballistic missile"
than a variance,
says a former BSA
. .
commissioner.
controversial. Bur he is firm in his belief that all
of those decisions are grounded in law. "The law
is the law, " Pacifico said. "Look at the [cases],
and show me where this board has been wrong.
We act within the law, and we stand up within
the law. That's our job. That's our mandate."
But many communiry and indusrrial advocates
are convinced the board remains roo lenienr, par-
ticularly when it comes ro developers' claims that
they cannot find suitable industrial tenants. And
not everyone is convinced that political pressure
remains absent from the BSA's decisions.
In the case of 160 Imlay Srreet, which adjoins a
port area that the ciry's economic development
agency is assessing for redevelopment, the develop-
ers attempted ro prove that they could not make
money off the building without a variance. The
opposition noted that industry was on the
rebound in Red Hook, and the New York Indus-
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crial Retention Network provided the BSA with a
list of 15 companies that were looking for more
space in the area. The developers, however,
informed the board that they had cried and failed
to market the building for telecommunications.
They also said that the building, constructed in
1913, was obsolete and needed repairs.
At first, the board grilled the applicants.
Then-chair James Chin, noting the developers
were well aware of the condition of the building
when they bought it two years earlier, declared
that it was "not the purpose of the board" to
insure that developers made a profit off a real
estate "gamble." Commissioner Peter Caliendo
criticized the developers for not marketing the
building for other uses. "There is a whole host of
permitted uses that were not analyzed," he said.
The authors of the developer's analysis, Freeman
Frazier & Associates, later responded by saying
other uses were not "financially viable." Freeman
Frazier also argued that their clients would make
only a 1.5 percent profit by renovating the build-
ing for industrial use. Their figure, however, was
based on renovation costs of $5.5 million, an
estimate that Mark Pomykacz, a real estate
appraiser hired by the opposition, found to be
$2.5 million too high.
But despite the board's initial doubts, only
Chin voted against the variance.
Community observers were mystified about
why the board ultimately accepted the develop-
ers' claim of financial hardship as legitimate. "Ini-
tially, we were encouraged by the reception [the
developers) received at the board," says Craig
Hammerman, district manager of Brooklyn's
Community Board 6. "We thought that [the
commissioners) were skeptical and we felt that
they were taking up all the right points. Some-
where in the process, something happened."
The Red HooklGowanus Chamber of Com-
merce has filed a challenge in State Supreme
Court. The courts generally defer to the BSA,
but do overturn the agency's decisions if they go
against legal precedent.
Court review may help community oppo-
nents halt the Imlay Street conversion. But typi-
cally, according to former commissioner
Wellington Chen, the threat of court interfer-
ence makes commissioners reluctant to let com-
munity sentiment sway them. "I am not happy
with all the decisions I made, but the public
doesn't understand that sometimes, my hands
are tied," Chen says. "Just because the commu-
nity reaction is stronger in one area, you can't
deny a case. In the Constitution, you cannot
take anybody's property without just compensa-
tion. There is a fundamental right for the owner
to do something with his property."
Alexander Dworkowitz is a reporter for the Hart-
ford Advocate.
CITY LIMITS
APRIL 2004
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BY CASSI FELDMAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELA JIMENEZ
S
omerime in rhe early morning of March 23, 2000, Theresa
Gugliano, a legally blind 77-year-old, and Hugh Fearon,
22, argued in rhe kitchen of rhe upstate boarding house
rhey shared. Fearon, a Queens native, had a history of men-
tal illness and refusing medication. He stabbed Gugliano, rhen
dragged her limp body into rhe backyard, where he bludgeoned
her wirh a brick.
Late last year, Frank Cuttita, who owned rheir boarding house and
two orhers in rhe tiny town of Liberty, New York, was found guilty
of operating "adult care facilities" wirhout a license. He escaped jail
time, but was filled $405,000 by rhe state attorney general after a
lengrhy investigation.
An adult care facility is defined in state law as a home for ten-
ants who "are unable or substantially unable to live indepen-
dently." They might need help wirh basic tasks like grooming,
transportation or taking medication, but don't necessarily require
round-the-clock care.
Cuttita's lawyer, Albert Gaudelli, argues that his client never
intended to run adult homes, just boarding houses. If any of his
residents needed more services, rheir doctor or social worker
could have found them a better placement. The case is now on
appeal. "Everyone is looking to point the finger at someone else
and they don't look at themselves, " says Gaudelli. "Are you inter-
ested in rhe condition of the patient or are you interested in cov-
ering your ass?"
But Andrew Weiss, special assistant to rhe attorney general, says
Cuttita knew he was serving a vulnerable population. "He was dri-
ving rhem to rheir medical appointments, filling rheir prescriptions,"
says Weiss. "For him to put his head in rhe sand goes against rhe
weight of rhe evidence."
Paul Leroy, a Liberty police dispatcher familiar wirh rhe case, says
Cuttita's houses suffered a rash of incidents over rhe years, including
an apparent suicide. "There was no supervision, " he recalls. "No
staff" Leroy says he tried in vain to draw rhe state's attention, but rhe
Department of Healrh, which regulates adult homes wirh five or
more people, took an interest only after Gugliano's dearh.
If rhis is an extreme example, it underscores a very common
problem-and a dangerous gray area in rhe law. While several gov-
ernment agencies are charged with monitoring the healrh and well-
being of adults wirh mental illness, rhe rules are somewhat vague when
it comes to tracking and penalizing unlicensed facilities.
In 2002, a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times series by Clifford
J. Levy put rhe Healrh Department in rhe hot sear for failing to protect
residents of licemed adult homes. At 26 of the city's largest facilities, Levy
documented 326 deaths of residents under age 60 between 1995 and
2001. But rhe series barely touched rhe issue of unlicensed homes. And
neither, it seems, has rhe state Department of Healrh.
City Limits has learned of more rhan 40 private homes in rhe five bor-
oughs suspected of being unlicensed adult care facilities, much like Cut-
tita's boarding houses. Bur alrhough rhe Department of Healrh has
known of many of rhem for years, it has taken little action. According to
its records, only one unlicensed home has been closed down in New York
City over rhe past rhree years.
18
In rhe course of rhis investigation, we visited 10 unlicensed homes
and gained access to six. Those we entered ranged in quality from
abysmal to inspirational. Some seemed to pose an active danger to their
residents, while orhers appeared healrhy and safe.
Figuring our how to advocate for residents of both is a tricky task for
Claudia Wilner, a fellow sponsored by rhe law firm Skadden Arps to
work wirh rhe Mental Healrh Project of rhe nonprofit Urban Justice
Center. Hired last fall , Wilner is charged with researching unlicensed
adult homes and helping to improve living conditions for rhose inside.
"We realize rhere's a shortage of housing for people wirh psychiatric dis-
abilities, so we don't want to try to shut down homes unless it really
seems like the residents are in danger," Wilner explains. Nor do rhey
want to patronize capable adults. "But rhere's another group who need
help to take meds, prepare meals, get around, " she says. "They are
CITY LIMITS
dependent on their landlords for every aspect of their lives. Those are the
people for whom unlicensed adult homes are really a bad idea."
A
dult homes sprung up in the 1960s and 1970s, as states began to close
psychiatric wards and institutions. Motivated in part by new ways of
thinking about mental health, and the availability of new psy-
chotropic medications, the change also reflected a funding shift. The federal
government had created new programs like Supplemental Security Income
and Medicaid, and entrepreneurs were eager to make the mosr of them.
Until 1997, adult homes were monitored by the stare Department of
Social Services. Today, homes with five or more adults fall under the
purview of the Department of Health, while smaller "family-rype"
homes are licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services. The
Office of Mental Health, arguably the most appropriate agency to track
APRIL 2004
psychiatric placements, has little to do with adulr homes. Bur it does
help certify "community residences" and supported housing, both of
which are linked with services like case management and health care.
Confused? So were many of the adult home residents and owners we
interviewed. While having a range of housing models provides flexibility,
it also muddies the distinction between boarding houses and adult homes.
In either case, rent is generally paid for by the federal Social Security
Administration, which provides roughly $650 in Supplemental Security
Income each month to 429,000 disabled New Yorkers. Mental health or
medical services are paid for with Medicaid. Most adult homes operators
charge $500 or so in rent for a room or a bed, and sometimes more for
meals. Whatever is left over goes to the residents as allowance.
If an individual can't handle his or her own finances, the Social Secu-
rity Administration helps fmd a "representative payee," preferably a fam-
19
ily member or close friend. Bur often, adult home operators present
themselves as care providers, rather than landlords-giving them full con-
trol over their tenants' finances. The agency will visit homes to make sure
payees are up to snuff, but it doesn't routinely check to see if they are
licensed. "The licensing isn't our business," says John Shallman, the Social
Security Administration's communications director. "That's the state. "
Unlicensed homes are not inherently illegal-unless the health depart-
ment determines that one or more residents are disabled enough to require
special care. In the past few years, the Department of Health has inspected
several homes suspected of flouting the law. "If we're made aware of a sit-
uation, we go in immediately," says spokesperson Robert Kenny. Once an
owner is cited for operating illegally, he or she is ordered to apply for a
license or transfer our residents who need more help. If the charges are
more serious, the department can remove the residents itself
But because the homes are unlicensed, the department doesn't have
state law that requires appropriate placements and Office of Mental Health
regulations that preclude the release of patients to homes cited for operat-
ing illegally, many hospitals continue to use them. Most of the unlicensed
home operators interviewed for this story rarned off lists of hospitals that
regularly referred clients, including Interfaith Medical Center in BrookJyn,
South Beach Hospital in Staten Island and St. John's Episcopal Hospital in
Queens. Interfaith declined to comment on its procedures; South Beach
referred us back to the Office of Mental Health. St. John's did not respond
to repeated calls for comment.
The Department of Health now posts a "Do Not Refer" list on its
web site, but it only contains six addresses in the five boroughs, a far cry
from the 40 or more that advocates have identified.
One of those homes is Iyageh House, a three-story brownstone on
Kosciusko Street in Bed-Stuy. In a 2003 report to the city Department of
Buildings, the Health Department relayed a laundry list of concerns,
including overloaded electrical circuits, no sprinkler
system and sleeping quarters located in the win-
dowless basement. Another letter from the Health
Department to the owner's attorney noted "numer-
ous documented medication errors. " But our sur-
prise visit in February found the home still running.
Kenny says the department continues to "closely
monitor" the situation.
The tangled web of agencies involved in adult
home regulation makes it tricky for a neighbor who
suspects an illegal adult home to know whom to con-
tact. It also makes it easy for the agencies to point fm-
gers at each other when something goes wtong.
S
omething went very wrong at 738 Snediker
Avenue, a three-bedroom apartment in East
New York. Although its owner, Mary Smith,
was once certified to run a family-type home, that
license was revoked in 1992 when she refused to
limit the operation to two beds.
At Home Sweet Home, Kigh Walker works in exchange for a room, and
says "everyone is like family." But the owner plans to shut it soon.
Yet Smith continued to rent out rooms to adults
with mental illness. Roger* arrived in 1999, afrer
he was discharged from Interfaith Medical Center.
Severely agoraphobic, he was effectively stranded
in his room, which he describes as barely livable.
His Polaroids reveal overflowing garbage, mouse
droppings, peeling paint and walls covered with
mold. The city's Department of Housing Preserva-
tion and Development found 11 violations during
the authority to fine illegal operators or shut them down, Kenny says.
And while it can refer cases to the attorney general for investigation, it
has done that only once, with Cuttita.
A 1999 audit by then-state Comptroller Carl McCall found that the
Department of Health and the Office of Children and Family Services
were often slow to investigate unlicensed facilities. "Officials at both the
department and OCFS told us they do not actively try to identifY these
facilities because identification of such facilities is not mandated by law
and is not considered a priority, " the audit states. A 2002 follow-up
found that the department had done more outreach, but still had no
written procedures for finding unlicensed homes.
Hospitals, however, seem to have no trouble locating them. Despite
'some names in this story have been changed.
20
a single inspection in July 200 l.
And the problems ran deeper. House staff referred to the residents as
"patients" and treated them like children, Roger says, intruding without
knocking and denying food as punishment. He later testified that when
he complained, a staff member called him "faggot" and "bastard," and
the owner threatened to evict him. Smith and her lawyer could not be
reached for comment.
Roger, a stocky 57-year-old given to shy smiles and quick tears, says he
wrote and called every agency he could think of, but it wasn't until he found
Bill Lienhard of the Urban Justice Center that anyone took him seriously.
In early 2001, the Urban Justice Center had just exposed Joe Clarke,
the owner of another unlicensed home. Roger read a Daily News story
about the incident, realized that his situation was similar and contacted
CITY LIMITS
'"
Lienhard for help. Lienhard admits that some of Roger's claims seemed
oudandish at first, but he was able to verifY most of them fust-hand.
Even with mounting evidence, however, it was nearly impossible to fig-
ure out where to rurn. Lienhard's files reveal a seemingly endless paper trail
in which agency after agency said it couldn't intervene because the home
was unlicensed. "It's a Catch-22 that enables them not to do anything, n
Lienhard says. In the meantime, Roger fought off four atrempted evictions.
He finally won his countersuit against Smith in August 2002. Roger col-
lected $10,000 in damages and moved, but still fears that Smith's associates
will try to track him down. Worse, perhaps, he spent his portion of the court
award on temporary housing and still hasn't found a permanent home.
The frustrations of Roger's case pushed Lienhard and WIlner to take a
broader approach to the problem of unlicensed homes. "We realized it was-
n't an anomaly at all," Lienhard says, "but a real cottage industry." Rather
than target the operators, WIlner helps clients understand their rights so
they can solve discrete problems without getting
evicted. Soft-spoken yet tough, she travels around the
city by subway, giving workshops at day treatment
centers, meeting with clients, and collecting informa-
tion for her upcoming report. In the course of her
investigation, she discovered Home Sweet Home.
L
ocated on a desolate strip of Beach Channel
Drive in Far Rockaway, Home Sweet Home is
the kind of place you'd rather not have to visit.
A black garbage bag stretches unevenly across the
front window, and all the shades are drawn. Trash
and discarded lawn chairs are piled in the ICe
behind a high picket fence.
Inside, it's not much better. White walls are
smudged with dirt, the teal pleather couch is cracked
and peeling, and bare mattresses sit in rickety bunk
beds. But mosdy, the house just looks stripped: Once
home to 10 or more mentally ill adults, it now
houses only four or five. Its owner, Tony Yoon, plans
to close it down within the next few months.
from the Home Sweet Home program."
Yet the clients, most of whom spent their days in outpatient programs
and their evenings chain-smoking, turned out to be the least of his prob-
lems, says Yoon. His workers, on the other hand, were trouble from the
start. One stole the house TV and VCR to feed an addiction. Another
brought four kids to live in the house and wouldn't leave until Yoon
threatened to call the Administration for Children's Services. As City
Limits went to press, another former staffer, laMere Love, had taken
over the basement, along with his white pit bull.
"The clients are terrified, " says Margaret*, the mother of a former
resident. In October, her son called in a panic, claiming Love had threat-
ened his life. (Love describes it as a misunderstanding.)
Kigh Walker, who helps run the house in exchange for rent, says he
knows it's not perfect, but "everyone is like family." His housemate,
Tyrone Sheard, who does odd jobs for Tony, describes Yoon as fair and
Yoon, who also runs a convenience store on
nearby Mott Avenue, is the fust to admit that he
originally thought of the home as a business ven-
ture. "I had a dream: to start this one and then
another--one Korean, one Chinese," says Yoon.
"But when I got into it. .. it's not easy. "
Yoon says he first got the idea from a local doctor,
who was running a home for around 30 adults, col-
lecting roughly $12,000 in SSI payments each month.
Annie Lynch and Mary Marks live in one of JUSTICE organization's Far
Rockaway homes---clean, well-run and unlicensed.
But when some residents refused to pay rent, Yoon says, the home disinte-
grated, and eventually lost heat and hot water. Desperate, the doctor encour-
aged Yoon to buy a house near the store and take some residents off his
hands. Yoon says the doctor, whom he would not identifY, didn't have a
license, so he assumed he didn't need one either.
Yoon had no prior experience in the mental health field, but he liked
the idea of taking care of people. A brochure for Home Sweet Home
reflects his inexperience. "Anyone at anytime can be chosen for a urine
test," it states. "It is not a personal issue so do not be offended. Please
just cooperate with the urine test. " Another rule addresses intimate rela-
tions: "Because this is a co-ed facility, we ask that you dress accordingly.
Any female caught sexually acting out in or outside will be terminated
APRIL 2004
generous. At the end of the month, when their SSI checks have dwin-
dled, he brings them free groceries from the store.
Sheard used to work at AI-Noor Light Home, another unlicensed facil-
ity, which closed down last year following a Health Department investiga-
tion. He doesn't understand why the state seems to target some homes, and
lets others slide. "As hard as it is to get housing for people with mental ill-
ness," Sheard says, "they go to these little places and shut them down."
WIlner sympathizes with the tenants' concerns, but she isn't shedding
any tears for Tony Yoon. "Home Sweet Home is a grim and sordid resi-
dence run by unscrupulous individuals who prey on poor people with psy-
chiatric disabilities," she wrote in a January 2004 letter to the Health
Department. "I believe that residents of this facility are in imminent danger."
21
The Health Department has actually known about Home Sweet
Home for quite a while. In December 2002, its inspectors recorded an
array of code violations and told Yoon that he had to get a license, trans-
fer the clients, or risk a fine. The department doesn't offer landlords seek-
ing licenses any help with their applications or in seeking grants. "The
onus is on them," says Kenny.
In February 2003, Yoon sent an application to the department and even
paid a lawyer $2,000 for help. But his application was incomplete, and the
lawyer, he says, turned out to be a scam artist who made off with his payment.
For now, Home Sweet Home is still open for business. Wilner asked
the Health Department to immediately place the home on its Do Not
Refer list. But, as of press time, it still wasn't up there. We faxed her let-
ter to the department's Albany office, which sent an inspector the very
next day. "If any of these allegations are sustained," Kenny says, "we'll
take action to transfer the residents."
Bryant, who had worked at Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital ,
approached Papathomas and her husband about converting their par-
ents' house into a mini-shelter. SSI would guarantee them stable rent,
and Bryant would make sure the home was well maintained. At first,
Papathomas was skeptical. "We didn't know who these people were or
what we were getring into." But the mortgage on the home was already
paid off, so they felt they had nothing to lose.
Meanwhile, Bryant began to approach other local owners with the same
proposition, and slowly built a social service empire, providing housing,
meals, clothing, counseling, and prayer. In and around her church on Beach
15th Street, she now has four homes: one for women, one for working men,
one for families and one for those "who need more supervision." In total,
she runs 20 homes in Jamaica and Far Rockaway, and says she's served over
1 0,000 people since 1990 "without the help of the city, state or federal gov-
ernment." She has no paid staff, just volunteers, and doesn't collect SSI
checks. If necessary, she has residents, who also staff
and clean the homes, act as representative payees for
each other. This keeps her hands clean if the group is
ever audited.
Bryant's houses aren't "adult homes" in the con-
ventional sense. But it's hard to say what, exactly,
they are. Her clients are a mix of homeless people,
recovering substance abusers and the mentally ill,
three categories that often overlap. Dawn Sim-
mons, 36, a petite woman with a dark scar on her
forehead, came to JUSTICE after addiction
landed her in South Beach Hospital. "I never had
my own keys. I never paid rent before I came
here," she says. "The only time I thought about
God, I thought, ' Please God, help me get $5 so I
can get another hit.'" Now four years clean and
sober, Simmons is moving to North Carolina with
her new husband, another resident, to help run a
branch of the JUSTICE mission there.
Bryant doesn't take credit for Simmons' suc-
cess--or even for her own. She attributes the
strength of the organization directly to God. "Every
day is a fight," she says. "I thank God for equipping
me to do what I'm doing."
JUSTICE's Cynthia Bryant saw an opportunity to fill abandoned homes,
house clients, and give thanks to God-all with no help from government.
Government, on the other hand, seems to be work-
ing against her. Bryant says she's tried to get support for
her work but keeps getting turned down when she
applies for funding. The city Department of Buildings
F
or every Home Sweet Home-type debacle, there are also success sto-
ries, unlicensed homes that seem to operate at least as well as their
licensed counterparts. Less than a mile from Beach Channel Drive,
Cynthia Bryant, pastor of the JUSTICE Oustice Unity Strength To
Improve Community Economics) organization, runs one of those.
Bryant started small in 1990, running a bible study and food program
out of a Baisley Projects apartment in Jamaica, Queens. But Bryant didn't
stop there. When she and her husband moved their budding church to Far
Rockaway, she noticed that many of the neighborhood's large frame houses
were empty. The former tourist haven was increasingly crime- and drug-
ridden, and many of the old-timers couldn't take it. Geraldine Papathomas'
parents were among those who fled. "It turned into a dump," she says.
22
tried to dose Papathomas' home in 1998, charging that
it was illegally converted to a single-room-occupancy hotel (SRO). "They don't
think you should house people unless you follow the building code to a 1;" she
explains. Eventually they were fined, but the home, now smaller, survived.
Whether it's God or good luck, JUSTICE seems to be working. The
houses we saw were spotless; the clients seemed engaged and happy. "We
don't need a license," Bryant says. "When they come here, this is their
home. These are my children, and I love them very much."
M
ost of the unlicensed homes we visited seemed neither as dan-
gerous as Home Sweet Home nor as impressive as JUSTICE,
but somewhere in between. On Greene Avenue in Bed-Stuy,
we found three men with obvious disabilities left alone in a darkened
continued on page 38
CITY LIMITS
New York can become a leader in environmentally
sound development-if big business buys in.
Here's how well-paid professionals are building
a marketplace movement.
By Elizabeth Cady Brown
O
n a frigid morning in early February,
about 30 building-industry execu-
tives gathered in the conference room
of Bovis Lend Lease, on the ninth floor of the
MetLife building. It was by all appearances an
unremarkable event, except that this group of
seasoned architects, developers, engineers, con-
tractors, designers, and planners had come to
plan an environmental revolution. They do this
on the first Wednesday of every month, before
scurrying off to jobs at many of the most pres-
tigious building firms in the city.
The topic was indoor air quality, and
Catherine Bobenhausen, a mild-mannered
industrial hygienist who is one of New York
State's foremost experts on the subject, had
been invited to address the group about testing
for pollutants. She used a lot of jargon, but she
didn't mince words. Rather than constantly
testing for noxious chemicals in our air ducts,
APRIL 2004
said Bobenhausen, we should construct build-
ings that are less toxic and better-ventilated.
The assembled construction experts, most
of them members of the U.S. Green Building
Council, didn't disagree, but neither did they
let Bobenhausen off easy. For the next hour,
she fielded a barrage of pointed, technical ques-
tions about how to build for cleaner indoor air.
Time is too precious for an academic discus-
sion. These hands-on pros want to design and
construct their buildings "greener": to use
energy more efficiently, preserve clean air and
water, provide healthy indoor environments,
ease strain on the infrastrucrure, and last for
the long haul. Natural daylight as an alternative
to electric lights, central air filters to flush out
pollutams--old ideas, perhaps, but in the cost-
and risk-averse world of real estate develop-
ment, such measures are still radical.
Similar early-morning conferences are regu-
larly taking place around the country. Nor look-
ing to be martyrs for a half-baked cause, industry
people are signing on to green building precisely
because they believe it has a real chance ofbecom-
ing standard practice. They are betting that over
time more of their colleagues will agree. "Sustain-
able, high-performance building is an opportU-
nity for a cleaner, leaner and greener future, " says
Susan Kaplan, a manager of green-building pro-
jects for the Battery Park City Authority, which
mandates that all new construction in Battery
Park follow a strict environmental code.
But don't look to the New York City Depart-
ment of Buildings, which regulates construc-
tion, to force the city's developers to build green.
Even now, nearly 400 volunteer expertS from all
areas of the industry are working in 13 technical
committees to rewrite New York City's massive
building code, combing through it word by
word, and there's little chance that the revisions
23
will include requirements for green building.
The committees are working from a shared
desire to reduce construction costs, maintain
safety standards, and strip our mandates they
consider nonessential. They are trying to adopt
a "performance-based" code, which sets mini-
mum benchmarks for, say, a building's energy
efficiency, but does not explicitly state ways to
meet the standard. ''The heart of the difference
between prescriptive and performance-based
codes is that prescriptive can strangle our devel-
opment of new concepts and new technologies,"
says Marzio Penzi, an associate commissioner at
the Department of Buildings, responding to the
suggestion that the new code could require
builders to go green. "We want to include lan-
guage that will enable new technology-if the
designers chose to do it. We want to point in the
right direction, bur were not going to tell you
exactly how to get there, because we want you to
always be coming up with better ways."
Most of the country follows the same
approach when it comes to regulating COI\-
struction. While interest in green building is
booming, only a few cities-notably Boulder,
Colorado, and Richmond, Texas-have writ-
ten mandates into their building codes.
The green-building vanguard have con-
24
cluded they're better off not fighting for gov-
ernment regulations. Instead, professionals like
those gathered at Bovis think it's more essential
to convince their colleagues that adopting sus-
tainable building practices is simply good busi-
ness. They reason that once enough builders
and developers start using the materials, mech-
anisms and techniques they've pioneered, those
products will become less costly and more
available, skills will spread, and practices that
are now unusual will become the norm.
"The government could just outright legis-
late it, bur I believe in choices in this world,"
says Petr Stand, a New York architect who spe-
cializes in urban renewal projects and has been
opting to build green for years. "The goal is to
get a building that is joyous, not just another
box with windows. Bur there will be resistance
to the city telling builders how to build. So we
should at least give developers the choice, and
they could be incentivized. That route is more
palatable politically and economically."
Think back to pesticide bans or regulations
that limit logging in old-growth forests. By
relying on the marketplace to promote posi-
tive change, the green building movement is
utterly different from most earlier environ-
mental campaigns. And there is a lot at stake.
Residential and commercial buildings in the
U.S. collectively consume more than a third of
the nation's energy, two-thirds of electricity
and 40 percent of raw materials. They also
account for large shares of greenhouse gas
emissions, solid waste and air pollutants
linked to respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
How buildings are made, and what they are
made of, has huge consequences for the health
of their occupants, too. "There is strong evi-
dence that characteristics of buildings and
indoor environments significantly influence
the occurrence of communicable respiratory
illness, allergy and asthma symptoms," con-
cluded William Fisk, a scientist at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, in a landmark
2000 study. The Environmental Protection
Agency agrees: It lists indoor air quality as one
of the top five environmental health risks fac-
ing Americans today. The buildings we live and
work in, it seems, can actually make us sick.
Fisk's research points to solutions. He offers
evidence that improving the air filtration in exist-
ing buildings can result in tens of millions fewer
cases of asthma, colds, flu, and other affiictions
known or thought to be environmentally related.
But green building advocates know they can't
win their case with developers based on public
health benefits alone. "Decisions about energy
performance and efficiency are always bottom-
line decisions," explains Alan Traugott, a princi-
pal at the global engineering firm Flack + Kurtz.
So they are putting the business case front
and center and have already succeeded in bring-
ing major real estate developers on board. In
Pittsburgh, for instance, the nonprofit Green
Building Alliance, run by Green Building
Council board member Rebecca Flora, has been
directly pitching CEOs of big corporations on
the benefits of building green. The greater Pitts-
burgh region now has the highest concentration
of certified green buildings in the country, all of
them privately developed.
One of the Green Building Alliance's first
big wins was convincing PNC Financial Ser-
vices to go green with a 650,OOO-square-foot
office building in downtown Pittsburgh. Says
Flora, "My biggest coup was hearing the head
of the bank talking on the radio about his new
green building" after it had been completed.
"That's what you need: People whom others in
the community look to as trendsetters talking
proudly about green building."
T
he green building movement has made
the marketplace its battleground in part
because of who leads it: mid-career,
CITY LIMITS
middle-aged building industry professionals.
While they hail from varied fields-including
construction, architecture, engineering, manu-
facturing, real estate and development-they
are all accustomed to making decisions based
on the bottom line.
But from the beginning, these individual
entrepreneurs collectively functioned as a move-
ment. Just 15 years ago, they were simply a loose
network of specialists who occasionally got
together and mused about the possibility of
transforming the built environment by using
sustainable design techniques. Their interest was
sparked by concern for the environment, hunger
for an in tellectual challenge and a belief that
Europe's successful experiments with green
building could be replicated in the U.S.
Traugott was an early convert. He remem-
bers attending a conference in the early 1990s
and meeting a developer named David Got-
tfried, who had given up his post at the helm of
a major Washington real estate firm to sow the
seeds of a green building boom. Gottfried's
pitch to new builders like Traugott was that
environmentalism and capitalism could be
complementary forces--entrepreneurs could
do well by doing good. "I signed on immedi-
ately," Traugott recalls.
At first, the campaign run by Gortfried and a
handful of other pioneers grew slowly. It didn't
catch fire until Gottfried, along with Mike Ital-
iano, a Washington-based environmental attor-
ney, and Rick Fedrizzi, the head of environmen-
tal communications for a leading heating, air
conditioning and refrigeration company, had
the idea of starting a green building organization
for industry professionals.
They and other colleagues founded the U.S.
Green Building Council in April 1993. From
the beginning, says Traugott, it focused on
achieving consensus among its diverse mem-
bership about the importance of sustainable
design, and about how to make the economics
of green building work.
To do that, it soon became clear, members
would have to agree on what "green building"
actually means. "People would call something a
green building and everyone else would say,
' Prove it,'" recalls Bill Browning, another of the
council's cofounders. "Was it a kind of green,
some shade of green, partially green? Nobody
knew because there was no way of saying, 'This
building performs well and these are the met-
rics by which it's gauged.'"
In 1999, the council frnally agreed on a rat-
ing system: LEED, or Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design. It soon became the
APRIL 2004
What Does 'Green' Mean?
When construction pros say they're "building green," they mean they are creating struc-
tures that use resources more efficiently, have low impact on the environment, and pro-
vide relatively healthy places for people to live and work. The industry standard is set by
the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system, designed by the U.S.
Green Building Council. Want to build green? Here are some of the architectural, engi-
neering and construction measures you're going to be graded on:
Energy Efficiency
Make buildings tighter, to reduce energy waste. Use thermal windows and special
fa(j<lde coatings to conserve heat, and ensure that windows, walls and roof fit rogether pre-
cisely. Put reflective sheets or plants on rooftops to limit heat absorption.
Improve effICiency of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. For
instance, pwnp less heat inro rooms that get direct sunlight, and keep rooms self-contained.
Use energy-efficient lights, machinery and appliances, and install solar technology
to decrease electrical demand.
Water Conservation
Use the smallest possible pipes and fixtures to minimize conswnption.
Avoid the use of drinking-quality water for cooling rowers, plwnbing or irrigation.
Install in-building filters for drinking water.
Collect and filter used water and reuse it in toilets and cooling systems.
Materials and Resources
Limit use of building materials that release toxic gases. That includes most paints,
carpets, finishings, enamels, glues, spackles and furnishings.
Use building materials made of recycled, nontoxic and durable substances, such
as cork and bamboo flooring and natural-fiber carpets.
Reduce use of rare natural resources, especially slow-growth woods and animal products.
Use local materials to limit conswnption of fossil fuels during shipping.
Indoor Environmental Quality
Keep buildings dry. A dry building provides no environment for mold and other bio-
logical matter to grow. Install water-resistant insulation and build water-repellent window
ledges. And use a "cavity wall" -an empty crevice between the brick and mortar, so the
walls breathe.
Pump in fresh, rigorously filtered air to limit the circulation of bacteria, allergens
and pollutants.
Use individual programmable thermostats in every apartment or office, to conserve
energy and add comfort.
-ECB
25
industry standard. A building certified with
LEED is given points for green techniques in
six categories, including energy efficiency and
water conservation. A building with a sufficient
number of points becomes "LEED-certified."
[See "What Does ' Green' Mean?" page 25.J
"Probably its strongest contribution has been
in creating a consensus-based organization that
represents all the players in the building indus-
try," says Hillary Brown, one of the council's first
board members and founder of the New York
City Department of Design and Construction's
Office of Sustainable Design, which assists pub-
lic and private green building projects citywide.
Armed with LEED as a yardstick, the green
building movement quickly went mass. Before
LEED, the council had 115 member groups.
ment. A similar set of guidelines is close to being
finalized for the rebuilding of Ground Zero.
A number of other major green projects that
at least partially follow LEED standard are
undergoing either planning or construction,
and sustainable building advocates believe these
will go far toward transforming the New York
City marketplace. They include a new wing of
the New York Hall of Science, the new Bronx
Criminal Courthouse, the Queens Botanical
Garden Administration Building and four new
development projects in Battery Park City. "We
could see in the area of 14 million square feet of
sustainable development in lower Manhattan in
the next 10 to 15 years," says Tim Carey, presi-
dent and CEO of the Battery Park City Author-
ity. "I think that creates a market. "
The market is growing
day by day. Materials are
becoming less expensive
and more widely available.
Know-how is spreading among
builders and engineers.
But does it still cost more
to build green?
Today, it has nearly 4,000. From 1990 to 2001,
18,900 homes were built across the nation that
fit municipal green building standards. There
were 13,200 constructed in 2002 alone.
Even brown-and-gray New York City is
showing signs of green. The first projects here
were high-visibility, high-cost buildings done by
big-name developers with a personal interest in
environmentalism. In 1999, developer Douglas
Durst completed the first speculative green com-
mercial building in the city, a 48-story office
tower at 4 Times Square. And last year, devel-
oper Russell Albanese ' opened the Solaire, the
first luxury apartment building in New York
City that meets the Battery Park City Authority's
strict green guidelines for residential develop-
26
T
he market is growing day by day. Mate-
rials are becoming less expensive, and
more widely available. Know-how is
spreading among builders and engineers. But a
perception still exists that it costs more to build
green. So does it?
The answer is, sometimes. Depending on
what features architects and engineers incorpo-
rate, green buildings can cost more, the same
or even less to construct than their conven-
tional counterparts. The Green Building
Council has tracked national green develop-
ment over the last decade and found that the
average up-front or "first" costs of green build-
ings are 2 to 7 percent higher than for standard
models. A more recent study conducted by
Capital E energy consultants found the aver-
age to be zero to 2 percent in California.
"First costs" is a term that constantly comes
up in the green building business. It refers to the
expense of initial construction, including both
"hard" costs like bricks and "soft" costs like gen-
eral contracting services. Green builders argue
that measuring the price of construction purely
in terms of first costs obscures the larger finan-
cial picture. They say developers and landown-
ers have to look more seriously at the price of
heating, cooling, and maintaining a building
once it's occupied. Most green features can pay
for themselves many times over, and often do so
in a short period. For example, buying special
double-glazed windows means less heat escapes,
so money is saved from buying a smaller boiler
and using less fuel.
Those long-term considerations mean a lot
to developers of housing for low-income ten-
ants-developers like Mary Spink of the Lower
East Side People's Mutual Housing Associa-
tion. A few years back, during renovations on a
residential building on East Fifth Street, Spink
installed an energy-efficient heating system,
with the help of her friend Henry Gifford, a
mechanical engineer. Immediately, her energy
bills went down 40 percent.
"The only green it had to do with was
money," she says of the decision to use the spe-
cial heating system. It worked so well, she says,
smiling, that ::we decided to go all the way with
the next one.
The next one is now under construction-a
new 38-unit residential building on East Third
Street reserved for families earning less than
about $24,000 a year. Gifford brought on
board Chris Benedict, a well-known green
architect, to design the project. Financed with
subsidies from the Low Income Housing Tax
Credit, 299 East Third will be the most envi-
ronmentally sophisticated residence for low-
income tenants in the city. "There's not much
better we could do here with unlimited
money, " says Benedict, "and we've done it for
practically no money."
According to Spink, the work at East Third
Street has been made possible in large part by
the dedication of Gifford and Benedict to
making the best building possible. 'Til tell you
the truth," says Spink. "She's a control freak,
and he's a genius. "
What Spink and a few others are learning is
that building green, and the long-term savings
in operation and maintenance costs, makes per-
fect sense for affordable housing developers. It
also makes sense for low-income tenants, who
CITY LIMITS
are disproportionately likely to live in housing
and neighborhoods with bad air quality.
Several Bronx-based community develop-
ment organizations, including Nos Quedamos
and Mount Hope Housing Company, have also
begun incorporating green design techniques
into local housing and other projects. Nos
Quedamos completed 30 freestanding homes at
the end of2002 that incorporate nontoxic insu-
lation, high-performance windows, and high-
efficiency heat and water systems. Mount Hope
is currently working with Croxton Collabora-
tive Architects to design a 45,000-square-foot
community center that will maximize natural
daylight, aggressively filter air and feature an
accessible, vegetation-covered roof
Keith Fairey, chief operating officer of Mount
Hope, explains that his organization is concerned
by the high asthma rates in the area and is there-
fore interested in "creating a new type of envi-
ronment that encourages the well-being of the
people who experience it." And, of course, he's
keeping an eye on his own bonom line. Says
Fairey, "We are looking at doing sustainably
designed buildings that can yield great return in
efficiency and cost. "
So why aren't more affordable housing
developers following their path? For one thing,
says Robert Politzer, president of GreenStreet
Construction and Consulting, one of the lead-
ing green building firms in the tri-state region,
use of the most sophisticated methods and
materials has not yet moved from a handful of
elite design firms into the rest of the architec-
tural and engineering professions. While there
is growing awareness in the field about the
possibilities, as long as builders remain unedu-
cated about the details, they will be hesitant to
suggest new techniques to their clients. "The
fear is quite real, " Politzer says. "The only
thing worse than a failed construction project
is a failed military campaign." As long as there
isn't enough architectural and engineering tal-
ent out there who know the tricks for gening
the work done well at a low price, affordable
housing developers are faced with prohibi-
tively high first costs.
Nonprofit developers in particular face
another obstacle: An important source of fund-
ing, the New York State Green Building Tax
Credit, is available only to commercial
builders. "I know other non profits trying to do
sustainable design," Fairey says. "We think it
makes sense both environmentally and eco-
nomically, but we need some help in meeting
the first costs. That's what it's going to take for
groups like OutS to step into the fray."
APRIL 2004
B
ut don't think luxury developers always
have it easy. Most green builders still
face an age-old problem for budding
businesses: They're the little guys. Although
materials are more and more available, green
building remains a specialty niche market dri-
ven by the biggest customers, and that means
materials just aren't readily available when and
where smaller builders need them. "If you have
a big enough construction job-if you're the
Solaire- you can get whatever you need, "
explains Bomee lung, director of GreenHome-
NYc, a nonprofit that builds awareness about
environmental issues in small buildings. "But if
you're doing a small project and want to sub-
stitute [green products], that's going to be
harder to find in New York. "
Politzer constantly struggles with the lim-
ited supply chain. "It's not like you've got a
green Home Depot or a one-stop shop for
green building products, " he says. Recently,
Politzer's installer was in the middle of a job
and ran out of a special adhesive used to lay
nontoxic cork flooring. The only glue he could
quickly get from the nearest lumber yard was
the standard, noxious variety.
Only recently has demand been high
enough to make selling green materials poten-
tially profitable, and just a few entrepreneurs
have taken advantage of the opportunity. One
of the only dedicated local distributors is
Bronx-based Environmental Construction
OutfItters of New York, run by Paul Novack.
Sitting in his warehouse fIlled with conon insu-
lation and bamboo flooring, Novack laughs,
"We almost went under a few times." What
sustained his business, he says, was cornering
the niche market of hypoallergenic products
for people with chemical sensitivities. Novack
claims his revenue has increased 30 percent in
each of the last three years.
But even with an ever-improving private
marketplace, without a major increase in
demand for green building products and skilled
pracritioners, moving green building into the
mainstream will remain a dream. By themselves,
individual firms don't command enough capital
to lead the way to a greener future. For all their
faith in the private marketplace, leaders at the
Green Building Council do want government to
playa role-as a large-scale purchaser of materi-
als and design and construction work.
A few big cities such as Seattle and Chicago,
as well as a handful of smaller localities, have
adopted LEED as the standard for all future gov-
continued on page 38
27
Each year, thousands of immigrants seek
political asylum at America's airports.
say they get These days,
mistreated
many
instead of helped.
By Elizabeth Amon
WHEN LEWIS ARRIVED
in New York a year and a half ago, he thought
he'd finally reached safety.
He had escaped months of detention and
death threats in his home country, Liberia,
where he had been arrested by government
officials. They accused him of inciting a riot
because he organized a campus fundraiser to
help pay poor students' tuition. Lewis recounts
how members of the Special Operation Divi-
sion, a state security agency notorious for com-
mitting human rights violations, made him
kneel on broken stones as they questioned him.
They burned him with candle wax and ciga-
rettes, and lashed him with a cable wire until he
passed out.
Lewis got released, but only with the help of a
friend who worked with the Special Operation
Division. Soon he was arrested again, after
demonstrating for free speech and the right to
criticize the government. This time, he was
imprisoned at a police academy, where he was
kicked and beaten. After four days, he managed
to escape. Too frightened to return to his home,
28
which had been ransacked, he stayed with friends.
His third arrest came a week later, when he
was handcuffed and put in the back of a van by
Special Operation Division officers, then myste-
riously released on the side of the road. A couple
of days later, he was warned that his name was
on a government death list. So Lewis turned to
a friend's relative, who pulled together money
for a ticket to the U.S. and arranged for him to
bypass officials at the Monrovia airport.
His flight brought him to John E Kennedy
International Airport. There, Lewis-who is
afraid to have his full name published-walked to
the immigration officials booth and told them he
had no visa to enter the United States. That statted
him on a path to political asylum-and a whole
new ordeal of mistreatment by officials at JFK
Lewis told the inspectors he'd come to the
U.S. because he needed "protection." In what's
known as "primary inspection, " a person can
qualifY for consideration as an asylee simply by
implying-in general terms-that he or she is
afraid to go home. It's not necessary to explain
the reason for the fear right away.
So far so good. Lewis was then taken to a
large room with other asylum-seekers, for what
the feds term "secondary inspection"-a special
evaluation of immigrants without proper
paperwork and people asking for asylum.
To Lewis' surprise, officers in this room
chained his hands and feet together. When his
name was called, he shuffied to a counter. To
see if he was really from Liberia, he was asked
to name the tallest mountain and the most
widely spoken languages in his country.
He passed that test, but the immigration
officers then detained him for a day and a half,
in a room with no place to sleep, all the while
in shackles. After that, he was taken to a smaller
room and ordered to prove he'd been tortured
by stripping naked and showing his scars. He
did, and the officials mocked the appearance of
his buttocks.
It was like being in Monrovia allover again.
Lewis was humiliated, angry and afraid. Still,
he went along with everything the officers
demanded because, he says, "I thought they
were doing their job."
CITY LIMITS
On that count, Lewis was dead wrong, say
immigration lawyers and advocates. The offi-
cials stepped outside their legal bounds, says
Reena Arya, Lewis' attorney.
Arya, who works for the New York-based
nonprofit legal group Hebrew Immigrant Aid
Society, is outraged that Lewis was ordered to
strip. She's also angty that he was asked to
detail his claims of repression, which are not
supposed to be discussed during secondary
inspections. She points to the INS Inspections
Field Manual, which forbids the practice; that
questioning is supposed to be done by a quali-
fied agency officer during a formal hearing.
LEWIS' CASE APPEARS
to be hardly exceptional. Arya and many other
immigration lawyers say clients routinely report
that they were asked inappropriate questions
and treated improperly, sometimes appallingly.
''At JFK there have been a lot of complaints,"
says Archi Pyati, an attorney with the Asylum
Project at the New York-based organization
Human Rights First (formerly the Lawyers
APRIL 2004
Committee for Human Rights). She has heard
reports of people withdrawing their asylum
petitions because they were intimidated, some-
times by the first official they encountered
while presenting their passport and papers.
Clients have recounted being told they'd be
thrown in a U.S. jail if they didn't drop their
claim and go back to their country. Further,
Pyati says, being screened in secondary inspec-
tion (where Lewis was ordered to strip) now
takes much longer than it used to. New arrivals
are detained for up to 48 hours and aren't
always permitted to lie down, use the bathroom
or eat enough food to stave off hunger.
"People who are really, really afraid might be
so intimidated that they get back on the
plane," says Pyati. "That's a breakdown of the
refugee process and a clear violation of interna-
tionallaw," she notes, citing the Geneva Con-
vention as authority.
So why is the U.S. apparencly violating the
Geneva accords? Pyati lays part of the blame on
a procedure called "expedited removal ." The
phrase describes a seven-year-old immigration
policy for people whose first contact with
immigration officials is at borders and aitports.
During 2002, the last year for which statis-
tics are available, about 58,000 immigrants
asked for asylum in the U.S. Most were smug-
gled into the U.S. or came legally on tourist
visas, then stayed after the visas expired. These
asylum petitioners generally were not impris-
oned and could continue living in the U.S.
while waiting for their asylum hearings.
Bur among these people there were also
roughly 10,000, including Lewis, who applied
for asylum at border ports of entry or (more
commonly) airports-usually JFK or Newark.
Though they're far from Canada or Mexico,
the federal government classifies airports as
"functional equivalents" of the U.S. border.
And when people ask for asylum at a border,
they don't have the right to post bond, set a
court date for months in the future and hop a
cab to a cousin's house.
Instead, they are immediately placed in "expe-
dited removal" proceedings. They can be
deported on the spot, or imprisoned until their
29
case is decided. Getting locked up can make it
hard for an immigrant to find a lawyer, or to help
an attorney build an asylum case. Meanwhile, the
policy at airports puts unprecedented power in
the hands of inexperienced officials, who may act
abusively toward asylum applicants or wrongly
return them to their countries.
It was not always this way. But during the
1980s and 1990s, public fear that undocu-
mented immigration was increasing grew,
fanned by an influx in the 1980s of
Guatemalans and Salvadorans fleeing civil
wars. Though many of these immigrants were
political refugees, most were denied asylum
because the U.S. supported their governments
in the domestic conflicts. Many of these immi-
grants, and those from other countries as well,
applied for asylum.
The judges who heard these cases usually
had years of experience dealing with asylum
applicants and their stories of repression, and
they were the only people authorized to make
decisions about deportation. Their courtrooms
were not located at bridges or airports, and
hearings usually took place months after they
were scheduled. Meanwhile, applicants could
post bond and live in the U.S. while they were
awaiting a decision.
But many asylum-seekers never showed up
to their hearings. The government worried
about losing track of these absconders, as well
as about growing numbers of undocumented
immigrants. So when Congress overhauled
immigration policy in 1996, it gave INS
inspectors authority to decide about deporta-
tion right at the border or the airport-and
their decisions weren't subject to review.
Since then, the process has only become less
accountable. Now, Department of Homeland
Security Customs and Border Protection offi-
cers can make snap judgments about deporta-
tion, right in the airport.
Often, they have little or no experience in
asylum issues. Customs inspectors, Depart-
ment of Agriculture personnel and border
patrol agents are experts in ferreting out con-
traband and asking people for their papers. But
they are not used to dealing with traumatized
foreigners who are fleeing persecution and can't
speak English well. The result, say lawyers and
advocates, is that asylum-seekers often get mis-
treated, and there's nothing to ensure that offi-
cers aren't sending people who are fleeing
repression back to prison and death. What hap-
pens in the back rooms at U.S. airports remains
largely a secret to lawyers and the media.
The Department of Homeland Security
denies there's a problem, and chalks up bad
30
experiences to unavoidable delays caused by
the war on terrorism. Take the long waits that
asylum-seekers-including Lewis-say they've
endured while being interrogated. Homeland
Security spokesperson Bill Strassburger calls
these lengthy detentions unusual, but says
stricter questioning is needed because of
heightened security concerns since 9111. He
also says that the immigration, customs and
agricultural inspectors who question asylum-
seekers have received training to carry out their
new task.
In any case, says Strassburger, Homeland
Security encourages people who feel they've
been mistreated to file a complaint. "We don't
The U.S. granted Lewis
political asylum after he
was tortured by officials
in Liberia-then allegedly
mistreated at JFK.
want to see anything being done wrong, espe-
cially to a person fleeing persecution," he says.
"They've already suffered enough."
But immigration lawyers and advocates
have trouble filing complaints, because the
secrecy of expedited removal keeps them from
adequately documenting clients' claims of mis-
treatment. And they've been frustrated by the
response they've gotten.
Early last year, for example, Lewis' lawyer,
Arya, wrote the New York INS district director
protesting Lewis' treatment. She cited the INS
Inspections Field Manual, which forbids offi-
cials from asking detailed questions about an
applicant's fears during the early part of the
asylum petition process. Yet Lewis clearly had
endured just this sort of questioning-and it
had been documented. "This time we had it
on paper," Arya says. She also had a transcript
showing that officials had examined her
client's body. .
When asked about the body exam, Strass-
burger agreed that it sounded inappropriate.
But the answer Arya received to her complaint
did not sound very concerned. In response to
her letter about how Lewis was questioned, Port
Director John Mirandona replied that "this
office does not find those queries to have been
excessive." He didn't mention the body exam.
AFTER EXPEDITED removal
went into effect in 1997, there were so many
complaints of mistreatment that a year later
Congress instructed its General Accounting
Office to examine the process. The GAO was
told to investigate whether INS officers
encouraged asylum-seekers to withdraw their
applications, failed to refer them to interviews
CITY LIMITS
where experts determine if their fears sound
believable, sent them to countries where they
could be persecuted, improperly detained them
or held them under inappropriate conditions.
But in its report, released in 2000, the GAO
did not address these questions directly. Instead,
the agency later said it lacked the expenise
needed to evaluate INS inspectors' decisions.
Further, the GAO has told government sub-
committees and advocacy agencies that it would
have been too expensive to probe whether offi-
cers were improperly encouraging asylum-
seekers to withdraw their applications. Instead
of checking into that possibility, investigators
looked mostly at whether INS employees at air-
ports did the right paperwork on asylum appli-
identifYing possible asylum claims and refer-
ring them to asylum officers. Still, several
things troubled the commission, including the
use of restraints. Shackles, like the ones put on
Lewis were routinely used on asylum-seekers at
one unnamed airport. Restraints, the commis-
sion noted, could re-traumatize people who
have already suffered persecution. And
researchers observed inappropriate question-
ing-supporting lawyers' complaints about
asylum-seekers being intimidated.
The UN also criticized the government's
interpreting services during interviews, calling
them shoddy. Arya notes that asylum-seekers
she deals with have often been forced to
answer questions in a language they don't
Congress determined it would

have been too expensIve to
probe whether officers were

improperly encouragIng
asylum-seekers to withdraw
their applications.
cants. The conclusion was that they had.
A month later, another study sharply criticized
the GAO for relying entirely on self-reporting by
the INS. Published by the Center for Human
Rights and International Justice at the University
of California's Hastings College of the Law, the
study further noted that the feds failed to watch
agents as they worked, or to review complaints
from people who help asylum-seekers.
Then, last fall, the United Nations' high
commissioner on refugees took a look at the
expedited removal process, as part of a study
for the Department of Homeland Security.
Though the report has not yet been made pub-
lic, a November UN press release said the study
found that inspectors usually did a good job
APRIL 2004
know well. For example, another Liberian
client, a woman from a rural area, was interro-
gated in English, which she barely spoke. Her
transcript, which she signed with a
thumbprint because she is illiterate, said she
was seeking asylum because she was leaving
her husband. What it should have said was
that she was coming to the U.S. to be with her
husband, who had already fled Liberia. Later,
after her proceedings were conducted in her
native Mandingo, she was granted asylum-
but only after Arya convinced officials that
government interviewers had made a transla-
tion error. Mistakes like this, the UN commis-
sion warned, can follow asylum petitioners
into hearings and hurt their cases.
A fourth study, soon to be made public,
intends to be the first with eyewitness
accounts of the asylum application process and
first-hand descriptions from refugees. Sched-
uled for release in September, the report is
authored by the U.S. Commission on Interna-
tional Religious Freedom, which Congress
established under the 1998 International Reli-
gious Freedom Act. Commission lawyer Mark
Hetfield and three outside experts have been
negotiating with the Department of Home-
land Security to gain entrance to the secondary
screening rooms-where most contact
between deportation authorities and asylum-
seekers happens. Hatfield says the religious-
freedom researchers will talk to asylum-seekers
as well as government officials.
Some immigration lawyers suspect that with
a team hovering over them with clipboards, fed-
eral agents will be on their best behavior. But
other advocates hope the commission will
uncover the rampant violations of procedure
that asylum-seekers have described.
Lewis' asylum claim was eventually
deemed legitimate while he was at JFK, even
though officials noted in his records that his
body had no scars to verifY his stories of tor-
ture. (His artorney later had a physician exam-
ine him; the doctor testified that Lewis did
have scars consistent with his account, includ-
ing a large, square-shaped one that protrudes a
half-inch from his chest.)
Like most asylum-seekers coming through
New York, Lewis was transferred to a deten-
tion center in Queens run by the Wackenhut
Corporation-a boxy, windowless govern-
ment-contract facility near the airport. After
spending about a week there, he passed an ini-
tial interview to substantiate that his fears
about returning to Liberia sounded serious
enough to merit a hearing with an asylum offi-
cer. After that hearing, he had a final audience
before an immigration judge. Lewis was
granted asylum last year.
Though traumatized by his treatment at
JFK, he is putring the memory behind him.
Today, Lewis studies nursing, works as a nurse's
aide and lives with his fiancee in a modest
apartment in suburban Connecticut. He is
connected to a small circle of Liberians who are
happy to find palm butter, cassava leaf and fu-
fu in Connecticut. Even so, they celebrated last
Thanksgiving with something Lewis had never
eaten in Montovia: a turkey .
New York-based freelance writer Elizabeth
Amon is a Soros Justice Media Fellow with the
Open Society Imtitute.
31
32
THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE IS
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2004
NEW YORK CITY COMMUNITY FELLOWSHIPS
The fellowships program seeks community activists and
dynamic individuals from diverse backgrounds to establish
progressive initiatives or public interest projects that
address social justice issues in New York City.
The program supports advocacy, organizing, or direct service
projects that promote equity for marginalized communities.
Past projects have focused on the arts, civic participation,
economic justice, education, health, and workers' rights.
Fellows receive an 18-month stipend and
additional resources for each project.
For eligibility, selection criteria, and the application,
contact CommunityFellows@sorosny.org
or visit www.soros.org/initiatives/cf.
Applications are due by noon E.S. T. on
Friday, April 16, 2004.
~
The Open Society Institute, a private operating and grantmaking foundation created
and funded by George Soros, works to strengthen democracy and civil society in the
~ United States and more than 50 countries around the world.
CITY LIMITS
INTELLIGENCE
THE BIG IDEA
Home Remedy
-
~
~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - - - - ~
We could rein in prescription
drug costs-as a bloc of 19
million picky consumers.
By Bob Lederer
IN DECEMBER, pharmaceutical giant Abbott
Laboratories stunned the AIDS community by
quadrupling the price of its anti-HIV drug
Norvir-to $6,180 for a year's supply. Doctors
and activists alike condemned the move, and
the state attorney general's office reportedly
even launched an investigation into whether
the price hike was legal.
But while startling, Abbott's pricing was just
the latest example of galloping inflation among
prescription drugs in general. U.S. drug prices
rose by 10 percent-six times the rate of infla-
tion-in 2001, according to the National Insti-
tute of Health Care Management. And overall
drug spending-largely driven by spiraling pre-
scriptions for pricey, heavily advertised drugs
such as the arthritis meds Vioxx and Cele-
brex-has been catapulting upward at an aver-
APRIL 2004
age of 17 percent per year.
Here in New York, like many other states,
this drug-cost explosion is straining govern-
ment resources. Medicaid has been hit hardest.
This year, some $4.5 billion of the total $42-
billion state Medicaid budget will go to pre-
scription purchases. That figure is up from
$1.7 billion just five years ago, and the annual
increase has ranged berween 15 and 20 percent.
Elected officials from the governor to the
City Council are desperately searching for cost-
cutting measures. But, as in other states, law-
makers have focused their hunt on policies that
limit client benefits. Where drugs are con-
cerned, the state is moving ever closer to join-
ing 21 others that have instituted a "preferred
drug list"-a variation on the drug formularies
used by most HMOs. In these systems, the
state picks a certain number of drugs within
each of the approximately 1 00 drug classes and
designates them as "preferred." Any drug not so
appointed then requires prior authorization
from the state to be paid for. This not only
reduces frivolous use of expensive meds, but
also gives states a bargaining chip. They can say
to drug companies, "Give us a good price and
we' ll put you on the list, " explains Bernie
Horn, policy director of the Center for Policy
Alternatives. "If the buyer has the ability to
move market share from one drug to a com-
petitor, it has leverage to get rebates."
Of course, how any particular drug makes it
onto the "preferred" list is the $64,000 question.
That's why some consumer advocates oppose any
"prior authorization" schemes. "I have substantial
reservations about the idea of restrictive drug
lists," says Debbie Socolar, co-director of the
Health Reform Program at the Boston University
School of Public Health. Socolar acknowledges
that preferred lists can cut back usage of over-mar-
keted drugs. But she warns that such lists are often
just "products of what deal [a state) can cut this
year," rather than being informed by srudies.
Still, the preferred-drug list proposal is one
of few that contain any effort to reduce how
much the state pays for its drugs. And that
means Albany is overlooking what may be our
most powerful weapon in the drug cost battle:
the state's 19 million residents.
"New York State is the seventh-largest health
care economy in the world," says Mike Burgess,
executive director of the Albany-based
Statewide Senior Action Council. He notes that
New York's $7 billion in annual drug purchas-
33
INTELLIGENCE
THE BIG IDEA
34
NEW REPORTS
New York City leads the country in federal cam-
paign contributions, but 93 percent of dona-
tions come from majority-white zip codes,
according to this report. One zip code-Man-
hattan's 10021-is the largest contributor in
the country, and it's 86.4 percent white. People
there donated more than twice the amount of
the combined contributions for all 146 New York
State zip codes in which more than half the res-
idents are people of color.
The Color of Money In New York
Public Policy and Education Fund of New York
518-465-4600 or www.citizenactionny.com
Union membership continued its 20-year
decline in 2003. Membership dropped to 12.9
percent of wage and salaried workers, falling by
369,000 people (primarily in the private sector)
to 15.8 million. In fact, the rate of union mem-
bership in the private sector has decreased by
half since 1983. As of last year, African Ameri-
cans were the most likely to be in unions 06.5
percent), and men 04.3 percent) were more
likely than women 01.4 percent). New York
remained the most unionized state, with 24.6
percent of workers enrolledj it was among only
four states to have at least 20 percent of its
workforce in unions.
Union Members in 2003
Bureau of Labor Statistics
202-691-5902 or www.bls.gov
Researchers surveyed 236 non profits around
the country and found more than half testify-
ing to "severe" economic difficulties in the
last year. And yet, more agencies said they
had expanded than said they had cut pro-
grams. To do so, four out of five said they
boosted private sector fundraising efforts, 84
percent boosted marketing and fees, and over
half ate reserves-by spending endowments,
selling property and borrowing. But over half
also said they tapped more partnerships and
collaborations to accomplish their goals.
Center for CMI Society Studies
Nonprofit listening Post Project
443-287-9960 or www.jhu.edtv'ccss/
ing power is probably more than half that of
Canada, with its famed discount prices (up to
50 percent less than in the U.S.). ''There should
be an attempt to use that bargaining power to
get better prices, like other countries do."
WHAT ARE THE FORCES behind Medicaid's ever-
skyrocketing drug spending?
A small group of heavily advertised drugs
are the major cost drivers. According to Public
Citizen's Congress Watch, a consumer rights
group, 34 meds out of 9,482 on the market
accounted for more than half the increase in
national drug spending in 2002.
But some identifY the real root of the problem
as the lack of true market pricing. "The system of
competitive pricing utterly breaks down when it
comes to prescription drugs," argues Horn. State
and local agencies, he points out, could use their
bulk buying to achieve powerful bargaining clout
but have failed to exer-
cise it, leaving taxpayers
Horn's Center for PoLicy Alternatives has
also written a model "Fair Market Drug Pric-
ing Act" for states looking to negotiate better
deals. Based on a Hawaii law, the model bill
directs the state to launch combined negotia-
tions with manufacturers for discounts or
rebates on behalf of all state agencies and unin-
sured residents. With the money saved, the
state would then set up a discount drug-buying
program for uninsured seniors and residents
earning less than three times the poverty level.
In January, Senators Martin Golden (R-
Brooklyn) and Nick Spano (R-Westchester)
introduced a more modest version of just such a
law for New York. It would greatly expand the
civil service drug-purchasing plan (which
obtains discounts for a million state and local
employees) by inviting uninsured or underin-
sured individuals, school districts, insurance
plans and businesses to enroll. Several leading
consumer, seniors,
medical and insurance
holding the bag. "It was
not common until a few
years ago for state offi-
cials to even care about
the price of prescription
drugs," Horn says. "Not
until they got into a
budget crunch-with
drugs often the fastest-
nsmg government
cost-did it become a
high priority to deal
What is driving
Medicaid's ever-
skyrocketing drug
spending?
groups have indicated
their support.
Assemblymember
Richard Gottfried (D-
Manhattan) has been
discussing with
Golden the possibility
of merging a version
of this plan with
Gottfried's own pro-
posal for a combined
with this."
In New York, drug-buying is dispersed
among myriad state and city agencies-Medi-
caid, Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Cover-
age, the prison system, the AIDS Drug Assis-
tance Program, state and local employee health
plans and others. None collaborate to get a bet-
ter deal. "I'd guess there are a dozen different
prices for the same botde of drugs in New
York, " Horn says. "They're all negotiated sepa-
rately by different programs."
But with COSt pressures mounting, advocates
and academics are calling for a more concerted
effort. At a January gathering in Albany, activists
from several seniors groups developed what
Burgess calls "an overwhelming consensus" to
begin lobbying the state to negotiate better prices.
Ir's an idea that other states are already trying.
Maine has been the boldest, adopting a program
in 2000 that offers discounted drug prices to any
state resident based on negotiated rebates from
the pharmaceutical manufacturers. Last year, the
U.S. Supreme Court upheld the system after a
strong legal challenge from the industry.
Medicaid and EPIC
drug list (with strong
consumer protections).
In drafting the new Medicare drug benefit,
Congress missed a similar opporrunity to use the
feds' collective purchasing power. For six years,
consumer advocates and their congressional allies
attempted to give Medicare authority to negotiate
deep discounts, as the Department of Veterans
Affairs already does. The VA program, riding on
its clout from purchases by scores of veterans hos-
pitals nationwide, generally obtains discounts of
at least 45 percent of retail prices. But Congress
actually wrote a ban on such negotiations into the
final Medicare bill. As a result, Boston Univer-
sity's Socolar projects, 61 percent ($17 billion) of
the new Medicare program's annual spending on
prescriptions will go towards what she calls
"wind.Eill profits to drug makers."
IF STATE AGENCIES can act together, the next
step in the natural progression of seeking deeper
discounts is to pool the purchasing power of
multiple states. An active movement has grown
around this approach since 1999, when legisla-
CITY LIMITS
tors from several northeastern states founded the
National Legislative Association on Prescription
Drug Prices, or NLA. The coalition is preparing
to launch joint state negotiations with drug
companies on behalf of not only governments,
but businesses and individuals as well. Nine
states (including New York) and Washington,
D.C., have joined the association thus far.
"The public sector is the largest buyer of
pharmaceuticals. We haven't fully realized our
ability to capitalize on that," says Cheryl
Rivers, NUs executive director. "If we're smart
and can demonstrate to the drug companies
that we can secure their market share, then we
should be able to get lower prices."
Some states with preferred-drug lists have
already begun modest efforts to pool costs
among themselves, utilizing for-profit "phar-
macy benefit managers"--companies that spe-
cialize in running preferred-drug list programs.
While the benefits are compelling, there are hur-
dles-including the simple need to synchronize
the lists and their accompanying rules. But
NUs Rivers says a bigger problem is that some
of the companies that help states administer
their drug lists have been "dragging their feet,
partly because it's in their interests to have sepa-
rate arrangements [with each state)." Some drug
benefit management companies also have finan-
cial deals with drug manufacturers that impede
efforts to help clients get large discounts.
In December, NLA launched its own non-
profit pharmacy benefit management company,
United Scripts Administrators. NLA believes it
can administer multi-state pooling negotiations
and fill prescriptions at lower costs than the for-
profit fums--and with complete openness.
Meanwhile, here in New York, some
elected officials, sensing the political winds,
are not waiting for the state to act. Last
August, Nassau County Comptroller Howard
Weitzman announced plans for a pharmacy
discount card program for all county residents
requesting one. By negotiating a group price
for its members, the program provides dis-
counts of 5 to 50 percent, depending on
whether a drug is brand name or generic.
In December, Westchester County Execu-
tive Andrew Spano unveiled a similar initiative.
That program also gives consumers access to
Canadian pharmacies-a policy that when
implemented by cities and states elsewhere has
brought threats of legal action by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, which claims
that imported drugs may be unsafe.
Also in December, City Council Speaker Gif-
INTELLIGENCE
THE BIG IDEA
ford Miller called upon Mayor Bloomberg to join
Nassau County in creating a joint discount card.
But the Bloomberg administration has rejected
this proposal. As a fallback, Miller says he will
soon inrroduce and prioritize passage of legisla-
tion for a citywide pharmacy discount program
run by the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene, for consumers lacking coverage.
Passing any bulk-buying legislation will
require confronting what NUs Rivers calls
"the tremendous influence of the drug industry
in New York State-they have a lot of money
to spread around to political campaigns and
nonprofit patient associations, trying to create
confusion and resistance." They are also a
major employer.
Nevertheless, the New York proposals are
part of a national explosion of ideas at the local
level for reining in drug costs. And they're why
many observers believe that cities and states
will be the main laboratories for change. "This
is a dam that's breaking, " Burgess warns. "It's
just a question of which vehicle finally collapses
the entire unjust pricing structure."
Bob Lederer is a freeumce health reporter, the co-
host of the Health Action program on WEAl
radio, and the editor of wbai.org.
Milano
Earn a Master of Science degree in:
APRIL 2004
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35
INTELLIGENCE
CITY LIT
Working our Nerves
One culture s flip-out is anothers catharsis.
By Debbie Nathan
The Puerto Rican Syndrome
By Patricia Gherovici
Other Press, 320 pages, $30
TWO YEARS AGO, a middle-aged friend of mine
in Washington Heights suffered a devastating
blow. On a quiet, leisurely Sunday afternoon,
she walked into her TV room and found her
husband slumped on the floor. EMT workers
arrived and pronounced him dead. My friend
promptly began screaming, lunging, cursing
and trying to force herself into the ambulance,
which by then was en route to the morgue.
Cops responded by taking her to a hospital,
where for three days she was involuntarily
committed to a psychiatric ward. As her kin
engaged in communal acts of mourning-
including planning the funeral-this normally
sensitive, stylish woman was locked down in an
immodest gown, without even a hairbrush,
and left to grieve among sedated strangers.
The funeral took place a day after she was
released. There she again acted remarkably: as
she entered the chapel, her eyes rolled up and
she collapsed. Now, though, no one hustled her
to Bellevue. Instead, women friends held her
up and pressed juice to her lips. Even the priest
looked on maner-of-facdy. The Ave Marias
were recited and everyone drove to the ceme-
tery, then took my friend back to her apart-
ment. Today, she has no memory of the
funeral , but she knows she was there and that
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is a comfort. On the other hand, she still cries
thinking about the hospital.
My friend's reaction to her husband's death
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CITY LIMITS
wouldn't surprise author Patricia Gherovici.
She used to run a mental health clinic in a bar-
rio in Philadelphia, where she did classical psy-
choanalysis on poor people-something she
thinks can help everyone, not just the affluent.
In her new book, Gherovici draws on that
experience to analyze behavior that her profes-
sion used to call the "Puerto Rican syndrome."
These days the official term is ataque de
nervios-Spanish for "nerve attack." The
phrase appears in the bible of emotional ill-
nesses, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM), which every U.S.
hospital and insurance company uses to label,
treat and process claims for patients' psycho-
logical troubles. Ataque de nervios is one of sev-
eral disorders the DSM says is specific to eth-
nic subcultures: among them Malayans, Native
Americans, and yes, Latinos.
Malaya men, for instance, frequently suffer
from koro, in which they become extremely
anxious and convinced that their penises are
shrinking into their bodies. Among a number
of cultures, including the Navajo, men who
have been insulted have violent outbursts of
murderous behavior that they don't later
remember--or run, as the DSM calls it, amok.
When the Puerto Rican syndrome was first
remarked on, in the 1950s, it was also deemed
a male affliction. Stateside military psychia-
trists noticed it among Puerto Rican soldiers
fighting the Korean War. Under stress, many
would scream, fall, flail and foam at the
mouth-sometimes for minutes, sometimes
for hours, even days.
In subsequent years, therapists treating
Puerto Ricans, including in New York City,
noted that women also displayed the syn-
drome. But among Puerto Ricans, it was not
traditionally considered a sign of mental illness.
Instead, it was said to come from enemies cast-
ing bad spells, or from malign, invasive spirits
that must be exorcised by espiritistas-folk
healers who work at botanicas.
Today, ataque de nervios and other syn-
dromes are understood among mental health
practitioners as reactions to stress whose
specifics depend on the sufferer's ethnicity. (If
the cops who dealt with my friend had known
this, maybe they'd have committed her to the
care of family rather than a hospital.)
Could these syndromes be forms of hyste-
ria? That old Freudian category-which was
used to describe strange behavior in women-
got thrown out ages ago. But lately, psychoan-
alytically oriented writers like Elaine Showal-
ter have been calling for its revival. Without
the venerable concept of hysteria, they say,
APRIL 2004
we're at a loss to understand all kinds of mod-
ern, culture-bound responses to stress: every-
thing from multiple personality disorder to
satanic ritual abuse panic and maybe even
Gulf War Syndrome.
Not to mention the Puerto Rican one.
Gherovici is a big fan of hysteria-for her, the
Marias, Consuelos and Socorros who come to
her barrio clinic are Latina reincarnations of
Freud's Anna O. and Dora. Middle-class, late-
19th-century Viennese hysterics are today seen
as having unconsciously rebelled against gen-
der inequality by going mute or spasmodic.
Gherovici thinks her screaming, flailing Puerto
Rican women are also raging-against wrongs
done by the U.S. to the island and
its people.
Hmmm. The idea that they harbor rage
seems compelling, but her attempt to tie
ataque de nervios to a specific type of politics
is dicey. As Gherovici notes, Puerto Rico
exists in a netherworld of dependency on the
U.S. Its residents are citizens of this country,
but can't vote for president if they still live on
the island. Since the mid-20th century,
they've formed a despised but valuable low-
wage workforce on the mainland, especially in
New York. Even today, their education and
income levels fall below those of blacks and
other Latinos.
So it's understandable if they're angry. Yet
ataque de nervios occurs among other Latinos
besides Puerto Ricans-Latinos whose coun-
tries were not turned into U.S. colonies. In the
Southwest, immigrants' complaints of nervios
are so common that health workers talk infor-
mally of a "hysterical Mexican syndrome." And
there's my friend whose husband died-she's
Dominican, not Puerto Rican.
But geopolitics aside, Gherovici makes a
more interesting argument: that poor, unedu-
cated minorities can benefit from psychoana-
lytic techniques as much as affluent whites
can. She despises typical U.S. therapy, with its
HMOized, 15-sessions-and-you're-done time-
tables and kneejerk Xanax-which she
believes is used to mask feelings, not engage
them. Gherovici's clinical tales about her trou-
bled barrio patients-including a homeless
woman-suggest that the stress of their hard
lives contributes to their ataques. But just as
with Upper West Siders, she believes, delving
into childhood conflicts and learning how to
interpret their dreams helps poor people break
out of ruts, live life as more mature individu-
als-and banish their ataques, even while
maintaining a healthy anger towards injustices
that should stay on all of our nervios .
INTELLIGENCE
CITY LIT
NOW READ THIS
Breathing Space:
A Spiritual Journey in the South Bronx
By Heidi B. Neumar,; Beacon Press, $26
Neumark's memoir walks readers through both
her own personal journey as a spiritual leader-
cum-community activist and that of her South
Bronx church. Unfortunately, she writes about
her work as a pastor with a decidedly sentimen-
tal voice, which often reduces the people she
describes to caricatures. That's unfortunate,
since Neumark clearly appreciates the complex-
ity of their lives-and her role in them. The
book's strength is in showing how powerful
faith-based activism can be. It's a timely
reminder that "compassionate conservatives"
have co-opted a once progressive idea.
The "Huddled Masses" Myth:
Immigration and Civil Rights
By Kevin R. Johnson, Temple, $19.95
Why should women and minorities be concerned
about how immigrants are treated? Johnson's
answer: There, but for the grace of civil rights law,
go you. Johnson argues that the application of
America's immigration policy has long been a proxy
for its hostility towards undesirable citizens-
from people of color to women to queers.lmmigra-
tion law's restrictive aspects have been selectively
conceived and enforced throughout history to limit
the influx and mobility of the same citizens who've
been compelled to create civil rights laws in order
to fend off similar mistreatment.
The Minds of Marginalized Black Men
By Alfred A. Young, Jr., Princeton, $35
With all the talk about poverty and the "crisis" of
the black man, Young says scholars have hardly
asked poor black men what they think of their
relationship to the world. So he hung out on
Chicago's east side to find out. His conclusions
are intuitive: The more connection his interlocu-
tors had to worlds outside their own communi-
ties, the more they clued in to the structural bar-
riers they faced; the more insulated their lives
(i .e. , the longer they'd been unemployed), the
less grounded, or well-formed, were their eco-
nomic dreams.
37
PSYCHIATRIC WARDS
continued from page 22
brownstone. In another home nearby, a bewildered-looking woman with
a vertical shock of slept-on hair warned us that we were not allowed to
tour the house.
On Kingston Street, just across Atlantic Avenue, several men wandered
in and out of Hall and Evans, which looks from the outside like any SRO.
Its owner, Darrell Evans, was featured in a 1993 New York Times Neediest
Cases story, which described the home as a "boarding house for mentally
ill men." But although Evans has operated in the open for more than 10
years, and houses 40-odd men, he doesn't have a license.
What he does have is a home that will take virtually anyone, offering the
city's hardest-to-place an escape from homeless shelters and county hospi-
tals. "We give them a chance to go out, to walk around the community, get
a cup of coffee," he says. "This gives them back some kind of control."
Michael Swinton is one of Evans' clients. Raised in foster care in the
Bronx, the slow-moving 24-year-old was transferred in and out of hos-
pitals and halfway houses before landing here. He'd much rather have his
own place, he says, but a doctor told him "it was too stressful" to live
alone. Now he bides his time at Hall and Evans, hoping to find a com-
puter job and move on.
Tanya Kessler, a community organizer with the Coalition of Institu-
tionalized Aged and Disabled, which works with residents of adult
homes, says that people like Swinton deserve a chance to stay in the least
restrictive setting they can handle. In fact, a pending lawsuit, Disability
Advocates Inc. v. Pataki, demands that the state move mentally ill clients
out oflarger adult care facilities and into smaller, more integrated homes.
But that doesn't mean lowering standards. "To live someplace because
you have no other choice, because that was a place to put you, it's just
unconscionable," Kessler says. "We're pushing for housing that provides a
decent quality of life, where you can live with dignity. "
Most providers point to supportive housing, which emphasizes reha-
bilitation, as the model. The Edgecombe, for example, run by the non-
profit Center for Urban Community Services, offers 21 formerly home-
less, mentally ill residents each their own bedroom with a common kitchen
and a vegetable garden outside. Housed in a giant, red former mansion in
Harlem, it also provides on-site case management and help with medica-
tion and life skills.
Advocates have long pushed for more housing like the Edgecombe.
New York/New York I and II, joint city and state programs that serve the
formerly homeless mentally ill, have created nearly 5,000 supportive
housing units since 1990. In 2002, the Governor's Adult Home Work
Group called for an additional 6,000 beds to provide alternatives to
inappropriate homes.
In addition ro lobbying for increased funding, providers are now
tearning up to educate the public. The New York State Campaign for
Mental Health Housing Reform, which kicked off in March, is backed
by 38 advocacy groups and service providers. Their three-year crusade
envisions more new housing, but also the preservation of existing homes
through stricter oversight, physical renovations, and improved services.
Some day, Kessler hopes, better options could eliminate the need for
unlicensed adult homes and questionable boarding houses.
Evans disagrees. "There's always going to be that population that needs
somewhere to go," he says. But while he sees an essential role for unli-
censed homes, he'd rather go legit. Evans yearns for acceptance and respect
from the social workers and case managers who quietly send residents his
way. So he recently applied for a license from the Department of Health.
"I just want the right to exist," he says. "I'm tired of being an outlaw." _
To report problems in unlicensed homes, call Claudia Wilner at the Mental
Health Project at 646-602-5683.
Betting on a
Green Building Boom
Meanwhile, the Bloomberg administration
is taking it slow. The Department of Design
and Construction, which builds and renovates
certain public facilities, recently set a require-
ment that all of its construction projects must
use low-toxicity and recycled-content building
materials. But so far, the administration has
declined to make LEED or the Department of
Design and Construction's recommended
guidelines mandatory for public construction
projects. Ed Carey, a spokesperson for the
Mayor's Office of Environmental Coordina-
tion, reports that "the topic of sustainability
has been coming up a lot in various meetings
and different conferences" and that "the mayor
feels it is a major issue we need to address." A
number of city agencies are co-sponsoring a
green building design competition that offers
$5,000 prizes to 10 finalists.
Gain news
Build c h a r a c t e ~
Contact intern @citylimits.org 0
vi sit www.citylimits.org
for more information.
38
continued from page 27
ernment development projects. Others, includ-
ing Santa Monica, California; Lakewood, Ohio;
and Frisco, Texas, have adopted their own rigor-
ous green standards for public projects.
Government is both the nation's largest
landowner and largest customer, making pur-
chases worth 20 percent of the gross national
product. Spending on construction and related
materials reaches into the billions of dollars
every year. As it is already doing with renewable
energy, government can set an example for the
private sector.
There is also a more traditional way that
government can help: agencies can offer incen-
tives, such as sales tax abatements on green
building materials. In New York City, that idea
is already catching on. "The council is actively
researching all possibilities for facilitating green
building," says Councilmember James Gen-
naro, who chairs the City Council's Environ-
mental Protection Committee. Although it's
premature to discuss specific initiatives, he
promises that "the public can look forward ro
significant action from the Council on green
building incentives this year."
All of which is a start. But Battery Park
City's Tim Carey, whose agency reports ro the
governor, not the mayor, is not impressed. He
maintains that local government can and
should lead the way-aggressively. "If the gov-
ernment won't do it, then how can you tell a
developer to do it?" Carey says, his voice rising.
"If there is any stumbling block right now to
adopting LEED in New York City, it's because
the government is the one not agreeing to live
up to that standard." _
CITY LIMITS
ADVERTISE IN
CITY
LIMITS!
To place a classified ad in
City Limits, e-mail your ad
to advertise@citylimits.org or
fax your ad to 212-479-3339.
The ad will run in the City
Limits Weekly and City
Limits magazine and on the
City Limits web site. Rates
are $1.46 per word, minimum
40 words. Special event and
professional directory adver-
tising rates are also available.
For more information, check
out the Jobs section of
www.citylimits.org or call
Associate Publisher Susan
Harris at
212-479-3345.
RENTAL SPACE
SPACE AVAILABLE - 281 Park Avenue South:
Two furnished office spaces within private
office suite. Non-profits only. $1000/month.
Amenities: conference room, fax, copy, AC, util-
ities and cleaning. For more information call
Ivett 212-677- 5510 ext. 21
SPACE AVAILABLE - Space to rent at 11
Hanover Square (which is on Beaver Street, just
off Wall Street); 24-hour availability; file cabi-
nets, AC, utilities and cleaning included. Share
office with polite person. If you want a desirable
address in a beautiful building for not too
much money, please call 212-425-7033.
SPACE AVAILABLE - Sublet. Unique space
with many pluses and possibilities such as
receptionist provided, conference rooms, train-
ing rooms, cubicles etc. We will entertain
dividing the space. If interested contact Tom
Torre 212-742-1000 extension 210
SPACE WANTED - non-for-profit newspaper
501 (c) (3) looking for 1000 square Feet of
donated office space in midtown fully
equipped. It's tax deductible and the space is
for Manhattan Women newspaper in New York
City. Contact Thomas Thomassian, Publisher
at Manhattanwomen@cs.com
JOB ADS
1050 AM ESPN / ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE -
(RADIO ADVERTISING SALES) Please indicate in
cover letter where you learned of the job oppor-
tunity and which station/position you are
applying for. NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE. Appli-
cation deadline is ASAP. 1050 AM ESPN Radio
is part of the ABC Radio Group of New York. The
format is "sports-talk" and features stimulat-
ing sports talk, breathless play-by-play action,
and star-studded, celebrity packed interviews.
ESPN Radio in New York is seeking two aggres-
sive account executives with at least two to
five years advertising sales experience. Experi-
ence selling sports radio or television a plus.
Candidates should demonstrate strong pre-
sentation and communication skills. The abil-
ity to develop direct new business at the client
level is essential. Strong computer skills,
including knowledge of Word, PowerPoint and
Excel. Interested applicants can send cover
letter and resume to Linda Wnek, Diversity
Recruitment Coordinator. Submit via email to
nyradiojobs@abc.com fax to 212-613-8956 or
mail to: Linda Wnek, Diversity Recruitment
Coordinator, ABC Radio Station Group -
1050ESPN, 2 Penn Plaza, 17th Floor, New York,
NY 10121. The ABC Radio Station Group is an
EOE. Our policy is to provide equal opportunity
employment, development and advancement
to all current and potential employees.
ACCOUNTANT - Manage finances for small ,
energetic NYC nonprofit; 3 days/week. Respon-
sible for all accounting and bookkeeping func-
tions, and contracts & grants, membership,
donations, database management, vendors,
benefits, etc. Required: accounting degree;
nonprofit accounting experience; QuickBooks,
JOBADS
Excel , Access. Apply ASAP: Cover letter,
resume, references: execdir@naminyc.org OR
fax 212-684-3364.
ACCOUNTANTIFULL CHARGE BOOKKEEPER -
NR seeks an accountant/full charge bookkeep-
er with 3-5 years of relevant experience to
review monthly operating reports, create
financial reports, analyze spending, create
budgets, manage transactions on Quick Book
accounts, and complete reconciliations of
manager accounts. Bachelor's degree in
accounting is preferable. Prior experience with
property management, real estate or construc-
tion is a plus. Knowledge of Excel , Quick Books
and Access is required. Salary commensurate
with experience. Fax resume and cover letter to
917-305-0344.
ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR-ACCOUNTS
RECEIVABLE AND ACCOUNT PAYABLE - The
Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS)
a national leader in the development of effec-
tive housing and service initiatives for low-
income individuals and families with special
needs, invites application for the following
position. Visit us at www.cucs.org. Reporting
to the Accounting Manager, this position man-
ages the accounts receivable and accounts
payable functions. This position is also
responsible for maintaining accurate account-
ing records and daily updates to the general
ledger. Reqs: BA in Accounting, Business
Admin., Finance or related field. Minimum 3-
years experience in accounting, budgeting or
finance in a non-profit setting and knowledge
of GAAP. Demonstrated skill with database and
TAKING PRIDE IN OUR LOCATION. NOW MORE THAN EVER ...
Admiral Communications has been dedicated to servicing the non-profit community with full service
commercial printing since 1946, through some of the best and some of the most challenging
times - especially now.
One stop shopping: prepress, printing, complete binding, fulfillment and distribution are all done on
premises at our convenient downtown location.
Specializing in non-profit services including:
Promotional & Marketing Materials Newsletters & Periodicals Booklets & Brochures
Pocket Folders & Information Kits Solicitations & Direct Mailing Article Reprints Stationery
Full Bindery Services (Perfect Bind & Saddle-Stitch) Mailing House Fulfillment & Warehousing
Free onsite cost saving & time saving consultations
Contpetitive pricing Consistent quality Reliability & Fast Service
APRIL 2004
Our non-profit customers include:
City Limits Seeds of Peace
American Red Cross NAACP
Downtown Alliance United Way
United Nations Association
The National Kidney Foundation
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
New York Society of Association Executives
Admiral Communications

Printing. Mailing. And Much More.
47 West Street New York, New York 10006
t. 212.422.6848 f. 212.514.9565
www.admiraI47.com
sales@admiralcommunications.com
Call Glenn Podel at ext. 102 or e-mail us for estimates today
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
39
JOB ADS
spreadsheet software a must, experience with
American Fundware a plus. Excellent commu-
nication, project management, supervisory
and problem solving skills required. Salary
$47,852. Benefits compo Bnlts included,
$65/month in transit checks. Send resume and
cover letter ASAP to David Rivera, CUCS
Administrative Offices, 120 Wall Street, 25th
floor, New York, NY 10005. Email:
admnhire@cucs.org. CUCS is committed to
workforce diversity. EEO.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - The Doe Fund
is a non-profit organization empowers that
people to break the cycles of homelessness,
welfare dependency and incarceration through
innovative work and housing programs. We
seek an Administrative Assistant who has a
strong connection to the spirit of our mission.
Candidate must possess excellent interperson-
al, communication and phone etiquette skills,
great organization abilities, is a multi-tasking
self-starter. Ideal candidate must have 1-2
years office experience, excellent writing skills,
flexibility and at least a moderate knowledge of
Raiser's Edge database s()ftware. Working
knowledge of all MS software a must. Salary,
upper 20's with comprehensive benefits pack-
age. Please forward resume and cover letter to
Human Resources, The Doe Fund, Inc., 341
East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021; fax to (212)
570-6706 or e-mail to hr@doe.org. EOE. Dead-
line for submitting resume is ASAP.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT III - The Citi-
zens Advice Bureau (CAB) is a large, multi-ser-
vice non-profit organization serving the Bronx
for more than 31 years. The agency provides a
broad range of individual and family services,
including walk-in assistance and counseling,
services to special-needs populations, such as
immigrants, children, adolescents, seniors,
homeless families and singles, individuals
and families affected by HIVIAIDS. CAB pro-
vides excellent benefits and offers opportuni-
ties for advancement. Resumes and cover let-
ters indicating position of interest may be
mailed to 2054 Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or
faxed as directed. The Department of Youth
and Adolescent Services seeks an Administra-
tive Assistant III. Prospective applicants
should have a BAlBS, experience with project
planning and development and excellent writ-
ing and organizational skills. The duties of the
position include programmatic support for a
variety of programs for children and adoles-
cents, including program planning and devel-
opment. Fax credentials to K. Iqbal at 718-
590-5866 or e-mail it to him at
kiqbal@cabny.org. CAB is an equal opportuni-
ty /affirmative action employer
ADMINISTRATIVE/GRANTS ASSISTANT
Small downtown office seeks
Administrative/Grants Assistant to processes
grant applications, oversee grant payments,
answer grant related questions and inquires,
set up and organize files, answer phone, mon-
itor and order office supplies, make copies,
and assemble mailings. Applicant should have
knowledge of and experience with basic office
40
systems, WORD, PowerPoint, Outlook and Inter-
net research. Applicant should be organized,
enthusiastic, flexible and able and willing to
take initiative with projects. 9 to 5 hours (no
benefits). Please send resume/cover letter to:
Amy Baker, Annie E. Casey Foundation, 80
Broad Street, Suite 2401, New York, NY 10024.
No phone calls or e-mails.
ADULT EDUCATOR (pn (2 positions) - The
Doe Fund Inc., an innovative social service
organization providing job training, education
and transitional housing to homeless individu-
als, seeks 2 part time adult educators to
research educational resources, teach basic
education and pre-GEO classes to program
participants at either our Harlem or Brooklyn
facility. Candidates must have hands on expe-
rience, have training in adult education at the
literacy and pre-GEO levels and be a certified
teacher with at least two years experience
teaching adults. Please forward resume and
cover letter to Human Resources, The Doe
Fund, Inc., 341 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021;
fax to 212-570-6706 or e-mail to hr@doe.org.
Please respond ASAP. EOE
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM COORDINATOR -
Project R.E.A.D.Y. (Resources for Employment
and Academic Development for Youth) is a
Bronx-based, educational enrichment and
vocational training initiative, targeted for
youth ages 6-22. The Alter School Program
Coordinator position entails working with
grade school age youth, ages 6-11. Candidate
must possess: strong administrative and edu-
cational development skills; capacity to hire,
train, supervise and evaluate staff; solid
teaching experience at the grade school level;
and experience with curriculum development
and lesson planning. Experience with planning
and implementation of summer camp program
a plus. Requirements: Minimum BA in Educa-
tion or Human Services (MA in Education and
Teacher Certification preferred). Bi -lingual
(English /Spanish) a plus. Strong verbal and
written communication skills. Salary commen-
surate with experience and credentials. Com-
prehensive benefits package. Send resume
and c()ver letter to: Estel Fonseca, Vice Presi-
dent of Youth Services, The Mount Hope Hous-
ing Company, 2003-05 Walton Ave., NY 10453.
Fax: 718-466-4788. No telephone calls.
ASSISTANT COORDINATOR, VOCATIONAL COUN-
SELING - The Assistant Coordinator of Voca-
tional Counseling W()rks with clients with barri -
ers to employment (e.g. HIV+ clients, P.A. recip-
ients with substance abuse histories) to ensure
their smooth transition into the workplace. The
Assistant Coordinator will be required to work
with clients on an ongoing basis and support
clients in work related issues including, but not
limited to creating an employment plan, child
care, benefits, transitional benefits, budget
management, and creating short and long term
goals. Additional responsibilities include facili-
tating a portion of the job readiness training
classes, overseeing the data entry in GMHC's
data base as well as the data entry required
from HRA and other contracts, working in col-
laboration with the clients other support ser-
vices providers, and meeting with the job devel-
oper, job readiness training instructor and other
job readiness staff to insure client's success in
securing and retaining employment. Bachelor's
degree in Social Work, Human Services, Social
Science, Communications, or significant relat-
ed experience required. Demonstrated experi-
ence in case management with diverse clients,
with barriers to employment in jobs necessary.
Experience in working with current! former sub-
stance users in a social service organization
performing case management services is
essential. Experience working with clients living
with HIVIAIDS preferred. Qualified individuals
should send resume with cover letter that must
include salary requirement to GMHC, HR Dept.,
119 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011, or
electronically to jobs@gmhc.org. GMHC values
diversity and is proud to be an Equal Opportu-
nity/Affirmative Action employer.
ASSISTANT PROPERTY MANAGER - Local
CBO located in Brooklyn seeks an assistant
property manager. Candidate must have a
minimum of two years successful Section
8IHUD site management experience, proven
experience has to include a solid understand-
ing of NYCHA and HPD Section 8 regulations;
experience with housing court and the rent col-
lection process required; excellent communica-
tion, organizational and leadership skill neces-
sary. Knowledge of Yardi software is a plus but
not required, bilingual candidates preferred.
Please fax your resume with cover letter and
salary history to 718-485- 4683. EOE.
ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Overall
assistance to EO of multi-service agency
focused on elderly. Fundraising (donor data-
base, grant writing) program development,
government contracts. Required: Masters
or BAt5 yea rs experience, excellent
writing skills, organized, experience with
development, administration. Spanish-speak-
ing helpful. Cover letter, resume to
fortwashingtonhouses@nyc.rr.com
ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR - The
Bridge Fund of NYC seeks experienced individ-
ual to work as Associate Program Director for
unique homelessness prevention program.
Good understanding of housing court proceed-
ings and government benefits is required.
Strong writing/computer skills and Bachelor's
degree. Salary commensurate with experience.
Fax cover letter and resume to 212-674-0542.
ASSOCIATE/GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AND
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT - Primarily
involved in developing, writing and assembling
contracts for government agencies. As a mem-
ber of the Government Contracts and Program
Development Department, the Associate will
assist as needed with all aspects of the gov-
ernment fund raising program and provide nec-
essary administrative support. Major Duties:
Work with the Director of Government Contracts
and Program Development in developing, writ-
ing and assembling funding applications to
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
City, State and Federal agencies. Support the
Director of Government Contracts and Program
Development in processing and managing con-
tracts that result from successful applications
and in pursuing the renewal of existing con-
tracts. Provide assistance, as required, to the
Director of Government Contracts and Program
Development in matters relating to program
development. Assist the Director of Govern-
ment Contracts and Program Development in
preparing correspondence and follow up reports
to public funders. Research potential public
funders. May attend bidder's conferences and
technical assistance workshops for potential
funders and RFPs. Communicate with the
Finance Department and various programs to
gather necessary and accurate information for
government contract applications. Collect
demographic and statistical data and research
current issues as they pertain to programs for
government contract writing. Work with the
Development Associate for Database to develop
a procedure for the entry and update of statis-
tics and demographics on the Development
Department Intra-web site. Maintain all grant,
contract and research documents. Maintain
and update all govemment contracts, actions,
and all related information in the Raiser's Edge
or other appropriate database. Prepare
responses to legislative alerts QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelors degree required. At least two years
experience with professional writing (fundrais-
ing or government contract composition, jour-
nalism, public relations, etc.) preferred. Must
be self-motivated, detail and deadline oriented,
and capable of working comfortably with a vari-
ety of staff at all positions within the organiza-
tion. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and
fundraising databases (Raiser's Edge) desir-
able. Send resume and cover letter to fax 212-
627-9472 or hr@goodshepherds.org.
ATTORNEY - Community Economic Develop-
ment (CEO) Public Interest law firm in Brooklyn
seeks experienced attorney to join its long
established CEO practice. Demanding and col-
legial work involves transactional , corporate,
real estate, financing and house counsel ser-
vices to a broad range of community based
organizations involved in the creation of
affordable housing, health care, education,
day care and commercial revitalization. Excit-
ing and challenging work within a practice
committed to provision of neighborhood based
services supporting development controlled
and directed at a community level. E-mai l let-
ter and resume to CEO_Attorney@yahoo.com
ATTORNEY - COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - Out-
going individual to join community advocacy
and outreach team. Emphasis is on improving
housing conditions for children and families in
low-income neighborhood in Brooklyn. Full-
Time and part-time positions available. This is
an opportunity to make a difference. Bi-lingual
Spanish. Salary $25 - $40k. Send resume to
dmanning@rbscc.org or fax to 718-366-8740
attn: D.Manning
CAREER CLUB SPECIALISTIYOUTH WORKER -
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is a large,
CITY LIMITS
multi-service non-profit organization serving
the Bronx for more than 31 years. The agency
provides a broad range of individual and fami-
ly services, including walk-in assistance and
counseling, services to special-needs popula-
tions, such as immigrants, children, adoles-
cents, seniors, homeless families and singles,
individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
CAB provides excellent benefits and offers
opportunities for advancement. Resumes and
cover letters indicating position of intenest may
be mailed to 2054 Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453,
or faxed as directed. Fannie Lou Hamer seeks a
Career Club Specialist/Youth Worker I. Respon-
sibilities include working with participants to
build job skills and learn about the world of
work. The position requines a BA with thnee to
five years employment and training experience,
computer literacy, as well as good oral and
writing skills. Fax credentials to R. Parithivel at
718-590-5866. CAB is an equal opportunity
/affirmative action employer.
CASE MANAGER - Experienced Case Manag-
er needed to work with the frail elderly popula-
tion in Queens. Candidate must have a Bach-
elors degree in Social Work, Human Services or
other related field, and experience in the
human service field. Fax or email resume and
cover letter to Karen Gore, Director, at 718-
426-2250 or nyulkmg@nyc.rr.com
CASE MANAGER - HELP USA, a nationally nec-
ognized leader in the provision of transitional
housing, nesidential & social services, has a
position available for a CASE MANAGER. Will
assist in helping families achieve permanent
housing & self-sufficiency. BA req'd. Case man-
agement exp pref'd. Must be computer literate.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus. Salary:
starts in the mid-$20s, salary negotiable based
upon expo Send nesumes to: HELP 1, 515 Blake
Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207, Attn: Gena
Watson, Fax: 718-485-5916 or email :
gwatson@helpusa.org. EOE. A Drug Free Work-
place.
CASE MANAGER - Our organization is seek-
ing a Case Manager with a Masters Degree in
Social Work and significant experience provid-
ing a f ~ 1 I range of Case Management and Con-
crete Services (group and individual) to a spe-
cial needs population. You should have full
familiarity with issues of substance abuse,
homelessness, HIVIAIDS, and mental health
interventions. The position requires significant
demonstrated competency in computer usage
in a Windows environment as well as with
Case Management Software. You will need to
be committed and energetic and be able to
communicate on a high level both in writing
and orally. Bi-lingual candidates are encour-
aged to apply. The compensation package is
excellent and commensurate with your experi-
ence. The working environment is collegial and
conducive to professional progress. Please
respond with a detailed Cover Letter and
Resume indicating your salary requirements
to: Emma Lee Robinson at fax: 718-602-9107
CASE MANAGER - Project R.E.A.D.Y.
APRIL 2004
(Resources for Employment and Academic
Development for Youth) is a Bronx-based, edu-
cational enrichment and vocational training
initiative, targeted for youth ages 6-22. The
Case Manager position entails: providing indi-
vidual and group counseling services, plan-
ning and implementation of life skills training
curriculum, crisis intervention, referral to enti-
tlement programs, housing, child care, med-
ical and other resources. Lead and train parent
groups. Candidate must have proficient clini-
cal skills for individual and group modalities,
team coordination and decision-making, pro-
gram implementation. Proven track record
with grade school age youth, adolescents and
families are essential. Requirements: Mini-
mum BA in Psychology/Human Services (Mas-
ters degree preferred). Bi-lingual
(EnglishlSpanish) is essential. Strong verbal
and written skills communication skills. Com-
petent computer skills. 3-5 years proven expe-
rience working with youth. Salary commensu-
rate with experience and credentials. Compre-
hensive benefits package. Send resume and
cover letter to: Estel Fonseca, Vice President of
Youth Services, The Mount Hope Housing Com-
pany, 2003-05 Walton Ave., Bronx, NY 10453.
Fax: 718-466-4788. No telephone calls.
CASE MANAGER - Reporting to the Clinical
Dinector and Assistant Clinical Director, the Case
Manager will work with the clinical team to pro-
vide altemative-to-incarceration programs for
defendants and case management/counseling
to voluntary clients, including participants in
court's on-site job training programs. Responsi-
bilities include (but not limited to): Provide indi-
vidual and group counseling; interview and
monitor defendants in drug tneatment; provide
case management for job training participants
and perform stneet homeless outreach. Qualified
persons should maiVfax a cover letter, nesume,
and writing sample to: Case Manager, Midtown
Community Court, 314 West 54th Street, New
York, NY 10019. Fax: 212-664-7940 or email :
CRLEWIS@courts.state.ny.us. Find us on the
World Wide Web at www.courtinnovation.org. The
Fund for the City of New York is an equal oppor-
tunity employer.
CASE MANAGER - The Citizens Advice Bureau
(CAB) is a large, multi-service non-profit orga-
nization serving the Bronx for more than 31
years. The agency provides a broad range of
individual and family services, including walk-
in assistance and counseling, services to spe-
cial-needs populations, such as immigrants,
children, adolescents, seniors, homeless fami -
lies and singles, individuals and families
affected by HIVIAIDS. CAB provides excellent
benefits and offers opportunities for advance-
ment. Resumes and cover letters indicating
position of interest may be mailed to 2054
Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or faxed as
directed. The COBRA program seeks a Case
Manager to work in an intensive case manage-
ment team working with HIV positive individu-
als and their families. Responsibilities include
conducting field, home, and office visits, fil-
ing, and progress note writing. The position
requires a Bachelor'S degree, leadership, and
social service experience, good organizational
skills and bilingual EnglishlSpanish. E-mail
credentials to Jsmithhouk@cabny.org. CAB is
an equal opportunity /affirmative action
employer
CASE MANAGER - The Citizens Advice Bureau
(CAB) is a large, multi-service non-profit orga-
nization serving the Bronx for more than 31
years. The agency provides a broad range of
individual and family services, including walk-
in assistance and counseling, services to spe-
cial-needs populations, such as immigrants,
childnen, adolescents, seniors, homeless fami-
lies and singles, individuals and families
affected by HIV/AIDS. CAB provides excellent
benefits and offers opportunities for advance-
ment. Resumes and cover letters indicating
position of interest may be mailed to 2054 Mor-
ris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or faxed as directed.
The Jackson Avenue Family Residence seeks a
Case Manager. The position requines a B.S.
degree in social work, human services or relat-
ed field with at least two years of experience in
a social setting. Responsibilities include case
management, advocacy, knowledge of entitle-
ments, neferrals, good communication, organi-
zation, time management, and computer skills.
Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus. Fax creden-
tials to w. Cruz at 718-993-1249. CAB is an
equal opportunity /affirmative action employer.
CERTIFIED EDUCATORS - Teach where it
matters most. NY Urban Teachers is seeking
outstanding certified educators to teach in
high need schools where they can have the
greatest impact on student achievement. New
York City needs teachers qualified to teach
shortage subject areas such as math, science,
special education, bilingual education and
Spanish. We invite certified teachers to use
their skills and experience to ensure that all
NYC public school students fulfill their acade-
mic potential. All certified teachers are encour-
aged to apply. We are seeking teachers certi-
fied in shortage subject areas and other certi-
fied teachers interested in teaching these sub-
jects. Benefits of the program include an easy
application process, excellent customer ser-
vice, early school placement opportunities, an
exclusive week-long teacher conference, a
guaranteed teaching position in the Fall and,
for eligible teachers certified in a non-shortage
subject, reimbursement for the cost of course-
work required to earn shortage area certifica-
tion. Apply now at www.nyUrbanTeachers.org
CHIEF FINANCIAL OfFICER - NYC nonprofit
organization & affiliateslLPs with budget of
$9M seeks fiscal executive. 10 yrs experience,
heads a staff of 4. Send resume via
human_resource@aafe.org or fax 212-680-
1374. Full job description at www.aafe.org.
CHILO CARE SUPERVISOR - HELP USA, a
nationally recognized leader in the provisions
of transitional housing, residential & social
services, has a position avail for a Child Care
Supervisor. As part of an interdisciplinary
team, you will supervise childcare aides as
well as manage & direct a comprehensive pro-
gram of early childhood development. This
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
JOBADS
includes assessment, linkage to health, edu-
cational programs & other services for families
and their children who are currently residing in
a shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
Requirements: BAIBS Degree in Human Ser-
vices or other related field, with Early Child-
hood Education degree preferred. Candidate
should have a minimum of two (2) years
supervisory experience. Excellent oral commu-
nication skills necessary. An unrestricted NYS
driver's license, as well as a proficiency in
computers especially Windows based soft-
ware, are necessary. Bilingual skills (Span-
ishlEnglish) a plus. Salary starts in the mid
$30s but is commensurate with experience.
Resumes for this position can be sent to:
Katherine Sheldon, PO Box 641, NY, NY 10037,
via fax at 212-862-4376 or email:
ksheldon@helpusa.org EOE. A drug free work-
place.
CLIENT CARE ASSISTANT - The Partnership
has an opening for a Client Care Assistant at
Peters' Place, our 2417 multi-service center for
older, frail homeless adults. Responsibilities
include helping clients achieve lives of inde-
pendence by assisting with activities of daily
living skills, including issues relating to per-
sonal hygiene, shopping, budgeting, and laun-
dry. The Client Care Assistant will make home
and hospital visits, and perform other related
clerical tasks. The work schedule is Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00
pm, Friday and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Experience with the mentally ill population nec-
essary, experience with homelessness a plus.
Excellent communications skills, bi-lingual
preferred. We provide an excellent salary and
benefits package. Resume and cover letter to:
The Partnership for the Homeless, Human
Resources Representative, 305 Seventh
Avenue, l3th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10001, or, e-
mail to: jobs@pfth.org. EEO/AA. MlFIDN/SO
COLLECTOR - The Lower East Side People's
FCU seeks a highly motivated and effective
collector. Candidates must have a minimum of
two years experience and a working knowledge
of federal and state regulations governing loan
and credit card collections. Conversational
Spanish nequired. Send cover letter, including
salary history and requirements, and resume
to: Lending Manager, LESPFCU, 37 Avenue B,
New York, NY 10009, or email to:
wmerkle@lespfcu.org
CDLLEGE GRAD-LEGISLATIVE & CDMMUNITY
AIDE - Legislative Aide- District Liaison for
State Assemblywoman. Seek bright, literate,
articulate person for constituent work, corne-
spondence, community outreach and repre-
sentation in exciting multi-cultural Brooklyn
district. Must have car; must speak, read
Russian. Salary $25-$32M. Fax cover letter,
resume, writing sample to 718-266-5391.
COMMUNITY LIAISON - NYC Council Member
from Queens seeks enthusiastic and self-
starting individual to service the diverse needs
and demands of his constituency. Responsibil-
ities include interacting and corresponding
41
JOBADS
with government agencies & officials,
civic/community organizations as well as indi-
vidual constituents to ensure the delivery of
city, state, and federal services. Strong candi-
dates will have excellent writing, interperson-
al , problem-solving, organizational and com-
puter skills (Microsoft Office). Must be a team
player with strong work ethic. Flexible hours
and a commitment to community issues a
must. Experience or related experience
required. Salary commensurable with experi-
ence, full benefits. Please e-mail cover letter,
resume, brief writing sample, and salary histo-
ry to councilstaff24@yahoo.com or fax to 718-
264-0986.
COMMUNITY MEDIA SPECIALIST - Manhat-
tan Public Access provider seeks individual
committed to community media. Responsibili-
ties; video production/training in studio and
field, curriculum development, grant facilita-
tion, community media outreach and organiz-
ing. Generous benefits, some evening and
weekends. See full description at
http://mnn.orglcm/cmsearch.html
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - Economic justice
organization is seeking a dynamic experienced
individual to work on a base-building member-
ship run economic justice and public policy
campaigns. The ideal candidate will possess
the ability to build a low- income membership
base, conduct leadership development and
political education work, work with allies, and
develop and implement campaign strategy in
partnership with senior staff and organization-
alleadership. CVH is an EOE employer. People
of color, women, GLBT, and people with experi-
ence on PA are strongly encouraged to apply.
Bi-lingual Spanish speaking highly desired
and minimum 2 years campaign experience
required. Salary is competitive. CVH offers an
excellent benefits package including pension
plan, healthcare, liberal leave time and a sab-
batical. Please send resume, cover letter, 3 ref-
erences and short writing sample ASAP to
Community Voices Heard 170 E. 116th St. Ste.
IE, NY, NY 10029. Decisions will be made by
mid March. Website: www.cvhaction.org for
more information.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - Picture the
Homeless, a membership led grass roots orga-
nization, seeks an experienced organizer to
develop our housing campaign. Ideal candi-
date will have experience in outreach, base
building, leadership development, campaign
development, public policy and media work.
English/Spanish fluency, computer skills, cre-
ativity, and personal experience with home-
lessness preferred. PTH is an equal opportuni-
ty employer committed to a diverse, work envi-
ronment. Fax resumes/cover letter to 212 534-
8988.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - Seeking commu-
nity organizer to perform outreach, education
and mobilization of local residents on a variety
of issues impacting the West Side of Manhat-
tan. Strong public speaking, writing computer
skills and Spanish a plus. Must have a
42
BAIBS degree. For more information:
www.hcc-nyc.orglCurrentJobPostings.htm
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - SOCIAL WORKER
- Outgoing individual to join community
advocacy and outreach team. Emphasis is on
improving housing conditions for children and
families in low-income neighborhood in Brook-
lyn. FUll-lime and part-time positions avail-
able. This is an opportunity to make a differ-
ence. Bi-lingual Spanish. Salary $25 - $32k.
Send resume to dmanning@rbscc.org or fax to
718-366-8740 attn: Dmanning
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER - St. Nicholas
Neighborhood Preservation Corporation seeks
an experienced Community Organizer to coor-
dinate its expanded Affordable Housing Cam-
paign BAIBS and substantial communityorga-
nizing experience required, with proven skills
in training and leadership development as well
as strong writing skills and computer literacy
(database, internet). Bi-lingual Spanish, some
knowledge of the WiliiamsburglGreenpoint
community, planning and/or social work train-
ing a plus. Salary commensurate with experi -
ence and excellent benefits package. Fax
resume to Alison Cordero at 718-486-5982 or
e-mail to acordero@stnicksnpc.com ASAP.
CONTINUING CARE CASE MANAGER - HELP
USA, a nationally recognized leader in the pro-
visions of transitional housing, residential &
social services, has a position avail for a Con-
tinuing Care Case Manager to provide home
based case management services & commu-
nity linkages to families who have moved from
domestic violence shelters into permanent
housing. Must be able to work with an inter-
disciplinary team. Fieldwork is required. Bach-
elor's Degree required; Master's Degree &
knowledge of domestic violence & housing
issues are a plus. Prior experience in case
management & fieldwork desired. Computer
literacy is a must. Must be willing to travel to
various locations within the NYC area. Bilin-
gual (English/Spanish) is a plus. Salary: starts
in the mid to upper $20s based upon experi-
ence. Send resumes to: Kathy Sheldon, Director
of CI ient Services, PO Box 641, NY, NY
10037, Fax: 212-862-4376 or email:
ksheldon@helpusa.org. EOE. A Drug Free
Workplace.
CONTRACT SPECIALIST - New York Quadel is
seeking a FIT Contract Specialist for our NEW
YORK CITY OFFICE. Responsibilities include;
conducting annual management reviews of
assigned properties, including reviews of ten-
ant file documents, rent calculations, FHEO
and provide follow-up monitoring of properties
to ensure compliance with HUD requirements.
Conducts follow up inspections of Section 8
project-based units referred by HUD docu-
menting conditions. Previous property man-
agement experience working with multi - fami-
ly project based Section 8 properties. B.AJB.S.
preferred, additional work experience may be
considered in lieu of degree. Evidence of train-
ing in Section 8 and/or housing related certifi-
cations (CPM, AHM, etc.) preferred. Computer
skills required. Some travel is required. Excel-
lent salary & benefits package. Qualified
applicants send resume & salary requirements
to: NY Quadel Consulting Corp., H.R. Admin,
217 Montgomery St. Suite 400, Syracuse, NY
13202, fax 315-428-0088 or e-mail
TPoushter@NYQuadel.com EOE
COORDINATOR, LESBIAN AIDS PROJECT -
The Coordinator of the Lesbian AIDS Project is
responsible for oversight of all program ser-
vices, the Lesbian Leadership Initiative and
new program initiatives. The LAP Coordinator
oversees all LAP outreach and education pub-
lications to lesbians and other women who
have sex with women CNSW) who are at risk for
HIV transmission, affected by and or living
with HIV and AIDS. Other responsibilities
include ongoing development and implemen-
tation of peer program initiative, recruitment,
hiring, training and supervision of peer health
educators, development of promotional and
informational materials targeting lesbians
and WSWs, and developing and maintaining
linkages with CBOs and community leaders to
assure accessibility and quality of HIVIAIDS
services fur lesbians and WSWs. Bachelor
degree or equivalent and proven experience
working with women including lesbian, bisex-
ual and transgender women on issues of
health, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and related topics
working in a non-profit and/or human services
setting. Must have knowledge of the effects of
trauma, including domestic violence, rape and
incest, substance use, health and sexuality of
women, lesbian and gay issues and its impact
on lesbians and WSWs living with HIV and
AIDS. Requires demonstrated supervisory
experience, preferably with professional and
paraprofessional staff. Must have excellent
written and verbal communication skills, orga-
nizational skills, attention to detail, and abili-
ty to follow through on complex projects. Excel-
lent interpersonal skills and ability to effec-
tively interact with staff, volunteers, and
clients, with sensitivity to client confidentiality
and other issues in a human services setting
is essential. Knowledge of harm reduction and
recovery readiness models a plus. Qualified
individuals should send resume with cover let-
ter that must include salary requirement to
GMHC, HR Dept., 119 West 24th Street, New
York, NY 10011, or electronically to
jobs@gmhc.org. GMHC values diversity and is
proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action employer.
CORPS MEMBER - Are you 17-24 Years old
and LOOKING TO CHANGE THE WORLD? If so,
look no further!! City Year New York is one of
over 1,000 local and national AmeriCorps pro-
grams across the country. City Year New York
brings together young adults, ages 17 to 24,
from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeco-
nomic backgrounds for a demanding year of
full-time community service, leadership devel-
opment, and civic engagement. United in their
desire to serve, their diversity, and the power of
a young generation, these young leaders invest
their talents and energy to critically engage
their communities to solve real problems and
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYlIMITS.ORG
make a positive difference in others' lives. If
you are interested in joining our corps, please
contact Elizabeth Oberlin, City Year N.Y.
Recruitment Manager at: 646-452-3646 or by
email eoberlinOl@cityyear.org. To download
an application, go to:
httpJ/www.cityyear.orgljoinus/joincorps.cfm
COUNSELOR (ADDICTION) - Women In Need,
Inc. CNIN) - New York-based nonprofit organi-
zation that serves homeless and disadvan-
taged women and children. WIN is seeking to
fill the following Counselor position in one of
several lier II transitional family residences
located in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan:
Counselor: Addiction (CL.AC.2.04) MSW or BA
with CASAC. Knowledge of addictions and/or
vocational/education Issues in the recovery
process. Experience working with women, fam-
ilies, and children of substance abusers,
domestic violence and homeless population.
Some evening work required. All applicants
must send resume with cover letter, including
Job ID bye-mail to winjobs@w-i-n.orgorbyfax
to: Winjobs 212-465-9539. No telephone calls
accepted. WIN offers a competitive salary and
benefits package. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
EMPLOYER, M/FIDN.
COUNSELDR (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE) -
Women In Need, Inc. CNIN) - New York-based
nonprofit organization that serves homeless
and disadvantaged women and children. WIN
is seeking to fill the following Counselor posi-
tion in one of severallier II transitional family
residences located in Brooklyn, Bronx and
Manhattan. Counselor: Domestic Violence
(CL.DV.2.04) BA in Human Services or related
field. Knowledge/experience in working with
families and issues of domestic violence and
homelessness. Experience in leading groups
and developing group curricula. Excellent
organizational , communication and writing
skills. Some evening hours required. All appli-
cants must send resume with cover
letter, including Job ID bye-mail to
winjobs@w-i-n.org or by fax to: Winjobs 212-
465-9539. No telephone calls accepted. WIN
offers a competitive salary and benefits pack-
age. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER,
MIFIDN.
COUNSELOR (FOSTER CARE) - Women In
Need, Inc. (WIN) - New York- based nonprofit
organization that serves homeless and disad-
vantaged women and children. WIN is seeking
to fill the following Counselor position in one of
several lier II transitional family residences
located in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan.
Counselor: Foster Care (CL.FOS.2.04) BA in
Social Work or related field. Experience working
with families and youth/foster care issues.
Experience with leading groups and curricu-
lum development, experience working with
clients on vocational issues. Some evening
hours required. All appl icants must send
resume with cover letter, including Job 10 bye-
mail to winjobs@w-i-n.org or by fax to: Win-
jobs 212-465-9539. No telephone calls
accepted. WIN offers a competitive salary and
benefits package. AN' EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
CITY LIMITS
\
EMPLOYER. MfFIDN.
COUNSELOR (HOUSING SPECIALIST) - 'Mlmen
In Need, Inc. (WIN) - New York-based nonprofit
organization that serves homelessand disadvan-
taged women and children. WIN is seeking to fill
the following Counselor position in one of several
lier II transitional family residences located in
Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan. Counselor:
Housing Specialist (CLHOU.2.04) BA in Human
Services or related field and two (2) years' expe-
rience working within the NYC housing market or
two (2) years' college plus five (5) years' experi-
ence working within the NYC housing market.
Familiaritywith housing entitlement systems and
procedures. Bilingual - English/Spanish would
be heipful. Work schedule consists of some
evening and weekend hours. All applicants must
send resume with cover letter, including Job ID by
e-mail to winjobsW-i-n.org or by fax to: Winjobs
212-465- 9539. No telephone calls accepted.
WIN offers a competitive salary and benefits
package. AN EQUAl OPPORlUNfTY EMPlOYER,
MfFIDN.
COUNSELOR UOB PREPARATION SPECIALIST}
- 'Mlmen In Need, Inc. (WIN) - New York-based
nonprofit organization that serves homeless and
disadvantaged women and children. WIN is seek-
ing to fill the following Counselor position in one
of several lier II transitional family residences
located in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan. Coun-
selor: Job Preparation Special ist (CUPS.2.04) BA
in Human Services or related field. One (1) year
social service experience or approved equivalent.
Experience with substance abuse and child
abuse and standardized assessment tools.
Familiarity with social services settings, working
with clients on vocational issues and entitlement
systems and procedures. Bilingual -
English/Spanish required. Work schedule con-
sists of some evening and weekend hours. All
applicants must send resume with cover letter,
including Job ID bye-mail to winjobsW-i-n.org
or by fax to: Winjobs 212-465-9539. No telephone
calls accepted. WIN offers a competitive salary
and benefrts package. AN EQUAl OPPORlUNfTY
EMPLOYER, MfFIDN.
COUNSELOR (SENIOR DRUG) - Women In
Need, Inc. (WIN) - New York- based nonprofit
organization that serves homeless and disad-
vantaged women and children. WIN is seeking
to fill the following Counselor position in one of
several lier II transitional family residences
located in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan.
Counselor: Senior Drug (Cl.SDC.2.04) Masters
in Social Work or related field required. Several
years experience serving homeless families
and children. Proven supervisory skills needed.
All applicants must send resume with cover
letter, including Job ID bye-mail to win-
jobsW-i-n.org or by fax to: Winjobs 212-465-
9539. No telephone calls accepted. WIN offers
a competitive salary and benefits package. AN
EQUAL OPPORlUNITY EMPLOYER, MfFIDN.
CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS SPECIALISTIYOUTH
WORKER - The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
is a large, multi-service non-profit organiza-
tion serving the Bronx for more than 31 years.
The agency provides a broad range of individ-
ual and family services, including walk-in
assistance and counseling, services to spe-
cial-needs populations, such as immigrants,
children, adolescents, seniors, homeless fami-
lies and singles, individuals and families
affected by HIV/AIDS. CAB provides excellent
benefits and offers opportunities for advance-
ment. Resumes and cover letters indicating
position of interest may be mailed to 2054
Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or faxed as
directed. Fannie Lou Hamer seeks a Creative
Expressions Specialist/Youth Worker I. Respon-
sibilities include providing creative opportuni-
ties for teens utilizing music, drama, and the-
atre. The position requires a BA with three to
five years of experience in the creative and
visual arts, and the ability to use holistic mod-
els and approaches that develop a healthy'
exploration of life. Fax credentials to R.
Parithivel at 718-590-5866. CAB is a'n equal
opportunity laffirmative action em ployer.
DATABASE PROGRAMMER - Job Summary: The
programming candidate is responsible for the
design, development, maintenance, support
and integration of computer-based applica-
tions to support a number of GSS programs.
Major Duties: Work with 'management and pro-
gram staff to review current application
requirements. Maintain existing applications
and create technical documentation where
needed. Adhere to current application develop-
ment standards. Enhance & modify existing
in-house databases as needed to comply with
changing program requirements and out-
comes mandates. Research off-the-shelf
packages to identify appropriate alternatives
to in-house development. Assist in evaluation
of new software. Work closely with supervisor
on the design & development of database
applications for a number of agency programs.
Assist in the creation of custom software doc-
JOB ADS
_ umentation. Willingness to travel to various
Good Shepherd locations. Work on special pro-
jects as assigned by Supervisor. All other
duties as assigned. Qualifications: Bachelor's
degree and/or significant database experience
required. Must have experience in Microsoft
Access programming. Knowledge of Visual
Basic, FoxPro and Xbase applications is pre-
ferred. SQL knowledge is a plus. Must have
excellent written and verbal communication
skills. Must possess strong logic & analytical
skills. Ability to meet critical deadlines. Strong
customer service sensibility. Familiarity with
the Social Services field is preferred. General
Requirements: All staff are expected to be
committed to the mission, vision and values of
Good Shepherd Services, which includes
involvement in Quality improvement activities
and a willingness to work within a culturally
diverse environment. Interested and Qualified
parties should forward their resume to: Peggy
Giglio, Good Shepherd Services, 305 7th
Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10001 or Fax:
or Email :
hr@goodshepherds.org. Good Shepherd Ser-
vices is an Equal Opportunity Employer and
complies with the requirements of the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act. We encourage all
Qualified individuals to apply.
DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PRO-
GRAMS - Prominent East Harlem-based
Anti-Hunger Program seeks outstanding
human services professional to manage its
food distribution and homeless services pro-
gram. Applicants should possess an MSW (or
Masters Degree in related field), supervisOlY
experience, excellent written, verbal and peo-
PROFESSIONALDIRECTORY
, - ,"U. J'
I' I
212 . 721.9764
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Vahnont Consulting LLC
Mary Eustace Val mont, Ph.D.
Phone: 7187888435 Fax: 7187880135
Email: valmont-consulting@earthlink.net
SPECIALIZING IN REAL ESTATE
J-51 Tax Abatement/Exemption 421A and 421B
Applications 501 (c) (3) Federal Tax Exemptions All forms
of government-assisted housing, including LISC/Enterprise,
Section 202, State Turnkey and NYC Partnership Homes
KOURAKOS & KOURAKOS
Attorneys at Law
Eastchester, N.Y.
Phone: (9141 395-0871
OFFICE SPACE PROBLEMS?
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(845) 566-1267
Expert Real Estate Services - once
available only to major corporations and
institutions -
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at no out-or-pocket cost,
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Visit our web site: www.npspace.com
Call for a free, consultation.
www.npspace.com
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
APRIL 2004
43
JOBADS
pie skills, and familiarity with computerized
case management systems. E-mail cover letter
and resume to jambers@ycp.org or fax to 212-
410-3923. EOE
DEVELDPMENT ASSOCIATE - Brooklyn based
supportive housing provider is seeking a Devel-
opment Associate. Responsibilities: Coordinate
Special Events; develop Agency bi-annual
Newsletter; oversee mailings; develop commu-
nity supports and outreach to build consisten-
cy. Qualifications: demonstrated experience in
creating special events; organized and detail
oriented; excellent verbal and written commu-
nication skills; computer literacy including
word processing, spreadsheets, Publisher and
database programs; strong interpersonal skill ;
Commitment to social service programs. Fax
resume and cover letter including salary histo-
ry: 718-625-0635.
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE - The Doe Fund is
a non-profit organization that empowers peo-
ple to break the cycles of homelessness, wel-
fare dependency and incarceration through
innovative work and housing programs. The
Development Department seeks a Development
Associate who has a strong connection to The
Doe Fund's mission; has a development back-
ground (or has transferable skills) and can
work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environ-
ment. Experience with Raiser's Edge (Version 7)
required; knowledge of Excel and MS applica-
tions helpful. Candidate will conduct individ-
ual! foundation/corporate research; assist in
all aspects of special events; help coordinate
direct mail campaigns; update solicitation
materials and donor correspondence; produce
reports; manage donor database; and assist
Database Administrator. Ideal candidate has
BA, previous office experience, excellent writing
skills (writing samples will be required), knowl-
edge of NYC donor community, strong interper-
sonal and communication skills. Salary, mid
30's with comprehensive benefits package.
Please forward resume and cover letter to
Human Resources, The Doe Fund, Inc., 341
East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021; fax to 212-
570-6706 or e-mail to hr@doe.org. EOE
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE! EVENTS AND
EXTERNAL RELATIONS - The Development
Associate! Internal-External Relations primari-
ly will be responsible for special events and
external communications. As a member of the
Development Department, the Development
Associate will assist as needed with all
aspects of the fund raising program and pro-
vide necessary administrative support. MAJOR
DUTIES: Assist the Director of Development
with external communications, including but
not limited to: the annual report, newsletters,
brochures, press releases, the agency website
and other outreach materials. Assist with the
planning and organization of special events:
Annual Benefit Dinner, golf outings, and other
special events (e.g., cultivation receptions).
Responsible for desktop publishing and layout
of public relations materials. Assist with con-
tent and layout creation of external agency
newsletters. Assist the Director of Develop-
44
ment in maintaining corporate relationships.
Assist with the management of volunteers.
Developing content for the agency website
(e.g., brief news articles) on an ongoing basis.
Create Department PowerPoint presentations.
Attend events and assist with logistics. Take
photos for special events and program activi-
ties. Oversee the production of all agency
materials to maintain a consistent brand
image. Assist as needed with other Depart-
ment functions, including but not limited to:
private proposals, annual fund, individual
donors, and regular correspondence. QUALIFI-
CATIONS: Bachelors degree required. At least
two years experience in event planning or pub-
lic relations preferred. Must have excellent
writing and verbal skills. Must be self-motivat-
ed, detail and deadline oriented. Strong inter-
personal skills to build and maintain relation-
ships with external and internal contacts. Must
be capable of working comfortably with a vari-
ety of staff at all positions within the organiza-
tion. Proficiency with word processing (MS
Office) and desktop publishing software
required. Knowledge of Raiser's Edge and
Quark Xpress preferred. Send cover letter and
resume to hr@goodsherpherds.org or via fax
212-627-9472.
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE! GRANT WRITER -
The Development Associate!Grant Writer pri-
marily will be involved in researching, develop-
ing and writing proposals for all private
fundraising. His/Her secondary responsibilities
include administering the annual fund and
supporting the Development Director in hislher
outreach to individual major gift donors. As a
member of the Development Department, the
Development Associate will assist as needed
with all aspects of the fund raising program
and provide necessary administrative support.
Major Duties: Work with the Director of Devel-
opment to research, develop, write and assem-
ble proposals for all private fundraising. Com-
plete required reports for private fundraising
sources. Track outgoing and pending proposals
to foundations and corporations. Prepare cor-
respondence and follow-up reports to private
funders, as necessary. Research potential
foundation, corporate and individual funders.
Maintain department documents that relate to
grants and research. Support the Director of
Development with outreach to individual
donors. Assist the Director of Development
with the administration of the annual fund
appeal mailing(s). Communicate with the
Finance Department and various programs to
gather necessary and accurate information for
grant applications. Assist as needed with
other Department functions, including but not
limited to: special and seasonal events,
newsletters and publications, and regular cor-
respondence. Qualifications: Bachelors degree
required. At least two year's experience with
professional writing (fundraising or govern-
ment grant proposal composition, journalism,
public relations, etc.). Must be self-motivated,
detail and deadline oriented. Strong interper-
sonal skills; capable of working comfortably
with a variety of individuals at all levels inside
and outside of the organization. Knowledge of
word processing software (MS Office) required
and fundraising databases (Raiser's Edge)
desirable. Send resume and cover letter to fax
212-627-9472 or email
hr@goodshepherds.org
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING -
Groundwork, a youth services organization in
East New York, Brooklyn, is launching a grass-
roots community organizing program to work
with adults in the housing developments
served by our programs. The Director of Com-
munity Organizing will be responsible for
launching and directing this new project. We
are looking for a self-starter with proven expe-
rience organizing grassroots, neighborhood-
based community organizing campaigns from
the ground up. The successful candidate will
have: a commitment to developing leadership
among low-income parents and public housing
residents, at least four years experience as a
grassroots community organizer, preferably
geographic/neighborhood based organizing;
and strong writing, oral , and computer skills.
Familiarity with eastern Brooklyn and Spanish
language ability are preferred. Please email
cover and resume to
hiring@groundworkinc.org or fax to 718-923-
2869. Please highlight experience and salary
requirements in cover. No phone inquiries
please.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT - Design and
execute $2 million annual fund drive for
PRLDEF, a nationally recognized civil rights
institution. Build a diverse individual donor
base. Maintain and expand institutional sup-
port. Coordinate special events. Develop media
and public relations activities. Exciting oppor-
tunity for energetic, creative, "hands-on" pro-
fessional with 5+ years experience. Cover letter
and resume: info@prldef.org or fax 212-431-
4276
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT - for Center for
Family Life, a nationally recognized neighbor-
hood-based family service organization locat-
ed in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Organize and
implement the fund raising operation in collab-
oration with agency Co-Directors. Maintain and
expand foundation grants, initiate a Brooklyn
corporate campaign, expand individual donors,
coordinate special events, maintain database-
tracking system and oversee stewardship
reporting. Exciting opportunity for a highly
organized, creative, energetic and "hands-on"
Master's level professional with 3-5 years
fundraising experience and a demonstrated
record of accomplishment. Excellent written
and verbal communication skills, as well as
strong interpersonal skills. Ability to work well
as part of a team in a collaborative, process-
oriented atmosphere. Proficiency in database,
spreadsheet and word processing programs,
and Raiser's Edge fundraising software. Fax or
e-mail cover letter and resume: 718-788-2275
or jjfrancois@cflsp.org
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT - Just Food, an
innovative NYC organization working on farm
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
and food issues for NYC and the region, seeks
a director of development to take the lead on
all aspects of fundraising. Qualifications
include: At least four years foundation and
government grant experience. This is a 3 day-
per-week position. If candidate also possesses
strong major donor development skills, then it
is a full-time position. Reports to Executive
Director. Salary: Commensurate with experi-
ence. Send cover letter and resume ASAP to
Ruth Katz, Executive Director:
ruth@justfood.org EOE.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNI-
CATION - The NYC affiliate of the worldwide
builder of affordable housing seeks a Director
to manage its Development and Communica-
tion programs. The Director will plan, coordi-
nate and implement all fund raising activities
for Habitat NYC. Responsibilities include man-
aging: direct mail solicitation: major donor pro-
gram, faith, corporate government and foun-
dation grant programs, annual fundraising
awards gala, other special events and commu-
nications and public relations for the agency.
In addition, the Director will manage all mar-
keting and communication vehicles for Habitat
NYC, including the corporate and volunteer
marketing program, website, newsletter and
all other communication and collateral mater-
ial. The Director will report directly to the Exec-
utive Director, work closely with the Board of
Directors and other volunteers and will super-
vise staff and consultants. Minimum Qualifi-
cations: Bachelors Degree and 5 years devel-
opment experience and previous participation
in a major capital campaign. Familiarity with
both annual and major gift fund raising. Excel-
lent oral , written and organizational skills
required. Preferred Qualifications: Master's
degree. Experience in community development
and affordable housing. Knowledge of Excel ,
Word and Data Base (Donor Perfect Online)
Software. Salary range $65,000 depending on
experience. Good benefits. Send resume and
cover letter to Roland Lewis, Executive Director,
Habitat for Humanity - NYC, 334 Furman
Street, Brooklyn, NY. 718-246-5656 Fax 718-
246-2787. Habitat - NYC is an equal opportu-
nity employer.
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
RESOURCES - Union Square Partnership
www.unionsquarenyc.org. Job Description:
Accountable for all aspects of the USP's Edu-
cation and Community Resources Initiative,
primary responsibilities for this position will
include: Cultivating relationships with busi-
nesses, universities, public officials, commu-
nity groups, cultural institutions and Board
members. Fundraising through grants, corpo-
rate sponsorships, and special events. Plan-
ning new initiatives and garnering critical
resources to support the Education Program at
Washington Irving High School (WIHS). Over-
seeing operations including budgeting, super-
vising staff, maintaining ties with school offi-
cials, and program implementation. Repre-
senting the Union Square Partnership to gov-
ernment officials and business leaders at
diverse functions and venues. Qualifications:
CITY LIMITS
Advanced degree in public administration,
education, or related field and a minimum of 5
years experience preferred. Strong written, ver-
bal, and organizational skills, effective public
speaker. Ability to cultivate relationships and
collaborate with diverse groups. Experience in
tundra ising, program planning, management
and evaluation. Salary commensurate with
experience. Send a resume and cover letter to:
Karen Shaw, Executive Director, Union Square
Partnership, 4 Irving Place, Room 1148-S, New
York, NY 10003, Fax: 212-420-8670, Email:
BayneVaughanM@coned.com.
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY SERVICES - Creative
and committed MSW to direct services in newly
constructed permanent supportive housing for
15 families with special needs. Responsibili-
ties: implement and supervise program and
staff, tenant selection and rent-up, group
facilitation, referrals and linkages, service
planning in collaboration with tenants. Must
have: MSW, min 3 yrs. exp in: family stabiliza-
tion, mental health, substance abuse,
HIVIAIDS, homelessness, child welfare, hous-
ing. Requires: patience, energy, and excellent
interpersonal, writing and computer skills, and
ability to work in a demanding and diverse
environment. Bi-lingual a plus. 55K+good
benefits. Bronx location. Fax a written cover
letter and resume to: 212-781-6193. EOE.
DIRECTOR DF HOUSING CDNSULTATIDN -
The Center for Urban Community Services
(www.cucs.org) is seeking a Program Director
to oversee its Housing Consultation Service,
which includes the Residential Placement
Management System (RPMs) and the Single
Point of Access (SPOA) projects. This unit pro-
vides assistance to individuals and organiza-
tions throughout NYC who are seeking housing
and services for people with mental illness and
other special needs. Visit us at www.cucs.org.
The Director supervisors the daily operations of
the program, develops systems and procedures
for delivering services, liaisons with communi-
ty-based and government organizations,
supervises staff, prepares program reports,
delivers training and oversees production of
two bi-weekly publications. Reqs: Masters
degree in related field, 7+ years experience in
human services/nonprofit organizations
(preferably some mental health housing exp.)
managerial experience, computer literacy and
excellent communication skills. Salary: Com-
petitive Salary. Benefits: comprehensive bene-
fits. Send resumes and cover letters ASAP to
Adrienne Boxer, CUCSlHousing Resource Cen-
ter, 120 Wall Street, 25th floor, New York, NY
10005. Fax: 212-635-2191. CUCS is commit-
ted to workforce diversity. EEO.
DlRECTDR DF PRDGRAMS - Dynamic, grow-
ing Bronx organization seeks experienced
Director of Programs to oversee staff and
implement multigenerational programs. Sub-
stantial experience managing professional
staff, fund raising, grants management and
program development necessary. Background
in education, community development, philan-
thropy, or elder services. Excellent communica-
APRIL 2004
tion and critical thinking skills required.
Salary is highly competitive. Please
submit cover letter and resume via e-mail to
dpcandidatesearch@yahoo.com
DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PRO-
GRAM EVALUATION - As a member of the
agency's management team, lead efforts to
ensure program quality and contract compli-
ance; support program evaluation, develop-
ment and research activities; assist in the
development of new programs. Reqs: MSW or
related degree, 5+ years post-masters related
experience or doctorate in a human services
profession, +3 years post-masters related
experience. Experience with community based
health, transitional housing, supportive hous-
ing or employment services preferred. Salary:
$68,289 to $79,825 commensurate with expe-
rience. Send resume and cover letter ASAP to:
Joseph DeGenova, CUCS Administrative
Offices, 120 Wall Street, 25th fl., New York, NY
10005. CUCS is committed to workforce diver-
sity. EEO.
DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVES - The Mount Hope Housing Com-
pany, Inc, a non-profit CDC in the Bronx, seeks
a Director of Real Estate Development Initia-
tives. SlHe will report directly to the Chief Oper-
ating Officer. Current real estate development
initiatives include the Mount Hope Community
Center, the New Hope mixed-use residential
development, green buildings and a communi-
ty based planning effort. The Director supervis-
es a project manager and community develop-
ment specialist. The position requires manage-
ment as well as execution. Responsibilities
include: oversight of all aspects of pre-devel-
opment, construction, and completion of real
estate development projects, identification of
new development projects, and conducting
feasibility analysis. Qualifications: Proven
ability to multi-task in a fast pace environ-
ment. Excellent written and verbal communi-
cation skills. Bachelors degree required; Mas-
ter's degree in Urban Planning or related field
is preferred; 3-5 years prior project manage-
ment experience with residential and/or com-
mercial developments; knowledge of real
estate finance; experience in a community
based setting; skills in working with
clients/customers. Salary low to mid $50's. Fax
or mail cover letter and resume to Keith Fairey,
Director of REDI Search at 718-299-5623 or
Mount Hope Housing Company, Inc. 2003-05
Walton Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453.
DIRECTOR, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM AT PS
64X - To supervise and lead positive-youth-
development program for 300 children (grades
1-5), operating M-F, 2:30-6 p., & summer day
camp. Responsibilities: scheduling, curricu-
lum development, supervising 30 staff, report
writing, and liaison. Requirements: 2 years'
supervisory experience in relevant setting and
MSWIMEd. Spanish bilingual skills. Teaching
experience/credential desirable. Salary:
$40,000 +, comprehensive benefits. Send let-
ter, resume and contact info for 3 professional
references: Search Committee, New Settlement
Apartments, 1512 Townsend Avenue, Bronx, NY
10452. Email: jobsearch@newsettlement.org.
More info, www.idealist.org New Settlement
Apartments.
DIRECTOR, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT & MAN-
AGEMENT - Nonprofit seeks Director for mul-
tiple housing sites to purchase additional
sites, develop construction programs, secure
bids, maintain budgets, and oversee construc-
tion/contracts. 7+ years experience as deputy
or director of housing (HUD, HPD, housing tax
credits) required. Must have NYS Real
Estate Broker's License. $lOok+. Resumes:
mdilauri@nonprofitstaffing.com
DIRECTOR-DAY SERVICES (MANHATTAN) -
FEGS is one of the largest not-for-profit health
and human service organizations in the coun-
try with an operating budget in excess of $170
million, 3500+ staff, 12 subsidiary corpora-
tions a nd a diverse service delivery network
including operations in over 250 locations
throughout the metropolitan New York area.
Our Developmental Disabilities division is
seeking professionals to fill our Day Habilita-
tion Programs. We seek bright, ambitious, and
flexible applicants with knowledge of OMRDD
and Medicaid regulations for the position of
Director- Day Services located in Manhattan.
Provide direction, supervision, training and
administrative oversight for Day Habilitation &
Day Treatment Services at multi- site locations.
Ensure attainment of fiscal and regulatory
requirements. Ensure provision of continuous
quality improvement as well as innovative and
consumer driven services. Masters degree or
BA and minimum of 7 years experience working
with individuals with disabilities, which
includes 5 years supervisory experience. FEGS
offer a competitive salary and benefits pack-
age. Send resume to our HR ConSUltants: HR
Dynamics, Inc., Dept. DD-Day/SS. 161 William,
Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10038 or
fax 212-366-8555 Attn: DD-Day or e- mail
sgsmalls@hr-dynamics.com. EOE, MlFIDN
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SPECIALIST (MSWIBSW)
- The New York Foundling has a Domestic
Violence Specialist position available in Man-
hattan & Staten Island for an innovative pro-
gram to provide consultation and training to
front-line ACS Child Protective Workers. This
important initiative offers skilled clinicians the
opportunity to influence child welfare practice
and insure that vulnerable children and par-
ents in NYC receive the support they need. The
desired applicant would have a MSW or related
Master's, plus two years of domestic violence
experience and experience working with local
domestic violence providers; or BSW with two
years of domestic violence experience and two
years of social service experience plus experi-
ence working with local domestic violence
providers. Send resume and cover letter to:
Laurie Ramirez, HR Generalist, New York
Foundling, 590 Avenue of the Americas, New
York, NY 1001l. Fax 212-886-4098 or E-mail:
nyfhr6@nyfoundling . org .
www.nyfoundling.org AAlEOE
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
JOBADS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR -
Help us build a better Brooklyn. This 29 year-
old nonprofit community development organi-
zation works to improve the community of Flat-
bush, Brooklyn. You'll work with merchants and
residents to improve commercial strips, man-
age capital improvement projects, develop and
implement a facade improvement program.
You'll also provide assistance to existing busi-
nesses, market the area to potential new busi-
nesses and to new customers, conduct promo-
tional activities and events. You must have
strong communication skills, experience with
small businesses, and be well organized. For
prompt, confidential consideration, fax
cover letter, resume and salary history/
expectations to: 718-859-4632 or e-mail to
guide@fdconline.org.
ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR (PT) - The Citizens
Advice Bureau (CAB) is a large, multi-service
non-profit organization serving the Bronx for
more than 31 years. The agency provides a
broad range of individual and family services,
including walk-in assistance and counseling,
services to special-needs populations, such as
immigrants, children, adolescents, seniors,
homeless families and singles, individuals and
families affected by HIVIAIDS. CAB provides
excellent benefits and offers opportunities for
advancement. Resumes and cover letters indi-
cating position of interest may be mailed to
2054 Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or faxed as
directed. The Adolescent Development Pro-
grams seeks a part-time English Instructor.
The position requires a BA or MA. Board of Edu-
cation certification preferred. Responsibilities
include teaching students in required subject
areas in a teen after-school program. Please
fax your resume to J. Goldsmith at 718-590-
5866 or e-mail it to her at
jgoldsmith@cabny.org. CAB is an equal oppor-
tunity /affirmative action employer.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT - Flatbush Develop-
ment Corporation, dedicated revitalizing and
improving the Flatbush community, seeks a
highly skilled and organized individual to pro-
vide administrative support to the Executive
Director. You have a BA plus two years of relat-
ed experience, hyper- organized and have flu-
ent knowledge of all MS Office programs (Word,
Excel , Access, PowerPoint) as well as e-mail
and Internet research skills. Also, you must
have strong communication skills and the
ability to write clearly and quickly. We offer a
competitive salary, depending on experience.
Please fax resume and cover letter to 718-859-
4632 or e-mail to: guide@fdconline.org
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT - Laurence A.
Pagnoni & Associates, www.lp-
associates.com. Solid writing skills required.
Duties include office management, grant writ-
ing, special projects, various administrative
tasks. Excellent position for individuals pursu-
ing a career in nonprofit management. Techni-
cal computer skills needed. Competitive salary.
Send resume, three references, salary history,
writing sample to lapagnoni@mindspring.com
45
JOBADS
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT - The Council on
Homeless Polices and Services, a small advo-
cacy organization, seeks a part-time Executive
Assistant to arrange the office, perform admin-
istrative tasks, and assist with advocacy pro-
jects. Great opportunity to leam about advoca-
cy, lobbying, and the homeless services sys-
tem. Computer proficiency in Microsoft Word
and Excel, and superior writing and analytical
skills required. Must be detail-oriented, orga-
nized, and able to work independently in a fast-
paced environment. Salary is $13 per hour and
schedule is flexible. Send resume and cover
letter to laurenBP@verizon.net or fax 212-
736-1899.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT -
Common Ground Community (CGC), the inter-
nationally-recognized not-for-profit supportive
housing and community development organi-
zation, seeks an Executive Assistant to func-
tion as the principal administrative assistant
to the President and Chief of Staff, and the
coordinator of information forthe CGC Board of
Directors. S/he places, answers, screens, and
routes a heavy volume of telephone calls and
inquiries; manages the President's daily, week-
ly and long term schedule; and arranges for,
sets up and/or plans meetings, conference
calls, and travel and hotel arrangements. S/he
also sets up, organizes and maintains filing
systems; lays out, types and/or prepares corre-
spondence, reports, spreadsheets and/or
charts, and prepares mass mailings. As the
office manager, the Assistant maintains and
tracks the use of petty cash, and the inventory
and ordering system for supplies and office
equipment. S/he also prepares and tracks the
status of purchase orders, requisitions and
payment vouchers. The Assistant also func-
tions as the liaison to Prince George building
management on office space and facilities
matters. S/he may also assist the President
and Chief of Staff with special projects and in
monitoring ongoing projects and assignments;
and supervise clerical staff. At least two (2)
years of full -time experience working in a sim-
ilar capacity required. Computer proficiency in
Microsoft Word and Excel , and superior writing
and analytical skills preferred. Detail oriented,
organized and the ability to interact with all
levels of staff and management preferred.
Flexibility, creativity and initiative to work both
independently and as part of a team also pre-
ferred. Cover letterw/salary history and resume
to CGC HRlAttn: RG, CGC, 505 Eighth Avenue,
15th Floor, New York, New York 10018. E-mail
resumes@commonground.org. Facsimile 212-
389-9313.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - A community-based
organization that supports high-risk youth
realize their educational and personal potential
from the 6th grade through college seeks a
self- motivated, dynamic Executive Director.
Programming includes tutoring, cultural
enrichment, family support and the possibility
of financial assistance for college.
SkillslRequirements: Proven track record in
fundraising, developing collaborative relation-
ships with other community resources, fiscal
46
management, and the ability to vision and
grow this organization. BAIBS in social sci -
ences, education or related field; advanced
degree preferred. Competitive salary and ben-
efits. EEO employer. No Phone Calls. Send
resume and cover letter to: ~ Murnion, GFIED
Search, 50 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Bronx, NY advocacy
& empowerment organization serving persons
with disabilities seeks ED to provide supervi-
sion, contract management, development, and
fiscal oversight. BA minimum. Personal experi -
ence with disability a plus. Salary $45-55K.
EOE. Fax resume & cover to Joe Bravo, BILS
718-515-2844.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Community-based,
progressive, violence-prevention organization
seeks dynamic leader. Required: a minimum of
5 years management experience, preferably in
a nonprofit setting, fiscal management, bud-
geting, fundraising, programmatic oversight,
understanding of teaching and youth develop-
ment, and understanding of violence as a
social and political issue to be countered
through empowerment, education, and orga-
nizing. Salary commensurate with experience;
excellent benefits including 4 weeks vacation.
To apply: send cover letter and resume ASAP to
Jean Lobell , CRE, 39 Broadway, 10th Floor, New
York, NY 10006; fax to 212-616-4994. No calls
please. EOE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - HOPE Community,
Inc., a leading East Harlem low and moderate-
income housing development CDC, seeks a
new Executive Director. Applicant must have
extensive experience with low and moderate-
income housing, housing development, low-
income tax credit programs, and housing man-
agement. Must have prior experience in senior
management of a non-profit. Must have excel-
lent people management and communication
skills, a proven track record in organizing and
closing deals, and the ability to lead an orga-
nization both strategically and operationally.
Real Estate license and RAM certification a
plus. HOPE Community was founded in 1968,
and currently has over 1,300 housing units
under management. Salary commensurate
with experience. Please submit resume,
cover letter and salary requirements to
hopeci@hotmail.com.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - Premier non-profit
social service and educational agency in New
York City, INTERFAITH NEIGHBORS, INC. seeks
dynamic, committed Executive Director to lead
this $1 million plus organization. Founded
1954, non-denominational and highly regard-
ed, IFN provides comprehensive education,
enrichment, social and mental health services
to young adolescents in East Harlem and
Yorkville. Demonstrated leadership and man-
agement experience, proven skills in fundrais-
ing and fiscal management, and strong ability
to communicate agency vi sion required.
Responsibilities include supervision of staffing
and overall operations, strategic planning, and
fostering successful fund and program devel-
opment. Salary commensurate with experience.
See www.ifneighbors.org. Email resume and
cover letter to Interfaithcareer@aol.com or fax
212-986-8795
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT - Nationally recognized community
college seeks a leader for its economic devel-
opment initiatives in the business community.
Responsibilities: create!implement a vision for
enhancing the college's roles with the business
community and related organizations; build
corporate relationships; leverage college and
community resources to respond to business
needs; attract programs funding. Supervise
directors of college's business contract train-
ing center, Small Business Development Cen-
ter, new business incubator, and related pro-
grams. Establish systems to measure fiscal
and service goals. Reports to VP of Adult &
Continuing Education. Qualifications: 10 yrs
experience in business and/or education
required; Bachelor's deg. required, master's
preferred. Strong entrepreneurial energy, lead-
erships skills, exper. in economic development,
strategic planning or corporate relations desir-
able. Salary: mid $90s to $100K. Resumes &
cover letter by Jan. 26 to: Edna Best, LaGuardia
Comm. College/CUNY, Rm C236, 31-10
Thompson Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101.
Fax: 718-609-2036 See www.lagcc.cuny.edu
for details.
FIRST STEP PROGRAM COORDINATOR - to
help break the cycles of homelessness, welfare
dependency and incarceration through innova-
tive work and housing programs. We seek a
First Step Program Coordinator who has a
strong appreciation for the spirit of our mis-
sion. The successful candidate will provide
effective case management for First Step
trainees, work with Com AlERT staff, identi-
fy/research needs of ex-offenders and devel-
op/implement strategies to ensure success of
trainees. Ideal candidate possesses a BA with
2-3 years working with ex- offenders in job
training or related 'transition to mainstream'
services. Salary in low 30's with comprehensive
benefits package. Please forward resume and
cover letter to Human Resources, The Doe
Fund, Inc., 341 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021;
fax to 212-570-6706 or e-mail to hr@doe.org
EOE. Deadline for submitting resume is ASAP.
FOUNDATION & CORPORATION GRANTS MAN-
AGER - Grants Manager for innovative mid-
town multi-service agency. Execute full range
of tasks from research to writing of proposals,
reports and related correspondence. Keep up-
to-date tracking system to manage flow of pro-
posals and reports; research new funding
prospects and generate giving reports for
Board and committees. Must have 3-5 years
experience in grant writing. Excellent
writing/editing skills, strong computer skills in
creating spreadsheets and accessing data-
bases. Salary commensurate with experience.
E-mail resume and cover letter to:
jobs2004@nyc.rr.com
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
GRANT WRITER - Harlem based children's
organization has an oppty avail for an exp'd
Grant Writer to join the Development Team.
Excellent written & oral communication skills
as well as exp in writing grants & proposals
req'd. Knowledge of public & private funders
nec. Salary: $35-45K depending on expo Send
resume to: Harlem Children's Zone, 1916 Park
Ave, Suite 212, NY, NY 10037, Attn: R.
Laszczych or email: rlaszczych@hcz.org
GRANT WRITER - Two non profits serving
domestic violence survivors in NYC seek grant
writer to work 2-3 days/week. Research fund-
ing opportunities, draft proposals, prepare
reports for funders, develop tracking system for
existing funders. $25/hr. Fax resume, cover let-
ter to 646-472-0266, email :
ccorden@newdestinyhousing.org
GROUP WORKERIYOUTH ADVISOR, YOUNG
ADULT OUTREACH INITIATIVE - Work with
program director (see above) in new program
for neighborhood youth, aged 16-24. Responsi-
bilities: counseling; leading group workshops;
holding youth accountable to realize the goal s
they articulate, using a task-oriented support
strategy; advocating on participants' behalf;
expanding partnerships. Requirements: M.SW.
and 2-3 years' relevant experience in non-
mandated program in community-based set-
ting. Counseling experience. Spanish-English a
plus. Some evening hours. Salary: Mid-$30's,
with comprehensive benefits. Send letter,
resume and contact info for 3 professional ref-
erences: Search Committee, New Settlement
Apartments, 1512 Townsend Avenue, Bronx, NY
10452. Email: jobsearch@newsettlement.org
More info, www.idealist.org, New Settlement
Apartments
HIV PROJECT DIRECTOR - Responsible for
implementation and oversight of services for
HIV+ or at risk adults including harm reduction
education, peer educator training, HIV counsel-
ing and testing, support groups, discharge
planning, and recovery readiness/relapse pre-
vention programs for substance abusing peo-
ple who are criminal justice involved. Manage
projects in achieving and reporting on goals
and outcomes, oversee day-ta-day program
operations including client intake and assess-
ment, curricula development, group facilitation
and training, and staff supervision. MSW or
related field, experience with population,
proven analytical , project management, and
supervisory skills with the ability to create and
maintain constructive relationships with fun-
ders, collaborating organizations, and other
CBOs. Send resume indicating position apply-
ing for: Center for Community Alternatives 39
West 19th St. NY, NY 10011 Fax: 212-675-0825
Email : jobs@communityalternatives.org.
HOUSING SPECiAliST - Common Ground
Community (CGC), the internationally recog-
nized housing and community development
organization, seeks a Housing Specialist for its
Prince Transitional Residence on the Bowery in
lower Manhattan. The Housing Specialist will
CITY LIMITS
be expected to locate apartments and to devel-
op a data base of both quasi- public and pri-
vate landlords prepared to rent to these ten-
ants. S\he will build and maintain relation-
ships with landlords, and will work to ensure
that the tenants have the independent living
skills to meet the meet the responsibilities of
tenancy. BA in social work or a related field
w/understanding of homeless issues and
affordable housing marketplace in NYC
required. Superior bilingual (EnglishlSpanish)
written and verbal skills and ability to work
with special needs populations also necessary.
Cover letter with salary history and resume to
CGCIHR, Attn: RG, 505 Eighth Avenue, 15th
Floor, NY, NY 10018. Facsimile 212-389-9313.
HOUSING SPECiAliST - HELP USA, a nation-
ally recognized leader in the provision of tran-
sitional housing, residential & social services,
has a position available for a HOUSING SPE-
CIALIST. Will assist families in securing perma-
nent housing. Real Estate &lor government
low-income housing & lease negotiation exp
pref'd. Bachelor's Degree preferred. Knowledge
of realtors & housing subsidy programs; com-
puter proficiency req'd. Valid driver's license &
bilingual skills (English/Spanish) preferred.
Salary: starts in the low-mid $20s, salary
negotiable based upon expo Send resumes to:
HELP 1, 515 Blake Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207,
Attn: Gena Watson, Fax: 718-485-5916 or
email: gwatson@helpusa.org. EOE. A Drug
Free Workplace.
HOUSING SPECiAliST/CASE MANAGER - The
Doe Fund is a non-profit organization that
empowers people to break the cycles of home-
less ness, welfare dependency and incarcera-
tion through innovative work and housing pro-
grams. We seek a Housing Specialist/Case
Manager who has a strong connection to The
Doe Fund's mission. The Ideal candidate would
possess a BA and 3+ years human
service/case management experience with
strong interpersonal, written and verbal com-
munication skills. Strong knowledge of perma-
nent, supportive and transitional housing
resources a must with client referral experience
a plus. Excellent record keeping abilities is
essential. Salary is upper 30's with a compre-
hensive benefits package. Please forward
resume and cover letter to Human Resources,
The Doe Fund, Inc., 341 East 79th Street, NY,
NY 10021; fax to 212-570-6706 or e-mail to
hr@doe.org. EOE. Deadl ine for submitting
resume is ASAP
IMPACT ATTORNEY - National legal/policy
office seeks experienced attorney to take lead
in class actions, policy work. Salary scale com-
parable to similar organizations, good bene-
fits. Persons of color, formerly on welfare or
poor, encouraged. EOE. For more, see www.wel-
farelaw.org. Send resume, references, short
writing to Henry Freedman, Welfare Law Center,
275 7th Ave., Ste. 1205, 10001; fax: 212-633-
6371, email impact@welfarelaw.org
INTERN - Assembly Education Chairman
Steven Sanders seeks bright, motivated volun-
APRIL 2004
teer intern for the month of February for
research and planning of public hearing on
protecting health of students and staff in pub-
lic schools. If interested, email resume and
cover letter to SANDERSsCHIEF@aol.com or fax
to 212-979-0594. att: SK. NO CALLS.
JOB DEVELOPER - The Doe Fund, Inc., an
innovative social service organization provid-
ing job training and transitional housing to
homeless individuals, seeks an experienced job
developer/recruiter to cultivate and maintain
employer relations. Ability to teach life skills
and job preparation classes and experience
working with homeless population a plus. Abil-
ity to provide full range of job placement ser-
vices - resumes, interview training and track-
ing clients' job search efforts. This position
requires a bachelor's degree, strong oral and
written skills and at lease 3 years experience
as a job developer or recruiter. Salary in the
high 30's, with a comprehensive benefits pack-
age. Send resume to HR, The Doe Fund, Inc.,
341 East 79th Street, NY, NY 10021; fax to 212-
570- 6706 or e-mail to hr@doe.org Please
respond ASAP.
JOB DEVELOPER, HARLEM ONE-STOP CENTER
- Engaging employers to find positions for
job seekers at the One- Stop Center, cold call-
ing, visits to local businesses, networking and
relationship building. The position also
includes assessment of job applicants and
coaching for job interviews. Email resume and
brief cover note to jobs@earnfair.com
JOB DEVELOPERS - FEGS is one of the largest
not-for-profit health and human service orga-
nizations in the country with an operating bud-
get in excess of $170 million, 3,000 plus
employees and operations in over 250 loca-
tions throughout the metropolitan New York
area. We are currently seeking experienced Job
Developers to join our Career Development
Institute serving the youth population in the
Bronx. Applicants must have a job bank,
knowledge of current market/employment
trends and experience placing clients with var-
ious backgrounds including the criminal jus-
tice system. Must take initiative and be willing
to work in the field. BA or Associates and three
years experience required with prior sales,
marketing, employment counsel ing or job
development experience. We offer a competi -
tive salary and benefits package (4 weeks
vacation). If you are interested, please send
resume and cover letter with salary require-
ments to our HR Consultants: HR
Dynamics, Inc. (Dept. ECs/sS) 161 William
Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York
10038 or fax 212-366-8555 or email
sgsmalls@hr-dynamics.com. EOE, MlFIDN.
LICENSED NURSE - For supportive residential
program serving PWfls. Must be LPN or RN. 1-
2 years experience in a HIV/AlDS, clinical or
residential setting. PT or FT. E-mail resumes to
mpardasani@doe.org or mail to W. Clark, The
Doe Fund, 341 East 79th Street, NY, NY, 10021
or fax to 212-570-6706.
MANAGER OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT - Non-profit seeks individual
to maintain a real estate space bank; help
interested companies find space; and monitor
conditions in and marshal resources to
improve an In-Place Industrial Park. Candi-
dates should have 2-5 years experience in real
estate or urban planning. Salary 40-50K plus
benefits. Cover letter and resume to
rwerber@gjdc.org. EOE.
MANAGER OF HUMAN RESOURCES - Com-
mon Ground Community (CGC), a non-profit
housing and community development organi-
zation with 180 full and part time staff, seeks
a Manager of Human Resources. Candidates
must have a BAIBS (HR certification pre-
ferred), and 5 - 7 years experience in human
resources. Knowledge of employment, benefits,
compensation and employee services required.
Cover letter w/salary requirements and resume
to CGC, Attn: SB, 505 Eighth Avenue, NY, NY
10018. Fax: 212-389-9313 or e-mail to
sblau@commonground.org
ON-SITE PROPERTY MANAGER - NFP seeks a
live-in Residential Property Manager. Must be
organized, energetic and multi-task oriented.
Knowledge in subsidized housing. Duties
include Staff Supervision, Section 8 qual,
Income cert. , DHCR Regs., MDR, ECB Viola-
tions, knowledge of Tax Credit Compliance and
DHS Regs. a +. Good written and verbal skills,
Computer exp., 3-5 years property manage-
ment expo a must. Ability to work independent-
ly. Salary $25,000 annual + 1- bed apt. w/
phone, utilities included. Fax Resumes: 212-
967-1649.
OUTREACH COORDINATOR - The LawHelplNY
Consortium is seeking an Outreach Coordina-
tor. LawHelplNY (www.lawhelp.orglNY) is an
online legal services information and referral
system for New York State that has been devel-
oped through a collaborative effort of the City
Bar Fund, Legal Services for New York City, Pro
Bono Net, The Legal Aid Society of New York, the
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, the
Greater Upstate Law Project and Volunteers of
Legal Service. LawHelplNY provides referrals to
free legal services, client legal education
materials, pro se litigant materials and a lim-
ited amount of information on social services
organizations. Our goal is to effectively pro-
mote the web site among legal services
providers, social services and advocacy orga-
nizations and directly to low-income and
underserved communities in New York State.
Responsibilities: Develop, refine and imple-
ment effective outreach and publicity plan for
LawHelplNY. Promote LawHelplNY among
legal services, social services and advocacy
organizations, and conduct training sessions
on LawHelplNY for the staff of these organiza-
tions. Promote LawHelplNY within the local
court system, technology centers, libraries and
other public access sites. Using feedback from
staff trainings on LawHelplNY propose
changes to the LawHelp web site design and
functionality. Assist the LawHelplNY Consor-
tium with fund raising activities, including
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
JOBADS
grant-writing and reports to foundations.
BAIBS. Experience with outreach or community
organizing. Proven commitment to public ser-
vice/experience working with low-income com-
munities in New York State. Excellent organiza-
tional , interpersonal skills and writing skills.
Attention to detail. Ability to work collabora-
tively, and with individuals of diverse back-
grounds. Bilingual (Spanish-English) pre-
ferred. Please send your resume or cover letter
to (email) atinedo@abcny.orgorfax: 212-382-
6769, Attn: Human Resources.
PRESS SECRETARY - Responsibilities
include answering media inquiries, organizing
press conferences, writing daily press releases,
media advisories, and updating website con-
tent. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and
four diverse writing samples to Eldin Villafane
at 718-590-0079 or email to
villafane@bronxbp.nyc.gov EOE
PROGRAM DIRECTOR - The Citizens Advice
Bureau (CAB) is a large, multi-service non-
profit organization serving the Bronx for more
than 31 years. The agency provides a broad
range of individual and family services, includ-
ing walk-in assistance and counseling, ser-
vices to special-needs populations, such as
immigrants, children, adolescents, seniors,
homeless families and singles, individuals and
families affected by HIVIAIDS. CAB provides
excellent benefits and offers opportunities for
advancement. Resumes and cover letters indi-
cating position of interest may be mailed to
2054 Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or faxed as
directed. CAB's Children and Youth Department
seeks a Program Director. The position requires
a Masters degree, the ability to manage and
oversee children and teen programs and par-
ent organizing project. Responsibilities include
supervising staff, contract and program man-
agement, and program development. Fax cre-
dentials to K.lqbal at 718-590-5866 or e-mail
him at kiqbal@cabny.org. CAB is an equal
opportunity /affirmative action employer.
PROGRAM DIRECTOR, YOUNG ADULT OUT-
REACH INITIATIVE - To develop and lead new,
positive-intervention program for 70 teens and
young adults, aged 16-24, at high risk of
involvement in the juvenile or criminal justice
system. Responsibilities: program develop-
ment and start-up; hiring and supervising
staff; outreach to youth and program partners.
Requirements: Minimum three years' experi-
ence working with young adults in non- man-
dated settings, using effective, voluntary inter-
vention strategies. B.A.IB.SJequired; graduate
degree preferred. Spanish-English a plus.
Some evening hours. Salary: $40,000+, com-
prehensive benefits. Send letter, resume and
contact info for 3 professional references:
Search Committee, New Settlement Apart-
ments, 1512 Townsend Avenue, Bronx, NY
10452. Email: jobsearch@newsettlement.org
More info, www.ideal ist.org New Settlement
Apartments
PROGRAM REVIEW CONSULTANT (VACANCY
NUMBER PL-03-07, CRISIS COUNSELING PRO-
47
JOBADS
JECT, NEW YORK CITY PROJECT UBERTY UNm -
The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene,
Inc., a not-for-profit corporation is seeking one
full-time Program Review Consultant for School
Services, CCp, to join our team on a temporal)'
basis for the unit known as Project Uberty Unit
(PLU), which is located at 770 Broadway, New
York City, New York. This position has a salal)'
range of 55,000-70,000, grades 23 to 28. Duties
and Responsibilities: The Program Review Con-
sultant, under the supervision and direction of
the Deputy Director for School and Children's Ser-
vices will be responsible for two primal)' tasks; to
documentthe implementation of Project Uberty's
post-9/ll crisis counseling services in New York
City schools, and develop a process for reviewing
the quality of school services. The individual will
work with the Deputy Director for School and
Children's Services to plan the documentation
efforts, identifying joint PLUlDepartment of Edu-
cation activities and processes worth document-
ing, and determining the best methods for
recording, compiling, and presenting findings.
Coupled with the data collection process, the
Program Review Consultant's other main respon-
sibilities, will include but not be limited to, devel-
oping a process for reviewing the quality of
school services to children in order to guide pro-
gram planning and enhance accountability and
identifying criteria and developing tools to
assess the quality of programs and services. Site
visits throughout the five (5) boroughs of New
York City is anticipated. The Program Review
Consultant will collaborate with the Coordinator
of Program Review and Evaluation on all activi-
ties. Qualifications/Prefenred Skills: The candi-
date must have a master's degree or higher from
an accredited college, in social work (planning or
administration), public health, mental health,
children's services, public administration, pro-
gram evaluation, or organizational research; with
at least two years of professional experience in
program review and research methods design
and implementation. Should be able to compre-
hend counseling issues, and must possess
excellent analytical as well as written and oral
communication skills. The candidate should be a
self-starter with the ability to work as part of a
team. Forward resume and salal)' requirements
ASAP to: Leslie Altman /Recruiter, Office of
Human Resources- Team 4, New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 125
Worth Street, Room 908, New York City, New York
10013 or FAX: 212-676-9968. E-mail resumes in
MS Word or Text Format Document only to: lalt-
man@health.nyc.gov. The Research Foundation
is a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the
New York State Department of Mental Hygiene.
Excellent benefits package. AAlEEO employer.
PROJECT MANAGER - Bridge Street Develop-
ment Corporation, (BSDC) a faith-based not-
for-profit CDC, serving Brooklyn's Bedford-
Stuyvesant community. We are seeking a high-
ly motivated, assertive individual to fill the
position of project manager for its affordable
housing projects including low-income hous-
ing tax- credits, Neighborhood Homes and
Third Party Transfer programs. Responsibili-
ties: The project manager will be responsible to
oversee of all aspects of the development cycle
48
including: pre- development financing, tenant
relocation, construction and lease-up and over
sight of property management to insure com-
pliance with project milestones. Underwriting
and, monitoring fund expenditures for projects.
Qualifications: Masters degree in related field
and/or five to ten years professional experi-
ence; demonstrate experience with real estate
finance; extensive experience in real estate
underwriting; understanding and familiarity of
NYC rehabilitation and new construction.
Excellent computer, written and verbal commu-
nication skills. Salal)': $50,000- $55,000. E-
mail resume and cover letter to
maininfo@bsdcorp.org, or fax to Project Man-
ager Search, at 718-573-6874 or mail to Pro-
ject Manager Search at Bridge Street Develop-
ment Corporation, 266 Stuyvesant Avenue,
Brooklyn, New York 11221.
PROJECT MANAGER - FHC, a nonprofit com-
munity-based organization, is seeking an
experienced Project Manager to produce hous-
ing in Hudson County, New Jersey. Responsibil-
ities: Develop housing projects to meet organi-
zation goals and community revitalization
plans; Oversee all day-ta-day activities to com-
plete projects; Prepare regular reports to the
E.D., Board and financing sources; Produce
workplans to meet production goals. Qualifica-
tions: B.A.IB.S. and/or three years real estate
development experience; proficiency with com-
puter word processing and spreadsheet pra-
grams; ability to work independently and as
part of a team. Preferred: Experience with com-
mercial and multifamily residential rental pro-
jects; Proficiency with GIS; Familiarity with
Hudson County. Salal)': $35.000-40,000 plus
benefits. To apply: Mail , fax or e-mail cover let-
ter and resume to: FHC, attn: Project
Manager Position, 270 Fairmount Avenue, Jer-
sey City, NJ , 07306; Fax: 201-333-9305;
e-mail: fairmounthousing@aol.com.
PROJECT MANAGER - St. Nicholas Neighbor-
hood Preservation Corporation a neighborhood
based not -for-profit, serving the Williams-
burglGreenpoint community, seeks a part-time
(20-25 hours per week) Project Manager for its
Affordable Housing Projects. The Project Man-
ager will be responsible to oversee all aspects
of the development cycle from project inception
to rent-up and sales. Duties include: predevel-
opment financing, tenant relocation, monitor-
ing fund expenditures, construction and lease-
up. Qualifications: BAIBS degree plus two or
more years of development experience; profi-
ciency with spreadsheet programs; under-
standing and familiarity of NYC rehabilitation
and new construction; excellent written and
verbal communication skills. To apply mail, fax
or email cover letter and resume to: St. Nicholas
NPC, Attn: Project Manager Position, 11 Cather-
ine Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211, fax: 718-486-
5982, email: abeauchamp@stnicksnpc.com.
PROPERTY MANAGER - HOPE Community,
Inc., is a dynamic, not-for-profit community
based neighborhood preservation corporation
located in East Harlem. HCI manages a diver-
sified housing portfolio of over 1,5000 apart-
ments for vel)' low. Low and moderate-income
households through its participation in various
state, city and private programs. The position
of property manager reports di rectly to the
director of property management. Manage-
ment responsibility for a mixed portfolio of res-
idential housing. Duties include, but are not
limited to: Building Administration - Prepare
documentation required legal proceeding time-
ly, accurate and complete standardized build-
ing management reports, annual operating
budgets and other regularly assigned reports
for each property managed. Resident Services
and Relations - Ensure that rent is collected on
a timely basis. Process Section 8 applications
for prospective tenants and annual re-certifi-
cation for current tenants. Maintenance
Supervision - Supervise superintendents and
through them, all subordinate maintenance
staff at all assigned properties. Fiscal Man-
agement - Control property operating expendi-
tures within budget limitations while main-
taining HCI standards, policies and procedures
for fiscal management. Mange and ensure
consistent income stream through quick
turnover of vacancies. Qualifications - Mini-
mum Associate degree plus three years proper-
ty management experience preferred. Working
knowledge and experience managing low
income housing subsidy programs, at HUD,
DCHR and tax credit properties. Knowledge of
industl)' standards and building systems.
Knowledge of NYC building codes. Registered
apartment management (RAM), certified man-
ager of housing (CHM) or certified property
manager (CPM) certification and tax credit cer-
tification. Possession of valid tri-state area
driver's license is required. Proven computer
skills. Organization skills and supervisol)'
experience. Hands-on, action-oriented individ-
ual, with demonstrated ability to supervise
staff and effectively communicate verbally and
in writing with others. High level of commit-
ment to and enthusiasm for promotion of Hope
Community's mission. Ability and enthusiasm
for working with staff at all levels of the orga-
nization in a collaborative team approach.
Proven ability to exercise sound judgment con-
cerning expenditures, resident relations,
reporting and community affairs. Please
submit your resume and cover letter to:
pjohnson@hopeci .orgorfaxto: 212-828-7733
Attn: S. Goodman.
PROPERTY MANAGER - Prestigious Commu-
nity Development Corporation in the Bronx,
with 30 years of experience in property man-
agement is seeking an experienced Property
Manager professional for the Director of Prop-
erty Management's position. The successful
candidate must have at least five years of
experience in property management, i.e., Tax
Credit Buildings, 202s, SIPIHPD, and PRAC,
performing from a supervisol)'l leadership
position. Bachelor's Degree in Real State, Non-
Profit Management, Business Administration
or related field. Master's Degree preferred.
Accredited Residential Manager Designation,
Community Development Experience and
Knowledge of Computer Software, i.e. Timber-
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB POSTINGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLIMITS.ORG
line a plus. Salal)' according to experience.
Email resume and cover letter to
Omorillo@mbdhousing.org or fax to Human
Resources at 718-542-7694.
RECEPTIONIST - Please indicate in cover let-
ter where you learned of the job opportunity and
which station/position you are applying for. No
Phone Calls Please. Application deadline is
ASAP. 77WABC, one of New York City's leading
radio stations, is seeking a receptionist. Candi -
date should have a pleasant and friendly per-
sonality. Responsibilities include answering
and routing all incoming calls, greeting visitors,
distribution of overnight packages, handling
incoming faxes and assisting all departments
with miscellaneous projects. College graduate,
computer skills with I-year office experience
preferred. Hours are 8:30AM to 5PM Monday to
Friday. Interested applicants should submit
their cover letter and resume to: Linda Wnek,
Diversity Recruitment Coordinator by email to
nyradiojobs@abc.com, by fax to 212-613-8956
or by mail to: Linda Wnek, Diversity Recruitment
Coordinator, ABC Radio Station Group - WABC,
2 Penn Plaza, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10121.
The ABC Radio Station Group is an EOE. Our pol-
icy is to provide equal opportunity employment,
development and advancement to all current
and potential employees.
SENIOR POLICY ANALYSTIORGANIZER - The
Pratt Institute Center for Community and Envi-
ronmental Development (PICCED) seeks a Senior
Policy Analyst/Organizer to direct the dept's
efforts in the Move-NY initiative. Move-NY is a
coalition of business, labor, environmental ,
community and planning leaders dedicated to
improving the region's highways and moving the
economy forward for smart growth through the
construction of a cross harbor rail freight tunnel
beneath New York harbor. To apply for leadership
of this exciting new initiative for the dep't. Visit
our website at www.pratt.edu/jobs. Pratt Insti-
tute is an equal opportunity employer. Women
and minorities are encouraged to apply.
SITE SUPERVISOR - The Salvation Army
seeks experienced MSW supervisor to manage
community caseworkers. Qualifications: NYS
Driver's License, car and computer skills. He or
she will have relevant work experience in
social work, case management, and some
knowledge of client case tracking systems. No
phone calls. Email resumes to
carmen_coll@use.salvationarmy.org
SOCIAL WORKERlCSW - Innovative farm-
based Residential Treatment Center for chil-
dren seeks experienced clinician with knowl-
edge of child welfare system and/or case man-
agement. SW functions as primal)' therapist &
works on interdisciplinal)' team to coordinate
treatment services for child & family. CSW &
excellent organizational, written, & verbal
skills required. Fax resume & cover letter to
Social Services Dept. at 845-279- 6726 or mail
at Green Chimneys, 400 Doansburg Rd, Brew-
ster, NY 10509. EOE
CITY LIMITS
SOCIAL WORKER-BILINGUAL - JOB SUMMA-
RY: Individual and group work with children
and families. Ability to work in a community
based setting. MAJOR DUTIES: Perform case
management duties for children and families.
Provide crisis intervention as necessary. Gen-
erate U.C.R.'s related to caseload and appro-
priate statistical reporting as needed. Imple-
ment groups and activities for young people
and families at the Red Hook Community Cen-
ter. Assist in developing and leading special
events and summer programs at the Red Hook
Community Center. QUALIFICATIONS: Bilingual
English! Spanish is required. MSW or BAlBSW
with one-year experience required. Must have
excellent verbal and written communication
skills. Must be able to travel and participate in
activities with children. Must have a commit-
ment to work from a strength based and/or
youth development perspective. GENERAL
REQUIREMENTS: All staff are expected to be
committed to the mission, vision and values of
Good Shepherd Services, which includes
involvement in quality improvement activities
and a willingness to work within a culturally
diverse environment. Interested and qualified
parties should forward their resume to:
Annette Raddock, Good Shepherd Services,
173 Conover Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 or Fax:
718-422-1925 or Email:
hr@goodshepherds.org. Good Shepherd Ser-
vices is an Equal Opportunity Employer and
complies with the requirements of the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act. We encourage all
qualified individuals to apply.
STAFF ATTORNEY - Small non-profit seeks
attorney, member of bar. DHS Contract to save
families on public assistance from eviction.
Highly organized, self-starter. Interface with
bureaucracies. Spanish 8+. Women encour-
aged to apply. Salary: mid-30's. Fax resume
and letter on interest to Karen 212-888-7140.
STAFF ATTORNEY, PUBLIC BENEFITS - Urban
Justice Center's Homelessness Outreach and
Prevention Project seeks an attorney with three
to five years experience to represent welfare
recipients and low-wage workers on a full
range of public benefits issues. Strong written,
verbal, individual advocacy and affirmative lit-
igation skills are strongly desired. Admission to
the New York State Bar is mandatory. Spanish
language proficiency is very helpful. Submit
cover letter detailing public interest experi-
encelinterest, resume, brief writing sample,
and references ASAP to HOPP Attorney Search,
666 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10012.
Salary commensurate with field; generous
vacation, full medical/dental benefits.
SUMMER INTERN - To oversee the New York
Foundation's grants to community organizing
groups for summer internships. Responsibili-
ties: administering the summer grants pro-
gram, conducting site visits, writing weekly
progress reports and a final report, and coordi-
nating an orientation and grantee evaluation
session. Requirements: young (l8-24), interest
in working in inner city neighborhoods, excel-
lent writing and communication skills, ability
APRIL 2004
to work independently, willingness to travel to
neighborhoods in all boroughs.
Knowledge/experience of community organiz-
ing a plus. Full-time employment from mid-
June to late August 2004. Stipend $4,500.
Send resume and letter ASAP to Melissa Hall ,
New York Foundation, 350 Fifth Avenue, Room
2901, NY, NY 10118. No phone calls or faxes
SUPERVISOR (BROOKLYN) - FEGS is one of
the largest not-for- profit health and human
service organizations in the country with an
operating budget in excess of $170 million,
3500+ staff, 12 subsidiary corporations and a
diverse service delivery network including
operations in over 250 locations throughout
the metropolitan New York area. Our Develop-
mental Disabilities division is seeking profes-
sionals to fill our Day Habilitation Programs.
We seek bright, ambitious, and flexible appli-
cants with knowledge of OMRDD and Medicaid
regulations forthe position of Supervisor locat-
ed in Brooklyn. Oversee daily operation of site,
supervise & train staff, monitor on site day &
clinical services, establish community rela-
tionships, monitor fiscal status. NYS driver's
license required. BA and 4 years experience,
including I-year supervisory experience. FEGS
offer a competitive salary and benefits pack-
age. Send resume to our HR Consultants: HR
Dynamics, Inc., Dept. DD-Day/SS. 161 William,
Street, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10038 or
fax 212- 366-8555 Attn: DD-Day or e-mail
sgsmalls@hr-dynamics.com. EOE, MlFIDIV.
SUPERVISOR CHILD WELFARE PREVENTIVE
SERVICES - Challenging opportunity for
MSW and/or CSW to supervise preventive ser-
vice team in child welfare agency. Additional
Qualifications: Minimum 2 years supervisory
experience in child welfare, bi-lingual Eng-
lish/Spanish preferred. Family casework expe-
riences a plus. Full-time positions in Manhat-
tan and Queens. Salary commensurate with
experience. Submit resume to Administration,
Lower East Side Family Union, 84 Stanton
Street, New York, NY 10002, via email :
rdumont@lesfu.org , via Fax: 212-529-3244
TEMPORARY CASE MANAGER - The Citizens
Advice Bureau (CAB) is a large, multi-service
non-profit organization serving the Bronx for
more than 31 years. The agency provides a
broad range of individual and family services,
including walk-in assistance and counseling,
services to special-needs populations, such as
immigrants, children, adolescents, seniors,
homeless families and singles, individuals
and families affected by HIV/AIDS. CAB pro-
vides excellent benefits and offers opportuni-
ties for advancement. Resumes and cover let-
ters indicating position of interest may be
mailed to 2054 Morris Ave. Bronx, NY 10453, or
faxed as directed. The Positive Living Program
seeks a temporary Case Manager. The position
requires an AA degree and an interest in work-
ing with individuals who are HIV/AIDS infected.
Some experience in the substance abuse field
is preferred. Responsibilities include manag-
ing a caseload of 15 - 20 clients, advocacy,
counseling, and service plan development.
Please fax resume to M. Cortes at 718-716-
1065 or email her at mcortes@cabny.org. CAB
is an equal opportunity /affirmative action
employer
TENANT SERVICES ASSISTANT - Common
Ground Community, an internationally recog-
nized supportive housing and community
development organization, seeks a Tenant Ser-
vices Assistant for its Prince George residence.
The Assistant will help the Tenant Services
Coordinator with the daily operations of the
department through developing programs,
facilitating communication, collaborating with
other agency departments as well as social
services, and interacting with the community
at large. S\he will assist to develop and imple-
ment programs and activities for Prince
George residents; work closely with the social
services provider; organize tenant participa-
tion in building activities; track and report on
programming events and other activities;
serve as a contact to assist tenants in direct-
ing concerns and questions appropriately; and
function as a communication link between
tenants and other Common Ground staff and
social services on a wide range of topics,
including the production of a building newslet-
ter and the development of a literary maga-
zine; outside volunteer groups to
work at The Prince George. The Assistant will
also help to coordinate the Community Sup-
ported Agriculture Program and the Vegetable
of the Month Program as well as solicit dona-
tions of goods as necessary. Some lifting
required. Flexibility and availability to work
some evenings and occasional weekends is
also required. Minimum baccalaureate degree
from an accredited college and two (2) years of
satisfactory full-time work experience, or
equivalent education and/or comparable work
experience. Superior interpersonal and organi-
zational skills and the ability to work with
diverse populations, including those with spe-
cial needs. Proficiency with Microsoft Win-
dows, particularly Word and Excel. Cover letter
with salary requirements and
resume to CGCIHR, Attn: RG, 505 Eighth
Avenue, New York, New York
10018. Facsimile 212-389-9313.E-mail :
resumes@commonground.org.
TUTOR (AFTER SCHOOL) - Licensed teacher
needed to tutor 9-15 year olds two afternoons
per week for 10 week session in Yonkers. Will
assess students, create individualized plans.
4-6 hrs/week plus prep time. $30/hr. Contact:
Monica Rickenberg, 914-963-6500 ext.252 /
fax resume 914-963-4566
VARIOUS - SEIU Local 32BJ, a 70,000-mem-
ber progressive building service union in the
tri-state area is hiring Lead and support posi-
tions for Organizers (worker, political/commu-
nity), Researchers, Campaign Communicators.
Qualifications include: commitment to social
justice, ability to provide leadership/motivate
diverse staff and workforce, abil ity to think
strategically and work independently, willing-
ness to work long/irregular hours. Fluency in
Spanish or Creole a plus. Women and people of
FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE JOB PoSTlNGS, GO TO WWW.CITYLlMITS.oRG
JOB ADS
color strongly encouraged to apply. Send cover
letter/resume to Pedro Fuentes, SEIU Local
32BJ, 101 Avenue of the Americas, NYC,
10013. Fax: 212-388-3777; email:
pfuentes@seiu32bj .org.
WABC-AM / ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES (RADIO
ADVERTISING SALES) - Please indicate in
cover letter where you learned of the job oppor-
tunity and which station/position you are
applying for. No Phone Calls, Please. Applica-
tion deadline ASAP. nWABC-AM is New York
City's premiere News-Talk Radio Station. The
station is seeking aggressive Account Execu-
tives for its radio advertising sales depart-
ment. Candidates should have two to five
years' sales experience with a proven track
record of direct-to-client contact. Advertising
sales experience in a mid- to major radio /
television market preferred. Candidates should
possess excellent oral/written presentation
skills, creative problem solving skills and a
strong desire to succeed. Heavy emphasis on
developing new direct business clients. Col-
lege degree preferred. Solid computer skills,
including a working knowledge of Word, Pow-
erPoint and Excel helpful. Interested appli-
cants can send cover letter and resume to
Linda Wnek, Diversity Recruitment Coordina-
tor. Submit via email tonyradiojobs@abc.com.
fax to 212-613-8956 or mail to: Linda Wnek,
Diversity Recruitment Coordinator, ABC Radio
Station Group, 2 Penn Plaza, 17th Floor, New
York, NY 1012l.The ABC Radio Station Group is
an EOE. Our policy is to provide equal opportu-
nity employment, development and advance-
ment to all current and potential employees.
YOUTH POWER PROJECT CO-COORDlNATDR
- Position requires ability to: work with youth
ages 8-21; implement arts, community action,
and academic support programs; fundraise;
administer and oversee project activities;
engage in social justice work with youth. Fax
resume and cover letter to 718-418-9635,
attn: Oona.
ADVERTISE IN
CITY
LIMITS!
Reach 20,000
nonprofit
readers!
Contact Associate Publisher
Susan Harris at
212-479-3345
49
ILL U S T RAT. E .D. ME M 0 S
omcEOFTIlli OTYVISIONARY:
: '.
When ugly, big box
superstores put too many
mom .. and-pop shops out of
business, the local character
of the community shouldn't
1 have to change - not on the
surface, at least.
MEGAMART
ENTRANCE

so
GOT AN IMPRACTICAL SOLUTION
TO AN INTRACTABLE PROBLEM?
SEND IN [Mj TODAY!
OFFICE OF THE CIT'{ VISIONARY
CITY LIMITS MAGAZINE
120 WALL ST., 20
Tll
FLOOR.NY NY 10005
. ootcv@ citylimits.
CITY UMITS
APRIL 2004
DEADLINE: APRIL 30, 2004
AT M&T BANK,
WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE.
We are now accepting applications for our
Banking Partnership for
Community Development (BPCD) grant program.
We believe that the continued success ofM&T
Bank is directly tied to the neighborhoods that we
serve. So, we are renewing our commitment to
Community Development Corporations (CDCs)
that are committed to making our neighborhoods
better places to live and conduct business.
M&T Bank's Banking Partnership for
Community Development (BPCD) will support
the neighborhood revitalization efforts of CDCs
in the following metropolitan New York City
counties: Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn) Queens, New
York (Manhattan) Nassau and Suffolk counties.
BPCD will provide operating and programmatic
support to help CDCs strengthen their organiza-
tional capacity and institutionalize their economic
role in their communities. BPCD will award
grants of $5,000 - $20,000 to selected CDCs.
Grants will be awarded for a one year term only.
CDCs will be competitively selected for
participation. Proposals will be evaluated based
on their conformance with BPCD program
objectives, the ability of the applicant
organization to meet the criteria outlined in the
RFP and the quality of the proposed work plan.
To obtain an application or for further
information, please send an e-mail
to:nmuhammad@mandtbank.com or visit one
of M&T Bank's retail branches.
All proposals must be received by 4 pm on
April 30, 2004.
Community is our best investment!
M&T Bank! NYC Division Banking Partnership for Community Development Grant Program
350 Park A venue, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10022
212-350-2523
51
Get real appreciation on your investment.
citibank.com
Communi.ty Development
Real Estate Fi.nanci.ng
Sometimes, return on an
investment doesn't have
to be measured in
dollars and cents.
Because, frankly, there's
more behind developing
a community than
simply profits.
At Citibank, we have tools
like competitive rates,
flexible terms and
plenty of expertise to
help you finance your
development in a way that
works for you.
How do you gauge appreciation?
Now, that's up to you.
For more i.nformati.on,
can Kathleen Pari.si.
at 718-248-4766.
embank
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