NYC Community health organizations seek inclusion in post-COVID recovery plans for the city

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

After more than a year after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City began its path to recovery, but along the way, community organizations committed to assisting vulnerable areas with health concerns spoke out. that they are being excluded from the State's and City's initiatives in order for the Big Apple to get back on wheels.

This was condemned on Monday by leaders, politicians, and activists who gathered in the middle of a protest that began in the Office of the State Department of Health and proceeded to the headquarters of the Mayor's Office and the Municipal Council to demand funds from New York's recovery program, understanding the powerful impact they have on their communities.

Representatives of organizations agreed in their protest that the City and the State appear to be unaware of the existence of these groups, which are capable of forming an effective health body in the fight against COVID and other ills that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, such as diabetes, asthma, obesity, and hypertension.

Protesters under the ‘Communities Driving Recovery (CDR)’ coalition warned that a portion of the $ 4.3 billion in federal funding received by the State for post-COVID recovery and $ 12 billion by the City should be invested in grassroots organizations that have worked for public health in low-income communities across the five boroughs.

The main complaint is that massive "recovery" funds are being directed to outside agencies that have nothing to do with the COVID-affected neighborhoods and that the City and State are forming an "academic Public Health Corps," despite the fact that underserved communities already have groups like this.

"We witnessed the extremely critical role community groups played when the pandemic reached them, working with neighbors on testing and vaccines," said Chris Norwood, director of Health People in the Bronx. “It's overkill to take them away from these new public health businesses and other outside contractors and claim they'll assist with the recovery. Meanwhile, they have utterly disregarded these communities' calls for help.”

The City and the State, according to Anthony Feliciano, Director of the Public Health System Commission, try to disregard groups who have been working in the neighborhoods for years, dismissing the impact they may have on recovery efforts.

"Why are they reinventing the wheel when there have been so many groups on the ground saving lives and sending vulnerable communities to appropriate testing and immunization throughout the pandemic?" According to the activist.

“We need the Mayor and Governor to aid more and place leadership in the recovery, not in private businesses, but in our groups, who know the issues and needs firsthand and can plan the recovery far better in terms of finances and dollars. It is inconceivable to do it behind the community's back”.

The government is the one who has done the least.

Although the City and the State must do more to finance programs with community organizations in the battle against COVID and other ills that afflict vulnerable populations, Mark Levine, president of the City Council's Health Committee, guaranteed that the State has done the least.

Here are the COVID Recovery fund figures by NYDiary:

• $12.7 billion dollars are received by the State in COVID Relief Funds from the federal government.
• $4.3 billion receives the City in recovery funds.
• $600 million approved Albany for the City of NYC.
• 150 organizations and more cry out for investment.

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