Bronx borough president Gibson unveils initiatives in education, health, others

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson has announced new initiatives to accelerate progress in the education, health, public safety and tourism sectors.

This was made known in a recent address made to borough residents. The address, which she confirmed as the “very first State of the Borough address” was, according to the president, “one for the books.”

The statement of the address reads in part: “We announced new initiatives in education, health, public safety, tourism, and other areas designed to move the borough forward in a new direction in 2023.

“From turning the Bronx into a global destination for tourism to increasing transportation options in the East Bronx through the Penn Station Access Project to protecting and restoring our environment through the One Million More Trees Initiative and plans to cap the Cross Bronx Expressway, I am delighted to share that the Bronx is poised to become a “Borough of Opportunities,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

In addition, the president is prioritizing economic development, essential Health and wellness initiatives.

The Borough President is working to reinstate the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which will help bring economic opportunities to underserved and underbanked areas in the Bronx.

The nearly finalized U.S. Small Business Administration’s Community Advantage Loan Program will allow the Bronx Business Initiative Corporation of New York to approve loans from $25,000 to $350,000 for small businesses to receive access to capital.

In New York City, Black women are 9.2 times more likely than white women to die from maternal complications. To address this issue in the Bronx, the Borough President will soon release a borough-wide birthing center report with a focus on expanding access to doula and midwifery services for women of color and establishing a Culturally Competent Care Model to support Bronx mothers.

The Office of the Bronx Borough President is building a coalition of stakeholders and experts to establish a borough-wide Diabetes Task Force to address the high rates of diabetes in the Bronx. The task force will include Chris Norwood from Health People and C. Virginia Fields of the National Black Leadership Commission on Health (Black Health), hospitals, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), food policy activists, CBOs, FBOs, and health educators.

After a $14.5 million allocation in the FY`23 budget for technology upgrades and capital upgrades for Bronx schools, Borough President Gibson announced her support for the Link NYC kiosks and the need for greater public/private partnerships to eliminate digital deserts.

Following the horrific 5-alarm fire at Twin Parks North West, Borough President Gibson collaborated with Council Member Oswald Feliz to create legislation to ensure the safety of tenants and hold landlords accountable.
Intro. 104-A establishes the definition of a “self-closing” door, stating that doors must return to the closed position and latch shut when opened and released.

The Borough President announced a partnership with the American Red Cross to “sound the alarm” on fire safety by coordinating smoke detector installations and fire safety workshops in partnership with the FDNY.

With public safety being a significant priority for many Bronx residents, the Borough President will soon create an Office of Public Safety with a focus on working collaboratively with the NYPD, clergy, violence interrupters, and other pertinent stakeholders to holistically address crime in the borough.

The Office of the Bronx Borough President will continue its partnership with the My Brother`s Keeper initiative and will launch a My Sister’s Keeper counterpart focused on empowering and uplifting young girls of color.

For the first time, Bronx residents will get to nominate an educator to be inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame alongside previous inductees with the introduction of the People`s Choice Award.

The president expressed gratitude to the host community. “Thank you to our partners at Manhattan College for hosting us for this event and thank you to all of you for your support during this Bronx renaissance.”