Lead

December Notes from NMIC

Hi there,

The end of the year is only a couple of weeks away and in keeping with that spirit we’ve decided to make this year’s last Notes from NMIC celebratory! We’re highlighting you (our incredible supporters) and members of NMIC staff who have been hard at work to make our community stronger and healthier! Too busy to read right now? Check out the highlights below until you can read the full stories.

  • Because of your generous support, we’ve raised $500 in just two weeks, but need to raise $4,500 more by December 31st. Donate now.
  • NMIC and staff attorney Matthew Chachere have been hard at work making sure the injustice of lead poisoning doesn’t remain hidden. We’ve been all over the news!
  • Our Education & Career Services Department works hard to create a learning environment that’s responsive to our clients’ needs. They provide students with free care packages of frequently requested items.

We have $4,500 left to raise by December 31st.

Earlier this month, we set a goal of raising $5,000 for our much-needed services. Thanks to your generosity, we’ve made a dent in that number, but we still have a ways to go. This holiday season, your donations mean everything to our clients who turn to us for support with housing crises, domestic violence, access to healthcare, and career support. Together, we help these resilient individuals on their paths towards self-sufficiency. Can you pledge $25 or more today?

Your contributions support families battling eviction this New Year’s, neighbors working towards their high school equivalency diplomas, and more of the critical work NMIC does. Once you make your donation, increase your impact by encouraging your loved ones to make a donation as well.

NMIC is keeping lead poisoning in the news 

Far too often, our communities bear the brunt of negligence in silence. Thanks to the tireless work of our very own staff attorney, Matthew Chachere, NMIC has kept lead poisoning in the news these past few weeks. He has been busy authoring papers about lead poisoning and providing testimony about the lack of punishment for those who expose tenants to lead. You can read more about it aquí, aquí y aquí.

Today, children and low-income families, in particular, continue to be subjected to lead poisoning and its damaging health effects with relative impunity. For years, Matthew has advocated for (and achieved!) lead reform to protect our families from lead exposure at home and in our schools. While he focuses on helping families in our community, his legislative advocacy benefits low-income children throughout NYC.

Dedicated NMIC staff goes above and beyond

We want to highlight our Education & Career Services Department for going above and beyond in their support of our clients! For our clients, and any student, access to sanitary products can make a real academic difference. So our team puts together these care packages, including items clients often ask for, like hand sanitizer, sanitary napkins, and tampons. It is because of the care and attention our clients receive from our staff that NMIC has become a neighborhood institution.

As if providing free classes and trainings that set community members on their paths towards fulfilling their academic and career goals weren’t enough. Not all superheroes wear capes, some make care packages.

You can support our clients as they strive for better futures for themselves and their families.

Yours in Solidarity,
NMIC

Matthew Chachère Drafts New Law Protecting Tenants with Asthma

The Asthma Free Housing Act,  drafted by NMIC Attorney Matthew Chachère, requires landlords to maintain safe conditions for tenants with asthma.  

On January 19, 2019, the Asthma Free Housing Act went into effect in New York City.  This new law, passed by the City Council in 2012, requires landlords of multiple dwellings to safely remove Indoor Allergen Hazards that can trigger asthma attacks, such as mold, rodents, and roaches. Landlords are also required to implement measures to prevent indoor health hazards, such as leaks and pathways for vermin infestation, using integrated pest management (“IPM”), a practice that relies less on toxic poisons and more on eliminating the conditions that otherwise facilitate vermin problems.   

To ensure compliance with the new law, landlords are also required to initiate inspections once a year to clear their properties of indoor allergen hazards and actively respond to complaints from their tenants.  The law significantly increases the severity of violations for these conditions and the penalties associated with them and enhances the City’s code enforcement responsibilities.  In addition, medical providers can now contact the City to obtain housing inspections for patients with chronic asthma. 

The new law was drafted by NMIC Attorney Matthew Chachère who has been a pioneer in housing law here in NYC for quite some time. In 2003 Chachere was one of the advocates who drafted Local Law 1, a law that requires landlords to be responsible for protecting their tenants’ children from the harmful exposure to lead-based paint.   

The passage of the Asthma Free Housing Act is a step in the right direction for the city and is a great win for an estimated 84,000 children and 10% of Adults in NYC who suffer from asthma.

SOURCES: NYC Health Department, New York City Local Laws, NYC Housing Preservation & Development.  

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