Botanical Square Revives Long-Dormant Tenants Association, Amplify Need for Fixes

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

For 10 years Rosalina Garcia has been living on the first floor of 2995 Botanical Square in an apartment with “crooked floors.” With help from the executive director at West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center, Joshua Stephenson, she is hopeful to see the floors fixed soon. “Now, through the petitions that we put in court with [the help of] Steph, they will eventually have to fix it,” Garcia said. “Steph” is Garcia’s shorthand for Stephenson. He has also helped the residents at 2985-2995 Botanical Square, known collectively as Botanical Square, organize a tenants association to address the concerns at

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

By DAVID CRUZ

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s third edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 28 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story focuses on a bill being championed by Councilman Andrew Cohen and housing advocacy groups that expands Right to Counsel. The act–which provides free legal counsel to those facing eviction–covers those considered extreme low income. New legislation looks to expand the income eligibility standards. Jose A. Giralt breaks it all down for us. Inside the

New West Bronx Housing Executive Director Looks to Build Legacy Started by Predecessor

By DAVID CRUZ

As Sally Dunford was preparing for retirement as executive director of West Bronx Housing, a job she’s held on to for 28 years, there was already someone she had in mind to succeed her. It didn’t require any sifting of resumes or recommendations, but an understanding of who already demonstrated the capability in doing the work. It came from Joshua Stephenson, the former constituent services director for Councilman Andrew Cohen, who had worked with Dunford over the last two years to settle housing grievances for tenants living within Cohen’s 11th Council District. The work was already familiar to him, and

Lt. Govenor Outlines State's Vision for 2020 at Montefiore

By DAVID CRUZ

Days before Governor Andrew Cuomo’s preliminary budget announcement, his second-in-command paid a special visit to Montefiore Health System on Jan. 16, reiterating Cuomo’s State of the State address, which includes the promise of seeing four Metro-North stations built in the East Bronx. Mixing policy with shtick, Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul–introduced by newly appointed President and CEO for Montefiore Health System, Dr. Philip O. Ozuah–broke down a bevy of initiatives spearheaded by Cuomo that have statewide interest. That includes combating domestic violence, ferreting out hate crimes, adding greater protections for gig workers, reducing taxes, reducing the unemployment rate in the Bronx,

Dear Fellow Readers, The year’s second edition of the Norwood News for 2020 is out with plenty of community stories to read and share. We have packed 20 pages full of news from this corner of the Bronx, so let’s start with page one! Our top story looks back at the professional life of Sally Dunford, the West Bronx Housing executive director who retired in early January. Dunford leaves behind a legacy of helping thousands of renters who faced unscrupulous landlords over the years. Read what exactly she wanted to do with her life and her philosophical outlook on empowerment. Inside the

She Helped Thousands With Their Housing Cases, and Now She's Retired

By DAVID CRUZ

“I’ve always wanted to change the world,” says Sally Dunford, sitting inside a cubicle less than seven hours before capping 28 years as executive director of West Bronx Housing. It’s Jan. 7, and for Dunford—wearing a maroon shirt, black pants, and white shoes– it’s retirement day, a moment she never thought would come, capping a lifetime of housing advocacy that’s kept thousands of Bronx residents in their homes while also empowering them to reclaim their quality of life against unscrupulous landlords. Making her indispensable over the years was her encyclopedic know-how of the daunting housing system, which over the years,

State of the State: What Your Bronx State Reps Had to Say

By DAVID CRUZ

Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his tenth State of the State address that received praise and some criticism from the borough’s state legislators covering Norwood. Among Cuomo’s proposals include expanding its tuition-free state college program to families make $150,000 or less, categorizing hate crimes a type of domestic terrorism, and legalizing marijuana, a measure that received intense pushback from critics in the last session. Cuomo also reaffirmed his commitment to revitalizing Hunts Point and seeing the installation of four Metro-North stations to the Bronx. But the Governor stood silent on the issue of bail reform for misdemeanor and nonviolent felonies, where

Tracey Towers Residents Wonder How Their Complex Became Little Ghana

By DAVID CRUZ

Tracey Towers is known for its robust representation of Ghanaian Americans new to the country or second or third generation. And their ample presence—complete with their own tenants association and yearly events highlighting the colorful culture of the West African country—has earned it a cute name among residents: “Little Ghana.” The fun fact has extended beyond the looming towers and to published works, where one book, African & American: West Africans in Post-Civil Rights America, mentions Tracey Towers as being home to “literally hundreds of Ghanaians and became the basis for the development of the most recognizable physical enclave of this

By MARTIKA ORNELLA and DAVID CRUZ

The Bronx witnessed so much transformative change we’d be remiss not to mention how the borough fared this past decade. The paper pored over the last ten years to recap some of the more high-profile stories that have left a lasting impact on the Bronx. Development Within the last 10 years the Bronx has seen an enumerable population growth, coinciding with a historic development boom with lingering questions on housing security and affordability. Between 2010 and 2017, the Bronx became the fastest growing county in New York State, with over 86,000 new residents, bringing the estimated population to around 1.5

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Housing

Botanical Square Revives Long-Dormant Tenants Association, Amplify Need for Fixes

The Push to Expand Right to Counsel, Diaz Jr. to Retire: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

New West Bronx Housing Executive Director Looks to Build Legacy Started by Predecessor

Lt. Governor Outlines State’s Vision for 2020 at Montefiore

Celebrating the Work of a Housing Advocate, Electeds Respond to State of the State: Latest Edition of the Norwood News is Out!

She Helped Thousands With Their Housing Cases, and Now She’s Retired

State of the State: What Your Bronx State Reps Had to Say

Tracey Towers Residents Wonder How Their Complex Became “Little Ghana”

Norwood News Looks Back on The Bronx This Past Decade