Queens BP releases community board demographics report
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.14 COM | JULY 9-JULY 15, 2021
ameliorating the demographic
disparities that
exist on community
board across Queens,”
the report says. “But
the unfortunate fact is
that many of these disparities,
although lessened
this year, continue
to exist. The Richards
administration is dedicated
to ensuring that
community boards are
demographically representative
of their communities
and will continue
to work towards
this goal.”
The report details
how significant demographic
inequalities
existed across Queens
community boards prior
to Richards assuming
office in December
2020, when he worked to
correct that underrepresentation,
beginning
with women.
Of the 110 first-time
appointees, 62.4 percent
are women, a 20.2-point
increase. Of this year’s
first-time appointees,
74.3 percent are 45
years old or younger,
with individuals who
are 35 or younger making
up 43.1 percent of all
new appointees.
Compared to 2020
board membership, the
2021 class has greater
percentages of those
who self-identify as
Latinx/Hispanic (24.8
percent), African American/
Black (24.8 percent),
immigrant (17.4
percent), East Asian/
Pacific Islander (11 percent),
South Asian (14.7
percent) and LGBTQIA+
(8.3 percent).
The revamped process
led to a diverse
pool of more than 700
applicants, including
more than 700 people
who were not existing
members of a community
board. Last year only
252 individuals applied
for membership.
The detailed report
is available in full at
queensbp.org.
Meanwhile, Richards
called the city budget
agreement a step forward
in the borough’s
recovery from the COVID
19 pandemic with
the restoration of muchneeded
resources to support
the 2.4 million residents
of Queens.
“I am especially
proud to see a $44 million
investment in community
based public
safety programs, such
as Cure Violence, of
which I was an early advocate.
When we have
neighborhood-based
solutions, we see a decrease
in gun violence
and gang violence,”
Richards said. “These
programs are historically
underfunded, but
today our city is making
progress in making
the change. The Cure
Violence model is a
model I truly believe in
and one which centers
our communities first
and foremost.”
After watching the
alarming rise of hate
crimes in Queens, Richards
is pleased to see
programs funded that
can help turn the tide.
“This pandemic
also unfortunately
propelled a pandemic
of hate, particularly
against our Jewish,
Asian-American Pacific
Islander (AAPI)
and Muslim communities,”
Richards said.
“As Queens saw a rise
against hate, I called for
these investments and I
am proud of the $4 million
AAPI Community
Support and $1 million
Hate Crime Prevention
Initiatives are included
in this budget.”
Richards noted that
the budget consists
of allocations toward
foreclosure prevention
programs, sanitation
services improvement
and Summer Rising expansion.
“It is also evident
this pandemic highlighted
a series of inequities
in our city,”
Richards said. “From
securing 100 percent of
the Fair Student Funding
allocation to committing
funds to food
pantries, this budget
sends a strong message
to New Yorkers that no
New Yorker should be
left behind. That message
rings true here in
Queens.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at
bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
BY BILL PARRY
When he launched
his “common-sense”
reforms of the 14 community
boards in April,
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards
wanted the panels to
become younger, become
more diverse and
include more women to
better reflect the neighborhoods
they serve.
On Thursday, July 1,
his office released a new
report providing both
an overview of Queens
community board demographics
as of June
2020 and a detailed,
multi-layered breakdown
of this year’s historically
diverse class
of community board appointees.
The report, released
as required by the New
York City Charter,
reads, “Queens Borough
President Donovan
Richards believes
that local government
is strongest when the
voices of all the people
it serves are elevated.”
His office spearheaded
several important
initiatives in
2021 to ensure that the
14 community boards
more closely reflect
the communities they
represent by simplifying
the application process,
reaching out to
underrepresented constituencies
to generate
a record number of applicants,
and employing
new tools to streamline
the collection and analysis
of demographic information.
“This year’s new
community board appointment
class is unprecedentedly
diverse
and represents an important
first step in
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