FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com november 19, 2015 • The Queens Courier 3 THE COURIER/Photo by Marcin Zurawicz Queens residents gathered at Jackson Heights’ Diversity Plaza to honor the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks. Jackson Heights vigil honors victims of Paris terrorist attacks BY ANGELA MATUA leaders and politicians, in an ethnically diverse [email protected]/@AngelaMatua neighborhood that is home to a large Latino population Queens residents gathered at Diversity Plaza in and Asian enclave, with residents hailing from Jackson Heights on Nov. 15 for a candlelight vigil India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks carried Assemblyman Francisco Moya attended the vigil out in Paris on Nov. 13. and condemned what he called “mindless brutality.” The series of attacks killed at least 132 people “The senseless violence that was perpetrated against and injured more than 300, according to published the people of Paris is a tragedy for all,” Moya said in reports. The terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and a statement. “It was a shot to the heart of free society. Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attacks In holding a vigil in Diversity Plaza, in Jackson Saturday morning and most of the killings occurred Heights—one of the most ethnically diverse places on at a concert hall where the American band Eagles of the planet — we are choosing to show the world that Death Metal were playing a show. we won’t let violence stop us from being who we are The vigil was attended by residents, religious and that tolerance must succeed over hate.” Muslim leaders such as Fahad Hussain of the Muslim advocacy group al Muneer Foundation and Imam Ismail from the Islamic Center of Jackson Heights were also present. Ismail led a prayer in Arabic. State Senator Jose Peralta made a distinction between the terrorists who carried out the attacks and the 2.2 billion people who practice Islam. “Enough is enough. We stand in solidarity with the French people. We know all too well what it means to be targeted by terrorists’ barbaric attacks,” Peralta said. “My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these horrific acts. This has absolutely nothing to do with a peaceful religion like Islam. This is all about acts by cowards and fanatics.” Queens residents overburdened by high rents: report BY RO BER T POZARYCKI [email protected]/@robbpoz Saying “the rent is too damn high” isn’t a laughing matter for many Queens families, according to a report from the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC). One in four tenant households in the “World’s Borough” are classified as “low-income severely burdened” renters, meaning that they’re paying more than 50 percent of their already paltry income toward housing, as noted in 2014 data gathered and analyzed by the CBC. It was the highest rate of low-income severely burdened renters in the entire city. Nowhere is this more evident in the report than in Council District 7, which includes much of Flushing and surrounding neighborhoods. More than 18,300 households were classified as low-income severely rent burdened, accounting for 38 percent of the total rental units in the district. Community Districts 8 (Jamaica) and 9 (Woodhaven/Richmond Hill/Ozone Park) were tied with the next highest percentage of lowincome severely rent burdened apartments at 30 percent each. More than 11,900 households were low-income severely rent burdened in Council District 1 (Astoria), but that number accounted for 19 percent of the total units, making it the second lowest percentage in Queens behind Council District 14 (the Rockaways). Another 23 percent of rental households in Queens were classified in the CBC report as burdened tenants, paying 30 percent or more of their income toward their rent. Citywide, the report determined that the high rent burdens faced by low-income tenants was “in large part an income problem.” Single residents, single parents, multi-adult households and seniors make up a large number of the severely burdened, as noted in the report. A City Data report found that the median income for Queens residents in 2013 was $56,599, but the same report noted that some 409,000 Queens residents made below $60,000 annually. The commission advised that the city pay particular attention “to single seniors and single parents in targeting programs to address affordability.” Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposed affordable housing program, announced this past summer, would require developers to allocate up to 30 percent of residential units created for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. But the plan, which includes “inclusionary zoning” measures to increase housing density in some areas, is opposed by 12 of Queens’ 14 community boards.
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