Bronx officials, nonprofits and community organizations came together Thursday to celebrate new investments in treating the opioid crisis plaguing the South Bronx.
Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson announced $600,000 in funding for a new initiative dubbed “Recovering Together” which will serve the HUB, a commercial corridor on 149th and Third Avenue that is a hot spot of open-air drug use. The grant was funded through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative which provides funding and resources to improve economic centers throughout the state.
The funds will support neighborhood improvements, including enhanced street lighting, the installation of security cameras, and upgrades to building façades. Also as part of the initiative, the Borough President’s office will partner with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to educate people in the HUB and other areas in the Bronx most impacted by the opioid epidemic on the use of Narcan to reverse an overdose.
The borough president met Thursday with members of the Third Avenue BID, Bronx Economic Development Corporation, St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction, Samaritan Daytop Village, and Bronx Community Board 1 – all organizations invested in curbing drug use in the area and finding people as well as resources to address substance use.
“We can’t heal our communities without addressing both the immediate public health needs and the long-term revitalization of the spaces where people live, work, and raise their families,” Gibson said. “Our commitment to revitalizing the Bronx’s commercial corridors is integral to the broader goal of creating a safe, supportive environment where our residents can not only survive but thrive.”
Officials and residents have been calling on the city for years to clean up the area, where people are often seen laying in the street, often from an overdose. Pedro Suarez, Executive Director of the Third Avenue BID, told the Bronx Times Friday that he sees the problem every day and wants it addressed.
“ I think in the HUB, we really need a more dedicated effort here around getting people off the street and getting them back on track with their life goals,” Suarez said.
Business owners in the area told the Bronx Times that while an increased police presence provides temporary relief, drug use consistently resurfaces. Furthermore, despite there being a high concentration of social services—offering everything from clean syringes, Narcan, HIV testing, mental health support, and free meals—merchants, residents, and officials say the problem persists.
They are hopeful that the increased attention to the area and additional funding will translate to a safer, cleaner HUB.
Suarez sees the heartbreaking scene frequently. He told the Bronx Times that it’s important that investments into the opioid crisis in the HUB also go towards addressing the source of the problem.
“ What I would like to see happen [is] people being connected to stable housing that are being connected to employment opportunities, training opportunities,” Suarez said. “You know things that really give people hope.”
Suarez said that if the investments are going to be effective, there must be transparency about how funds are being used, and the investment’s impact must be looked at with a critical eye.
“ We really need to take a look at evaluating a lot of these programs,” Suarez said. “Just being really honest and open about what’s working and what’s not working.”
