Stimulus spending helps low-income families weatherize homes in NYC
Isilga Odunsi’s two-story red brick house is meticulously clean, warm and inviting. Ceramic trinkets commemorating her native country, Costa Rica, and framed family photos dominate the china cabinets in the dining room. Odunsi has invested her time and money in making her house a home.
Before her home was retrofitted with weatherproofing materials, many of the rooms were unbearably cold. She opened her home to workers she hired to insulate and weatherize the residence, but they caused more damage than improvements.
“I brought (a) guy in to fix a few things, and he stole a lot of my stuff,” she said with emotion and pointed south. “As a matter of fact, he lives around here. Right over there.”
Odunsi had just about given up hope for insulating her home until she heard about the Weatherization Assistance Program.
President Obama’s stimulus bill allocated $5 billion to the 24-year-old program that has been underutilized over the years. This money has triggered some criticism, but it has also made a positive change for community environmental groups and low-income families in New York City.
Weatherization, or weatherproofing, provided through WAP reduces the energy consumption of homes and buildings. The program provides various energy saving measures, such as air sealing, insulation and general improvements or replacements, specifically to low-income families
The Weatherization Assistance Program was founded in 1976 and has provided subsidized weatherization services to more than 6.4 million low-income households, but more than 27 million homes remain eligible. Funding for the program varies on the budget set by the presidential administrations, said Joseph Barden, executive director of Margert Community Corporation, a community housing organization in south Queens.
In recent years, WAP’s budget ranged from $200 to $250 million per year. Obama recognized the importance of helping people overcome income disparities in the move toward energy affordability and poured money into the program.
“Sometimes people have to make choices between paying the heating bill and eating,” said Olga Souto, the director of low-income program services at the Community Environmental Center (CEC) in Queens.
By weatherproofing homes to make them more efficient, people can save hundreds of dollars per month — money that can go toward increasing quality of life. Weatherization helps families afford both.
“Once we insulate a home…you can see a difference (in your heating bill) right away, whether it’s winter or summer,” Souto said. “You’re going to see savings right away, not in two, three years down the line.”
Complications and delays with the weatherization activities have been met with criticism from many news organizations. The newly funded weatherization program has not accomplished much since its goal to weatherize 593,000 homes around the country was established last year. According to the Government Accountability Office, only 5 percent of the homes had received WAP services as of Dec. 31, 2009.
Barden, however, disagreed with the negative assessments.
“Stimulus money is going to allows us to get through all the backlog (of homes) that have bene awaiting weatherization,” Barden said. “It’s my anticipation that with this level of funding, everybody (in small family units) who requests weatherization will get it.”
Funding for WAP trickles down from the Department of Energy in Washington, D.C., to state and local government agencies, which then provide grants to nonprofit organizations. Families request and apply for weatherization directly through nonprofit organizations.
In New York, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) handles the allocation of money for the state’s weatherization program. New York received the largest percentage of ARRA funds, about $395 million. In New York City alone, there are 13 nonprofits that receive money.
“The need for weatherization (in New York City) has always vastly exceeded the resource,” Barden said.
But, with the added stimulus funds, more families will finally get help. Barden’s organization was granted $5.4 million to complete 775 units by June 2011; over 600 of these units are in multi-family projects. He estimated they would overproduce by 10 to 12 percent.
DHCR also allocated $21 million in stimulus funds to the Community Environmental Center, which services part of Brooklyn and Queens. The Center’s largest project will be to weatherize and retrofit the 5,881 apartments at Spring Creek Towers (Starrett City), a multi-family housing complex in Brooklyn by June 2011.
WAP is also an example of how those who live at or below the poverty line can make a conscious effort to be proactive about environmental sustainability. Subsidized weatherization is available, but families have to be active participants to receive government help.
“(We) can only promote (WAP) so much,” Souto said. “But people actually have to look into the program, and want to be part of it.”
Clients who wish to receive weatherization assistance have to fill out an application with a local service provider. They must prove their income eligibility by providing pay stubs. If they do not provide these documents, they cannot receive weatherization services. In a multi-family building, like apartment complexes in New York City, at least half of the families must submit pay stubs.
One of the greatest challenges in the weatherization assistance process lies in education: teaching low-income families how to access information about energy conservation and efficiency, as well as alerting them to energy savings.
“I think (WAP) is a well-kept secret,” Souto said. “I think eventually it’ll evolve into a program that everybody knows about, provided that we put the word out there as much as possible.”
CEC is working to teach its local communities about energy conservation through the Weatherization Assistance Program. Souto said CEC has been forced to promote weatherization services even more since they started spending stimulus money.
“We’re weatherizing at least 400 more clients than normally,” Souto said. “Because of (Obama’s) Recovery Act, all this money has been channeled to (help people) quickly.”
Part of CEC’s outreach program works block-by-block to teach members of the community about WAP and its benefits.
Odunsi, 61, heard about WAP by word-of-mouth. The elementary school teacher in Flatbush, Brooklyn had no idea government subsidized weatherization services existed until her daughter, a social worker, told her about the opportunity.
Odusni lives with her 74-year-old husband, Bolaji, who has Alzheimer’s. Since her husband’s mental health deteriorated, she has been the only breadwinner in the household. They relocated to the two-story house 11 years ago because of poor conditions in the apartment building they had previously occupied.
“Part of the reason I moved was because it was very cold at times in the winter, and at times we didn’t have winter,” she said. “And then another thing, the elevators were not working at times. I had to walk down twelve flights, twelve floors.”
Although it costs a lot more to own a home, Odunsi said the benefits are far greater. Renovating the house, however, caused additional problems.
After hiring people who damaged her walls and windows, or stole precious belongings, Odunsi had run out of money. Because of her past experiences with local contractors, she was extremely skeptical when she first heard about WAP’s free services.
“The first thing I did ask was, ‘What are the fine prints? Are there any strings attached? Are you going to have a lien on my house eventually?’ ” she said.
Despite these doubts, Odunsi was more worried about the cold months ahead. “I thought I would have waited for like a year because I was becoming very concerned about waiting through another gruesome winter,” she said. Prior to weatherization, the temperature in her home dropped drastically during the colder months of the year, she said. The bedroom she shares with her elderly husband, for example, used to be like a morgue.
What Odunsi discovered, however, was that the federal weatherization program was the most efficient and professional job she’d ever had in her house. Odunsi applied for WAP during summer 2009 and by October, her home had been weatherproofed. Workers installed weatherstripping to doors, replaced windows and screwed in energy saving light bulbs.
“At the beginning, the (energy bill) really went down close to $100 a month,” she said.
In addition to installing weatherproofing technologies, WAP also assessed and retrofitted Odunsi’s home for potential health hazards — an important component of the program that is often overlooked, Barden said.
“Health and safety is our priority within the Weatherization Assistance Program,” Barden said. “It’s often ignored because there’s not an energy factor to it, (but) we’re saving lives, too, you know.”
During a tour of her home, Odunsi pointed at the smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector mounted in the ceiling of the second floor hallway.
Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased WAP funding assistance from $2,500 to $6,500. Odunsi said it cost about $3000 to weatherize and retrofit her home, and she did not have to pay a single cent.
“I was very, very grateful for such a program,” she said. “Every time I think about the program I smile.”
Low-income families struggling to go green
Anna Lanza and Neal Figueroa outside Andrea's Hair Design in East Harlem, New York.
Local governments across the country, including New York City, are spending millions to promote environmentalism in low-income communities, from recycling to organic eating and energy conservation. But many of those who live in the communities say those programs feel distant and irrelevant to the daily realities of their lives.
“A lot of Spanish people really don’t care,” said Neal Figueroa, 17, of East Harlem. “Around here, it’s like a joke.” Figueroa said he and his friends frequently litter on the streets.
The New York City government is investing money for Green advertisement campaigns, programs and buildings, and more New Yorkers are taking steps to join the trend.
Posters encourage subway commuters to “Switch & Save” and programs like the Manhattan Borough President’s Go Green initiatives are hoping to show that going green is for everyone — even those who think they can’t afford it. However, change has been slow for some families.
Waiting outside Andrea’s Hair Design in East Harlem for her hair appointment, Anna Lanza and her friends, Sandra Martinez and Aramonita Seda, discussed going green. The Puerto Rican women discussed one component of the environmentally friendly movement: organic foods.
“If you going to die, you going to die,” Seda, a 53-year old from Central Halrem, said. “Doesn’t matter if you eat organic.”
This season, the New York City Mayor's office advertises going green with the Switch and Save campaign.
For Lanza, 50, it’s a matter of cost. She said she prefers to shop at corner stores and fruit stands because the food is cheaper.
“I can’t afford organic food,” she said. Lanza lives with her husband and four boys, ages 18, 17, 16 and 14, in East Harlem. Her family spends $1,000 per month on food, on top of paying for rent, utilities, credit cards and car payments. “We’re barely making it.”
But going green is not just about eating organic food, said Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rose Pierre-Louis. It is also about carbon footprinting, which is “the impact of how we’re currently living our lives (and how it affects the environment), whether it’s how we’re eating or about congestion.”
Going green refers to any environmentally friendly activity that conserves energy, reduces pollution and saves money. Reducing trash and saving money through sustainable practices, like reusing and recycling, is especially important in low-income communities.
For Lanza’s family, making the effort to go green by recycling seems like it is a waste of effort and time.
Lanza said she it is difficult to recycle because many buildings in her neighborhood do not reinforce it. According to Pierre-Louis, it is the law for every building in New York City to recycle; but in Lanza’s apartment building, there is no recycling bin.
“I don’t mind going green,” she said. “I understand we have a lot of garbage. But they put it all in (the trash), so what’s the point?”
Lanza and her son, Figueroa, both believe that environmentalism is too expensive for their family to afford. For example, Figueroa mentioned the extra expense buying trash bags for recycling — money that is wasted because the apartment building does not sort out recyclables from trash.
“It’ll all come down to the neighborhood you live in and your income. Nothing’s (going to) change,” Figueroa said. “I don’t (want to) learn about (going green). I don’t believe in all that stuff.”
Lanza agreed. Her husband makes about $40,000 a year, and she works part-time at American Greetings, earning about $18,000 a year. Her rent is $2,089 a month, and Section 8 pays for 30 percent of it. But even with a dual income and subsidized rent, it is difficult to make ends meet.
Additionally, Lanza now faces the extra financial burden of paying for college. Her oldest son, a high school senior, wants to go to a school that costs $45,000 a year.
To help those with income disparities go green, the borough president’s office created initiatives that work to develop agendas and leverage resources specific to each community.
A large part of the problem with living in one of these low-income neighborhoods is that “we get the burdens without any of the amenities,” said Elizabeth Yeampierre, president of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and executive director of UPROSE (United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park).
These burdens include harmful emissions and the health problems that can arise because of them. Sunset Park and Red Hook, for example, are home to a sludge treatment plant, several power plants and waste transfer stations, three highways and truck traffic—all of which contribute to pollution that can cause health problems like asthma, Yeampierre said.
Additionally, Yeampierre cited the lack of amenities, such as gardens or parks. Amenities are a key component to improving the physical well being of residents in low-income neighborhoods.
“When you have a community that’s struggling, the last thing they (want to) do is plant a tree for the sake of making their neighborhood look good,” she said. “Our kids don’t get enough exercise because there aren’t open spaces. For us, open space is really a quality of life issue.”
Go Green East Harlem has worked to help the community deal with its health burdens while providing more amenities. Since the first Go Green initiative was launched in 2007, Borough President Scott Stringer has spent at least $7.6 million to develop parks, playgrounds and an Asthma Center in East Harlem to help residents who suffer from the harmful effects of air pollution.
The Manhattan Borough president’s office has improved access to healthy fruits and vegetables for people at all income levels, she said. “One of the things we’ve done in East Harlem, for example, is start the first ever weekend farmers’ market in East Harlem.”
According to the Manhattan borough president’s office, poor neighborhoods are suffering health risks, such as obesity and diabetes, because of insufficient access to healthy foods.
“East Harlem…has the highest number of fast food restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in New York City,” Pierre-Louis said. “That gets into the issue of ‘food deserts’ meaning that within a close proximity of your home, to be able to access a green market or grocer is a challenge.”
Residents can now purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from vendors with their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, an electronic system that allows card carriers to purchase products through government benefits.
Araceli Bandoja, 29, said she bought food from the farmers’ market at Franklin Plaza and was pleased with the low cost and high quality.
“It’s a little more cheap and more fresh, and they give a lot,” she said. The vegetables and fruits look “different” from those she bought at nearby neighborhood markets, but “in a good way.”
Still, not everyone knows these options are available in their neighborhoods. Lanza said she is not familiar with the Go Green East Harlem initiative and farmers’ market, but expressed an interest in affordable green options.
Yeampierre said there is a strong interest in low-income, ethnic neighborhoods to learn about going green — not because it may seem trendy, but because those communities recognize that they are the ones that suffer the most from environmental burdens.
Environmentalism refers to the consumer aspect of going green, which often comes with high price tags, according to Yeampierre. Products that are advertised as green or sustainable may not be affordable, but a sustainable lifestyle can help people save money—a concept many low-income families are already familiar with.
“Poor people are the most sustainable people there are,” Yeampierre said. “We’re the ones most likely to make food stretch or use our materials in creative ways because we’ve always had to do a lot with a little.” Shopping for old clothes at thrift stores, for example, is a sustainable practice.
This creativity with reusing cheap, available resources translates to environmental consciousness. Going green has to be relevant to their everyday lives and struggles, she said.
“That’s how we get communities to participate and get involved,” Yeampierre said. “All of them care about their children and the health of their elders.”
Not everyone in East Harlem is against the green movement.
“In our building, we are almost the only one family that recycle,” Bandoja said. “We like to live better to get a better future for our kids.”
Bandoja lives in an East Harlem housing project with her husband and two children. She has not heard about the Go Green East Harlem initiative, but her family tries to be green by recycling. She and her husband have taught their children about recycling and energy conservation. Her two sons, Axel and Oswaldo, are also learning about going green at school.
“You have to recycle the newspapers and bottles and any glass,” said 8-year-old Axel. “If we don’t recycle, the earth is not going to be healthy and clean.”
Lee Smith’s Strong Horse: U.S. Policy in the Middle East
Mar. 30, 2010
NEW YORK CITY — Shortcomings in President Obama’s Middle East policies have been met with criticism from politicians and journalists alike.
Writer and journalist Lee Smith is one such critic. He gave a talk on his new book and presented his theory on the Middle East and U.S. policy yesterday.
Lee Smith gives a speech at New York University.
Smith spoke to a small audience of roughly 40 people on Monday afternoon at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. Michael Doran, a visiting professor at Wagner, introduced Smith to the room as a unique authority on the subject.
“Lee Smith has established himself as an exciting, independent voice in Middle Eastern analysis,” Doran said. “(Most analysis) tends to take place behind bipartisan lines, along very well established ideological lines, and Lee Smith has succeeded in doing the impossible: staking out almost a middle ground.”
Smith, who is currently a fellow at the Hudson Institute, a nonpartisan policy research organization, has written articles on Middle Eastern and Islamic affairs for publications such as the Boston Globe, the New Republic, the New York Times, Slate.com, Weekly Standard and Wired. His recently published book, The Strong Horse: Power, Politics and the Clash of Arab Civilizations, was the main topic during Smith’s visit.
Doran presented the book as a combination of “personal odyssey, reportage and strategic analysis” that Lee compiled after his extensive travels to the Middle East post-9/11.
Smith presented his particular paradigm of looking at the Middle East, which he said is a region with conflicts that have evolved as escalating defenses and reactions to past events.
“The issues of this particular part of the world…has to do with the issues in the region itself,” Smith said. “If you look at the Middle East just as a place that reacts to the United States, you might as well be studying just the United States.”
Smith’s expertise with the region stems largely from his time in the Middle East and his understanding of it. His journey to various countries in the Middle East, he said, was the direct result of his own reaction to 9/11.
“It was hard not to take 9/11 personally,” Smith read from his book. “It felt like a direct attack on my family and friends and myself.” As a native New Yorker, the suicide bombings felt like an incredibly personal offense, and he undertook a mission to discover what had led to the attacks.
According to Smith, the leftists and rightists thought it was a clash of civilizations, but in his opinion, 9/11 was not about the United States.
The United States actually plays a secondary role to the Arabs’ internal clash, Smith said. This clash is created through religious rivalry and an intricate system of wars in the region that has only recently spread worldwide.
“We are now incontrovertibly a part of these wars,” he said. “September 11th is the day we woke up to find ourselves in the middle of a clash of Arab civilizations, a war that used American cities as yet another venue for Arabs to fight each other.”
Though Americans may believe that the U.S. involvement with the Middle East started with President George W. Bush’s “War on Terror,” Smith reminded his audience that an American presence in the region existed long before the Bush administration was in power. A second important fact to consider, Smith said, is that Obama’s term in office will not put an end to the problems in the Middle East.
In his speech, Smith also included a large section from his article, “A Middle East Without American Influence?” published on Slate.com the previous week, which criticized the current administration’s treatment of Israel in recent weeks.
Obama’s preoccupation in the Middle East revolves around resolving the conflicts between Israel and Palestine in the West Bank, but Smith disagreed. “The Palestinian issue is not central,” he said.
According to Smith, Obama should redirect his attentions in the region, focusing on Iran instead of resolving tensions in Afghanistan or between Israel and Palestine.
When asked how the current administration should proceed with its policy in the Middle East, Smith was also quick to criticize the president’s visit to Afghanistan on Sunday. Since assuming office over a year ago, Obama has nearly tripled the number of American troops in the war-torn country, but Smith believed this investment is futile.
“I happen to think Afghanistan is a waste of time,” he said. “We’re not going to win Afghanistan, so why are we in Afghanistan? What’s important about Afghanistan?”
He went on to say that the Obama administration has no clear strategy there; and along with the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, Afghanistan distracts the U.S. from actively addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
Smith concluded his talk by entertaining additional questions from the audience. His book, The Strong Horse, was available for purchase after the event.
A N00b’s Guide to Snow Camping and Ice Climbing
Tips and tricks I acquired from my first time snow camping and ice climbing in Lee Vining over Spring Break. These things I learned the hard way.
Rule #1: Don’t ice climb with hiking boots.
Rule #2: If you’re going to be stupid and will try it anyway, wear a helmet.
Rule #3: Bring sunscreen.
Rule #4: USE IT.
Rule #5: Trekking poles are more awesome than you know. They save you from falling, tripping and sliding down snowy mountains for distances greater than 15 feet.
Rule #6: Gaiters are the best invention ever known to snow-loving mankind. In below-freezing temperatures, you can survive wearing nothing but gaiters and hiking boots for an entire 5 minutes!
Rule #7: Wear sunglasses for a dual purpose! Prevent snow blindness and protect your eyes from projectile shards of ice!
Rule #8: Do not make assumptions and judge people based on their uber cool hippy hairdo’s. You are holding them to extremely high standards and they may fall short of them.
Rule #9: Sleep with at least two pairs of socks on, even in a 0 degree sleeping bag. Or else you will think your toes have been frostbitten and will fall off when you next remove the offensively lackluster single pair of socks in the morning.
Rule #10: Do not accidentally kick yourself with your own snowshoes. This will hurt and you will be sad. And possibly bloody.
New Yorkers Respond to Paterson With Mixed Feelings
By Sarah Tung and Holly Gilbert
Additional Reporting by Taj Tsonga
The terms “governor” and “scandal” seem to be increasingly synonymous in the state of New York.
When David A. Paterson stepped in for former Governor Eliot Spitzer, it seemed as though his incumbent term would put an end to gubernatorial scandals; however, Paterson shocked his constituents when he openly admitted to several extramarital affairs after just a week in office.
As more scandals about Paterson emerged, many New Yorkers demanded his resignation. Public opinion, however, remains divided.
According to a poll recently conducted by CBS, 68 percent of people voted that Paterson should tender a resignation. Only 32 percent of people said he should stay in office.
Those who want Paterson out of office cited his questionable actions as a reason for resignation.
“I think he should go,” said Solomon Gbane, a 38-year-old truck driver who moved to the United States from West Africa. “There are too many problems around him. A lot of people are complaining.”
Aaron Weitz, a 52-year-old living on the Upper West Side, said that the recent scandals plague Paterson’s ability to handle a governor’s responsibilities.
“How can we have a state budget in three weeks if we have this going on?” he said.
Ryan Chavez, 47, agreed that the administration has been slowed down by the scandals.
“I think that the governor’s office is paralyzed. They’re too caught up with dealing with PR to deal with government matters,” he said.
New Yorkers who don’t want Paterson to leave his gubernatorial office were hesitant to believe the rumors.
“I don’t know, I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t think he should resign based on the scandals that I’ve heard,” Donna Erlich, 24, said.
Some people believe race could be an additional factor that motivated the demand for Paterson’s resignation.
“I think there is a great deal of racism involved,” Mel London, 86, said. “He hasn’t been proven guilty. Just leave him alone.”
Greg Samuel, 36, does not think Paterson should resign. As a black man from Brooklyn, he recognized that there are very few black politicians in the United States.
“A lot are taking a beating (right now),” he said. “(Black men) set a precedent when Obama took office and we want to keep that spirit alive for (future black politicians).”
Whether New Yorkers believe Paterson should ride out his remaining term as governor or resign, one thing is clear: the issues in New York are not going to fix themselves.
If the current ethics scandal does not affect Paterson’s ability to perform, he should not resign, Samuel said. “If he believes he can still fight for New Yorkers, he should stay. He’s got to get back to work and get back to the issues that we’re facing right now.”
Like a lot of New Yorkers, Darnell Leary, 45, is tired of hearing about their politician’s private matters.
“We got bigger problems than that in the world than wondering what Governor Paterson is doing,” Leary said.
Expectations for Obama’s State of the Union address
Concepcion Picciotto protests the United States government from a tent that faces the White House.
Jan. 27, 2010
Washington, D.C. — For Concepcion Picciotto, Wednesday night will the same as any other night.
Picciotto said she has never watched a presidential State of the Union address since 1981, when she first began protesting outside the White House.
President Barack Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address on Capitol Hill tonight. His speech is the focus of many Americans today.
The annual State of the Union speech marks the end to Obama’s first year in the Presidential Office. Many Americans acknowledge that this has been a difficult year for Obama, but Picciotto said he has not made enough of an effort for change.
Picciotto, an elderly woman who said she has long since “stopped counting” her age, has lived across from the White House for nearly 30 years. She is camped in a make-shift home, a plastic tent at the south end of Lafayette Park, surrounded by hand-painted rocks and printed posters that promote the message of her anti-war and anti-nuclear protests.
Although she is a soft-spoken and congenial woman toward visiting tourists and hungry squirrels, her attitude changed when she talked about President Obama.
Obama had once promised to withdraw American troops from the Middle East, she said. He has not kept his promise.
“(Obama) just follows Bush’s steps,” Picciotto said. “His campaign changed. We are still in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing has been changed.”
Picciotto has no plans to move away from her current location anytime soon.
Justin Calsoncin, a Marine visiting from Texas, said he will watch the president’s speech at a bar with a friend. He gave Obama “an ‘A’ for effort.”
“I give him credit for trying,” the 25-year-old said. “He has too much on his plate in the first year, (but) I give Obama credit for leaning away from the center.”
Calsoncin expected the president to talk about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the economy and the plan for a three-year freeze on a portion of the national budget. Calsoncin said he voted for McCain last year, but he supports the current president.
“I don’t have anything bad to say about him,” he said. “As a dude in uniform, he’s my boss, regardless.”
Diane Thompson, a legal secretary who works in D.C., is an Obama supporter, yet she has some issues she hopes he will address in his speech.
“I want to know why the new Massachusetts senator hasn’t been seated yet,” she said. Thompson also wants Obama to continue working on the economy, healthcare and education.
Considering all he has tried to work on in his first year, she said “he’s done OK,” but she hopes he will allow more government assistance to schools.
The 54-year-old African American is a mother of two. She has observed a positive change in her children’s interest in government and politics since the inauguration of the first black president.
“We debate issues,” Thompson, who is a Democrat, said. “(My kids) have just gotten interested in politics when Obama got into office.”
Thompson especially admires Michelle Obama, who she said is a role model for all mothers.
“I’m interested in what (Michelle) would say in a State of the Union address,” she said.
High HIV risk for transgender women
Click Here to Listen to Deja Edwards’ Audio Clip
Edwards waits to check in for her dermatological procedure at a medical facility in the West Village.
Deja Kelis Edwards checked in for a dermatological procedure at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City, offering only her surname to the receptionist. When finally asked what her first name was, she hesitated before answering, “Clifton.”
The receptionist’s busy hands hovered momentarily over patients’ folders as she looked up at the very feminine Edwards. A surprised expression flashed across her face, but she quickly resumed her search for Edwards’ appointment information.
Edwards, 33, is accustomed to this reaction from people. She is tall and curvy, and pays special attention to her hair and make-up, utilizing her skills as a certified cosmetologist. Her voice, which qualifies as a tenor, has a tinge of Southern attitude. Most people would never guess that she used to be a man, except for the fact that she has not legally changed her name.
Edwards and her transgender friends bond over common issues like this, such as telling potential partners about their “situation,” their sexual orientation and their sexual health status.
Deja Edwards, like many transgender women of color in the United States, is HIV-positive.
It is estimated that 56% of African-American male-to-females tested positive for HIV, according to a review conducted for the HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis Team. This percentage is double the estimated rate of HIV infection in the entire MTF transgender community.
Transgender women are especially at risk of contracting HIV because a greater number of individuals in this group participate in risky behaviors, the review said. Additionally, factors relating to mental health, physical abuse, social isolation, economic difficulties and poor transgender healthcare can increase the risk of HIV.
Edwards recently left her childhood home and moved to New York because of the improved medical care she would receive as a transgender woman living with HIV.
“Houston is supposed to be the medical capital of the United States,” she said. “But far as in the care for women like me … it’s just not really something that people want to focus more on. The care and the attention is just not really there.”
Jae Sevelius, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, and co-principal investigator of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, said transgender women are highly vulnerable and marginalized.
“It comes as no surprise then, given the association of negative health outcomes with stigma and discrimination, that transgender women experience severe health disparities across a number of outcomes, including HIV,” Sevelius said.
Within this particular group, the incidence of HIV is especially predominant in minorities.
“Communities of color are disproportionately represented among people living with HIV as well as new HIV cases and this holds true among transgender women, as well,” she said.
In Edwards’ circle of friends, for example, four out of the five transgender women who have HIV are black or Hispanic.
High rates of unemployment and poverty occur among transgender women of color, which correlates with a lack of standard health care that routinely screens for STDs and other health problems, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, Sevelius said.
Edwards realizes she is fortunate to have Medicaid, which pays for a number of her medical expenses. Although she contracted HIV in 2003, she only started medication for the disease within the last year.
“At the time … I wasn’t in need of medication,” she said. “Now that I got older and have other illnesses I have to deal with, my (T-cell) count went down.”
These other illnesses include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chest pain and depression. In addition to the pills she takes to maintain her physical and mental health, Edwards is on a bi-monthly regimen of hormone injections.
Mental health concerns, like depression or suicidal thoughts, according to the HIV/AIDS Prevention Research Synthesis team, have been linked as a factor that increases HIV risk.
“Depression can result from isolation due to rejection of the transgender person by family and friends, as well as violence and harassment they experience in society,” Sevelius said.
With the help of anti-depressant drug, Wellbutrin, Edwards’ mental state is currently on the “up-and-up,” but it wasn’t always this way.
Edwards said she tried to commit suicide twice in her life. She first tried to end her life in 1996 when she realized she was attracted to men and worried she would disappoint her mom.
Deja Edwards appreciates the right to use the women's restroom in the state of New York, a right that does not extend to all transgender women in Texas, she said.
Edwards was raised by her mother in Belmont, Texas. For most of her childhood, she would play with dolls and girls instead of playing with Mac trucks and boys, she said. When she hit puberty at the age of 11 and developed a womanly figure, friends and family were confused.
“I could hear people saying, ‘Why is your butt so big? Why do you have breasts like that?’ ” she said.
Edwards and her mother never talked about any of the physical changes, and though there were some discussions about sexuality, Edwards knew her mother wouldn’t approve of her sexual orientation. Edwards was right.
“There’s the freedom of you rather not be here than deal with the issue at hand, which is discovering your sexuality or, you know, being shunned by family members or people who don’t understand you,” Edwards said.
When her mother realized why she had attempted to overdose on drugs, she was devastated. Edwards said her mom would not get out of bed for an entire week because “she took it really hard”; she even urinated on herself.
Edwards’ second suicide attempt was triggered by her mother’s death, the end of a six-year relationship and the diagnosis that she was HIV-positive.
Edwards started dating “Slim” in 1997, when she was attending Dolphin Technical Institute, a cosmetology school in Beaumont, Texas. At the beginning of their relationship, Edwards and Slim both tested negative for HIV. A year before they broke up, the test results were the same. During that time, however, Slim cheated on Edwards — and left her for — another transgender woman.
In 2003, Edwards fell ill and decided to get tested again for HIV. She said she was bed-ridden for two weeks with flu-like symptoms: night sweats, stomach pains, diarrhea and vomiting. This time, she tested positive for HIV.
Edwards decided it was time for a change. She moved to Houston, where she tried to cope with being single and alone while raising funds for a move to New York.
“(Slim) was the one who always told me that … I could become something,” Edwards said. “I wanted to prove to him, and to myself, that I could succeed.”
Edwards relied on her spirituality, and her pet cat, Papi, to help her get through difficult times. She also settled on a new name, to symbolize a new beginning.
“ ‘Deja’ was something that I always fancied when I was coming out,” Edwards said. “ ‘Kelis’ came on later after I broke up with my boyfriend, and it was like the new me.”
The “new” Edwards had two goals: to move to New York, and to work toward the final transformation.
After reaching out to Housing Works, a non-profit organization in Brooklyn that helps homeless and low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS, Edwards bought a one-way ticket to New York, where she hoped to become a consultant for makeup and hair in the entertainment industry. Housing Works was her home when she first moved to the East Coast. It is also the medical facility from which she receives her HIV medicine and treatments.
Edwards spoke highly of the non-profit organization — through Housing Works, she has found friends who are like a second family. Edwards is a member of the Housing Works gospel choir. Singing is therapeutic, she said. She has also met other transgender women living with HIV.
Carol McCall, a case manager for the transgender transitional housing program at Housing Works, worked directly with clients who are HIV-positive and transgender, including Edwards. McCall said that with the exception of one female-to-male transgender and two Caucasian MTF transgenders, all of her clients have been transgender women of color.
Housing Works’ transgender transitional housing program provides housing to transgender individuals for up to two years. When Edwards first moved to New York, she stayed at the Housing Works Brooklyn location and interacted directly with McCall.
“When Deja came here, I was very impressed with (her),” she said. “She always said that she came here with a purpose…I think Deja is going to be one of our success stories.”
McCall also spoke highly of Edwards’ personality and talent as a make-up artist. While some transgender women resort to drugs or prostitution to make a living, Edwards has chosen to make an honest living.
Edwards’ ultimate goal is to undergo sex reassignment surgery. She aspires to have the procedure done abroad because it is considered a common procedure in Thailand. At a cost of $45,000, which includes plane fare and rehabilitation, it’s the most expensive surgery offered, but it is also the best quality, Edwards said. She has attempted to save money for the procedure, but with the high living costs in New York City, it’s not easy.
In the meantime, Edwards is also taking a course on “peer education” at Housing Works, where she hopes to become a case manager and a role model.
“My field would be working with transgender women with HIV,” she said. “I think me and we, as a group, transgenders as a whole, need more positive role models, need more people to look up to.”
For some Latinas in the Bronx, pregnancy is not an option
At Rosanna Herrara’s high school in the Bronx, the sex talk came too late for some of girls in her health-education class.
Herrara, 17, a senior at the High School for Excellence, said that the class scared her enough to think, “I don’t want to have sex ever.” In a class of about 20 students, she said there were three pregnant girls.
“There was even a tenth grader at my school who was pregnant,” Herrara said.
Latina teen pregnancy rates and teen birth rates are nearly twice the nation’s average, and the highest of any ethnic group in the country; it is estimated that 53 percent of Latinas in the United States will become pregnant at least once before reaching the age of 20, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Of New York City’s five boroughs, the Bronx has both the highest rate of teen pregnancy and the largest proportion of Hispanics and Latinos, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported. Additionally, Latino adolescent girls have some of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the city.
In the Bronx, the health department reported 11.3 percent of girls 15 to 19 years old became pregnant in 2007, compared to the 8.3 percent in New York City as a whole. Additionally, 11.4 percent of Latino teenage girls in the city became pregnant in 2007.
Girls from across all socioeconomic backgrounds can have sex and become pregnant, said Carole Roye, a professor of nursing science at the City University of New York. But, the decisions they make can be different based upon where they are from.
“A suburban white girl, high school girl, gets pregnant; she has more money; she has access; she has knowledge,” Roye said. “She knows where to go, and she can terminate that pregnancy pretty easily.”
Conversely, teenagers from the Bronx with less access to medical care don’t know where to go for advice or care, she said.
Roye, a registered nurse, also works with female adolescents at a community-based clinic in Washington Heights. A majority of her patients are Hispanic and come from the Bronx to see her, she said.
Roye explained the overall national teen pregnancy rate has decreased because of improvements in long-term contraceptives. Although most adolescent girls know about their prophylactic options, such as the birth control pill, they don’t always use them regularly, if at all.
In her 20 years of experience, Roye has noticed several encouraging trends in relation to teen pregnancy among her Hispanic patients. Overall, the rate has decreased, and there have been changes in parent-child relationship, as well as a more positive outlook for teens.
“I’m seeing more and more of my Hispanic patients tell their mothers that they’re sexually active,” Roye said. These girls no longer have to hide the fact they are sexually active, and their mothers can then remind them to take their pill and practice safe sex.
A dramatic change she also noticed is more of these girls are graduating from high school and pursuing a college degree.
“When a girl is motivated, has plans for her life, she’s less likely to get pregnant. She’s more focused on her future,” Roye said.
Natalie Cruz, 13, an eighth grade student at C.I.S. 166 Roberto Clemente Middle School in the Bronx, said teachers try to teach students about sex and pregnancy prevention.
“They talk about most of the stuff, about sperm and babies,” Natalie said. “I know not to do it at an early age, but some have other experiences. They do what they want.”
Natalie, whose mother had her first child at the age of 15 in Puerto Rico, is not sexually active because she wants to “find the right guy” first. In her neighborhood, the South Bronx, she said, men compete to be that guy.
“Guys talk to me about (sex). They’ll breathe in your face. Some even grab your hand to speak to you. They make promises and say, ‘It won’t be bad,’ ” Natalie said. “Guys here will be 18 and go out with 14-year-olds.”
Despite solicitations from men on MySpace or from neighborhood streets, Natalie remains steadfast in her abstinence. Some of her sexually active peers try to pressure her into having sex, but she responds by spending more free time with her family.
Natalie’s 16-year-old cousin had a baby eight months ago, and Natalie does not want to follow the same path.
“I don’t want to see myself like that. I want to enjoy my teenage life. I mean, I like kids, but I don’t want to deal with them right now,” she said.
The middle-school student wants to attend the High School of Graphic Communication Arts in Manhattan next year, and eventually sees herself at Lehman College.
Jasmine Berez, 17, is also goal-oriented. She lives in the South Bronx with her older sister and is a senior at St. Jean Baptiste High School, a private Catholic school in the Upper East Side.
Sexual education was incorporated into the 10th grade health curriculum at Berez’s school, but not as extensively as she would have liked. Berez said teachers supplemented information by distributing lists of free clinics in the city.
Although her school teaches sex education, she has learned more about pregnancy prevention from family and friends.
“My aunt got pregnant at 15,” Berez said. “She lived with my mom, and my mom kicked her out because she didn’t want to get an abortion. She tells me a lot of stories and tells me to wait until I’m ready,” Berez said.
Two of Berez’s friends from middle school both became pregnant at the age of 16; one kept her baby, and one got an abortion. Seeing her friends deal with the repercussions of teen pregnancy serves as a reminder that she is not ready for sex or a child.
The youngest of four children to Puerto Rican immigrants, the high school senior said her ambitions in life also help her stay abstinent. Berez wants to attend Stony Brook University’s School of Nursing next year. She currently has a paid internship at New York University’s Bellevue Hospital, where she works in pediatrics with kids who have HIV.
“It’s senior year,” Berez said. “I’m not going to lose focus.”
Running for a cause
Early Sunday morning, a few costumed stragglers from the Halloween festivities in the city finally returned home. On the subways and ferries sitting next to them, thousands of runners, donned in their own special uniforms for the New York City Marathon, were en route to Staten Island.
“What’s really funny is watching all these people that are in Halloween costumes that live in Staten Island taking the ferry back with us,” David King, a first-time marathoner said. “Boy, they must feel like fish out of water.”
Thousands of veteran and first-time marathon runners rode the ferry from the Staten Island Station in Manhattan to Staten Island, where shuttle buses took them to the start at Verrazano Bridge.
As the start of the race inched closer, King, a first time marathon runner, tried to relax on the top deck of the ferry.
“For any training run or race, you just wake up and go,” he said. “I’m not used to waiting.”
King had to wake up at 4 a.m. to commute from Astoria to the start line at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island. Underneath the red plaid pajama pants and blue turtleneck, he wore a red shirt that labeled him as an American Cancer Society charity runner.
King raised over $3500 in support of the American Cancer Society and is running for his sister, who has ovarian cancer. The money he raised, along with the funds collected by 230 other charity runners, totaled over $800,000.
King is new at distance running, but he is already hooked. He ran the Brooklyn and New York City half-marathons in May and August earlier this year, raising $800 collectively for ACS.
The 27-year-old first became a charity runner by chance, when a customer at a bar where he works told him he could run the Brooklyn half-marathon and raise $200 for the ACS. A month later, in March of this year, running for ACS became more personal when King learned that his older sister, Susan, 29, had a cancerous “pineapple-sized cyst” on her ovary.
“It was serendipitous that I was already running for the ACS,” King said. “Once everything happened to my sister, I just thought, ‘Oh, got to keep going.’ She’s my sister. I’d do anything for her.”
Even though this is his first marathon, King is not nervous. He went through his pre-race rituals, which included sleeping in his race clothes and eating a bowl of banana nut crunch cereal.
“I am really surprised at how calm I am,” he said. “I’ve got goals set, and I’ve got a (finishing time) in mind. But at the same time, it’s my first marathon and it’s New York City. I’m just planning to enjoy it.”
