Mission & Purpose of the Coalition
The Justice for All Coalition formed in April of 2016 in Astoria / Long Island City to address community needs, including housing and jobs, particularly with the coming rezoning of our neighborhood. As our community continues to face increasing development pressure, we are joining together with other residents, faith communities, labor organizations, and community groups to assure that coming development actually benefits the current residents of Astoria / Long Island City.
Our mission is to inform, educate and organize the community to become united around a shared vision for our neighborhood, and be proactive regarding zoning, development and other quality of life issues impacting our neighborhoods. In the 2.5 years since, we’ve been educating and organizing our neighbors, aiming to build a local movement that can advocate for the needs of our community.
Our Demands and Commitments
On Saturday Oct. 27, 2018, we held a rally for NYCHA and Western Queens. At that rally, we released the following statement outlining our demands:
[gview file=”https://j4ac.us/files/2018/11/Statement.pdf”]
Read more about our plans for our communities.
Our Activities
This coalition has a proactive commitment to provide the facts and necessary information needed to make informed decisions to our community, specifically related to the rezoning process. Research is a major component to achieving this goal. A second and more interactive component are forums, seminars & presentations. We will also develop outreach tools to assure that there are opportunities for residents, especially those often left behind in planning processes, to understand and shape development in our community. This includes developing surveys, door knocking, phone banking, flyering, postcards, social media, and outreach at faith based services and community events. After informing and educating our community, we will mobilize together behind a shared set of principles for just development in Astoria / Long Island City. We will work with our elected officials and city staff to assure that the planning and zoning changes reflect those principles. When necessary, we will voice our concerns both in meetings and publically, to assure that the community needs and desires are reflected. This can include petitions, public demonstrations, marches and other tactics. Presently we are focusing much of our efforts on forming a community plan.
Read more about what JFAC has been up to in the last year:
[gview file=”https://j4ac.us/files/2018/11/newsletter-pdf.pdf”]
Get Involved!
We hold regular community meetings and events – as well as support other groups by attending their events around the city. Check our homepage and follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter for the latest updates!