In this report from a series of focus groups, Queens Community Justice Center in the Rockaways identified several critical issues in the area, including:
Racial and economic barriers in housing, the environment, and healthcare,
Resource imbalances favoring the west Rockaways over the east,
Poor infrastructure for third spaces, arts and healing, and transportation
Before developing programing in Queens Community Justice Center-The Rockaways, the Center first wanted to learn and understand the local issues directly from residents. Towards that end, researchers conducted a series of focus groups with 32 adult residents.
In this report, adults living in the Rockaways, Queens, define safety broadly, and discussed concerns about physical safety, the environment, violence, police relations, flooding, poor infrastructure, and limited access to essential services and resources. The participants also reported geographic disparities: western parts of the peninsula have more resources and stability, while eastern neighborhoods face neglect with fewer resources and services.
Participants defined justice as fairness and accountability, with most saying that they rarely see either reflected in their daily lives. They identify racial and economic inequities in housing, policing, and access to healthcare as persistent forms of injustice.
Adults in the Rockaways want programs that reduce isolation; build skills such as job readiness, and financial literacy; and spaces for healing, arts, and recreation. Participants emphasized the need for programs that operate in multiple safe locations or provide transportation. Participants urged organizations to be consistent, visible, and community-driven—to “try to bring people together” across neighborhoods that too often feel divided.
