Representative Adriano Espaillat Delivers $11.5 Million for NY-13

Statement

This past week in Washington, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) helped pass $11.5 million in Community Project Funding that he previously fought to secure for New York's 13th Congressional District. This funding, included in the appropriations government funding package, responds directly to some of the most pressing needs in Washington Heights, Inwood, Harlem, East Harlem, and The Bronx.

"I am incredibly pleased to vote for $11.5 million in Community Project Funding in this bill that I know will have a profound impact on New York's 13th district," said Rep. Espaillat. "These investments support underserved areas and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of many throughout our community. I am proud to have fought for funding that will make our community healthier, safer, stronger, and even more resilient.

"The projects I secured funding for will reduce hunger, tackle health inequities, maintain habitable buildings, expand broadband access, and train a new generation of technology and infrastructure workers throughout the district. The impact this funding will have cannot be understated. The return of community-project funding is a critical exercise of Congress's constitutional power of the purse to ensure that all of our districts and communities benefit from investments that are transparent, ethical, and accountable," Espaillat concluded.

The community projects Rep. Espaillat secured funding for are:

* $400,000 for ARC Community Kitchen that will be used to build a new kitchen for the ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center, which is being relocated to 516 West 181 Street, New York, NY 10033. For the past 48 years ARC has provided home-cooked meals from our community kitchen for older adults 60+.

* $650,000 for the Bronx Digital Equity Coalition that would will establish and build the capacity of The Bronx Digital Equity Coalition (BDEC), a community-led and owned model to build broadband infrastructure.

* $250,000 for the Bronx Recovery Corps at Lehman College will support 25 students with part-time wages for the next academic year as they support the economic recovery and revitalization in the Bronx due to COVID-19, a BRC coordinator to administer the program to 50 students, ongoing workshops, virtual programming and additional summer internships.

* $1,500,000 for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Infrastructure Workforce Training that will train for construction and operations across multiple infrastructures -- transport, energy, communications, water and wastewater, food, health in built environments -- with emphasis on digital skills for advanced forms of project management, system supervisory control and operations management. The basic objective of the Center is to train and prepare women and men of underserved communities for meaningful jobs and lifelong careers.

* $740,000 for the CLOTH Food Pantry Reimagined to allow for it to be upgraded, expanded, and re-engineered to better serve our community. The new pantry will be a short-term emergency food-based distribution facility and a long-term center to address the root causes of the food insecurity.

* $750,000 for the Columbia COVID-19 Northern Manhattan Community Mental Wellness Corps to increase access to timely, effective, culturally relevant mental health care among community members that will address this mental health disparities crisis in Northern Manhattan and parts of the Bronx by building capacity and increasing community employment opportunities, either directly or through addressing the community mental health needs.

* $1,100,000 for Mission Society: Level Up that would serve as a key component of New York City's effort to reduce the high school drop-out rate, and prepare students for post-secondary education and the workforce. This is especially true for English Language Learners, who already struggle with additional educational obstacles as they adapt to life in a new country and negotiate new cultural and social environments.

* $3,350,000 for Montefiore School Health Program (MSHP): Telehealth Connected Care Hubs that helps fund Telehealth Connected Care (TCC), a transformative program that addresses the future of health care delivery as well as the COVID-19-disrupted health process by increasing access to health care for patients and their families in the most affected, high-need areas of the Bronx, New York.

* $1,739,440 for NYUL Building Renovation that would help fully renovate this 110-year-old building including the restoration of the façade, replacement of the roof, upgrading the HVAC and electrical systems. The resulting space will feature programmatic spaces, meeting rooms, and training rooms and a Small Business Development Center which will incubate new businesses and foster new jobs in emerging industries.

* $1,000,000 for Weisberg Commons renovation at Yeshiva University that will provide critical structural upgrades to the space and modernize audiovisual equipment utilized in both academic and public-facing events, extending the useful life of the space and providing an improved experience for visitors.

The twelve-bill government funding package will help middle class families with the cost of living, create American jobs, supports the vulnerable, and works to help small businesses and restaurants that are key to our economic future. Taken together, the funding for New York's 13th district and the funding increases for critical government programs will reverse decades of disinvestment in our communities and strengthen our nation.

The historic omnibus appropriations agreement for FY2022 passed in the Senate on Friday and will soon be signed into law by President Biden. A detailed summary of the bill is available here.

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