Nadler, Maloney, Velázquez Announces Funding Increase To Fight Hate Crimes
U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-West Side, Brooklyn), Carolyn Maloney (D-East Side, Queens Brooklyn) and Nydia Velázquez (D-Lower Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn) were part of the New York City area Congressional delegation that announced yesterday that Congress increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to $90 million, a 50 percent increase from previous funding levels.
The grants provide critical support help improve security and safety at such vulnerable, high-risk institutions throughout New York including synagogues, mosques, churches, and community centers which have increasingly been targets of terrorism. Additionally, the Representatives will be coordinating efforts to assist those in the community and will host grant workshops throughout New York City in the coming months to help high-risk nonprofit institutions learn about the program and apply for funding.
The announcement came following a rise in anti-Semitism and attacks on worshippers throughout the country and in the New York City region.“We have all been horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks over the past few weeks and the rising trend of terrorist attacks on houses of worship,” the Congressmembers said in a joint statement. “This cannot continue, because everyone should be able to worship and pray in peace. That’s why we fought to increase critical funding for the Nonprofit Grant Security Program by 50 percent to help protect and secure these institutions. Additionally, in the coming months our offices will be working with organizations throughout New York City and the entire metropolitan area to ensure those in the community have all the federal grant funding, resources and tools they need at their fingertips. Because we all must work together to not only educate and eradicate hate, but to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to ensure safety and security in our communities.”
Rosenthal Gets Her Call Center Jobs Act Legislation Enacted
Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal (D-UWS, Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen) yesterday saw Gov. Andrew Cuomo sign her legislation (S.1826C/A.567C), the New York Call Center Jobs Act to protect call center jobs in New York.
The new law establishes rules within the Department of Labor to publicly track all call centers that move New York jobs to another country; imposes severe penalties against companies that fail to timely report such information; forces employers that received benefits for call centers from the State that move jobs from New York to another country to repay the value of any grant or guaranteed loans they have received for the call center in the past five years; and prohibit companies from receiving future state benefits for five years. State agencies would be required to make best efforts to ensure call center and customer service contracts are performed in New York.
The Department of Labor will compile an annual list of all center employers that relocate a call center to a foreign country or reduce their call center employment by at least 30%. That list will be available to the public through the Department’s website.
“With the Governor’s signature on my bill, corporations now know that there will be consequences if they decide to ship good-paying New York jobs call center out of state. For far too long, companies have padded their bottom lines at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers when their employers ship their jobs out of the state and increasingly, out of the country, to exploit lax worker protection and pay rules. With this important legislation, New York protect the hardworking women and men employed in call centers statewide,” said Rosenthal.
HUD Awards Nearly $80 Million To Help Families Reach Self-Sufficiency
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson earlier this week awarded more than $79 million to nearly 700 public housing authorities across the country.
These funds will help residents of public housing and voucher-assisted housing increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on public assistance and rental subsidies.The New York City funding includes $5.13 million including $1.5 million to the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and $216,000 to the New York City HOusing Authority (NYCHA).
Funded through HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program(FSS), these grants enable public housing agencies (PHAs) to collaborate with social service agencies, community colleges, businesses, and other local partners to help participants further their education, gain marketable skills, and otherwise increase their income potential through new employment or by advancing in their current workplace.
“Helping people find jobs that will put them on the path to self-sufficiency is at the core of HUD’s mission,” said Carson. “HUD is committed to working with our local partners to connect families with the opportunities and support they need to succeed at every level.”
HUD’s FSS Program funding helps local public housing authorities to hire Service Coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with existing programs and services in the local community. These Service Coordinators build relationships with networks of local service providers, who provide direct assistance to FSS participants.
The broad spectrum of services made possible through FSS enables participating families to find jobs, increase earned income, reduce or eliminate the need for rental and/or welfare assistance, and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
