Funding Will Support A New Mother-Baby Unit At NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Workforce Development Programs For NYC Youth & Immigrant New Yorkers, Culturally Competent Assisted Living For South Asian Seniors & More
Today, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $8,887,000 for critical local projects in Queens in the just-passed FY2024 spending bills. The senators personally secured funding for these projects as congressionally directed spending requests.
“I’m proud to deliver these critical investments for our communities in Queens to improve hospital infrastructure, increase access to affordable healthcare services for immigrant communities, assist disadvantaged families with food assistance, and much more,” said Senator Schumer. “From a new Mother-Baby unity, to youth development services for low-income New Yorkers, these funds are supporting projects that will make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers. I won’t stop fighting to deliver the resources needed to better our communities and support the incredible organizations that help them flourish.”
“I am thrilled to bring home nearly $9 million in federal funding to Queens. This critical funding will help invest in maternal care, assisted living facilities for those in most need, community centers like the YMCA, and preservation of the rich history and culture of Queens,” said Senator Gillibrand. “These federal dollars are proof of the federal government at work for the Queens community. I’m proud to have fought to secure this funding, and I’ll continue to work tirelessly to make sure families, workers, and businesses in Queens have what they need to thrive.”
“Here in Queens, we deserve to receive the federal funding we need, and I am proud to continue delivering critical money for our borough,” said U.S. Congresswoman Meng (D-Queens). “I will never stop fighting for Queens and working to bring back resources from Washington that improve services, safety and quality of life for local residents. I look forward to these important projects moving forward and seeing them serve our communities, especially the ones that I secured funding for which include the YMCA and combating flooding.”
A list of funded projects is below:
$2,000,000 for NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Funding will be used to construct a new Mother-Baby unit with private family rooms. This is a continuation of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s initiative to co-locate all Maternal Services on one floor to improve the patient experience and allow family members to spend the night with the Mother and Baby to promote healing and family bonding.
$1,500,000 for India Home, Inc.
Funds will be used for South Asian Cultural Housing and Assisted Living (SACHAL), a first-of-its-kind, culturally competent adult assisted living facility with enriched housing which assists vulnerable low income and/or recently arrived South Asian immigrant seniors who need assistance with one or more daily activities, seniors with chronic medical conditions, mild memory problems, and/or seniors who need assistance with medication management. This assisted living and enriched housing project is tailored to the rapidly growing and diverse South Asian immigrant older adult population in New York and is expected to serve 50 to 60 vulnerable South Asian older adults.
$1,500,000 for Young Men’s Christian Association of Greater New York
Funding will be used for construction at New Flushing YMCA, which will update the community center and make it ADA-accessible for the Flushing Commons community. The new YMCA facility will expand the amount of space available for vital programs such as early childhood education and summer camp. The Y drives economic development, providing jobs and professional development opportunities, and supporting the workforce through childcare programs and job skills development programming.
$1,000,000 for USACE Construction, Section 219 Environmental Infrastructure Project in Queens, NY
Funding will build a c
loudburst stormwater management system in Forest Hills to minimize flooding from heavy rain events. Specifically, the funds will contribute to the capital infrastructure required for the system, including porous concrete parking lanes and porous asphalt bike lanes to three subsurface storage systems. Once complete, the cloudburst management system will help reduce storm damage in local communities, improve water quality, and provide amenities and open spaces for the public. This $1 million in federal funding secured by Senator Schumer and Rep. Grace Meng follows the $119 million authorization they secured in WRDA 2023 for USACE, Section 219 Environmental Infrastructure projects in Queens, New York.
$975,000 for Project Lead Inc.
Funds will be used to assist needy and disadvantaged families in the Central Queens area. Services will include food assistance, information and referral services, career readiness programming for youth and families, special events, and women’s empowerment events, primarily for Bukharian emigres. Families will be able to seek meaningful educational and employment opportunities as a result.
$912,000 for East River Development Alliance Inc.
Funds will be used for Urban Upbound’s Citywide Youth Development and Training program to provide holistic, high-quality services to low-income New York City youth, assisting them in exploring, training for, and securing long-term employment in strategic industries while addressing other barriers to success by integrating them with financial empowerment and mental health services.
$500,000 for Louis Armstrong House Museum
The funds will be used to preserve the historic home of music icon Louis Armstrong. The Queens, NY home of Louis Armstrong will undergo comprehensive renovation, repair and modernization to ensure the national landmark is preserved, enabling future generations of visitors to learn about Armstrong’s legacy as one of the most influential figures in American history.
$500,000 for New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)
Funding will be used to grow NICE’s workforce development program, which includes health and safety training, professional skills development, worker rights, civic engagement, legal referrals, wage theft mitigation, support services, and job search support for workers, including long-time immigrant New Yorkers, asylees, day laborers, and their families.