For Immediate Release

Contact: bowman.press@mail.house.gov

NEWS: Rep. Bowman Announces 15 Community Project Funding Requests for Investment in NY-16 Totaling Nearly $26 Million

NEW YORK — Today, Congressman  Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16)announced requests for approximately $26 million in funding  for 15 community projects in New York’s 16th Congressional District that he submitted to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for inclusion as part of the FY2023 Federal Appropriations process. If enacted into law, these funding requests for projects from the Northern Bronx and Westchester County would  provide urgent violence prevention resources, mental health support, summer and afterschool programming, hospital upgrades, workforce development, and public infrastructure capital improvements.

“Every opportunity I get to direct more federal dollars to critical resources in our district, I’m taking, ” said Congressman Jamaal. Bowman, Ed.D (NY-16). “I’m calling on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, to include these funding requests in its FY23 Appropriations legislation to provide our district with the funding needed to create a culture of care in our community by prioritizing public safety, healing and investing in our whole community through health, education, resilience, and workforce development projects. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside many community organizations and elected officials to put these proposals together based on neighbors in NY-16’s  needs, and I thank them for their hard work and expertise. Each of these projects is important to push us forward as a community: launching workforce development initiatives in Yonkers, preventing youth violence in Mount Vernon; helping New York City support unhoused children and families; providing senior programming at NYCHA developments; addressing the need to rehabilitate the Lake Isle Dam and so much more. I will continue to advocate for these projects throughout the Appropriations process to  make New York’s 16th Congressional District a better and more equitable place to live and work, and look forward to announcing the successful securement and allocation of these funds.”

Now that all 15 requests have been submitted to the House Appropriations Committee, the Committee will vet each project for feasibility and, if successful, include grants for these initiatives in the FY23 Appropriations legislation. The legislation would then be voted on by House Appropriations Committee members and then the entire U.S. House of Representatives. Once the House and the Senate reach agreement on one final annual spending bill that can pass out of both chambers, it will be sent to the President where it could be signed into law in order to authorize these requested funds. To learn more about the Community Project Requests click here. 

The 15 Community Project Funding requests in alphabetical order are as follows: 

• $2,001,503 to Bronx Community Health Network to create a new Bronx Community Health Network Community Health and Wellness Center in the Northeast Bronx 
• $2 million to the City School District of New Rochelle to create a holistic summer and after school learning experience for K-12 students
• $330,054 to the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in the Bronx to expand and renovate its community facility 
• $802,583 to the Julia Dyckman Andrus Memorial to create a fund to enable equitable access to mental healthcare and counseling for uninsured and underinsured children and families in Yonkers
• $1,125,245 to Justice Innovation to fund a Community Youth Violence Intervention Initiative in New Rochelle
• $3,005,523 to Montefiore Medical Center to expand behavioral health clinics in Westchester County Public Schools
• $999,000 to the Mount Vernon Youth Bureau to launch Safe Place 4 Our Girls to provide support and behavioral development activities for at-risk girls ages 10 to 21
• $2 million to the NYC Mayor’s Office and the NYC Department of Education to relaunch NYC’s Children’s Cabinet to support unhoused children and families
• $800,000 to Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. to develop new wrap-around services for older adults at Older Adult Centers in NYCHA developments and veterans community centers in the Northeast Bronx
• $2 million to St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers to improve emergency healthcare equity by expanding its  emergency department space
• $1,958,400 to the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson to install  geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, and improve energy efficiency at its public library and village hall
• $2,560,000 million to Westchester County for a study of the Lake Isle Dam to promote safety, flood mitigation, and environmental justice in Southern Westchester
• $4 million to Westchester County for the necessary final stage of a rehabilitation for Yonkers’ Sewage Treatment Plant
• $690,449 to the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Yonkers to equip and connect Yonkers residents to workforce enhancement & recession-proof employment opportunities
• $1.6 million to the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester to pilot a mental health and educational support program for at-risk youth ages 18 to 24 in Mount Vernon known as the YouthHEAL Initiative

"Our new health and wellness center is a much needed resource for Bronx residents in a designated primary care and dental shortage community, that is now a COVID-19 epicenter,” said Eleanor Larrier, CEO of Bronx Community Health Network. It will extend access to a wide range of affordable, preventative and evidence-based medical, mental and oral health care treatment, provide warm connections to housing, jobs, and other socio-economic services, as well as engage residents in activities that improve health outcomes and life expectancy, and their ability to enjoy healthy, vibrant lives."

“Underserved residents are historically the recipients of job loss and reduced wages during economic downturns and global pandemics,” said Charlie Knight, CEO of the YWCA Yonkers. “We believe it is the challenge of local organizations and community leaders to be creative and develop employment and training programs that provide underserved residents with workforce opportunities that are sustainable. We need pandemic and recession-proof workforce opportunities in our communities so that we continue to thrive during excessive job market fluctuations.”

“We’re grateful to Congressman Bowman for recognizing the value of providing behavioral health services in Westchester County Public Schools,” said Dr. Rosy Chhabra, Director of the Montefiore School Health Program. “The County continues to experience challenges with access to, and sustainability of, outpatient mental health treatment. These dollars are critical to ensuring we, as a community, have the resources in place to tackle existing health inequities. For nearly 40 years, Montefiore’s School Based Health Program, the largest and most comprehensive in the nation, promotes and provides physical and behavioral health care, and ensures that every student receives the support necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”

“This project will address long-standing issues we have faced with ancient and poorly functioning heating and cooling infrastructure in our Library and Village Hall - buildings that serve all segments of our community from babies to seniors and which house seven Village departments,” said Nicola Armacost, Mayor of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson. “By replacing the existing equipment with geothermal energy we will reduce dependence on fossil fuels, we will set an example for residents and neighboring municipalities, and we will advance our ambitious climate goals in keeping with both State and Federal targets.”

“St. John’s is grateful to Congressman Bowman for helping us better serve Yonkers’ communities, especially those of color, by allocating these funds to be used for construction and expansion of our Emergency Department,” said Ronald J. Corti, President & CEO of St. John’s Riverside Hospital. “These plans will reduce severe overcrowding, and provide a quieter, separate, private, more welcoming, and culturally relevant space for patients with less acute conditions. Our Emergency Department has dramatically outgrown its current space serving 45,000 patients in a space designed to accommodate 25,000 per year, making this project a top priority for us and our community.”

“The renovation and expansion of our Woodlawn center will be transformational for the community; doubling the capacity for Emerald Isle Immigration Center to provide free access to legal support and social services to immigrants and seniors from Ireland and 120 countries worldwide,” said Siobhan Dennehy, Executive Director of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center. “We are deeply grateful for Congressman Bowman’s vote of confidence in our work and for pursuing the funding to make it a reality.” 

“This innovative and comprehensive initiative will bring together an unprecedented partnership throughout our community to address the challenge of youth violence and ensure that more young people in New Rochelle have the best opportunity for a positive future,” said Noam Bramson, Mayor of New Rochelle, on the request for funding for the Community Youth Violence Intervention Initiative in New Rochelle. 

"The Center for Court Innovation is grateful for Rep. Jamaal Bowman's commitment to community safety and youth opportunity in New Rochelle,” said Courtney Bryan, Executive Director of the Center for Court Innovation. “Consistent with our mission to reduce the negative impacts of justice system involvement, this innovative effort focuses on preventing gun violence before anyone is harmed rather than responding after the fact. This comprehensive approach strengthens community partnerships by bringing together a wide range of New Rochelle organizations, agencies, and leaders, including WestCOP, the Guidance Center, the New Rochelle City Court, and Mayor Bramson. Together, we will create opportunities for youth and invest new resources in neighborhoods with the specific goal of reducing violence and creating a safer New Rochelle for all residents."

“Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. is excited to have the opportunity to further respond to the unmet needs of the older adult population,” said Kathleen Torres, Executive Director of Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. The proposed pilot project will offer an extensive array of services to promote the safety and well-being of older adults and veterans of the Northeast Bronx by helping them to continue to live independently with case management wrap-around services, crisis intervention, and culturally appropriate care during these unprecedented times.

"The City School District of New Rochelle is grateful for Congressman Bowman's advocacy in helping us to better serve the 10,000 students in our school district and their families," said Jonathan P. Raymond, Superintendent of the City School District of New Rochelle. "The pandemic has deepened the need for additional opportunities for students to further develop their academic, social, and emotional capacities in safe and supportive environments. Our schools are an ideal, central setting for out-of-school time enrichment hubs to enable students to engage in programming influenced by student voice and steeped in action. This funding would help us create opportunities for our students to explore how the arts, business, virtual enterprise, and other career fields can enable them to use what they are learning to have an impact in their neighborhoods, community, and their lives."  

The NYC Children’s Cabinet is rooted in one shared goal – to provide a holistic, interagency support to the health, safety, and well-being of all children and their families,” said Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives, City of New York. “With this additional funding, our administration is one step closer to realizing that goal, from investing in critical resources to strengthen partnerships across key agencies to creating collaborative, innovative solutions to systemic issues. Together with Congressman Bowman, the Adams administration is committed to meeting the needs of vulnerable children and families across New York City.”

“Working with partners like Congressman Bowman has allowed us the opportunity to bring critical resources for our young girls in Mount Vernon,” said Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Mayor of the City of Mount Vernon. “I am excited to hear that our Youth Bureau’s Safe Place 4 Our Girls proposal is under federal consideration for funding. As we’ve seen over the past few weeks it is important that we wrap our arms around our girls and provide them with the support they need. I look forward to championing this proposal throughout the process.” 

“For too long marginalized communities of color have had limited access to quality, reliable health and human services in support of recovery,” said Heath I. Bloch, President and CEO of Andrus. “The Andrus Health Equity Access Fund will ensure marginalized underinsured and uninsured communities of color equitable access to cutting edge, trauma-informed, coordinated behavioral health and human services.”

“We at the Youth Shelter of Westchester (YSOW) are honored to be considered as one of the community projects to be sponsored for funding by the Office of Congressman Bowman,” said Joanne Dunn, Executive Director of the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester. With this funding, it is our vision to provide quality behavioral healthcare accessibility to at risk youth in our community coupled with the necessary education and employment -all in one setting. At YSOW’s YouthHEAL Integrated Network, we believe the best approach to wellness, behavioral health, risk reduction and to ultimately healing our community forward involves treating both mind and body. If funded we are delighted to partner with the Mount Sinai CARES program to offer multiple disciplinary therapeutic services and provide clinical oversight.” 

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