SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Construction-job training efforts and police-body cameras are earmarked for federal funding in the recently signed fiscal year 2022 spending plan. That’s according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), who announced the funding March 10. President Joe Biden signed the measure into law March 15 […]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Construction-job training efforts and police-body cameras are earmarked for federal funding in the recently signed fiscal year 2022 spending plan.
That’s according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), who announced the funding March 10.
President Joe Biden signed the measure into law March 15 after both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives approved the spending bill days earlier. It funds the federal government for the current fiscal year, which started back in October.
The Syracuse projects include $300,000 for the Syracuse Build initiative to train Syracuse youth for construction jobs with the Interstate 81 (I-81) viaduct-replacement project, the lawmakers said.
The federal plan will also provide $1 million to help Syracuse’s Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative to build 50 new homes for income-qualified homeowners, and 150 rental units.
In addition, $3 million is set aside to help pay for the construction and renovation of the new Catholic Charities of Syracuse Housing Services Center for emergency homeless housing and mental-health services.
Besides the construction-related projects, the City of Syracuse and Syracuse Police Department will get $140,000 to continue efforts to equip all uniform officers and supervisors with body-worn cameras, the lawmakers said.
Additional project details
Schumer and Gillibrand explained that the $300,000 they secured for I-81 construction-job training will help young people who are not enrolled in school or participating in the formal labor market get the support and training they need to start careers in construction, specifically working with the I-81 redevelopment project.
Last year, the lawmakers brought Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to Syracuse to visit I-81 and to push for the use of a local-hire program to connect “disadvantaged workers, including disadvantaged young people,” to construction jobs created by the I-81 project, Schumer’s office said.
The senators were able to eventually include a permanent local hire program in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs law.
Syracuse’s Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative will use the $1 million to bolster the city’s ongoing project to increase the city’s inventory of “quality, affordable” homes. Specifically, the funding will help pay to build the final 19 of 50 planned homes.
In addition to their joint requests, Schumer personally secured $3 million for the construction and renovation of the new Catholic Charities Housing Services Center, his office said. It will include an 80-bed emergency shelter for homeless men.
The new facility is expected to include six apartments for homeless men who are either living on the streets or in a shelter. It will also offer on-site health and mental-health services, case management, a job training program, and will establish a large office space for the Catholic Charities staff who are currently spread out throughout Syracuse.
Besides the construction-related projects, the proposal also offers $140,000 to outfit the remaining 14 uniformed sergeants of the Syracuse Police Department with body-worn cameras, “promoting public safety and accountability.”
In recent years, the City of Syracuse and Syracuse Police Department have worked to equip the majority of their uniformed police officers with body-worn cameras. This expansion will put body-worn cameras on all uniformed officers and supervisors, Schumer’s office said.
