By Sadef Ali Kully
Funds for homeownership assistance, workforce development, city parks, local institutions and nonprofits for southeast Queens residents are all part of the adopted city budget for 2016.
City Councilmen I. Daneek Miller (D-St.Albans), Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and Daniel Garodnick (D-Manhattan) proposed an initiative which will allow the city to buy back distressed mortgage properties and/or modify loans to help families keep their homes, including $2 million for foreclosure prevention.
Miller said an estimated 9,000 foreclosures have wreaked havoc on neighborhoods in his district and have forced out families who have lived in these communities for generations.
“We are incredibly proud and excited to have adopted this budget, which treats the hardworking people of the city with the respect and dignity they deserve,” Miller said. “We have a responsible document that ensures critical services are provided to communities throughout the five boroughs.”
In collaboration with the Queens Delegation; Black, Latino and Asian Caucus; and Progressive Caucus, the City Council was able to secure $415,000 in funds for non-profit groups including Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica, Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults and the Queens Interagency Council on Aging, all located in Jamaica.
Almost $5 million have been allocated for upgrades and renovations of Queens public institutions, including York College, Roy Wilkins Park, and the St. Albans and Hollis libraries.
The 2016 budget also includes notable expansions for the Coalition of Theatres of Color, which will receive $2.66 million this fiscal year, over a million dollars more than it received in last year’s budget. The coalition is a historic assemblage of 11 multicultural theatrical institutions, each at least 25 years old, across the city, including the Black Spectrum Theatre in Jamaica and Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
