Congresswoman Grace Meng announced on Jan. 5 that she has secured more than $21.3 million in federal funding for 15 critical projects throughout Queens.
The funding was included in the new 2023 government spending package that passed the House and Senate late last month, and has been signed into law by President Biden.
The money that Meng secured is allocated under Congress’ Community Project Funding. The House Appropriations Committee is the panel that funds all of the federal government’s agencies, programs, and projects. In last year’s government spending bill, the Meng obtained nearly $10 million for projects throughout Queens.
The congresswoman said she looks forward to the funding benefiting the borough and the neighborhoods she represents for many years to come.
“As I’ve said, Queens deserves its fair share, and I’m thrilled to bring back more money for critical projects here in our borough,” said Meng, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I am especially pleased that I was able to secure more than double the amount of what I obtained in last year’s government spending bill. I am always honored and proud to fight for Queens and I’ll never stop working to ensure that our communities have the resources they need.”
These are the 15 Queens projects included in the funding:
- Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Forest Hills station ($7 million): Installation of new elevators, extending the platform length to accommodate more train cars (12 train cars), and several other station improvements.
- The City of New York’s District 6 Open Restaurants Dining Kits ($2 million): Helping under-resourced restaurants acquire safe, compliant and aesthetically pleasing outdoor dining setups. These include restaurants hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in Queens.
- Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) ($2 million): Providing essential baby products and feminine hygiene products as part of its food programs to Queens residents.
- Queens College (over $1.4 million): Small Business Development Initiative to strengthen partnerships between local small businesses and the newly established Queens College School of Business.
- New York City Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst ($1 million): Renovation of its Infectious Diseases Clinic.
- Queens Chamber of Commerce ($1 million): Small Business Legal Desk support program to support immigrant and small businesses in Queens.
- Long Island Jewish Forest Hills ($1 million): Establishment of Robotic Assisted Orthopedic Surgery for hip and knee replacement procedures.
- Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) ($1 million): Ensuring its emergency food programs meet the needs of food-insecure Queens residents.
- Commonpoint Queens ($1 million): Investing in unemployed and underemployed individuals in Queens to help them to gain skills and credentials to succeed in high-quality careers.
- LIFE Camp, Inc. ($800,000): Therapeutic Wellness services in Queens to help increase community safety, life expectancy, quality of life and allowing for trauma-informed care and practices.
- 100 Suits for 100 Men ($750,000): Ensuring Queens neighborhoods receive resources and ongoing services as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic, and allowing for a needs assessment post COVID-19.
- Churches United for Fair Housing ($750,000): Supporting its housing related services that help tenants and those experiencing homelessness in Queens access safe and affordable housing.
- Queens College Colden Auditorium ($750,000): Largest indoor venue in Queens to be accessible, affordable, and a facility that meets the technical and production needs of performers.
- DOROT ($551,210): DOROT serves older adults, and the funding is for expanding its remote program in Queens.
- La Jornada ($250,000): For empowering Queens families out of poverty.
