Council Member Nantasha Williams(D-27) held a press conference on Friday, Nov. 1, to announce an allocation of $85,000 in funding for additional sanitation services in District 27.
Williams held the event across the street from Sen. Leroy Comrie’s office, located at 11343 Farmers Blvd, St. Albans. Comrie was also present at Friday’s event, and his office is located in one of the commercial corridors included in the program.
The funding will go towards the Association of Community Employment Programs (ACE), which will provide additional sanitation services in select corridors, including Linden Blvd. from Newburg St. to 230th St., Farmers Blvd. from 109th Road to 118th Ave., Hollis Ave. from 198th St. to Francis Lewis Blvd., Springfield Blvd. from 110th Road to 113th Drive, and Hempstead Ave. from 227th Place to 223rd St.
Starting immediately, ACE will provide various weekly services, including sidewalk cleaning, tree pit cleaning, and garbage liner removal. Furthermore, monthly horticultural services will run from March through November, focusing on overgrown areas, tree pits, and public spaces. Snow removal services will also be offered at a set number of addresses during the winter months.
Williams shared that the partnership will have a vital impact on the local community. “This funding will ensure that high-traffic areas like Linden Boulevard, Farmers Boulevard, Hollis Avenue, and Springfield Boulevard are cleaner, safer, and more welcoming for all who live, work, and shop here,” she said.
Williams added that she supports ACE’s mission, which is to provide New Yorkers with histories of homelessness, incarceration, and addiction with job training, work experience, and a lifelong support network. “The sanitation workers you’ll see cleaning our streets, tending to tree pits, and ensuring safe pedestrian access during winter are not only beautifying our neighborhoods; they are creating a brighter future for themselves and their families.”
Sen. Comrie said that he fully supports the Council Member’s investment in improving the cleanliness and upkeep of District 27’s commercial corridors. “This investment in sanitation services is a direct response to concerns raised by our local business owners, and it will make a real difference for the entire community,” he said.
A local business owner in attendance at Friday’s event praised the new initiative. “I’ve seen firsthand how trash and debris can deter customers from coming to our area. This investment by Council Member Williams is exactly what we need to keep our streets clean and our businesses thriving,” said Ricardo Bentham, franchise owner of H&R Block on Farmers Blvd.
In 1992, Henry Buhl organized to support unhoused residents working toward their employment goals. He soon founded the SoHo Partnership, which was followed by the TriBeCa and NoHo/Bowery Partnerships. By 1997, the Association of Community Employment Programs (ACE) was created as an umbrella organization to unify the New York City initiatives.
Today, ACE has served over 650 people yearly with workforce development, therapeutic counseling, adult basic education, and job readiness/life skills training in its vocational rehabilitation program, Project Comeback. ACE offers lifelong support services in its aftercare and employment retention program, Project Stay. To date, ACE has helped over 3,600 New Yorkers overcome homelessness, incarceration, and addiction to find full-time jobs and begin new lives.
