U.S. Rep Hakeem Jeffries and Nydia M. Velázquez separately secured millions of dollars in federal funds for several underserved Brooklyn neighborhoods this week, boosting workforce initiatives and improving security measures in public housing.
Velázquez on Thursday presented two Community Project Funding checks totaling $1.1 million. At the first event, the congresswoman presented a $250,000 check to Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services to support workforce development, adult literacy classes, skills training, career development, after-school tutoring, and intervention services for justice-involved residents across Brooklyn and Queens.
Founded to support first-generation Bangladeshi newcomers, BACDYS now serves the broader East New York community including individuals from Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. The organization provides wraparound services to low-income residents, including housing and food assistance, adult education, youth programs, immigration services, small business support, and public benefits enrollment.
“I have witnessed firsthand the essential role that BACDYS plays in improving the lives of our immigrant friends and neighbors,” Velázquez said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it is imperative that we rally behind immigrant service providers like BACDYS. In the face of unprecedented challenges, these organizations serve as beacons of hope, resilience, and empowerment for our immigrant communities.”
In addition, Velazquez presented an $850,000 check to the New York City Department of Transportation for the permanent construction of Liberty Avenue Plaza at the intersection of Liberty Avenue, 101st Avenue, and Drew Street. The project will transform underused roadway into a vibrant public gathering space and reconfigure traffic circulation to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Earlier this week, the congresswoman also secured $2.85 million in funds to fix the facade of the Whitman Houses in Fort Greene.
Meanwhile, Jeffries on Thursday presented $1 million in Community Project Funding for NYCHA developments across NY's 8th Congressional District. The Van Dyke II Houses, Kingsborough Houses and Woodson Houses all received funding for various projects, including security camera upgrades, roof repairs, balcony fixes and more.
“These Community Project Funding checks represent just a small down payment on the work that we need to continue to do in this city to make sure that all of you who worked hard, played by the rules and helped get the situation moving in a better direction, can bear the fruits of your labor," Jeffries said in a statement. "So each and every opportunity that presents itself to stand up for public housing residents and to stand up for seniors, I’m going to stand for public housing residents and stand up for seniors."
