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ALBANY — A Schenectady nonprofit is set to receive $1.5 million in federal funding in order to expand its Albany Street campus.
The Schenectady Community Action Program will receive the funding to bolster its existing campus as part of 2023 appropriations government funding secured by Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-NY).
The funding is contained within the $1.7 trillion federal funding bill signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23.
In total, Tonko advocated for 15 community development and improvement projects across the Capital Region with a combined $12,849,613 in federal funding.
The Schenectady Community Action Program (SCAP) campus project will allow the organization to create a campus that addresses the needs of low-income city residents.
The Schenectady organization provides housing and employment services, while also operating an early learning center that provides a comprehensive preschool program for children ages 3 to 5.
“It would also address systemic inequity through significant investment in a distressed neighborhood within the City of Schenectady that contributes to documented neighborhood improvement and revitalization priorities,” according to the project outline.
The project is designed to address multiple societal issues, including homelessness, education, workforce development and behavioral and mental health.
The federal funding will expand the nonprofit’s existing campus to include 60 new units of affordable housing and six new classrooms, which would allow SCAP to provide early childhood development support for 72 children.
Tonko requested the funding for the Schenectady organization in April for the 2023 fiscal year.
“The community projects in our Capital Region bring incredible promise for our communities with key investments that will drive economic growth, create good jobs and propel our Capital Region forward,” Tonko declared in a statement. “For months, my team and I have been pushing to ensure these worthy projects are included in a federal spending package, and I’m delighted to announce that determined push has been successful. My heartfelt thanks to the dedicated local leaders who proposed and developed these deserving projects. I look forward to seeing how these federal dollars will unleash the untapped potential of our region and ignite our economy.”
The funding contained in the 2023 federal spending bill also includes $1 million for the Schenectady Community Virtual Power Plant program, which will allow the city to retrofit low- and middle-income homes with clean energy technology.
Categories: -News-, Email Newsletter, News, Schenectady, Schenectady County
