- By Brooke Azevedo
- Business & Technology
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One year ago Wednesday, after several months of planning and negotiation, President Barak Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into legislation.According to the White House, ARRA is “a strong start towards economic viability,” but one year later, what has this signing meant for New Yorkers facing poverty?
New York State is expected to receive at least $31 billion from ARRA funds. These funds will go to local governments, school districts, businesses and a variety of agencies, including the State’s 52 Community Action Agencies, representing all 62 New York State counties.
“ARRA has had a tremendous impact on New Yorkers,” said Denise Harlow, CEO of the New York State Community Action Association. “Due to the mounting pressure of our nation’s economic downturn, ARRA has kept thousands of individuals and families from living at or below the poverty level and had been a tremendous help to families already struggling.”
"The Recovery Act has also been critical to New York's economy since it has helped replace some of the wages lost in the recession with Federally-funded unemployment benefits, an increase in food stamps, and other payments and tax cuts for moderate and middle-income individuals and families,” said James Parrot, Deputy Director and Chief Economist of the Fiscal Policy Institute. “The Recovery Act helped prevent an estimated 419,000 New Yorkers from falling into poverty in 2009 by helping to bolster their incomes in the face of lost jobs and earnings."
New York State was awarded $86.7 million in Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) ARRA funds to be administered among all 52 Community Action agencies across the state. ARRA funds are going towards a wide array of programs, including transportation services, financial counseling and assistance, healthcare support, as well as food stamp application assistance.
Statewide, $394 million dedicated for the Weatherization Assistance Program, are helping low-income New Yorkers weatherize their homes to save on long-term energy costs, receive on-the-job training, especially in the green building industry and providing the resources needed for them to secure full-time employment.
Closer to home Tompkins Community Action has helped hundreds of families and by April 1, 2010 will have created 35 new jobs in Tompkins County. A total of $4.8 million of ARRA funds have come into Tompkins County through the efforts of Tompkins Community Action. This money funded a summer jobs program serving just over 100 youth, a new year- round Early Head Start Program serving 92 families with child care and family supports, a JobsBuild program serving 24, 18-24 year old youth with barriers to employment, doubling our Weatherization program to decrease energy costs for 200+ families, and a Homelessness Prevention and ReHousing program to stabilize almost 120 families hit by lay-offs and foreclosures.
An example of the great work that is being accomplished with these funds is linking the Tompkins Community Action JobsBuild program with the Small Home repair program - two JobsBuild participants replaced roofs and sealed windows to enable two low income families’ homes to qualify for Weatherization Assistance Program services.
“ARRA has prevented New Yorkers from entering poverty by providing much needed work today,” said Lee Dillon, Executive Director of Tompkins Community Action. “I believe the economy will regain strength in the near future, but for today, ARRA is helping New Yorkers in Tompkins County secure jobs that help feed their families.”
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