State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) held his first community Town Hall as a freshman state legislator this past weekend, announcing over $1.5 million in state funds for Senate District 20.
The “Budget Town Hall,” held at the auditorium of St. Francis de Sales School for the Deaf on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, aimed to boost awareness of how the New York State Budget works and lay out the policy reforms and funding Myrie fought for and won for his district.
At the event, Myrie broke down the biggest wins in particular, stressing criminal justice reform, expansion and funding of voting rights, increased education funding, and funding for services to low-income communities of color.
““We know the budget process is far from perfect, but I am proud to say that we made huge strides for our community this year. We have a lot more work to do to make the budget more equitable and just for our low-income communities and communities of color. But this budget was a historic step forward,” said Myrie.
The increases in funding won by Senator Myrie include:
- $500,000 for an alternative school and vocational training program to help youth ages 17-24 get high school equivalency diplomas and job skills, secure employment and go on to college or vocational school.
- $330,000 for the Commission on Judicial Conduct to ensure that foreclosure decisions that affect our community can be investigated.
- $200,000 increase in anti-violence outreach funding for Brooklyn.
- $160,000 for free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers throughout New York City to resolve legal problems in housing; foreclosure; civil, disability and aging rights; bankruptcy, tax, consumer, employment, government benefits, immigration, and kinship care.
- $125,000 for high-quality legal assistance to individuals, families, not-for-profit community-based organizations (CBOs), community development corporations (CDCs), and coalitions interested in developing and sustaining vibrant, healthy communities.
- $100,000 for re-entry services for the formerly incarcerated.
- $75,000 for local organizations providing housing services.
- $60,000 for community-based food service to low-income individuals and a host of other innovative food production services in the district.
“We won a lot of funding that might not make headlines, but will certainly make a huge difference in the lives of the poor, the undocumented, and the underserved people of the 20th district,” added Senator Myrie.
