Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday rolled out a multipronged plan to build 10 new pools in underserved areas across the state and teach more New Yorkers how to swim, as drowning deaths have surged in recent years.
The plan, dubbed “New York Statewide Investment In More Swimming” (NY SWIMS), will include a $150 million in grants to help localities construct 10 new pools across the state in “high-need” areas over the coming years, develop “floating pools” that can be set up in natural bodies of water, and deploy “pop-up pools” in urban areas. The proposal, which Hochul unveiled during an event in Harlem on Friday, also includes an expansion of the state’s free child swimming lesson program.
