Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Member Requests
Project Name: Queensborough Community College Childcare Center
Proposed Recipient: Queensborough Community College
Recipient Address: 222-05 56th Avenue Bayside, NY 11364
Requested Amount: $5,901,182
Project Description: The construction of this center will ensure that students, faculty, staff, and the community have access to high-quality childcare development opportunities. For parents, one of the biggest barriers to college enrollment and completion is childcare. The Center will ensure that residents of the Borough are able to achieve the same socioeconomic mobility outcomes as those students who are not parents. Additionally, post-graduate outcome data shows that ten years after graduation, over 90 percent of Queensborough alumni live and work in New York State, contributing to both the local and state economies. Furthermore, a report conducted by the New York City Comptroller found that every $1 dollar invested in CUNY generates a $15 dollar return for the economy.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Apparatus & Multi-Component Renovation of Squad 288
Proposed Recipient: Fire Department of New York
Recipient Address: 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Requested Amount: $ 4,600,000
Project Description: This initiative involves a multi-component capital investment in Station 288 located in Maspeth, Queens. More specifically, it aims to replace the apparatus floor and overhaul the electrical and mechanical systems within the firehouse. The apparatus floor is the main space of the firehouse as it houses all of the specialty vehicles, bunker gear, workbenches, tools, equipment, and all other useful items can be found on this floor. With the facility dating back to 1914, exceeding a century in age, prioritizing its longevity through investment is crucial to sustaining the distinctive services offered by Station 288/Hazmat 1.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Multi-Component Renovation of Engine 305/Ladder 151
Proposed Recipient: Fire Department of New York
Recipient Address: 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Requested Amount: $ 2,500,000
Project Description: This project will provide capital investment in Engine 305/Ladder 151, located in Forest Hills, Queens. Specifically, this project will repair the interior and exterior of the building, and replace the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. With the facility dating back to 1924, exceeding a century in age, prioritizing its longevity through investment is crucial to sustaining the distinctive services offered by Engine 305/Ladder 151.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Queens Technology and Innovation Hub
Proposed Recipient: Research Foundation of CUNY/ Queens College CUNY
Recipient Address: 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: The funding would expand the Tech Incubator at Queens College (TIQC), creating a collaborative ecosystem, advanced training facilities, and community impact programs. The expanded TIQC will serve as the central hub for technology and innovation in Queens, helping to foster a network that connects public and private sectors, and catalyzes economic and social development through technology.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Queens Nanofabrication Facility
Proposed Recipient: Research Foundation of CUNY/ Queens College CUNY
Recipient Address: 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: This project will provide technology, equipment, and personnel for a new state-of-the-art cleanroom facility at CUNY Queens College, serving as a critical hub for cutting-edge nanofabrication research. The facility will significantly enhance the College's capacity to conduct original research in micro- and nanotechnology, enabling faculty and students to pursue innovative investigations in semiconductor device design, materials science, and quantum technologies. In alignment with the national priorities articulated to expand domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing, the proposed cleanroom will position Queens College as a vital contributor to the advancement of microelectronics research in the United States. Additionally, by integrating hands-on research experiences with the student population, the project will help prepare a new generation of scientists and engineers to meet the region’s growing demand for expertise in advanced microelectronics, driven by the concentration of high-tech firms in New York State and the surrounding region.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Public Safety and Emergency Management - Mobile Command Center (MCC)
Proposed Recipient: New York City Police Department
Recipient Address: One Police Plaza, Legal Bureau, Room 1406, New York, NY 10038
Requested Amount: $ 2,500,000
Project Description: The Public Safety and Emergency Management - Mobile Command Center (MCC) is a large platform command center with mission critical and life-safety technology capabilities utilized to support large scale events, emergency response, and operate on scene for long periods of times by extending the advanced capabilities of the Private Safety Network (PSN), NYC 911, and Emergency Response services to field locations. The large platform vehicle is designed for support incidents and events throughout the city and surrounding areas, can be deployed by two resources and will have the ability to support up to 24 onboard personnel as a command center, command post or operational post for extended periods of time as needed.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: The Right Response for NYC
Proposed Recipient: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Recipient Address: 42-09 28th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101
Requested Amount: $ 1,800,000
Project Description: This project aims to inform the public on how to optimize the use of law enforcement services by promoting 988 as the appropriate response for mental health crises—freeing up law enforcement resources and ensuring individuals in crisis receive specialized support. By diverting appropriate mental health-related calls to 988, law enforcement services can be reserved for life-threatening situations, allowing for a more efficient allocation of resources and reducing the strain on first responders and infrastructure. This targeted approach not only enhances care by connecting individuals with trained mental health counselors and a continuum of services but also decreases the likelihood of repeat emergencies and lowers long-term costs. The $1.8M in anticipated funding will support a citywide public messaging campaign, The Right Response for NYC, to raise awareness of 988 as the go-to resource for mental health needs. This initiative lifts a substantial burden from law enforcement, enabling the NYPD to focus on core public safety responsibilities instead of responding to non-criminal mental health situations.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: NYPD Queens Explorer Program
Proposed Recipient: New York City Police Department
Recipient Address: One Police Plaza, Room 1104, New York, NY 10038
Requested Amount: $3,000,000
Project Description: The Explorer Program benefits the children and young adults of the Congressional District 6. The program, geared for ages 14 to 20, often results in strengthening ties between the community and police. Explorers are taught the importance of higher education, self-discipline, and respect for diversity and human dignity through training, involvement in community service projects, and other Exploring events. The positive interaction of Explorers and law enforcement officers helps young adults see officers as fellow human beings, and allows greater opportunities to build positive relationships between the New York City Police Department and the city's diverse communities.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: The Boys’ Club of New York’s STEM Programming
Proposed Recipient: The Boys’ Club of New York
Recipient Address: 81-15 164th St, Jamaica, NY 11432
Requested Amount: $225,000
Project Description: A majority of members lack access to high quality STEM education in the schools they attend. In addition, many do not have access to information and resources on how to enter the STEM field. BCNY recognizes the systemic barriers that boys of color face every day. In responding to their needs, BCNY offers wrap-around services and comprehensive academic support, which include STEM programming.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Fostering Coastal Resilience in Flushing Waterways, Queens, NY
Proposed Recipient: The Guardians of Flushing Bay, Inc.
Requested Amount: $1,132,351
Project Description: The communities surrounding Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP) face a multitude of challenges. FMCP—a park formed around Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek and their historic wetlands—is one of the most flood-prone parks in the city. An easily overwhelmed sewer system and a high water table contribute to grave neighborhood flooding issues, where rainwater can pour into homes and streets during heavy rainfall. One-tenth of an inch of rain an hour can trigger combined sewer overflow events, where two billion gallons of raw sewage and contaminated stormwater flow into Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek every year.
GoFB believes that solutions for fixing these challenges must stem from communities closest to the issue. However, a lack of access to Flushing Bay and Flushing Creek prevent many residents from understanding the magnitude, scale and root causes of neighborhood vulnerability and coastal resiliency. Costal Resilience Hub proposes a way forward. By functioning as a gathering space, a floating classroom and an environmental laboratory, the Hub works to connect residents to their most pressing resiliency issues, provide space to co-create solutions to those issues and monitor the health and wellbeing of our local waterway.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Join Artemis: Head to the Moon with the New York Hall of Science
Proposed Recipient: New York Hall of Science
Recipient Address: 47-01 111th Street, Corona, NY 11368
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Project Description: This taxpayer investment will allow NYSCI to contribute to the preparation of the STEM workforce of the future by engaging the parents, educators, and youth of New York City with the complex network of scientists and engineers who are making the Artemis Missions possible. This investment will also allow NYSCI to serve our immediate neighborhood of Corona, Queens, by offering after school programming and high-quality preK STEM learning opportunities to local families. Finally, this project will help all of our audiences, regardless of their career path, become critical, engaged members of their communities who can use the tools of science to explore their world and imagine better futures for themselves and their city.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Queens College Working Group for Digital Forensics: Analysis and Defense - Education, Studies and Applications
Proposed Recipient: Research Foundation of CUNY / Queens College CUNY
Recipient Address: 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $1,250,000
Project Description: Funding for the Queens College Working Group for Digital Forensics will provide expert personnel and support for studying critical cybersecurity issues, while educating students to take on roles in digital data analysis and detecting unlawful activities. The project will align with multiple Bureau of Justice Assistance Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program areas, including law enforcement and prevention education. It will enhance the Queens College Computer Science Department’s offerings, building on existing courses to focus on cybersecurity issues affecting today’s digital world. As of 2024, the department has more than 2900 undergraduate majors. This initiative will prepare students for high-demand, well-paying careers and introduce them to cutting-edge research and practices in NYC's cybersecurity sector. Legacy systems and outdated software persist across NYC agencies, using insecure cryptographic methods due to the high cost of upgrading and a lack of trained staff to identify vulnerabilities. These challenges have intensified with the rise of AI in communication and information storage, increasing the potential impact of incidents. Training IT workers to keep up with new technologies can address these gaps, while also offering students the chance to help resolve vulnerabilities. This project is a smart use of taxpayer funds, empowering students for cybersecurity careers while protecting data, using best practices, and providing tools to combat unlawful activities.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: NYPD ITB Tech Project
Proposed Recipient: New York City Police Department
Recipient Address: One Police Plaza, Room 1104, New York, NY 10038
Requested Amount: $2,000,011.16
Project Description: The implementation of license plate readers (LPRs) will have a positive impact on the 6th District of New York as a whole. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) utilizes LPRs to assist their personnel in locating stolen or wanted vehicles, as well as vehicles associated with AMBER alerts, Silver alerts, missing persons reports, abductions reports, and other criminal activities. In a matter of seconds, LPRs can alert NYPD personnel when a queried license plate has been detected within the device's range, enabling immediate action to be taken by NYPD investigators in order to enhance public safety. This initiative will enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement in responding to and investigating crimes.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: King of Kings Foundation
Proposed Recipient: King of Kings Foundation
Recipient Address: 137-11 161 Street, Jamaica NY, 11434
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: The Strong Communities Project is an excellent use of taxpayer funds because it brings proven crime prevention and community-building strategies to NY-06, reducing crime and ensuring Queens has safer communities and better resources. The Crisis Management System has proven to increase safety, youth development, support and protect senior citizens, and strengthen families. NYC CMS has a greater taxpayer ROI than incarceration by preventing crime. NYC is experiencing drastic budget cuts in the areas of human services. This investment in taxpayer funds will support critical work.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Program
Proposed Recipient: Queens County District Attorney
Recipient Address: 125-01 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Requested Amount: $300,000
Project Description: Use of taxpayer funds for this project will provide much-needed funding to support QDA’s Conviction Integrity Unit’s important work in reinvestigating past convictions where there are credible claims of actual innocence or wrongful conviction. The goal of the Conviction Integrity Unit is to both restore justice to the innocent and restore trust between the criminal justice system and the communities we serve. Wrongful convictions not only destroy the lives of individuals wrongly convicted and their families, but also undermines confidence in the criminal justice system. The Conviction Integrity Unit serves a vital law enforcement function for both victims and public safety, because if a wrong person is convicted, the actual perpetrator has not been brought to justice.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Member Requests
Congresswoman Grace Meng submitted the following 15 Community Funding Project requests to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for fiscal year 2024. Submission to the Committee does not guarantee a project will be funded. Information regarding which requests were selected for funding by the Committee will be announced as soon as it is available.
Project Name: Parkside Cloudburst System
Proposed Recipient: NYC Department of Environmental Protection
Recipient Address: 59-17 Junction Blvd, Queens, NY 11368
Requested Amount: $102,745,600
Project Description: This proposal is to build a Cloudburst Management System. Cloudburst Management is a way of absorbing, storing, and transferring stormwater to minimize flooding from heavy rain events, protecting the neighborhood from the potentially damaging impact of flood waters. Cloudburst Management Systems use a combination of grey infrastructure, like drainage pipes and underground tanks, and green infrastructure, like trees and rain gardens. Cloudburst Management benefits local communities economically by reducing storm damage, socially by providing public amenities and open space, and environmentally by improving water quality and incorporating vegetation that reduces carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Project Name: Queens Botanical Garden Capital Revitalization
Proposed Recipient: Queens Botanical Garden
Recipient Address: 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355
Requested Amount: $6,700,000
Project Description: This project will benefit taxpayers in multiple ways as it will increase Queens Botanical Garden’s ability to serve the public. The new greenhouses will elevate Queens Botanical Garden’s profile, resulting in increased visitation and increased revenue. Additionally, the project will drive visitors to the district as the two state-of-the-art greenhouses will enable Queens Botanical Garden to offer more attractive programming and experiences. Also, this project will provide critical lighting in Queens Botanical Garden, which in turn enables Queens Botanical Garden to offer more diverse experiences and to ensure public safety. More visitors will be able to enjoy the Garden at dusk, during extended hours, and for special evening events.
Project Name: NaFFAA Community Center Acquisition
Proposed Recipient: National Federation of Filipino American Associations
Recipient Address: 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Project Description: A multicultural, multipurpose community center in Woodside, Queens would be an ideal use of taxpayer funds for several compelling reasons. First, the center would centralize resources and services that are currently scattered across various institutions and organizations in the area. This would create a one-stop-shop for residents seeking educational, cultural, and social opportunities, providing a more efficient and effective delivery of culturally competent services. Moreover, the center would play a vital role in fostering social cohesion and building stronger communities. Woodside is a diverse neighborhood where many different ethnic and racial groups live in close proximity, but often have limited interaction with one another. The community center would serve as an important investment in the local economy, offering jobs, training, and support both during development and in ongoing operations. The center would be a hub for community events, attracting visitors from outside the neighborhood and stimulating economic activity in the area. This would provide a boost to local businesses and contribute to the overall vibrancy of the community. The center would provide much-needed resources and support for those facing financial hardship, social isolation, discrimination, and other challenges, helping to level the playing field and ensure that everyone has an equal chance to thrive and succeed. In summary, a multicultural community center in Woodside, Queens would be a valuable investment of taxpayer funds, with far-reaching benefits for the community as a whole. It would centralize resources, foster social cohesion, serve as a convening power amongst segregated groups, create jobs, and support the local economy. Furthermore, the clear community demand underscores the center's potential to build stronger communities and improve the overall well-being and safety of residents.
Project Name: Chhaya Community Center Revitalization
Proposed Recipient: Chhaya Community Development Corporation
Recipient Address: 37-43 77th Street, #2, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: The proposed development of Chhaya’s new community center will benefit the constituents of NY-06 in several ways. First, it will allow Chhaya to grow its direct services programs, now provided to more than 3,000 households per year. These services help low-income residents of NY-06 and other areas of Queens to build financial capability, secure affordable housing, maintain tenancy in affordable rental units, and become competitive jobseekers. We will increase the number of people we serve in the new community center space, as we overcome the constraints of the current office— including current limitations related to ADA compliance and accessibility. Moreover, we will be able to expand our services related to community revitalization, the development of the immigrant workforce, and small business engagement. The neighborhood’s economy is built on the uniqueness of its small businesses, mostly owned by minorities, and operated with a predominantly immigrant workforce. The absence of organizations to assist these businesses and spaces for community dialogue has been a challenge. Chhaya will develop the office space to provide one-on-one counseling and group educational workshops to NY-06 residents and small business owners.
Project Name: CHAZAQ Youth Center Acquisition
Proposed Recipient: CHAZAQ Organization USA, Inc.
Recipient Address: 141-24 Jewel Avenue, Flushing, NY, 11367
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: This project warrants taxpayer funding because it is important to care for and properly prepare Bukharian youth for the future. By investing in and caring for the youth today, we can ensure a prosperous and successful future for the community. Through this youth center, CHAZAQ will be able to provide a vehicle for the mental health and emotional wellbeing of Bukharian youth. Each year, hundreds of Bukharian youth attend CHAZAQ’s existing programs in Forest Hills. Bukharian teens currently do not have the proper guidance or structure to be productive once they finish their day in public school. Through this youth center, CHAZAQ will facilitate the ultimate growth of the next generation.
Project Name: Queens Center for Progress Children's Center Capital Improvements
Proposed Recipient: Queens Centers for Progress
Recipient Address: 81-15 164th St, Jamaica, NY 11432
Requested Amount: $1,250,000
Project Description: For seventy years the Queens Centers for Progress Children's Center has been providing superior services to families in the community. The Children's Center's dedicated and experienced staff provide preschoolers and children with a warm and caring atmosphere that promotes learning, bolsters self-esteem, and improves social skills. The large, bright well-equipped classrooms, and recreational areas allow children the space to grow and flourish. The Children's Center offers an array of options for parents of both typically developing (non-disabled) preschoolers and children with disabilities. Children with special needs in our community deserve to have a safe place in which to learn and grow and this project will assist Queens Center for Progress in providing the safest environment for the children in Queens to learn and grow.
Project Name: New Immigrant Community Empowerment
Proposed Recipient: NICE Worker Center Acquisition
Recipient Address: 71-29 Roosevelt Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Requested Amount: $3,500,000
Project Description: Immigrant workers play a pivotal role in the country’s economy. Expanding economic opportunity for New York’s most underserved communities is at the core of NICE’s work. Our programs and offerings are specifically designed to build long term success for immigrant workers. In New York City, a significant portion of our workforce is made up of immigrant workers. This project would enable large-scale change for them and their families. The workforce development programs at our expanded Center will allow immigrant workers to learn the skills they need to succeed and advance in the workplace and become self-sufficient providers for their families. Immigrant workers in New York City make enormous contributions to the local and national economy. Immigrants work in essential markets and provide critical services on the frontlines, yet despite the magnitude of their contributions to the economy, they have few or non-existent opportunities to improve the quality of their current jobs or advance to better paying employment. Many immigrants face insurmountable obstacles to accessing supports and assistance programs due to language barriers and lack of knowledge. COVID-19 laid bare and greatly exacerbated the challenges and barriers immigrants and their families face as they work to build the financial empowerment and earning power that is the foundation of upward mobility.
Project Name: SACSS Community Center Acquisition
Proposed Recipient: South Asian Council for Social Services, Inc.
Recipient Address: 143-02 45th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355
Requested Amount: $1,440,000
Project Description: Located in the heart of Flushing in NY-06, for many years SACSS has assisted newly arrived immigrants to Queens. Its English classes are critical not only for people who cannot speak English, but also for many immigrants who may not even read or write in their native languages, thereby improving their employment prospects and quality of life. The sewing classes provide immigrant women with a technical skill. Upon graduation from the program, each student receives a sewing machine which will help them start their business. The building that SACSS is looking to purchase is perfectly suited for this program. The infrastructure is already in place, and it is a location that community members are familiar with and is well-connected to public transport.
Project Name: Martin Lande House Capital Improvement
Proposed Recipient: Selfhelp Community Services, Inc.
Recipient Address: 520 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
Requested Amount: $3,200,000
Project Description: The Senior Residence Facility in Flushing has necessary and urgent infrastructure upgrades that are essential to ensure the building residents are able to safely live in their units and access all portions of the residence. Without additional financial support, the façade rehabilitation, heating improvements, and handicapped accessibility projects will not be possible as the organization’s costs outpace rental revenue. The façade work is needed to help the building transition to resilient, efficient, and sustainable heating sources that are up to New York City’s code. This project will also result in the renovation of an onsite recreational space that has been closed, allowing over 550 residents to enjoy the garden space by ensuring ramp safety for residents with mobility challenges. Not only will this space again provide a safe, welcoming environment for the residents to socialize and interact with nature, but it will also provide therapeutic benefits as designed and promoted by The Horticulture Society of New York.
Project Name: Police Belt-worn Trauma Kits
Proposed Recipient: New York City Police Department
Recipient Address: 1 Police Plaza, New York, NY 10038
Requested Amount: $1,231,350
Project Description: The Belt-worn Trauma Kit provided to the uniform members of service contains life-saving equipment that can be used for pre-hospital treatment of numerous types of injuries. Immediate, effective treatment of the leading causes of preventable death (extremity hemorrhage, tension pneumothorax, and obstructed airway) can significantly increase the number of lives saved, including law enforcement, first responder and civilians alike. With the increase in active shooter incidents and vehicle ramming attacks, the likelihood of NYPD officers coming across civilians with these life-threatening injuries or sustaining these injuries themselves has increased greatly.
Project Name: La Jornada Multipurpose Community Center
Proposed Recipient: La Jornada LTD
Recipient Address: 62-40 Woodhaven Blvd, Rego Park, NY 11377
Requested Amount: $5,000,000
Project Description: The Multipurpose Community Center is a good use of taxpayer funds as it will serve some of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the country. During the mornings it will become a senior center with a full service to seniors and in the afternoon, it will serve as a space for students while they wait until their parents come home from work. During the weekends and evenings, it will serve as a work training center. At all other times, the Community Center will continue La Jornada’s work to help families navigate other federal programs, including enrollment in SNAP and Medicaid. La Jornada is one of the largest non-governmental enrollment sites for health insurance in New York City. To date, La Jornada has helped more than 5,500 clients enroll in health insurance.
Project Name: NYCHA Pomonok Houses Capital Revitalization
Proposed Recipient: Fund for Public Housing, Inc.
Recipient Address: 90 Church Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Requested Amount: $550,000
Project Description: Pomonok Houses is home to over 4,100 low-income New Yorkers. As NYCHA’s second largest development by area, the development is unique since most of its open spaces are not gated or fenced, giving the campus a more inviting feel and providing residents the opportunity to use their open spaces more freely. Activation and investments in NYCHA open spaces have a direct and positive impact on the health and well-being, climate and social resiliency of residents in NY-06, and will have the greatest positive impact on those living in Pomonok Houses. As we head toward a warmer new-normal, outdoor spaces and amenities that provide respite to disadvantaged New Yorkers will be of utmost importance in the urban-fabric of the city. A renovated play space will provide a safe and engaging environment for children and their families to play, explore, and interact with their peers. New experiences and discovering new things within shared spaces offer a great opportunity for social development. As children play, they will be excited to communicate their discoveries to everyone around them. This new play space will have features that meet community needs and be enjoyable and educational by providing hours of rich and valuable early childhood experiences to develop children’s creativity and imagination. To align with the demographics of the development, the project will include seating areas around the play space for inclusivity and for families to use and enjoy the space together, along with plantings. Overall, this investment would improve the quality of life for residents in NYCHA and adjacent communities.
Project Name: American Legion POST #1424 Capital Revitalization
Proposed Recipient: Forest Hills American Legion Continental Post #1424 ("POST #1424")
Recipient Address: 10715 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Requested Amount: $300,000
Project Description: The Forest Hills American Legion Post #1424 (“Post”) has been a community pillar for over 60 years. The Post serves as a second home for local veterans and as a community space. Over the decades, the Post has hosted local community events and nonprofit organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, NYPD Community Affairs Committee, and numerous charitable fundraisers. Most notably, the Post has served as a staging ground for the annual Memorial Day Weekend Parade. The Post’s building needs significant repairs to continue to serve as a sanctuary for veterans and as a place for community service. The interior of the Post has become dilapidated. Construction issues include warped floors, exposed wiring, cracked walls and ceilings, an unused and noncompliant kitchen, and bathrooms that must be refurbished to meet today’s ADA standards. Unfortunately, veterans’ posts throughout the State have closed in recent years due to the lack of support. The Post is seeking federal funding to reconstruct the facility, with an estimated cost of $300,000. We hope you will assist us in this endeavor to serve veterans for generations.
Project Name: Cold Case Unit DNA Testing Upgrades
Proposed Recipient: Queens County District Attorney
Recipient Address: 125-01 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Requested Amount: $500,000
Project Description: An investment of these taxpayer funds will allow the Queens District Attorney’s (QDA) Cold Case Unit to continue their important work in identifying remains of victims of homicide in all of Queens County. Supplementing QDA’s grant from the Department of Justice, which funds the identification of perpetrators of crime, these funds will allow the QDA the ability to identify the victims, repatriate the remains to the families, and advance the prosecution in these cases. This would also bring long-awaited closure to the families, some of whom have been left without answers for years or even decades. The QDA has already had a successful prosecution of an Unidentified Human Remains case in collaboration with New York Police Department (NYPD), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the City Medical Examiner (OCME), and Othram laboratory.
Project Name: Construction of New Flushing YMCA
Proposed Recipient: YMCA of Greater New York
Recipient Address: 5 West 63rd Street, 6th floor, New York, NY 10023
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Project Description: The project is of interest to taxpayers as the new YMCA facility will expand the amount of space available for vital social service programs, including time-tested youth development programs such as after school care, youth sports, drop-in teen center, and youth employment and career readiness programs Studies by Wilder Research have found that “a well-run youth intervention program can yield $4.89 benefit for every dollar of program cost.” As a leading provider of youth services and an expert in youth development programming, the Y is well positioned to leverage taxpayer funds into programs that increase young people’s chances of success in the future and decrease the likelihood of costly interventions later on. The Y is also a significant employer of young adults, with many young people getting their first jobs and opportunities for professional development at the Y.
Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Member Requests
Project Name: District 6 Open Restaurants Dining Kit of Parts Funding
Proposed Recipient: New York City Department of Small Business Services
Recipient Address: One Liberty Plaza, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10006
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: Just over half of the residents of District 6 were not born in the United States, and the restaurant ownership in this district reflect the variety of nations where residents are from and are crucial to fostering a sense of home and community within the District. There is a great burden on immigrant restaurant owners to keep their customers safe, and participation in this program will help keep businesses vital and thriving. By helping under-resourced restaurants acquire safe, compliant, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor dining setups, we will help business owners maintain their livelihoods and keep their brick-and-mortar businesses thriving. The program will also foster the creation of more jobs. The 500 participating restaurants will not need to dip into their thin margins to take advantage of the Open Restaurants program which will keep cash flow free to employ more staff as the restaurant grows the number of customers, they can serve for dine-in service. This initiative will help restaurants that were hardest hit during COVID within low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods recover from the economic and societal losses of the pandemic.
Project Name: Feeding Food-Insecure Seniors in Queens
Proposed Recipient: Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Recipient Address: 77 Water Street, 26th floor New York, NY 10005
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Project Description: Due to Covid-19 and its unprecedented effect on the kosher- and halal-observant residents we aim to serve, Met Council's emergency food programs have grown exponentially to meet the moment. Since March of 2020, we have worked with 30 emergency food providers in New York's 6th Congressional District to deliver over 7 million lbs. of emergency food to over 82,700 duplicated clients in CD 6. We do this work while receiving very little commodity support from USDA TEFAP, which only offers six certified kosher products and one certified halal product. As a result, we rely disproportionately on food purchased with philanthropic funds. This funding will help ensure that our emergency food programs can meet needs of food-insecure New Yorkers.
Project Name: Queens College Small Business Development Initiative
Proposed Recipient: Queens College CUNY
Recipient Address: Queens College, 230 West 41st Street, New York, NY 10036
Requested Amount: $ 1,465,856
Project Description: Small Businesses are essential for NY-06 economy. Queens College Small Business Development Initiative will use taxpayer dollars to strengthen partnerships between small businesses of our community and the newly established Queens College School of Business. This initiative will provide much needed affordable training on small business management, financial management, accounting, marketing, customer service, and compliance, as well as a course on the local community and cultural awareness needed to set and support a thriving business in the area. Setting up a Small Business Management Certificate and a Credit for prior work in small businesses will provide a springboard for returning students to pursue a college degree in business and/or accounting. Taxpayer dollars will also be used to encourage businesses located in our community to recruit Queens College students as their interns, thus encouraging our students to contribute to the economic growth of our community.
Project Name: Silver Employment Hub
Proposed Recipient: Samuel Field YM-YWHA dba Commonpoint Queens
Recipient Address: 58-20 Little Neck Pkwy, Little Neck, NY 11362
Requested Amount: $1,697,500
Project Description: : A grant in support of the Silver Employment Hub will invest in unemployed and underemployed individuals to gain the skills and credentials they need to succeed in high-quality careers. This initiative will support diversity and equity in high-growth industries by creating more robust pathways to employment for traditionally marginalized individuals and those considered low-income and underrepresented. Getting a job is not an easy task. Many interested individuals lack the educational and basic work readiness skills to successfully complete vocational training programs and enter the workforce. At the same time, unemployment adversely impacts society at large with a reduction in economic activity, lowered tax revenue, and decreased spending which dampens overall economic growth. These experiences also ripple through to their families and communities. Commonpoint Queens' Silver Employment Hub trains people who are embarking on their careers or have experienced long-term unemployment. The impact on the clients' lives is profound. Commonpoint Queens sees improvement in both their physical and mental health, as well as an increase in their income. At the same time, there are direct savings to the community with the improved health outcomes and reduction in dependency on public programs. Successful entry into the workforce leads to good-paying jobs that help sustain a strong middle-class. Commonpoint Queens' workforce programs aim to accommodate all members of NY-06's community no matter their ability level and provide them with positive short-term outcomes as well as the skills, both hard and soft, that they need to achieve long-term career success. Through occupational training and job placement, individuals are given the opportunity to reduce their risk of long-term economic hardship. Commonpoint Queens measures the success of its programs in three areas: credential attainment, internship placement, and job placement. Goals are measured by tracking enrollment, participation, and completion in the training program, and then collecting documentation relative to job placement and job retention milestones (i.e., Human Resources correspondence, paystubs). As part of Commonpoint Queens' assessment of program effectiveness, we monitor job retention at 90 days, 180 days, and one-year milestones and track increases in hourly wage over this period.
Project Name: Queens Chamber of Commerce Small Business Legal Desk Support Program
Proposed Recipient: Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens, Inc
Recipient Address: 75-20 Astoria Blvd, Suite 140, Jackson Heights, NY 11370
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Project Description: The Queens Chamber of Commerce Small Business Legal Desk support program will support immigrant and small businesses in NY-06 to keep growing and thriving, ultimately creating both economic mobility and jobs for residents of NY-06 through robust pro-bono legal support for businesses in the communities in NY-06. Taxpayer funds will be put to their highest and best use by keeping businesses financially viable, secure, and sound, impacting the overall economy, jobs base of NY-06. These pro-bono legal programs will ensure that businesses can avoid costly issues and mistakes that could impact the future of their business and their workforce, and potentially force further business closures or jobs reductions. Moreso, as the impacts of COVID-19 are still being felt in the NY-06 communities, the Queens Chamber of Commerce Small Business Legal Desk support program will set out to guide, advise, and offer support to bolster businesses and help them continue to remain viable during the program period. We aim to improve the overall tax base of the community and create greater economic impact through the retention of key jobs and services within NY-06.
Project Name: Queens Power
Proposed Recipient: 100 Suits
Recipient Address: 227-12A Merrick Road, Laurelton NY 11413
Requested Amount: $750,000
Project Description: The 100 Suits organization is a proven expert in violence prevention and youth engagement. 100 Suits has provided PPE, meals, covid tests, and vaccine information to hundreds of Queens residents, with a key focus on reaching seniors who were not able to care for themselves. As we recover as a community, it is crucial to provide resources so that Queens residents have an opportunity for equitable recovery. By supporting 100 Suits Community Funding project, our neighborhoods will get critical resources and ongoing services.
This project is a valid use of taxpayer funds because it will allow for a needs assessment and asset map of the community post covid. There is no deep impact report capturing the needs of Queens constituents, and 100 suits will be able to lead this work and assess and meet the needs of youth and families.
Project Name: DOROT Connections in Queens
Proposed Recipient: DOROT, Inc.
Recipient Address: 171 West 85 Street New York, NY 10024
Requested Amount: $541,210
Project Description: Expanding DOROT's remote program offerings to NY-06 will benefit constituents throughout the district and will be a wise long-term investment in the community. DOROT prides itself on being the gold standard for social enrichment and intergenerational programming and will provide programs of the highest excellence. DOROT is the 2017 recipient of the Eisner Prize, which recognizes the value of our intergenerational work. A key part of DOROT's mission is "providing an effective model for others." Currently, DOROT is guiding the New York State Office for the Aging as they implement a Friendly Calls program based on DOROT's Caring Calls model. In keeping with this collaboration, DOROT is known in New York City as the place to go for partnership, advice, and guidance on intergenerational programming. DOROT serves as a connector to other services, providing thousands of referrals each year to organizations that serve a complementary and vital role that is not met by its array of programs. Taxpayers will benefit from DOROT's large network of partners and resources. Further, addressing social isolation can reduce healthcare costs. According to a new study by AARP and Stanford University, researchers estimate that 14% of older adults enrolled in original Medicare — or 4 million people — have meager social networks. The federal health care program spends an average of $1,608 more a year for each older person who has limited social connections than for those who are more socially active, the study found. That translates into an estimated $6.7 billion in added Medicare spending each year. In addition, operational excellence is a hallmark of the organization.
DOROT manages its budget with the utmost integrity, allocating 82% of operating expenses to its programs annually to achieve maximum impact. DOROT's efficiency and effectiveness have been reviewed by a number of outside organizations, specifically:
Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity
Candid (formerly Guidestar and Foundation Center) Platinum Seal designation (the highest designation)
Charity Navigator Four Star designation (highest designation)
Generations United Program of Distinction
Points of Light Service Enterprise Certification DOROT also has active Finance, Investment, and Audit Committees that provide fiduciary oversight with regular meetings to review performance and reports in these areas. Members of our Evaluation and Impact Committee bring their expertise to strengthen the impact of our evaluation tools and provide analysis and insights.
Project Name: Empowering families out of poverty
Proposed Recipient: La Jornada LTD
Recipient Address: 133-36 Roosevelt Avenue Flushing NY 11354
Requested Amount: $250,000
Project Description: The upshot: Our results suggest that the costs to the U.S. associated with childhood poverty total about $500B per year, or the equivalent of nearly 4 percent of GDP. More specifically, we estimate that childhood poverty each year: Reduces productivity and economic output by about 1.3 percent of GDP Raises the costs of crime by 1.3 percent of GDP Raises health expenditures and reduces the value of health by 1.2 percent of GDP. If anything, these estimates almost certainly understate the true costs of poverty to the U.S. economy. For one thing, they omit the costs associated with poor adults who did not grow up poor as children. They ignore all other costs that poverty might impose on the nation besides those associated with low productivity, crime, and health—such as environmental costs and much of the suffering of the poor themselves For every child that we take out of poverty we will be saving a minimum of $100,000 a year every year from then on. If we invest 25,000 a family and we take 10 families out of poverty saving the government $3,000,000.00 every year from that day on.
Project Name: Therapeutic Wellness
Proposed Recipient: LIFE Camp INC
Recipient Address: 111-12 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11435
Requested Amount: $800,000
Project Description: New York's ecosystem relies on strong thriving, safe neighborhoods. Neighborhoods impacted by violence, poverty and substance abuse often also rely heavily on social services, and have higher rates of crime. When we invest in Therapeutic Wellness and preventative programs, that have a trauma informed framework and high cultural competency, our state is more sustainable, competitive, successful and equitable. An investment in Therapeutic Wellness services will increase community safety, life expectancy, quality of life and allow for trauma informed care and practices in neighborhoods in South East Queens who need and want these services. By funding therapeutic preventative strategies, taxpayers benefit from better quality of life.
Project Name: Robotic Assisted Surgery Program for Hip and Knee Replacement Procedures
Proposed Recipient: Long Island Jewish Forest Hills
Recipient Address: 102-01-66th Road, Forest Hills, NY, 11375
Requested Amount: $ 1,484,500
Project Description: This request is for Long Island Jewish Forest Hills to bring Robotic Assisted Orthopedic Surgery to the constituents of New York's 6th Congressional District. Robotic-assisted procedures allow for greater precision, can lead to shorter recovery times, and produce better results, ultimately saving healthcare costs. Long Island Jewish Forest Hills is a Joint Commission Disease Specific Advanced Accredited Institution for Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery. Its clinical team performs 200+ combined Total Hip and Total Knee Replacements on an annual basis. This technology will allow for Long Island Jewish to expand its capabilities to include Partial Knee Replacements as well. Data compiled by Carevoyance,Inc. suggests that a 80% of Queens residents requiring these joint replacements are leaving the borough of Queens to receive Robotic Assisted Surgery in Nassau County or Manhattan. Queens has the second-largest older adult population of any county in the state. This group has a disproportionately higher need for this type of care. Acquiring this technology is imperative to provide access to state-of-the-art orthopedic care right near their homes. This allows for more family and social support throughout the continuum of their care and recovery.
Project Name: Baby Product Program
Proposed Recipient: Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Recipient Address: 108-13 67th Road, Queens, NY 11375
Requested Amount: $2,000,000
Project Description: Of the pantries, we surveyed in NY-6, all of them either affirmatively required access to baby products or responded that they were unsure of the exact needs of their clients. No single pantry answered that they did not want access to at least one product included in our survey. This shows that pantries in this Rep. Meng's district require increased access to baby products, and Met Council is ready to provide these products utilizing the data we have collected to plan and pilot our baby product program.
Project Name: NYC H+H/Elmhurst Infectious Disease Clinic Renovation
Proposed Recipient: NYC H+H/Elmhurst
Recipient Address: 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Requested Amount: $4,000,000
Project Description: NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
Project Description: Infectious Diseases Clinic Renovation--The Infectious Disease Clinic at Elmhurst is a safe home for our community. We provide care, support and prevention services for often underserved and marginalized persons. We offer curative treatment for one of the largest cohorts of patients with tuberculosis in New York City. We also provide curative treatment for chronic Hepatitis C, which involves procuring costly medication, for patients regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, we have provided care for thousands of HIV-infected patients and their families. Our services include the primary care management, treatment and prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Our HIV clinic is locally and nationally recognized as a center of excellence. Our clinic population of over 1,400 persons consistently has a viral load suppression rate of over 94%, one of the highest in NYC, and well over the national average. The ability to continue these services, and offer additional services in a compassionate and welcoming manner to our community is central to our vision and commitment. Despite the excellent clinical care we provide, our clinic space itself is very old and looks very old. It is in dire need of repair, since the space is original to the building (1950's) and has never received any upgrades. This project will modernize the suite, bring the space up to current code and improve both the patient experience and clinical care-giving environment. This project will create a modern space for Infectious Disease patients where they can continue receiving high-quality care in an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
Project Name: Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Forest Hills Platform Extensions & Elevators project
Proposed Recipient: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA)
Recipient Address: Continental Avenue (71st Ave) & Austin Street, 2 blocks South of Queens Boulevard Queens, NY
Requested Amount: $7,000,000
Project Description: The project will address state of good repair needs and accessibility improvements at the Forest Hills station on the LIRR Main Line, including new elevators, extension of the platform length to accommodate 12-car trains, and other station improvements. The historic level of support Congress has recently provided towards public transportation and infrastructure has allowed the MTA to resume select work on deferred state of good repair and other projects included in our capital program.
Project Name: Colden for Queens
Proposed Recipient: Queens College
Recipient Address: 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $1,500,000
Project Description: An investment of these tax-payer funds will not only allow the borough's largest indoor venue (2100-seats) to be properly outfitted with the technical and production equipment required by major national and international artists, but will also enhance efforts to secure these artists to perform in the borough of Queens. Queens has one of the most diverse populations in the world, and in turn, a population eager to celebrate their cultural heritages through music, dance and theatrical presentations. To reduce the costs of presenting these artists, it is essential that the venue, in this case, Colden Auditorium, be properly equipped. If not, those using the space are forced to make very expensive rentals of production equipment on a per show basis which drives up the cost of presenting an artist, and in turn, raises the ticket prices for patrons wishing to attend. In some cases to such an extent that it prohibits audiences from attending. COLDEN FOR QUEENS is an initiative of Queens College to make its venue accessible, affordable and one that meets the technical and production expectations of local, national and international artists of renown. Each year over 250,000 people attend events in Colden Auditorium; the vast majority coming from the Borough of Queens. It is an opportunity for people from multiple cultures and heritages to gather together and have a sense of shared community in a local place off public assembly. Economically, providing the renovations will create increased usage and revenue for Colden Auditorium and in turn, expand audiences attending.
Project Name: Affordable Housing Services
Proposed Recipient: Churches United For Fair Housing, Inc (CUFFH)
Recipient Address: 7 Marcus Garvey Blvd. Brooklyn NY 11206
Requested Amount: $1,700,000
Project Description: This funding will support Churches United For Fair Housing (CUFFH)'s year round affordable housing services, which assist tenants and people experiencing homelessness access in NY-06 safe and affordable housing, as well as combat landlord harassment and displacement, and access a wide range of resources that help prevent and fight back against other threats to housing. New York City continues to face a housing crisis, only exacerbated by COVID-19. This project warrants federal funds because it supports a true and just recovery not only for our communities, but for the entire nation.
Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Member Requests
Appropriations Committee
Community Funding Project Requests
Congresswoman Grace Meng submitted the following 10 Community Funding Project requests to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Submission to the Committee does not guarantee a project will be funded. Information regarding which requests were selected for funding by the Committee will be announced as soon as it is available.
Project Name: Adult Education Services for Immigrants
Proposed Recipient: Make the Road NY
Recipient address: 92-10 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Requested Amount: $400,000
Project Description: Community Project Funding will enable Make the Road NY (MRNY) to provide high quality education services for immigrant communities in Queens, including for Queens adults from NY's Congressional District 6. This project will enable MRNY to conduct outreach and intake for 250+ new students who would benefit from high quality classes, receive skill level and needs assessment, and receive case management to other critical wraparound services offered by MRNY. This funding will also enable MRNY to expand civics course offerings at their community center in Queens, including adding two new civics courses per week to provide civics instructions for 195 students annually. It will also complete necessary funding to provide three English Language Acquisition courses per week that will reach 140 students annually. Through this project MRNY will also train and support 30+ volunteers who will provide additional one-on-one, and in-classroom, support to students to ensure their success.
This funding will serve neighborhoods in NY-06 where poverty, unemployment, and low levels of formal education and English proficiency are key barriers to economic stability. Students will access better career opportunities and advance their language, literacy, and digital literacy skills to enable them to participate more fully in civic life.
This investment of taxpayer funds will create opportunities for economic advancement for immigrants in the district considered an epicenter of New York City's COVID-19 crisis, suffering on the front lines of the health and economic crisis. This program will direct taxpayer support to provide much needed services to a community with intense need for literacy services and workforce development.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: CUNY Queens College, WETLAB
Proposed Recipient: Queens College, The City of New York
Recipient Address: 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $1,850,000
Project Description: To establish a Wastewater Epidemiology Training Laboratory (WETLAB) at Queens College of the City University of New York to develop simple, cost-effective, and robust strategies for detecting the presence of dangerous pathogens in wastewater, including coronaviruses, noroviruses, and Cholera, while training students of diverse backgrounds to participate in high level research activities. The request is for health facilities capital equipment to support these projects
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Nutrition and Emotional Wellness Programs
Proposed Recipient: Selfhelp Community Services
Recipient Address: 520 Eight Ave, New York, NY 10018
Requested Amount: $15,000
Project Description: Requesting to support a nutritionist and emotional wellness instructor to provide weekly classes to 1,034 residents across six senior affordable housing residences located in Flushing. COVID highlighted the importance of emotional wellness, especially among older adults who are more prone to social isolation. Through our program, we will enhance the nutritional education and emotional wellness programming for the older adults who reside in Selfhelp's affordable housing residences in the district.
Onsite access to educational and health programs help seniors manage their chronic health issues and live independently at home. According to recent research, older adults with access to Selfhelp's Active Services for Aging Model (SHASAM) were healthier than their neighbors who did not have access to SHASAM. Among our findings, residents in Selfhelp's housing had:
The odds of a Selfhelp resident being hospitalized were approximately 68% lower than for the comparison group of older adults in the same zip codes as Selfhelp's buildings.
The average Medicaid payment per person, per hospitalization, was $1,778 for Selfhelp residents, versus $5,715 for the comparison group. The average Medicaid payment per Selfhelp resident per ER visit, was $49, compared to $99 for the comparison group.
The odds of visiting the emergency room were 53% lower than the odds of a non-Selfhelp resident doing so.
An investment in SHASAM services is an investment in the health of the residents and an opportunity to keep them healthy at home.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst Delivery Unit
Proposed Recipient: NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst Hospital
Recipient Address: 79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373
Requested Amount: $3,000,000
Project Description: Elmhurst hospital requests $3 million towards the renovation of its Obstetrical Inpatient facilities in order to provide a more modern, safe, and comfortable family-centered environment, one which meets current privacy standards. There will be two basic enhancements to their Obstetric Suite: privacy and comfort. When giving birth, privacy leads to a quieter environment which promotes recovery; it provides for better infection control; it is better for bonding between moms/parents and their babies. Healthy breastfeeding is fostered in single rooms. A patient and family centered environment leads to increased patient satisfaction and better health outcomes. It is imperative to provide equitable maternal care to the working class and immigrant communities surrounding Elmhurst hospital.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: New York City Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst Transcranial Magnetic Therapy Suite
Proposed Recipient: New York City Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst
Recipient Address: 79-01 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373
Requested Amount: $800,000
Project Description: H+H/Elmhurst is the busiest hospital in Queens and was the national epicenter of the first surge (Spring 2020) of COVID-19. H+H/Elmhurst is located in a crowded community with many health disparities.
This funding will allow the construction and equipping of a new Transcranial Magnetic Therapy Suite (TMS) on hospital unit D10, a Behavioral Health unit. TMS is an FDA-approved treatment for seriously depressed patients, used when other treatment modalities have failed. It is both less invasive and more successful in treating these patients than the alternative, Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT).
Depression has a high prevalence in our heavily immigrant, low income and mostly non-white patient base. The treatment-resistant patients who are prime candidates for TMS are also at a high risk of suicide. Due to health care disparities that exist for lower social economic groups, immigrants, and the undocumented, untreated depression is common in our clientele. Further, there often is a cultural stigmatization of depression in these groups. This treatment helps normalize the disease and its treatment. TMS is usually offered in clinics for well insured and wealthy out-of-pocket paying patients. Our patients would not normally have access to this treatment.
In summary, this funding will benefit public health in the community and strengthen the Behavioral Health practice in the largest public hospital in Queens, NY.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Ohel Kissena Blvd Residence Rehabilitation Project
Proposed Recipient: Ohel Children's Home and Family Services
Recipient Address: 71-40 Kissena Boulevard in Flushing, NY 11367
Requested Amount: $233,000
Project Description: Requesting $233,000 to upgrade and improve the bathroom and kitchen facilities at Ohel's residence for the developmentally disabled (all of whom are constituents of NY-06).
The home is a NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) licensed residence which opened in 1978. It is home to ten men with severe developmental and intellectual disabilities. Many of the men also have a host of medical conditions that require extensive medical involvement. The residence provides 24/7 staff coverage, including direct care staff, nurse, psychologist, and other support staff to provide a full range of daily living skills training, medical care and support to the clients.
A number of the clients have lived in the home for several decades. This project will allow the current residents to remain in the home and continue to "age in place." Ohel has been working in this field since 1969 with the goal of ensuring that people with disabilities live in dignity and respect, and are given the skills necessary to reach their full potential. There is currently a need to upgrade and modify the home's bathroom and kitchen facilities. The bathrooms do not allow for the clients to easily perform basic self-care functions and as the resident ages, it will become more difficult for them to safely ambulate the bathroom facilities. The likely alternative, which Ohel tries to avoid, is transferring the clients to a nursing home facility which is not likely to be properly equipped or trained to meet the special needs of these clients.
Due to extensive wear and tear, the residence's two kitchens and kitchenette are in need of new cabinets and further modernization, as they are in a state of disrepair. These kitchens are a key part of Ohel's skill building work, and the clients at the home spend a fair amount of time in the kitchen — helping with meal preparation and gaining independent living skills. The kitchens are a key component of Ohel's services as this home. Upgrades to the kitchen facilities at this residence will allow Ohel to continue to continue providing vitally important life training skills to the home's residents.
Project Name: NYC Health and Hospitals/Queens Hospital Outpatient Dialysis Center
Proposed Recipient: NYC Health and Hospitals/Queens Hospital
Recipient Address: 82-68 164th St., Jamaica, NY 11432
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Project Description: This project will renovate existing hospital space (retired swimming pool room) to build an Outpatient Dialysis Center. The Outpatient Dialysis Center would serve a significant medical need in the community given the high volume of patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (Chronic Kidney Disease Level 4) (CKD4), who ultimately need access to chronic renal dialysis (offered by the center) and further support those patients in need of a kidney transplant. ESRD is a primary complication of diabetes, which is a significant healthcare concern in the community. Current estimates demonstrate that on an on-going bases, 120 active dialysis patients would be served by the center, drawn from a clinically qualified pool of 350 to 500 patients which are known to the facility and belonging to a hospital base of approximately 5,000 diabetes clinic patients.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the forefront the disparities that exist for the patients served by Queens Hospital, which require us to continue to bridge this gap by creating better access to services so that patients can receive the right care, at the right place, at the right time, all of the time. In addition to providing significantly complicated medical interventions to an at-risk patient population, at a reduced cost based on economy of scale and preferential purchasing power, the creation of this center would provide cutting-edge clinical interventions with improved clinical outcomes. Also, this approach would further support improved outcomes with less risk for adverse events. The management of diabetes complications is complex and requires additional skills best offered by such a center of care. This proposal would allow Queens Hospital to close the gap in delivering services and address disparities in healthcare access, and provide quality, needed care to its patient population.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Flushing Meadows Corona Park: A Hub for Climate Resilience
Proposed Recipient: Waterfront Alliance
Recipient Address: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens 11354
Requested Amount: $530,322
Project Description: Flushing Meadows Corona Park serves as critical infrastructure, providing space for recreation, reflection, and refuge from urban heat. And yet, the park faces tremendous challenges due to climate change. Receiving much stormwater from surrounding neighborhoods, the park was ranked "most-flooded" by the Center for an Urban Future and faces permanent inundation in some areas by 2080 due to sea level rise.
That is why the Flushing Meadows Corona Park: A Hub for Climate Resilience project will support the development of community-based resiliency projects to close the gap for a neighborhood that has not received sufficient resources to combat the risks faced from climate change. Community-based education and engagement around climate risks would provide a platform for addressing these issues locally through 1) an assessment and awareness-building effort focused on local climate risks, particularly to Flushing Meadows Corona Park as a valued community resource; 2) potential strategies to address these risks; and 3) power-building to advocate for resources to advance these strategies. This work could also serve as a pilot for more comprehensive resiliency planning that will allow for long-term and more permanent implementation of climate change resilience projects in historically disinvested neighborhoods.
Thus, the project will raise public awareness about climate risks & better position it to receive city, state, & federal funding for resiliency projects. Final deliverables will include community climate-awareness sessions with a focus on Flushing Meadows Corona Park, & identification of potential resiliency projects.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Women's Imaging Suite
Proposed Recipient: Flushing Hospital and Medical Center
Recipient Address: 4500 Parson Blvd, Flushing, NY 11355
Requested Amount: $750,000
Project Description: The purpose of this project is to construct a new Women's Imaging Suite at Flushing Hospital and Medical Center that offers women in our community an easily accessible, state-of-art facility with imaging equipment to help promote early cancer detection and other diagnostic services that are essential to the promotion and preservation of women's healthcare in our community. The new suite will include imaging equipment such as 3D digital mammograms, computer-assisted detection, stereotactic core biopsies, bone density, and high-resolution ultrasound exams, provided all in a private setting. Flushing Hospital and Medical Center has already secured funding to cover the cost of the equipment but is requesting $750,000 in federal funding to cover the costs related to constructing this new space.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: YMCA of Greater New York – Flushing & Ridgewood Branches
Proposed Recipient: YMCA of Greater New York Flushing and Ridgewood Branches
Recipient Address: 138-46 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11354 and 69-02 64th St, Queens, NY 11385
Requested Amount: $1,000,000
Project Description: This project will serve to enhance youth and community development programs at two YMCA locations, one in Flushing, and the other in Ridgewood. Over the course of the upcoming federal fiscal year, this funding will enable the Y to continue to provide time-tested youth development programs catered to school age youth, such as after school care, aquatics and water safety, youth sports, drop-in teen center and youth employment and career readiness programs. Additionally, YMCA programs and facilities serve as community economic development engines offering employment opportunities to local community members and providing childcare to working parents. Families that participate in youth programs have the benefit of a safe nurturing environment which enables the adults in the family to remain or to re-engage in the workforce.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Member Designated Project Requests
Congresswoman Grace Meng submitted the following Member Designated Project requests to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for inclusion in the federal surface transportation reauthorization bill. Submission to the Committee does not guarantee a project will be funded. Information regarding which requests were selected for funding by the Committee will be announced as soon as it is available. Projects are listed alphabetically.
Project Name: ADA Forest Hills Platform Extensions & Elevators
Project Sponsor: MTA- Long Island Railroad
Project Location: 71st Ave & Austin St, Queens, NY 11375
Amount Requested: $17,000,000
Project Summary: This project will address the repair needs at the Forest Hills LIRR Station, including replacement of deteriorated platforms. The project will also provide full ADA access for the station. Accessibility improvements include new elevators and an extension of the platform length to 12 cars, along with other station improvements.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: Level 2 Electric Charging Network in NYCDOT Municipal Parking Facilities
Project Sponsor: NYC Department of Transportation
Project Location:
1. Flushing #2 Parking field 135-23 39th Avenue, Flushing, Queens 11354
2. Flushing #4 Parking field 134 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, Queens 11354
3. Bayside Parking field 214-32 41St Avenue, Bayside, Queens 11361
Amount Requested: $734,400
Project Summary: This project will install electric vehicle charging stations in 3 municipal parking lots. The level 2 chargers provide about 7kW of power per hour. This would add about 25 miles of range to a typical sedan for each hour it is plugged in.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).
Project Name: NYCDOT Union Turnpike Median Restoration
Project Sponsor: NYC Department of Transportation
Project Location: Union Turnpike from Hollis Court Boulevard to 226th Street, Oakland Gardens, New York.
Amount Requested: $2,355,200
Project Summary: This project will restore the center medians on Union Turnpike from Hollis Court Boulevard to 226th Street to a state of good repair. The current medians are in severe disrepair and need to be fully reconstructed. The project will also make accessibility and geometric improvements where needed.
Statement of No Financial Interest (Certification).