Mayor Walsh Says ARPA Investments in Community Centers, Housing Study and Sanitation Will Make Neighborhoods Stronger – Our City

Statement from Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on the Joint Pandemic Assistance Board’s approval of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for neighborhood services:

“The next round of investments in our ARPA Pandemic Relief Strategy approved by the Common Council today will strengthen the neighborhoods of Syracuse. We will allocate $500,000 to support a neighborhood community center enhancement program to help our community centers, which have provided vital services to residents throughout the pandemic. These sites are places of welcome that come to the aid of our most vulnerable neighbours, in particular children, the elderly and families. We will also use $261,000 in ARPA funds to conduct an in-depth study of housing market conditions in the city. COVID-19 has revealed serious housing issues in our community, and the study will help plan our next steps to improve the health and sustainability of neighborhoods in Syracuse. With ARPA funding, we will also spend $195,000 to purchase 3,200 garbage and recycling carts that will be used for a semi-automated sanitation pickup pilot project. This program, if successful, will make our neighborhoods cleaner, help our workers and improve public works operations. I thank the Council for its work in continuing to help us implement pandemic relief. »