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

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh statement on Common Council approval of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) pandemic relief for neighborhood services:

“The next round of investments in our ARPA pandemic relief strategy approved by the Common Council today will make Syracuse neighborhoods stronger.  We will direct $500,000 to support a Neighborhood-based Community Center Improvement Program to help our community centers, which have been providing vital services to residents throughout the pandemic. These sites are welcoming places that assist our most vulnerable neighbors, especially children, seniors and families. We will also use $261,000 in ARPA funds to conduct a comprehensive study on housing market conditions in the city. COVID-19 exposed serious housing challenges in our community, and the study will help plan our next steps to improve the health and sustainability of Syracuse neighborhoods. With ARPA funding, we will also spend $195,000 to purchase 3,200 trash and recycling carts to be used for a pilot project on semi-automated sanitation pickup. That 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 put pandemic relief to work.”