NYC Gazette

New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) requested $2,175,000 in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to create the Henry Street Settlement Multigenerational Community Center. The funding would be used to renovate the New York City Landmark site at 281 East Broadway into a modern and multipurpose community space, which would allow Henry Street Settlement to offer expanded programming to the Lower East Side Community. Henry Street’s Lower East Side community is characterized by striking levels of income inequality with nearly 25 percent of families living below the federal poverty line.

“Henry Street Settlement is a fixture in the Lower East Side community, and I am proud to support their work to meet our neighbors’ needs,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “With longstanding partnerships within the community, Henry Street Settlement is uniquely able to address the growing needs of low-income families on the Lower East Side, from job training to childcare and so much more Community spaces like the Henry Street Settlement are vital as we aim to uplift every family in New York.”

David Garza, Henry Street Settlement President and CEO said, “Henry Street Settlement, among New York’s oldest and largest social services agencies, is deeply grateful to the office of Congressman Dan Goldman for supporting and advocating for our uniquely meaningful capital project to the Appropriations Committee. The project, which involves the renovation of one of our oldest sites will enable us to address some of the most pressing matters facing our Lower East Side Community and the city at large in the wake of the pandemic and related economic disruption. The renovation of a community center located in the heart of a neighborhood with profound economic, educational, and social need will enable our agency to respond holistically to a confluence of issues, youth employment preparation and support, and other safe and supportive programming to allow the next generation to flourish and reach their full potential.”

Henry Street’s proposed project will transform their property on 281 East Broadway into a multipurpose, intergenerational community center that will directly address many of the challenges facing Lower East Side residents today, including a lack of community centers/recreational spaces, unemployment, poverty, and a rise in crime.

Restorations to the landmark site would include the exterior façade, the flooring, paint, wall covering, light fixtures, and a staircase renovation.

The proposed community center will include private rooms for counseling and case management assistance, a computer lab, a recreational and gaming area, an arts and sound studio, an open multipurpose space forcommunity events, classrooms, and staff offices. The community center will also be retrofitted with a security system and updated telecommunications infrastructure.

Once opened, the new Multigenerational Community Center will serve as a “third place,” a place that is not work or home, for the Lower East Side. They plan to create a safe, inclusive, and nonjudgmental space for residents to be able to gather and access Henry Street Settlement’s staff and programs. 

Original source can be found here.