ASSEMBLYWOMAN LATOYA JOYNER: ASSEMBLY’S ‘FAMILIES FIRST’ BUDGET PROPOSAL WILL HELP THE BRONX AND NEW YORK CITY

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BRONX, N.Y. – Assemblywoman Latoya Joyner (D-Bronx, 77th AD) announced the introduction of the New York State Assembly’s “Families First” state budget proposal. The measure is expected to increase funding for education, expand access to affordable housing, create jobs and help ensure financial security for all Bronxites and New Yorkers by raising the minimum wage and preserving integral family programs. The state budget proposal will:

• Allocate a total of $23.95 billion in education funding, an increase of $1.8 billion for the 2015-16 school year. This proposed plan also restores $456 million based on district needs, which will help to address student enrollment growth and specifically target English-language learners.
• Provide $645.2 million for housing and community development programs, allotting $310.4 million for repair and rehabilitation programs. This includes $125 million for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Capital Repairs, and $110 million for Mitchell-Lama Repair and Revitalization.
• Increase the minimum wage for New York City to $12.50 per hour and the statewide minimum wage to $10.50 per hour starting Dec. 31, 2016. By the end of 2018, the New York City minimum wage will increase to $15.00 per hour and the statewide minimum wage will reach $12.60 per hour.
• Preserve vital family programs by restoring $30.9 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) aid that was eliminated under the governor’s budget proposal.
• Make the DREAM Act a reality, which would allow children of immigrants the opportunity to apply for a variety of state tuition-assistance programs to help them realize a college education.

“In the Bronx and New York City, hardworking families are faced with the financial burdens of finding and maintaining an affordable place to live, obtaining a fair wage and ensuring access to vital educational and family assistance opportunities,” said Assemblywoman Joyner. “With these proposed budget measures, we can limit the uphill financial battle that so many families endure on a daily basis. Our community is only as strong as the families and residents that help to support it, and this budget proposal will help these families – the backbone of my district, the Bronx and New York City.”

For more information, please contact Jamie Gilkey at (518) 455-5671 or Mike Giardina at (212) 312-1498.

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