FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Kristia Winter
718-629-2900 / KWinter@council.nyc.gov

NEW YORK, NY — Council Member Farah N. Louis (D-Brooklyn), a member of the Council Committee on Youth Services, issued the following statement after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced budget cuts to the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).

STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBER LOUIS

“Amid a health and economic crisis, New Yorkers are in need of access to vital services and opportunities. The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) has been instrumental in providing youth opportunities for generations – particularly in communities of color needing economic support. Given the uncertainty of the timeline when our City can resume its normal operations, we must ensure that we do not leave our youth behind as the general adult workforce returns.

“SYEP helps to engage youth through positive mentorship, while empowering them to gain a sense of independence through financial literacy, job readiness, and career development. We must ensure that funding remains intact to provide our youth with gainful employment. In addition to this, SYEP increases employment opportunities for youth at-risk of perpetuating or being victimized by community violence. The proposed cuts would be detrimental to our City’s economy and would result in a large number of youth with idle time, engaging in activities that could negatively impact their future. 

“While we understand the redistribution of fiscal resources to facilitate our City’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), it should not be at the expense of our youth and organizations that depend on them for their seasonal services. I stand in solidarity with the families who now more than ever need our help to close financial gaps caused by shuttered businesses and loss of employment.

“I urge the Mayor and his administration to reconsider the elimination of SYEP, while bailing out other industries, let us not forget to provide stimulus relief to the youth workforce. We must find alternative ways or solutions to preserve existing funding or minimize the projected cuts, which would adversely impact our youth and the City of New York.”

New York City Council Member Farah N. Louis represents the 45th Council District, which is comprised of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Marine Park, Flatlands, & Kensington in Brooklyn, NY. She is a member of the committees on Civil Service and Labor; Economic Development; Education; Finance; Housing and Buildings; Youth Services; and Justice System. Council Member Louis is the Co-Chair of the Women’s Caucus and Vice Co-Chair of the Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus.

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