By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-866749.mp3
Albany, NY – Despite these economic hard times, a flow of federal money is keeping Capital Region programs and projects afloat: Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
In Troy, the state has been able to redirect 845-thousand dollars in federal homelessness prevention money earmarked to be split between Unity House and St. Joseph's House and Shelter, money that Mayor Harry Tutunjian had rejected. ... The rejection came at a time when the city council was looking to trim the payroll: a spokesman for Mayor Harry Tutunjian said accepting the stimulus money at the time would have resulted in the need to ADD a person to the payroll. By redirecting the money through the state, it will now reach those it was intended to help without punching a hole in the city budget. The money goes out to landlords to pay back rent; utility companies to help residents catch up on bills so they won't face loss of service during the colder months ahead; it provides short-term rental subsidies for people who have lost their jobs.
Six Million dollars in federal funding has landed in the coffers of Albany schools, part of it being used to start a gang-prevention program directed toward elementary schollchildren. School officials have said this is gang recruiting season and the program represents an effort to reach kids before they make any bad decisions.
Another 6-Million dollars in stimulus funding goes to the Port of Albany to replace the last section of its 80-year old wharf... not as much money as port officials had sought, but they say they'll work with it, noting that the recession is having an impact on shipping. September's cargo weighed in at less than half as much as what passed thru the port one year ago.