ft. DJ Swiggle aka DJ Paul
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5th
5:00PM-7:00PM
Arbor Hill Elementary
1 ARBOR DRIVE, ALBANY
Free food, giveaways, health screenings, flu shots, and fun for all ages!
$5 coupon to Capital Roots’ Veggie Mobile® Sprout to the first 150 families.
Capital Region BOCES will be hosting the annual Albany Literacy Zone Fall Career Fair at the West Hill / Arbor Hill Literacy Zone (388 Clinton Ave., Albany, NY 12206) on Tuesday, November 19 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. The fair will feature a collection of employers looking to tap into the men and women of West Hill, Arbor Hill, and the South End. In addition to creating an environment for community members to make these positive connections, we will have all three of our case managers on site to assist with the hiring process. They will be holding small group breakout sessions for any interested participants in resume creation/tuning, filling out applications, and also holding mock interviews to help further build skills.
Phase II of Project Creates 76 Modern Homes in Arbor Hill Neighborhood
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the $26.8 million second phase of the Ida Yarbrough Homes Redevelopment initiative is complete, with 76 apartments now available for families with a mix of income levels. The new development, officially known as 280 North, involved the demolition of a portion of the outdated Ida Yarbrough public housing complex, replacing it with modern affordable homes for families and continuing the revitalization of the Arbor Hill neighborhood.
“As Albany and the Arbor Hill neighborhood continue their resurgence, it is critical that we create new affordable housing to ensure that all residents can share in the renewal efforts,” Governor Cuomo said.”With the addition of these new affordable apartments, we are committed to building a more vibrant and economically diverse downtown Albany.”
“The Ida Yarbrough Homes Redevelopment in Albany will be a significant boost for the Arbor Hill neighborhood, adding modern housing options for local families,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.”This project continues revitalization efforts in the community, adding new housing stock and enhancing quality of life in the area. The investment is part of our $20 billion, five-year housing plan to add and preserve affordable housing to ensure all New Yorkers have a great place to call home.”
The Ida Yarbrough Homes Redevelopment is part of the Governor’s commitment to provide all New Yorkers with access to safe, affordable housing through his unprecedented $20 billion, five-year housing plan to build or preserve more than 100,000 affordable homes and 6,000 homes with supportive services. The plan is a comprehensive approach to statewide housing issues that includes multi-family and single-family housing and community development initiatives to make housing accessible and combat homelessness. Since 2011, New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has financed the creation or preservation of more than 4,700 affordable multifamily homes in Capital Region with nearly 1,900 homes in the city of Albany, made possible with more than $130 million in HCR resources.
The 280 North project includes two components at the corner of North Pearl Street and Lark Drive – a seven-story multifamily building with 62 apartments and a three-story building with ten apartments. The complex also includes two duplexes at 531 Lark Street. There are 12 units set aside for homeless families and an additional 12 will be accessible and fully adapted for those living with mobility, vision and hearing disabilities.
The project is designed to accommodate large families with a mix of one, two, three, four, and five-bedroom apartments. The development was built to Enterprise Green Communities and ENERGY STAR standards, and boasts ample green space including a community garden and a playground made with reclaimed and recycled materials. Among the amenities for 280 North tenants is access to both on-street and off-street parking, and proximity to public transportation. In addition, an on-site fitness center equipped with cardiovascular machines and weight training equipment is available to tenants free of charge through Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP).
The original Ida Yarbrough Homes were built in the 1970s and managed by the Albany Housing Authority (AHA). By demolishing the pre-existing and obsolete buildings, the AHA reconfigured the property to add more units and allowing for more green space and recreational use.
When complete, the four-phase project will include 335 apartments and up six to eight homeownership opportunities for families. The third phase recently received a $200,000 award as part of Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, announced in July to develop up to 10 new home ownership units at Ida Yarbrough Homes.
The state’s investment in Ida Yarbrough joins developments such as Sheridan Hollow Village and Academy Lofts that are supporting the city’s strategic plan for Arbor Hill—transforming vacant structures, injecting new energy into the community, and improving housing options and quality of life.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal provided federal and state Low-Income Housing Credits that generated $18 million in equity an additional $2 million in subsidy. HCR funds leveraged a $3.2 million investment from Key Bank, $1.1 million from the Albany Housing Authority, and additional funding from the LISC Housing Stabilization Fund and the City of Albany.
Commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal RuthAnne Visnauskas said,”The transformation taking hold here is nothing short of remarkable. In the short space of three years, we’ve brought more than 160 new apartments online to help anchor and improve this newly emerging Arbor Hill neighborhood. And true to Governor Cuomo’s conviction that affordable housing should encourage diversity, opportunity and inclusion, 280 North is deeply affordable and wonderfully configured for large households – a place to put down roots and grow.”
Senator Neil Breslin said,”This affordable housing development will help further transform Albany’s growing Arbor Square neighborhood. Along the varying types of apartments there is also ample green space, a community garden and access to numerous amenities nearby. I applaud the New York State Homes and Community Renewal for their efforts in helping to make our communities a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Assembly Member John T. McDonald III said,”I am excited to see the completion of the 280 North affordable housing development in Albany’s Arbor Square neighborhood. I appreciate the ongoing support of New York State Homes and Community Renewal and Governor Cuomo on this project. Albany continues to see major investments for affordable housing options for our residents throughout the city and this funding is an example of how to utilize public funds for a public purpose.”
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said,”I commend the Albany Housing Authority for their commitment to replacing existing, outmoded public housing with new, affordable units for residents. This new housing development will help to foster the Arbor Square neighborhood’s sense of community with a new garden and playground, and provide residents with modern and affordable living.”
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said,”Affordable housing is an integral component of vibrant communities. The completion of the Ida Yarbrough Homes Phase II redevelopment initiative ensures state-of-the-art housing will be available to low- and moderate-income individuals and families for years to come. Thank you to the Albany Housing Authority and Governor Cuomo for their commitment to enhancing affordable housing in New York’s Capital City.”
Albany Housing Authority Executive Director Steve Longo said, “The Albany Housing Authority is proud to continue with the redevelopment of Ida Yarbrough, having finished Phase I last year, and now turning the keys over to new residents of Phase II, the stunning and energy efficient 280 North building. We may be designated as the primary developer of this project, but efforts like these are the result of collaboration among many partners within the private sector, city of Albany, New York state, and federal agencies. We are also excited to have our redevelopment efforts in concert with multiple recent neighborhood investments and developments from The Proctors Collaborative, Albany Distillery and Death Wish Coffee. We look forward to moving on to Phase III and Phase IV as part of the multi-year integrated Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan.”
Jolie Milstein, President and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing said,”We are thrilled to see initiatives like 280 North expand affordable housing opportunities to Albany residents. This development is an exceptional example of mixed-income housing for low- and moderate-income families, including housing set aside for the formerly homeless. The project represents yet another example of how the combined efforts from HCR and Governor Cuomo can expand affordable housing, and this partnership should serve as a model for projects across other states in addressing the national housing crisis head-on.”
The Proctors Collaborative CEO Philip Morris said, “The Albany Housing Authority has made the redevelopment of the Ida Yarbrough housing and neighborhood a priority for a number of years. The results are coming in quickly now with hundreds of market rate, as well as affordable housing options, new attractions like Albany Distilling and Death Wish coffee, and the new complex for Capital Repertory Theatre. Looks like a home run!”
Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan President and CEO Dr. John D. Bennett said, “Founded by physicians, CDPHP understands the role that physical fitness plays on a person’s overall health. We are thrilled to partner with the Albany Housing Authority on the opening of our latest Fitness Connect location, located inside 280 North, providing residents with a free and convenient place to work out.”
KeyBank, Capital Region President Ruth Mahoney said, “This project is an example of KeyBank’s community development lending commitment and focus to help people thrive across upstate New York. Through these new housing units and the education and resources AHA provides to people of all backgrounds, AHA is doing important work in the effort to tackle the affordable housing issue in our region. KeyBank is proud to be a partner.”
Phase One of the Ida Yarbrough Homes Redevelopment was completed in 2017 and included 11 newly constructed buildings with 61 townhomes and garden apartments. Located at 270 North Pearl Street, the complex features 17 two-bedroom homes; 22 three-bedroom homes; 19 four-bedroom homes and three five-bedroom homes. Ten units have been set aside for formerly homeless families. Phase One construction began in July 2016 and involved the demolition of five of the original Ida Yarbrough Homes low-rise buildings. All of the new homes are occupied.
Photo Credit: Times Union
Youth FX
25 Warren Street,
Albany, NY 12202
South End Improvement Corporation — open houses!
So You Want to Be a Homeowner!
Join South End Improvement Corporation for TWO Open Houses:
Sunday, September 22nd, 2019
11AM to 12PM at 32 Libel St, Albany, NY 12202
12:30PM to 1:30PM at 61 Holmes Ct, Albany, NY 12209
SEIC is offering these two highly affordable homes, for income qualified buyers….Didn’t think you could qualify to purchase a home? Think Again!!
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A qualified Candidate is any resident of AHA or Section 8 recipient for at least 30 days prior to election, is 18 years of age or older, and is in good standing as a resident
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Just get 50 Signatures from fellow residents of AHA or Section 8 to secure a nomination-and, don’t worry, you will receive training and support once elected to the board
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Candidates interested in running must attend one informational meeting
Click the Above Image for a Printable Flyer!
Townsend (45 Central Avenue) October 8, 2019 1pm-2pm
Westview (680 Central Avenue) October 9, 2019 1pm-2pm
Ida Yarbrough (260 North Pearl Street) October 10, 2019 6pm-7pm
Deadline to file Petitions and Candidate Statements with a Development Manager or at the Main Office Reception Desk, 200 South Pearl Street October 23, 2019
Ballots to be mailed to all eligible voters by November 4, 2019 (Sample Ballots will be posted in Development Offices)
Main Office November 13, 2019 6pm-7pm
All marked ballots must be postmarked by December 6, 2019
Ballots will be opened, counted, and results announced at Ida Yarbrough December 13, 2019 2pm
Winning Candidates will take Office January 1, 2020
Click the above image for the Printable Flyer!
Free Carnival Games, Sports Activities, Prizes, and Food
Free Huck Finn Playland tickets to the first 100 children 12 and under with a Completed Law Enforcement Passport!
Join Your Friends and Neighbors and Meet Representatives from the FBI; NY State Police;
Us Attorney’s Office, Northern District;
Albany County Sheriff’s Office;
Albany Police Department;
A. C. District Attorney’s Office
U Of Albany Police Department
Once again, Capital Region BOCES is teaming up Albany Can Code to offer its Front End Web Development course! Starting September 17th, the course will be held on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 5:30pm-8:30pm at the Capital South Campus Center. The tuition is $1,650 and financial is available for veterans and individuals who are income-eligible. Interested candidates can call 518-238-6808 and applications are being accepted online at https://albanycancode.org/
Please share with anyone you think would be interested in attending. Seating is limited!!!
Sonic hiring staff, including store and district managers, were on site for three days of hiring at The WAGE Center in July. After 175 interviews, 49 people were hired on site at The WAGE Center. This included Housing Authority Resi-dents and Housing Choice Voucher recipi-ents who now have new jobs to look for-ward to when the brand new Albany Sonic opens later this summer.
Community partners referred can-didates to the hiring sessions at the WAGE Center where they were interviewed at up to three times in one day, some resulting in an offer being made on the spot.
The Southend of Albany and the Mt. Hope neighborhood are in close prox-imity to the new the new restaurant and plaza being constructed on Southern Boulevard. Sonic offers accessible job opportunities to residents with the Route 7 CDTA bus planning stops at the Mt. Hope Commons and the easy walking distance from the Mt. Hope neighborhood.
Very positive responses to the three day hiring event at The WAGE Center were expressed by employment candidates and hiring staff from Sonic. As the new restaurant continues construction, more candidates will be hired. Orientation will oc-cur in August prior to the store opening.
According to one long-time homeowner in the Mt. Hope neighborhood (and new Sonic employee), the addition of Sonic and the Mt. Hope Commons project is welcome not only for jobs, but also in terms of offering dining and other services to residents.
Hiring will be ongoing until the restaurant is fully staffed. For assistance with accessing online applications, job seekers are encouraged to visit The WAGE Center at 200 Green Street. Or, applicants can also apply directly on the Sonic website at: sonicdrivein.com
The WAGE Center looks forward to maintaining a positive working relation-ship with Sonic in order to maximize the opportunity for local residents to gain em-ployment. For more information please call The WAGE Center at: 518-380-5600.
We Cordially Invite
Our Parents, Community, Friends, and Fans
Skillastics Showcase
Wednesday, AUGUST 7, 2019 At 5:30 p.m.
(Yes, next wednesday!)
Location: Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area, Albany Branch
21 Delaware Avenue, Albany NY
Application Deadline for Police Officers Quickly Approaching
Statement from the Office of the Mayor Regarding Arbor Hill Park
ALBANY, NY – “At a community meeting tonight, a resident claimed that the City is closing Arbor Hill Park. We want to state unequivocally that this is untrue. The park is open and the City is fully funding a youth basketball program and other youth camps being held at the park. The City also has been working to accommodate the adult men’s Arbor Hill softball league even though the league only provided its full schedule to the City today. After investing more than $700,000 in improvements to the park, the Sheehan administration remains committed to supporting the Arbor Hill sports complex.”
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* * NEWS RELEASE * *
City of Albany Launches New Mapping Tool to Highlight Summer Programs
ALBANY, NY – Earlier today, Mayor Kathy Sheehan kicked off “Summertime in Albany,” highlighting the numerous recreational offerings available throughout the City of Albany this summer.
New this year, the City of Albany has developed a comprehensive map of summer programs for young people in the City that includes summer programs sponsored and organized by the City of Albany and various community-based organizations. These organizations include the City School District of Albany, Albany Public Library, Albany JCC, JMU 4 Kids, Sage, PAL, CapRep, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, St. Rose, Capital Milestones, Club Fed Child Care Center, Center Square School, the Institute of History & Art, and the House of Hoops. The map also highlights where summer meal sites can be found.
This new map gives residents an easy-to-use tool to sort programs by location, type, age limit, cost, and whether free meals are included, and is available by visiting http://bit.ly/SummerProgramMap, on our homepage at www.albanyny.gov, and on our social media pages.
“Our goal each year is to create healthy and fun summer opportunities for every young person in our City, and we’ve made those opportunities easier to find with this new map,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “We are excited that the City’s pools are about to open for the season, and hope that all of our residents utilize the dozens of recreational facilities the City offers, including playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, handball courts, swimming pools, baseball and softball fields, spray pads, roller skating rinks, and community centers.”
If you provide summer programming and your program is not yet included on the map, please visit http://bit.ly/AddMySummerProgram to share that information so it can be included on the map.
Pool and Spray Pads Opening Schedule
City of Albany Summer Camps:
Camps are offered by the City’s Department of Recreation, and are free for City of Albany residents and $50 for non-residents. Camps are offered for various activities including baseball, softball, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, dance, as well as a variety of sports at the Arbor Hill Sports Complex, while space is available.
To register for a City of Albany-led camp, please visit www.albanyny.recdesk.com. If you do not have access to the internet, please call (518) 434-5699 to schedule an appointment to use our RecDesk kiosk.
Wi-Fi in the Park:
This summer, for the first time, the City is proud to partner with the Albany Public Library to bring free wireless internet to three municipal parks—Washington, Lincoln, and Bleecker-Swinburne. The project, which will be funded by the Library and maintained by the City, will provide parkgoers with free Wi-Fi in several neighborhoods where many residents lack internet service in their own homes. Click here for more information on this important partnership.
Summer Meals:
The City’s Department of Recreation will also be partnering with the Albany Housing Authority, City School District of Albany, and United Way of the Greater Capital Region for the 2019 Summer Food Service Program. This program offers free breakfast from 8am to 9am and lunch from 12pm to 1pm for those under the age of 18 at various sites around the City, including Hoffman Community Center. A complete list of summer meal sites can be found here.
Summer Youth Employment Program:
The City of Albany is again hosting our annual LIGHT (Learning, Initiative and Gaining Headway Together) Summer Youth Employment Program. This program is designed to provide any young City of Albany resident, age 14-18, with a summer work experience.
LIGHT received a Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for its Friday enrichment program, which includes a financial literacy workshop, a tour at UAlbany, a career exploration workshop, and a “Know Your Rights” program led by representatives from the Albany Police Department and the Center for Law and Justice.
This “fifth day” of enrichment resulted from input from parents, participants, and community leaders to make sure Albany’s youth are exposed to the broad opportunities that are available to them as they plan for their futures.
New this year, the City of Albany also received a $10,000 grant from the United States Conference of Mayors’ DollarWise: Mayors for Economic Mobility initiative and Bank of America. The funds will expand our Summer Youth Employment Program to help focus on youth whose parents are immigrants or are returning from incarceration.
The program runs five (5) days per week for five (5) weeks. The first date of employment is Monday, July 8th, and the last is Friday, August 9th.
Please keep in mind all information about the Department of Recreation opportunities and offerings can be found on our website, www.albanyny.gov, or by calling (518) 434-5699.
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Falonda lived on Green Street as an Albany Housing Authority resident until last month, when she bought a home for her family. It was through Affordable Housing Partnership (AHP), that she learned about the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) Program at the WAGE Center.
When she first started home buyer programs, two and a half years ago, Falonda realized that she needed to establish credit. So, she started “getting credit cards and making on-time payments.” During that process she says, “I built my credit score up and [started thinking about] meeting the criteria needed to take the next steps.”
Through AHP, she learned about a matched savings program. She says, “It disciplined me to save.” In addition, she enrolled in FSS, which allowed her to save more money toward owning and furnishing a home. Of the FSS program she says, “I like goals. I like challenges. Pay your rent on time…I took that and ran with it.” Paying rent on time, and earning more money, she accumulated escrow savings with FSS.
Becoming a homeowner has made Falonda feel “peacefulness.” She says, that through the process of saving and working toward owning a home, she has gained, “peace of mind and [is feeling] accomplished.” She says, “My goal was to own a home. I achieved that. Now, I can achieve anything I put my mind to.”
Falonda learned about AHP in a conversation with her sister’s friend and FSS through her Housing Advisor. She says she had some “disbelief” that earning money for savings through increased earned income wasn’t a “gimmick,” because, who would give you free money? But, she encourages Albany Housing Authority residents and Housing Choice Voucher recipients to check out FSS and, “Set a goal. Write it down.” Then, “take the steps to achieving.”
In the fist month of owning a home, Falonda has already contacted a contractor to look at her fist renovation project, bought new furniture and is considering new windows. During the next five years she talks about, “looking at buying property and becoming a future landlord.”
Joining FSS and working through AHP’s program has allowed for “growth and expanding my horizons,” according to Falonda. She says, with a smile, that she is now thinking about new things like buying a lawnmower and a rake and other “homeowner issues.” Falonda is the perfect example of how FSS and partner programs can help participants achieve their goals and dreams.
200 South Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12202-1834
