Congressman Rangel Hosts Hundreds at ARRA Conference

Congressman Rangel addresses the non-profit organization attending his Economic Workshop. At the dais (from left to right) are: Shaun Donovan, HUD Secretary; Timothy Gilchrist, Senior Advisor to Governor David Paterson; Robert Lieber, NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development; and Deborah Van Amerongen, Commissioner, NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

HUD Secretary Donovan Keynote Speaker

Congressman Charles Rangel held an Economic Recovery Summit on multiple floors of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Official Building in Harlem on April 27. More than 500 community leaders and non-profit groups based in upper Manhattan attended. Participants learned how to obtain Federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan delivered opening remarks, followed by the Governor and Mayor's Offices. Federal representatives, including HUD, DOT, Commerce, DOL, HHS, Education, DOE, EPA, VA, DOJ, USDA, and the Treasury, talked about their Departments' role in the economic recovery of local communities such as Harlem.

Secretary Donovan welcomed the audience saying: "In this time of great economic crisis, it is critical that our recovery partners in cities and states across the country have all of the tools and information necessary to take advantage of the Recovery Act. President Obama's Recovery Act is the most ambitious economic recovery package in history, providing immediate relief for Americans who have lost their jobs and saving or creating, over the next two years, millions of private sector jobs that will put Americans to work doing the work America needs done."

Participants attended issue-specific workshops that provided local leaders with an opportunity to network with government representatives and discuss specific funding initiatives and how to access funds. A total of nine workshops were held in the areas of housing, criminal justice, economic development, education, green initiatives, health, jobs, tax, and veteran's affairs. The workshops were also attended by representatives from local universities that have pledged to provide technical assistance to community organizations in preparing grant applications.

Content Archived: March 07, 2011