I am not a fan of casinos, but I am a fan of creating tax revenue and using a portion of the annual profits to invest in NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) communities, jobs, healthcare, and childcare. There are always pros and cons, as casinos are large and will change neighborhoods, but that is for city planning to figure out. In politics, everyone sticks their finger in the pot.
Hudson Yards announced $1 billion in “community benefit plans” this past week. I highlight community benefit because, truthfully, it is an added development to the already unattractive Hudson Yards. They want to get one of the supposed casino licenses that New York State will allow, aka, they want to get in on the action.
I saw the presentation from Wynn, who partnered with Related, a company that built Hudson Yards quite a while ago—an impressive pitch to the Public Housing Community Fund that I chair. They chose Hudson Guild, WIN, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, Public Housing Community Fund, Pride Live, and Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center as their partners. In partnership with Wynn and Related they will give an annual percentage of the profits to be divided among these organizations that could be up to or possibly more than $20M a year. Not one other casino operator, that I know, came up with a plan to return dollars to the community. It is a new type of public/private partnership and there should be more of them. The years ahead are quickly showing it will become more difficult to fill holes as our Government is being slash and burned.
These are the six strategic pillars;
- Assist residents of NYCHA and families by broadening the availability of wrap-around social services to help them achieve social and economic stability
- Increase the financial stability of NYCHA residents and families through skills training and work opportunities.
- Address the needs of families experiencing homelessness and strengthen pathways to transitional and ultimately permanent housing
- Support initiatives that develop, maintain, and promote green and outdoor public space.
- Cultivate and support the rich legacy of art and culture in our community and support local performing venues
- Respond to the needs and philanthropic requests from neighborhood residents and community groups through the Wynn New York City Foundation
I know many are up in arms over this but I am proud of the Funds executive director response that “This partnership presents an unprecedented opportunity to uplift NYCHA residents by providing access to meaningful careers, not just jobs. Through workforce training, career development, and higher education opportunities, we are ensuring that public housing residents have a direct path to economic mobility as this project is built and once it opens,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “By supporting good wages, strong benefits, and community-based childcare, this initiative recognizes the holistic needs of NYCHA families and helps build a more equitable future for our city. We look forward to working with the development team to create lasting impact for the 525,000 residents we serve.”
More housing, jobs, and childcare for underserved NYers sounds pretty good to me.
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