KINGSTON, N.Y. — An Ulster county organization that builds affordable homes has become the recipient of a nearly $1.07 million federal grant.
Bonnie Landi, who is executive director of Ulster YouthBuild, said the organization has received a $1,069,258 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that offers its participants the opportunity to continue their education to secure a high school equivalency diploma, and receive life skills and leadership development training, while learning housing construction skills with hands-on training at a housing construction site. To date, Ulster YouthBuild has completed 28 houses, 26 in Kingston, and one each in Ellenville and the town of Ulster. The U.S. Department of Labor has announced awards of up to $90 million to YouthBuild program grants to 68 grantees in 28 states and Puerto Rico, Landi said. The Ulster YouthBuild program was one of those grantees, and one out of seven in New York. The YouthBuild program in Ulster County has been funded through the federally-funded YouthBuild initiative since it started up in 1994 when the funds were allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) until 2006. “The YouthBuild program works to revitalize community neighborhoods, and at the same time provides opportunities for YouthBuild students to embark on a positive direction to rebuild their lives,” Landi said in a statement. “The philosophy of a YouthBuild program is to re-engage youth in education and provide hands-on work experience utilizing the five components of the YouthBuild model, education, occupational skills training, leadership development, full-time counseling, and, ultimately, job placement or placement in post-secondary education.” Landi said the program also provides life skills training to assist students in overcoming barriers. “The program is about presenting youth with various opportunities as well as creating a cycle of positive transformation,” Landi added. Landi added that many of the YouthBuild students are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants in the program build affordable houses that are sold to low-income first-time homebuyers. The Ulster YouthBuild grant will be implemented during a three-year period. It targets an area that extends from Saugerties to Ellenville. In addition to housing construction skills training, the program will also offer an additional alternative occupational skills training component in the area of manufacturing. The manufacturing training will be offered to eight of the 60 students to be enrolled in the program. The YouthBuild program will work with several Ulster County manufacturing employer partners who will assist in the training of YouthBuild participants, according to Landi.
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