Rep. Doris Matsui Announces $1 Million for Local Youth Development
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2009
CONTACT: Alexis Marks or Mara Lee
(202) 225-7163
Rep. Doris Matsui Announces $1 Million for Local Youth Development
Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-5) announced a one million dollar grant award for local youth development. Through the U.S. Department of Labor's YouthBuild competitive grant, the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps was awarded $1,099,137 to provide job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24. Broken up over two phases, the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps will receive a first phase funding award of $686,961.
"This is public money being used for public work and community development," said Congresswoman Doris Matsui. "This money is going exactly where it needs to go."
Expecting to enroll 64 young adults into the program to rehabilitate up to 50 homes, Sacramento YouthBuild participants will rehabilitate affordable housing for low-income families in the Sacramento area while taking classes to earn their GED and high school diplomas.
"Through this program young adults will gain life skills they will be able to take with them into the workforce and beyond," said Rep. Matsui. "By investing in our young adults work experience and education, we are helping them build a better life."
"This money couldn't have come at a better time with budget cuts at the state and local levels," said Andi Liebenbaum, Deputy Director for the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps. "Workforce development is essential in helping our disadvantaged young adults to be workforce ready."
Traditionally, the Sacramento YouthBuild program would focus on building homes from the ground up, but with the housing crisis and struggling market, Sacramento Corps leaders decided to help the community by rehabilitating existing homes.
"This program has a tremendous echo in the community as our members and staff work towards fixing neighborhood blight and rehabilitate existing housing stock," Liebenbaum said. "This is a new way of doing the program, but we are sure is will be just as successful, if not more successful, than the traditional program."
"Not only am I excited to see the rehabilitated homes, I am excited to see the growth and development of the young men and women that will benefit from this program," said Congresswoman Matsui.
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