PATERSON - Stressing the importance of having every person contribute to making our communities better, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today announced that the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) has been awarded a $700,000 "YouthBuild" grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The announcement was made from the NJCDC Transportation Opportunity Center with President Bob Guarasci and a crowd of YouthBuilders.  YouthBuild assists high-risk youth learn construction job skills and complete their high school education. 

"YouthBuild is about helping at-risk young people realize their potential and understand that you grow as an individual when you are focusing on helping others, stated Bill Pascrell, Jr. "These dollars are an investment in people and community, and I am proud that we were able to bring them home to Paterson."

"YouthBuild is about giving high school dropouts a second chance, helping them to learn valuable work skills and earn a GED at the same time they create much-needed affordable housing for their own community," stated Bob Guarasci, President of NJCDC.  "It's a great program and we are grateful for the strong support of Congressman Pascrell in helping us to secure the funding that's allowed us to operate this program in Paterson for the last seven years.  We're hopeful that the President's new budget will recognize the value of the program and increase funding for it, but if it doesn't, we know that Congressman Pascrell will lead the fight to preserve and expand this vital program."

Youthbuild is a competitive grant program authorized under the Housing and Community development Act of 1992 aimed at increasing the academic, vocational and leadership skills of participants.  The purpose of the program is to make grants to non-profit organizations to assist high-risk youth between the ages of 16-24 learn housing construction job skills and complete high school.  Participants enhance their skills as they construct and or rehabilitate housing for low and moderate-income people in their community.

On April 15, 2005 Pascrell called on the Appropriations Subcommittee governing HUD to increase the appropriation for YouthBuild from $62.5 million to $90 million.  On June 29, 2005, moments prior to voting on an amendment to restore threatened YouthBuild funding, Pascrell delivered an impassioned speech before the House of Representatives on behalf of the program.

Included in his speech, Pascrell exclaimed, "This program is unquestionably a winner for young people across our Nation. YouthBuild develops job skills, leadership potential, civic involvement, and creates a community of adults and youth committed to helping each other achieve success in life. And through the construction of affordable housing, it contributes to the revitalization of our poorest neighborhoods.  It is hard to believe that a compassionate President and a Congress would want to wipe out any of these programs which epitomize our oldest and most sacred American values: hard work, self-reliance, and limitless optimism about the future."

Since 1998, NJCDC has received $2,225,000 in YouthBuild grants.  This year's grant will put 70 Paterson students to work and school over a 2 year period.  The funds pay for a Program Director, a GED Instructor, a Construction Manager and a Counselor.  The students are selected from the most distresses areas of Paterson.

Since 1992, YouthBuild has expanded to 226 local programs under HUD's management; 47,000 youth have produced 13,000 units of affordable housing. Many YouthBuild students also qualify as AmeriCorps members and can earn $2,300 towards college for their community service in building affordable housing.

Since 1998, Pascrell has been instrumental in securing YouthBuild money for NJCDC.  In 2000 when funding was denied, Pascrell convened a meeting with HUD officials in his Paterson office to assist NJCDC in improving its application.  In 2001 Pascrell wrote a letter of support and called HUD Secretary Mel Martinez personally to stress how important this program is to the City of Paterson.  Since that time NJCDC has been awarded every YouthBuild grant that it has applied for.
 

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