Happy Holidays to You and Yours! December 25, 2021Dear Friends,As we approach a new year, I, like many, often take a moment to reflect on the year past. For so many it has been a challenging year, fraught with uncertainty, tribulations, and struggle. But we must not forget the many triumphs and we as a nation have achieved in the last 12 months. In the midst of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, we delivered strong investments to fund a nation-wide vaccination program. Funded under the historic American Rescue Plan, and guided by the best available science, we have delivered more than 490 million shots in arms, avoiding millions of hospitalizations, and saving countless lives. Our legislation also served as a lifeline to families, businesses, and schools. The extended Biden Child Tax Credit helped cut our nation’s child poverty rate in half. We helped to get kids and teachers safely back in the classroom, moving from less than half of all schools open in January 2021 to 99 percent of schools operating in person today. We delivered billions to small business owners to keep their workers on payroll, keep the doors of restaurants and performance venues afloat, and recharge our economies. To that point we were able to bring our economy back from a cliff, adding nearly six million jobs this year and slashing unemployment from 6.3 percent to 4.2 percent. And that progress will only continue with the implementation of our historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild our roads and bridges, fix our crumbling water infrastructure, support clean energy investments, and create millions of good-paying jobs.Make no mistake—we have a long road ahead to fully deliver for our economy, our environment and for Americans. But I know that together we can get it done and join in a spirit of unity and faith in our nation and its people.On that hopeful note, I wish you and your loved one’s a merry Christmas. May you have a wonderful holiday season filled with peace and love, and I wish you all the best in the new yearAs always, thank you for reading. Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:The City of Albany has released funding applications for the Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG), HOME funding for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG).Community Development Block Grant Funds (CDBG): This program works to provide quality, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals. Applications for CDBG funding must meet one of the following HUD national objectives:Directly benefit low- and moderate-income individualsAid in the prevention or elimination of slumsHOME funding for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO): Call the Housing and Community Development Office at (518) 434-5265) to learn more about how to become a City of Albany designated CHDO.Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG): This program assists people in regaining stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.Applications are due by 4:00PM on Monday, January 31st, 2022Interested individuals are encouraged to download an application.