Budget Includes $250 Million to Fund Housing Infrastructure; $20 Million for Planning Assistance Includes $240 Million in Department of Transportation Capital Projects and $27 Million for Local Road Repairs Traducción al español Governor Kathy Hochul today announced details of key proposals from her Fiscal Year 2024 Executive Budget to grow jobs and boost the economy in the Mid-Hudson Region of New York. In line with the 2023 State of the State, the budget includes a major investment to increase housing supply and expand economic opportunity and innovation in the region. "These significant investments in housing, education, and infrastructure in the Mid-Hudson region are critical to lifting up the local community and economy," Governor Hochul said. "This funding is building on efforts already underway to ensure the region is safe, affordable, and resilient to the challenges of the future -- creating a more prosperous Mid-Hudson region for generations to come." Several of the budget proposals Governor Hochul announced today are in line with the Economic Innovation Plan announced in the 2023 State of the State to grow jobs and businesses by expanding economic opportunity and innovation across New York State through targeted investments, business support and other programming aimed at high-growth industries. The Governor's budget includes several initiatives to invest in higher education and improve local attractions across the state.  Read the full press release here.

Village of Sleepy Hollow and Town of Cornwall to Receive $4.5 Million Each New $100 Million NY Forward Program Builds on Momentum of the Successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative to Support a More Equitable Downtown Recovery for New York’s Smaller Communities Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Village of Sleepy Hollow, and the Town of Cornwall and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, will each receive $4.5 million in funding as the two Mid-Hudson Region winners of the first round of NY Forward. Building on the momentum of the state’s successful Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the $100 million NY Forward program adopts the same “Plan-then-Act” strategy as DRI to support a more equitable downtown recovery for New York’s smaller and rural communities. During NY Forward Round One, two to three awards will be made to smaller communities in each of the state’s ten economic development regions to support development and implementation of a revitalization plan for their downtowns. As part of the FY24 Executive Budget, Governor Hochul has proposed $100 million to fund an additional round of NY Forward. “We are helping small towns and cities across our state build a better future for New Yorkers through our NY Forward program,” Governor Hochul said. “These awards will help the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Town of Cornwall and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson develop their downtowns, improve the quality of life for residents and visitors, and create new jobs and attract businesses to expand economic opportunity across the region.” NY Forward is a component of the State’s economic development efforts, working together with DRI to accelerate and expand the revitalization of New York’s downtowns. The program serves smaller communities with historic character that distinguishes them from the larger, more urban central business districts typically funded through DRI. NY Forward communities are walkable, less dense areas that serve the immediate local community, and are more local in nature - focusing on the immediately surrounding residential or rural agricultural centric development. Like DRI, each NY Forward community will develop a Strategic Investment Plan to revitalize its downtown through a slate of readily implementable projects. The Department of State will provide enhanced technical assistance to better support smaller communities that may have less capacity as part of the NY Forward program and fund projects appropriately scaled to the size of each community. Projects may include building renovation and redevelopment, new construction or creation of new or improved public spaces and other projects that elevate specific cultural, historical qualities that enhance the feeling of small-town charm. Read the full press release here.

Postponed – To Be Rescheduled With videoconferencing to: Empire State Development, 633 Third Avenue – 36th Floor Conference Room, New York, New York 10017 This meeting is open to the public. Please Note: Those attending at either location must RSVP by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. RSVP press line (800) 260-7313; RSVP Buffalo press line (716) 846-8239; RSVP public line (212) 803-3772 The public may listen to the meeting via webcast by clicking the link below. Members of the public may submit comments on the Agenda item in writing to [email protected] by 9:00 am on Tuesday, February 21, 2022. All comments received by the deadline will be distributed to the Directors prior to the meeting and will be posted online.

During Black History Month, we’re spotlighting one of the six Entrepreneurs of the Year honored at the Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers (EAC) 2022 conference. Read the profile below to find out more about how the EACs can help New Yorkers start and grow their businesses: esd.ny.gov/entrepreneurship-assistance-centers Joy lloegbu asked herself if she could ever build a million-dollar home care agency with a voice that sounds different. Iloegbu, who grew up in Nigeria, fell off a chair when she was a baby and split her tongue, leaving her unable to speak for nearly six years. She eventually regained her voice but was left with a lifelong speech impediment that made it difficult for people to understand her. Her childhood experience made her determined to work “150% harder,” and not to allow her impediment to prevent her from becoming a success. Later on, after graduating Molloy College’s nursing program as an honors student, Iloegbu eventually became a critical care nurse in a hospital ICU. While her impediment prevented her from obtaining further training as a nurse practitioner, she persevered, eventually finding a position as a nurse manager in a hospital’s critical care and telemetry unit.  Iloegbu has since found her new voice, setting the tone as an entrepreneur and owner of her own home care agency, Joy Professional Home Care Services. The Long Island company, based in Baldwin, N.Y., provides intentional and compassionate companion care for hospice patients, describing its care model as one grounded in joy, peace and happiness. In addition to hospice, Iloegbu also provides care for clients with the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and for geriatric patients, most of them aged 80 or older. Making the change from working as a nurse manager to becoming an entrepreneur was a significant step for Iloegbu.   In 2017, she joined the Entrepreneurship Assistance Center (EAC) at Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) to tighten her business plan and become MWBE-certified, which further broadened her growth opportunities.  With the EAC’s guidance on both, she grew her business revenue from $30,000 to $300,000. The business also grew from a solo operation to one with 15 employees. Iloegbu describes the technical assistance support provided to her by the EAC as “magical."  Iloegbu believes minority entrepreneurs are stronger and more agile when working with the support of umbrella institutions like the EAC and New York State’s MWBE Certification programs. She consistently makes time to speak and mentor new entrepreneurs at Suffolk County Community College.  The first thing that came to mind when Iloegbu thought about creating her own home care agency was, “How am I going to present myself and convince people that I am capable of this?” Now, her work clearly speaks for itself.