$37M Green Jobs Program Targets High-Violence NYC Neighborhoods

NEW YORK CITY — A $37 million new jobs program aims to address two big issues facing New York City: violence and climate change.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week the program will bring jobs to Brownsville, South Jamaica, East and Central Harlem, Mott Haven, and across the Bronx — all areas that have been plagued by violence.

The initiative will connect people at risk of getting involved in gun violence with "good-paying green jobs," officials said. The jobs will be offered in partnership with BlocPower, a Brooklyn-based climate technology startup.

"We're creating 1,500 jobs to start — 1,500 jobs is a lot when you consider the fact that the violence in the city has done by a few thousand people out of 8.8 million," de Blasio said.

"Every single person we divert to a positive path helps all of us," he said.

Major felonies, including shootings, fell during de Blasio's eight years as mayor. But they ticked up sharply as the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020.

The surge in violence became fodder for right-wing politicians such as former President Donald Trump, segments on Fox News and other conservative channels and a leading topic in the Democratic mayoral primary.

De Blasio repeatedly blamed the spike on a "perfect storm" of disruptions from the pandemic. He focused efforts to fight violence not on heavy-handed NYPD crackdowns, but instead more community-focused efforts designed to foster links between police and neighborhoods.

The broad approach dubbed "Safe Summer NYC" appeared to pay off — violent crime dropped three months in a row over the summer.

The jobs initiative doesn't fall under the Safe Summer NYC umbrella, but represents a similar approach.

Officials said the program's first wave of hiring will include more than 200 residents from neighborhoods experiencing disproportionate levels of gun violence.