New York Congressman Daniel Goldman allocated a grant of $1.713 million to the Hamilton-Madison House community service center on May 3. The funding is intended for the renovation and reopening of the children’s daycare and family support center located within the Smith Government Building. The center was closed in 2012 due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, and the funds will be used for repairs, painting, HVAC upgrades, and electrical improvements.
Representing the 10th district of Lower Manhattan, Congressman Daniel Goldman, a Democrat, expressed his satisfaction in providing nearly $2 million to the Hamilton-Madison House community service center. He emphasized the importance of restoring the institution’s historical significance and providing essential services and resources for children and families in the Lower East Side community.
Isabel Ching, the Executive Director of the Hamilton-Madison House community service center, described the grant as the largest funding received in the center’s 126-year history. She emphasized that this funding serves as a beacon of hope for the community, promising to revitalize the crucial daycare center that provides essential childcare services.
Aixa Torres, the President of the NYCHA Smith House tenants’ association, highlighted that the Hamilton-Madison House community service center’s project will comply with ADA requirements to accommodate the growing elderly population in the local government building community over the past decade.
Established in 1898, the Hamilton-Madison House community service center offers childcare, early childhood education, elderly services, and youth development programs to the Lower Manhattan community. In 2020, the median household income in the Smith Government Building community where the center is located was $17,500 annually, with a poverty rate of 41.52% and a housing cost burden of 49.67%.
The reopened daycare center will provide free services and employ 16 staff members for childcare classrooms. Additionally, 25 family childcare service providers will be trained to create job opportunities in childcare and offer services to over 100 low-income families in the area.