Broadband - lower income students should have same opportunities as wealthier students
GREENBURGH PRIORITY-- HIGH SPEED INTERNET FOR GREENBURGH HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIDENTS
IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN BROADBAND AND WANT TO HELP US DETERMINE COST PLEASE E MAIL BISHOP WILBERT PRESTON OF THE GREENBURGH HOUSING AUTHORITY AT PASTORWGP@AOL.COM
Broadband internet access is important for education, employment, health and connections. Broadband has, during the pandemic, helped people continue to work and learn in their homes. Sadly, many low income residents, especially those who live in public housing around the nation, do not have the same high speed internet access that wealthier students have. According to HUD only 56% of adults earning less than $30,000 per year have broadband internet at home versus 94% for upper income families. Lower income students are at a big disadvantage educationally without access to broadband.
Without access to Broadband, children and families miss out on the high value educational, economic and social impacts that high speed internet provides. Bishop Wilbert Preston of the Greenburgh Housing Authority and town officials are committed to providing the few hundred housing authority tenants with Broadband. We will be applying for CDBG grants to broadband each of the complexes and will be reaching out for other grants and programs.
The first step: Getting estimates of the costs to provide Broadband to each of the housing authority sites. If you have experience in broadband technology and want to assist in coming up with a plan/budget please e mail pastorwgp@aol.com. I would appreciate a copy at pfeiner@greenburghny.com. I will be helping with grant opportunities. This is a great time to pursue this initiative since many of the units are undergoing extensive renovations and improvements.
Housing sites (greenburghhousing.org)
Maple Ave Oak Street, Beach Street 131 apartments
Manhattan Ave -senior housing (30 apartments being demolished. 70 apartments to be built)
Greenville Circle 15 apartments
North Washington Ave 15 apartments
Old White Plains Road, Tarrytown 15 apartments
Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford 25 apartment
Secor Road 15 apartments
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor