OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Syracuse Common Council Public Hearing on HUD Funding Applications for 2026-2027 (March 9, 2026)

Public Meetings — Monday, March 9, 2026
BodySyracuse, New York
SessionPublic Meetings
DateMonday, March 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 45:34

Transcript — Verbatim
5:06

Now 5 30.

5:07

We're gonna start our meeting.

5:11

That's what we're gonna have for you.

5:16

Yes, yes, yes.

5:19

Oh, this is perfect.

5:22

Good afternoon.

5:23

We're gonna start our meeting.

5:26

Okay.

5:29

So thank you for joining us, everybody.

5:31

And thank you to our stenographer, Christin for joining us.

5:36

Thank you for the cards.

5:38

So we're gonna jump right.

5:39

Oh, wait, do we need to read the short title?

5:44

Yes, madam president.

5:46

This is uh relative to the application to the U.S.

5:48

Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2026-2027 year 52, second annual action plan, community development block grant, CDBG and the amount of 4,795,536, home investment partnership grant for 1,278,000 six hundred twenty-four dollars, and the emergency solutions grant for 431,431 dollars as it relates to the attached draft exhibit A.

6:15

Thank you.

6:17

All right, so we're gonna jump right into it.

6:20

You have a letter that we want to ask.

6:21

Yes, we have a direction with we have a written submission from uh Sarah LaFay, the executive direct director of Blueprint 15.

6:29

Um the continued funding of their faith program.

6:39

Okay.

6:40

So for our first speaker, we're gonna have John Tomino.

6:47

How long do you want me to put the time out?

6:49

Good evening, madam president, counselors.

6:50

Thank you.

6:51

John, can you hold one minute?

6:52

I I forgot to add a we're gonna have a three minutes to each of the people at on that to come in front of us.

7:01

Once you hear the bells here, that's time to stop because otherwise we we're just gonna lower the mic.

7:09

You won't be able to speak.

7:11

So we will give you time at the end if you still need to have have something else to say.

7:18

Okay.

7:19

Go.

7:20

Thank you, John.

7:20

Thank you.

7:21

Okay, Madam President, thank you, counselors.

7:23

Thank you so much.

7:24

I'm John Tamino, executive uh director and co-founder of In My Father's Kitchen.

7:28

I have a prepared statement I'd like to read.

7:30

Oh, over the past year.

7:31

Uh, we are deeply grateful for the partnership made possible through the emergency solutions grant and the collaboration between the city of Syracuse and in my father's kitchen.

7:40

Together, this partnership has continued to bring hope, dignity, and practical support to our neighbors experiencing homeless in our community.

7:47

Through consistent street outreach, relationship building and coordinated support services.

7:52

We have engaged 265 individuals through this past year that we're in right now, living outdoors over the course of this past year.

7:59

Each interaction represents more than a number or represents a person being seen, heard, and offered a pathway towards stability.

8:06

One of the the most encouraging outcomes of the work is that 46 individuals has successfully come indoors this year.

8:14

These trans uh these uh transitions represent lives moving towards safety, shelter, and supportive services because of the combined efforts of outreach community partners and the resources made available through the ESG program.

8:27

In addition to outreach, in my father's kitchen has served more than 1,150 meals this year to individuals living on the streets.

8:34

These meals are often the first step in building trust and opening the door to deeper conversations about housing, health services, and long-term support.

8:42

While we celebrate these meaningful successes, we also pause and remember that we have lost uh 16 individuals from our streets community tragically passing away this year due to harsh realities of living outdoors.

8:55

Their loss reminds us why this work matters and why continuing to strengthen outreach and housing pathways are so critical.

9:02

We want to sincerely thank the common council and all the community partners for their continued support of the emergency solutions grant and the collaborative efforts that make this work possible.

9:11

Together, we are not only providing services, we are restoring hope, building relationships, and creating real opportunities for people to move from the streets, towards stability and dignity.

9:21

We look forward to continuing this important work together in the year ahead.

9:25

So I just want to thank you again from the bottom of our heart and in my father's kitchen.

9:28

God bless you guys.

9:34

Um next we have Brian Fay.

9:42

Good afternoon.

9:42

Uh Brian Fay, Executive Director of Syracuse Northeast Community Center, and Nita.

9:47

And on behalf of the neighbors served by SNCC and Nita, I'm grateful for common counsel support of our mission to engage, grow, and connect neighbors, supporting them in moving from emergency to self-sufficiency, health and well-being across the full range of social determinants of health.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████51%
Workforce Development██████████████████20%
Homelessness████████████████18%
Community Engagement█████6%
Procedural████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Syracuse Common Council Public Hearing on HUD Funding Applications for 2026-2027

On March 9, 2026, the Syracuse Common Council held a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan for HUD grants, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) of $4,795,536, Home Investment Partnership Grant (HOME) of $1,278,624, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) of $431,431. Representatives from community organizations and residents spoke in support of the proposed funding and requested increased allocations for housing, homelessness services, workforce development, and legal aid. A written submission from Sarah LaFay (Blueprint 15) regarding continued funding of their FAITH program was also entered into the record.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • John Tomino (Executive Director, In My Father's Kitchen) reported on the ESG-funded street outreach program: engaged 265 individuals living outdoors, 46 successfully moved indoors, served over 1,150 meals, and noted 16 deaths in the street community. He thanked the Council for support.

  • Brian Fay (Executive Director, Syracuse Northeast Community Center) stated that CDBG funding allows SNCC and Nita to serve 8,000 neighbors annually, supporting operations from emergency to self-sufficiency. He requested preservation or increase of proposed awards.

  • Tanya Fry Leonard (Director of Housing Services, Jubilee Homes) thanked the Council for prior funding, reported three of five homes nearly completed, two finishing in 60 days, and collaboration with the land bank to build 40 additional homes (30 single-family, 10 two-family). She requested additional funding.

  • Carrie Quaglia (Founder/CEO, Home Headquarters) highlighted urgent repair programs (Sharp program) and down payment assistance, noting that the Sharp program funds would evaporate within a week of opening. She urged adoption of proposed funding levels.

  • Jaquar Sampson (Jubilee Homes program participant) shared his personal story of moving from a homeless shelter to housing through the Housing Authority sweepstakes and Jubilee's heavy machinery operator course, which changed his trajectory. He thanked the Council.

  • Desi Ray Dixie (Jubilee Homes) noted that Jubilee Homes has been underfunded for housing despite a track record of building over 100 homes and placing 723 people through workforce programs. He requested that funding reflect the work done.

  • Caroline Brown (Peace Inc.) presented the free tax prep program: served 2,500 Onondaga County households in 2024, average tax return $1,300, average household income $23,000, 70% Syracuse residents, 38% below poverty. She requested continued funding for the summer youth program and tax prep.

  • Sal Kurren (Executive Director, Volunteer Lawyers Project) requested acceptance of the plan as written for two allocations: ESG for homelessness prevention and CDBG for wills/power of attorney for low-income homeowners to preserve assets. He cited an example of a homeowner securing her home for her children.

  • Gabriela Hirona (Director, Eviction Defense and Tenants' Rights, Volunteer Lawyers Project) noted that ESG funding makes their legal representation possible. She reported that with rent increases and stagnant incomes, the housing crisis is at a boiling point. She asked the Council to advocate for full right to counsel in eviction cases, prioritize lead issues, and discuss good cause eviction.

  • Hassan Bloodworth (Jubilee Homes program participant) highlighted the heavy equipment operator training program, noting 33% women participants, ex-cons, and fire victims from Knob Hill. He requested increased funding for Jubilee Homes to train local workers for upcoming projects (Micron, I-81, lead pipe replacement).

  • Renee Aguayo (Jubilee Homes participant) thanked Jubilee for giving him a second chance, learning heavy machinery, and helping his community.

  • An unnamed Jubilee Homes participant described learning about housing and construction through the program, working for the state, and the difficulty of buying a home. He requested continued support for the program.

  • Craig Quarters (Jubilee Homes participant) requested that funding be increased or at least not reduced, highlighting the program's impact on providing training and employment for determined individuals.

  • Sharon Sherman (Greater Syracuse Tenants Network) discussed the need to preserve existing low-income housing, listed buildings with tenant groups, and criticized the state for focusing on new tax credit projects while neglecting older HUD properties like Parkside Commons, McCarthy Manor, and the “Syracuse 11” buildings. She requested increased funding for the Tenants Network to continue advocacy.

  • Alice D'Angelo (Executive Director, CNY Fair Housing) described fair housing enforcement, including a case where a landlord removed a Pride flag. She highlighted their work supporting the Knob Hill tenant association after the fire, including attending meetings, helping with 7D petitions, and holding management accountable. She requested continued or increased funding.

Key Outcomes

No formal votes were taken during the public hearing. The Council heard extensive testimony from community organizations and residents. The meeting was adjourned by motion after the last speaker. The proposed funding plan for 2026-2027 HUD grants will be considered by the Council at a later date.

Meeting Transcript

Now 5 30. We're gonna start our meeting. That's what we're gonna have for you. Yes, yes, yes. Oh, this is perfect. Good afternoon. We're gonna start our meeting. Okay. So thank you for joining us, everybody. And thank you to our stenographer, Christin for joining us. Thank you for the cards. So we're gonna jump right. Oh, wait, do we need to read the short title? Yes, madam president. This is uh relative to the application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the 2026-2027 year 52, second annual action plan, community development block grant, CDBG and the amount of 4,795,536, home investment partnership grant for 1,278,000 six hundred twenty-four dollars, and the emergency solutions grant for 431,431 dollars as it relates to the attached draft exhibit A. Thank you. All right, so we're gonna jump right into it. You have a letter that we want to ask. Yes, we have a direction with we have a written submission from uh Sarah LaFay, the executive direct director of Blueprint 15. Um the continued funding of their faith program. Okay. So for our first speaker, we're gonna have John Tomino. How long do you want me to put the time out? Good evening, madam president, counselors. Thank you. John, can you hold one minute? I I forgot to add a we're gonna have a three minutes to each of the people at on that to come in front of us. Once you hear the bells here, that's time to stop because otherwise we we're just gonna lower the mic. You won't be able to speak. So we will give you time at the end if you still need to have have something else to say. Okay. Go. Thank you, John. Thank you. Okay, Madam President, thank you, counselors. Thank you so much. I'm John Tamino, executive uh director and co-founder of In My Father's Kitchen. I have a prepared statement I'd like to read. Oh, over the past year. Uh, we are deeply grateful for the partnership made possible through the emergency solutions grant and the collaboration between the city of Syracuse and in my father's kitchen. Together, this partnership has continued to bring hope, dignity, and practical support to our neighbors experiencing homeless in our community. Through consistent street outreach, relationship building and coordinated support services. We have engaged 265 individuals through this past year that we're in right now, living outdoors over the course of this past year. Each interaction represents more than a number or represents a person being seen, heard, and offered a pathway towards stability. One of the the most encouraging outcomes of the work is that 46 individuals has successfully come indoors this year. These trans uh these uh transitions represent lives moving towards safety, shelter, and supportive services because of the combined efforts of outreach community partners and the resources made available through the ESG program. In addition to outreach, in my father's kitchen has served more than 1,150 meals this year to individuals living on the streets. These meals are often the first step in building trust and opening the door to deeper conversations about housing, health services, and long-term support. While we celebrate these meaningful successes, we also pause and remember that we have lost uh 16 individuals from our streets community tragically passing away this year due to harsh realities of living outdoors.

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