Worcester to Receive $11.7 Million in Increased Local Aid
Monday, July 02, 2012
State Representative John J. Binienda–(D-Worcester) announced that in addition to securing the additional funds for the city, the fiscal 2013 budget also includes additional money for criminal rehabilitation services, support for job growth in the biomedical industry and help sustain vital services for the vulnerable population in Worcester.
The 2013 budget includes $50,000 for the South Worcester Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (SWNIC), $80,000 for The Dismas House in Worcester, $250,000 for the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiative (MBI), and $430,628 for the “Talking Book Library” program at the Worcester Public Library.
“These are worthy programs that people depend on on a personal level and that municipalities depend on in terms of job creation, putting more teachers in our schools, police and firefighters on our streets, and bettering the lives of everyone,” Binienda added. “Public office is about making a difference, and this funding will make a difference.”
SWNIC provides free-of-charge services to thousands of residents residing in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Services provided by the SWNIC include emergency food, employment assistance, parenting classes, housing search assistance, and health services.
The Dismas House provides rehabilitation services to inmates at the Worcester County House of Correction. A three-year tracking project of recidivism rates found that Dismas House residents stabilize and succeed at rates of up to nearly 80%, standing in stark contrast to the general prison population, who return to jail at a rate of 75%.
MBI was established in 1985 and operates three facilities in Worcester that house 23 companies and employ 107 individuals. Its primary function is to provide lab space and support for startup biotech and medical device companies. 75% of MBI’s 57 graduates since 2000 are still in business, 33 in Massachusetts, which account for approximately 400 jobs.
The “Talking Book Library” provides reading services to the blind, a program which saw an increase of 18 percent in 2011.
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