City to Launch ‘Clean Up Corps’

New York City is launching a Clean Up Corps today, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced at his press conference.

Using federal funds, the program will hire people for $15 per hour to clean up graffiti, beautify parks, clear litter, and maintain the Open Streets and commercial corridors. The corps is looking to hire 1,000 people immediately, and is intended to create 10,000 jobs by July.

The total price tag of the program has not yet been announced.

“It’s [about] giving people jobs and opportunities, ten thousand jobs, that’s going to help a lot of families,” aid de Blasio, who described it as a “big spring cleaning.. of the whole city.”

“We have so many things that we need to do,” the mayor continued, “and now having a group of dedicated New Yorkers going out there to make the city shine, that’s going to speed the recovery.”

The city will work with community leaders and local organizations to focus their efforts on what areas are in need of assistance, and focus on beautifying business areas in order to encourage economic growth. The city is anticipating that the summer will see a resurgence of tourism and reopenings, and is using the corps to help clean up what has been neglected and “roll out the red carpet…to get back to where we were before the pandemic.”

“We want to show New York City is open for business and moving forward,” the mayor said.

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smarcus@hamodia.com