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Nonprofit seeks $500,000 in state funding to expand workforce training for people with histories of homelessness and incarceration
Summary
Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless requested $500,000 to expand Project Comeback paid work-experience slots and legal services for justice-involved participants, citing high rates of homelessness, addiction and justice involvement among applicants and positive employment outcomes for program graduates.
Jim Martin, executive director of the Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ACE), requested $500,000 in FY26 funding to expand Project Comeback, ACE's workforce program for New Yorkers with homelessness, addiction and justice-involvement histories.
Program details and outcomes: Martin said Project Comeback provides adult education, industry certifications, individualized counseling and paid work experience (city sanitation and beautification projects). He reported an 85% justice-involved share in the 2024 cohort and a multi-year placement/retention record: ACE said 72% of participants secured full-time employment and 66% were still employed a year later among program alumni.
Requested appropriation: ACE proposed $400,000 to expand paid work-experience opportunities and $100,000 for onsite legal services (record repair, Know-Your-Rights workshops, assistance navigating court processes) that the nonprofit says are critical for removing reentry barriers to employment.
Why lawmakers should care: ACE argued that stable employment and removing legal barriers are central to reducing recidivism and homelessness and that a modest state investment could scale opportunities and reduce long-term state costs.
Next steps: Committees asked for program metrics and cost-per-placement data; ACE said it would provide detailed outcomes and be ready to scale with state support.
