The Department of Youth and Community Development told the Council that the Summer Youth Employment Program remains funded to enroll 100,000 young people and that the FY26 executive budget includes $11,000,000 for transit access for SYEP participants and a new workforce program aimed at older residents.

Deputy Commissioner Christopher Lewis and DYCD staff said the 11 million allotment is intended to supply transit cards or OmniCard equivalents to SYEP participants who lack school‑issued transit access; DYCD indicated it will work with the MTA to shift from MetroCards to OmniCards for summer 2025. DYCD said it will assess provider surveys and take‑up rates before finalizing the number of cards distributed.

Commissioner Keith Howard described a new workforce initiative called CRED (Community Resource for Employment and Development) that aims to serve older jobseekers up to age 40 with tailored supports, occupational training, and paid work opportunities beginning on day one. CRED currently operates eight programs and enrolled roughly 315 participants to date. The department plans to grow CRED to serve 500 participants in FY25, 1,000 in FY26 and 2,000 annually by FY28.

Council members asked about wage levels for SYEP and whether program models for middle‑school participants should be adjusted. DYCD said it surveys participant outcomes and will share annual evaluation results; it also signaled ongoing conversations with OMB about potential wage increases and program refinements. The agency said it will provide data on SYEP enrollment history, weekly attendance and how summer programming integrates trips and cultural elements.

DYCD also noted funding for adult literacy and the mayor's executive investments in after‑school programming, and said it will coordinate across agencies on implementation. Council members sought commitments that MetroCards/OmniCards would be available to all SYEP participants who need them and asked for reporting so Council can track take‑up and spending throughout the summer.