Queens, NY – New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato secured a record level of funding for a grant known as the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) program. For years Pheffer Amato has been responsible for obtaining the necessary funds to make this grant wildly successful and allowing religious institutions to obtain this crucial security funding. Any and all religious institutions, which includes a religious school or a place of worship, can apply for the grant at an amount of $200,000. 

During the 2023 State budget, Pheffer Amato secured the highest amount to date at $60 million. As the application has recently opened, the Assemblywoman personally sent a letter outlining the program to every synagogue, church and mosque that has a physical building in her district, along with every Yeshiva and Catholic school.

The Assemblywoman said, “the circumstances surrounding this opportunity are incredibly unfortunate. While I obviously wish it was unnecessary, the sharp increase in recent hateful anti-religious acts prove its need. I fought to get this program funded and worked to ensure it was open to every synagogue, church and mosque, and all religious schools. Our community's safety is my top priority, and I will stop at nothing to bring resources to help us.”

The SCAHC grant is distributed by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services and can be used for interior or exterior security improvements such as alarms, panic buttons, fences, shatter resistant glass, public address systems, security training, and enhanced cybersecurity. In the upcoming budget, the Assemblywoman is working to not only increase the amount of money for the grant, but also expand the perimeters to include the hiring of security personnel.