NYC Provides Less Than 4% of Contracts to M/WBEs

New York City's construction sector is going through tough times, with labor shortages, sky rocketing material costs, supply chain bottlenecks, and a 40-year high in inflation.

Source : Contractor News

March 24, 2022

Author : Patty Rodriguez

On a state level, New York in 2021 announced that it had reached its 30% goal for state contracts being with minority- and women-owned business enterprises. 

Yet, the numbers are much lower for New York City. In the fiscal year of 2021, New York City awarded just 3.8% of city contract money to M/WBE firms.

According to New York City's comptroller's office 84% of the city’s MWBEs “do not have access to city spending". This was reported by Megan Mcgibney the website City & State New York.

New York City’s certified M/WBEs have tripled over the last 8 years, yet the the city has very different laws as compared with the state level.

New York State has Article 15-A that requires state agencies to make sure M/WBEs meet their participation and employment goals. 

Lourdes Zapata, told City & State New York, that: 

“It is very much a top-to-bottom approach and requirement in terms of MWBE engagement,” said Zapata, who now is the president and CEO of the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. “The agencies at the city level are very decentralized, and so there’s not one person within city government that has the City Hall leverage to require city agencies to engage MWBEs in any real significant amount.”

NYC's construction sector is going through tough times, with labor shortages, sky rocketing material costs,  supply chain bottlenecks, and a 40-year high in inflation.

 

Category : Minority Business Enterprises Women Business Enterprises Local Government

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