Community hiring program overview and scope
Harry explains community hiring as a first-of-its-kind program embedding equity into city contracting. It applies to construction, human services, standard services, and professional services, and OCH manages rollout, support, and reporting.
Community hiring is a first-of-its-kind program in the nation that aims to embed equity and opportunity into city contracting.
New York City's local government has many city agencies that provide a wide range of services for New Yorkers, from designing parks and playgrounds to providing health care and child care to repairing roads and bridges.
While some of this work is done by city employees, the city also contracts with vendors, which include businesses and nonprofits, to deliver billions of dollars in services every year.
Community hiring allows the city to leverage its purchasing power by setting workforce goals on these contracts for vendors to hire low-income individuals and residents of low-income communities, including NYCHA housing.
Community hiring was authorized by state legislation in 2023, and NYC Talent was tasked with transforming the framework established in the law into an operational program that has a tangible impact on New Yorkers.
While there are similar programs in other cities and states that are generally limited to the construction industry, the city's program goes further and applies to a broad range of contracts, including construction,
human services like healthcare, standard services like cleaning and moving, and professional services like technology and engineering.
OCH manages the rollout and implementation of the program, supports city agencies and vendors, and reports on progress toward community hiring goals.