NYRA Board: Backstretch Housing Project Must Be A Priority
The New York Racing Association is investing nearly $29 million into renovating and building new housing for backstretch workers in several projects that are expected to be completed in 2017.
However, as The Saratogian reports, at Wednesday's NYRA board meeting, several board members urged for the work to be expedited, due to the poor conditions many workers are currently living in.
NYRA President and CEO Chris Kay said that ground had been broken on the first of three 92-bed dorms at Belmont Park. There are also plans to renovate five cottages at Saratoga this year, followed by six each in 2016 and 2017.
Recommended for You
“It sounds like a lot, but there’s hundreds of cottages at Saratoga,” board member Michael Dubb said. “Conditions are not good. These people deserve better. When we’re doing our budgeting nothing is more important than the people who take care of the horses.”
Read more in The Saratogian
