Wary of past harm, three monitors will be installed at Syracuse community centers to boost residents’ air quality awareness as the I-81 viaduct comes down.
Debadrita Sur
Debadrita Sur is a multimedia journalist and Report for America corps member who reports on the I-81 project and public housing for Central Current. In 2023, Sur graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, where she reported on housing and homelessness, and co-produced a short documentary on food insecurity in the South Bronx.
After graduating, she joined The Buffalo News as a general assignment reporter, where she covered daily breaking news and long-term enterprise stories on pedestrian safety, homelessness in Erie County, and Jewish and Arab families in Western New York reacting to the Middle East conflict, among other topics. She later joined Reach PLC in New York City, where she worked on tight deadlines to cover breaking news on a myriad of topics, but mainly focusing on the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the Trump administration across three publications. Sur grew up in Kolkata, India, and completed her undergraduate degree in English literature from Presidency University, while also working for a London-based cultural magazine, Far Out, on the side. Deb speaks Hindi, Bengali, English, and German.
When she’s not reporting, Sur is either reading, trying to recreate her mom’s chicken recipes, making adventure bucket lists, or playing with her cat, Mountain Dew. She can be reached at dsur@centralcurrent.org
Posted inInterstate 81
I-81 local hire initiative was a success, advocates say. What’s next?
Urban Jobs Task Force of Syracuse released a report reflecting on the I-81 Local Hire Initiative’s success.
Posted inSyracuse Housing Authority
Southside church leaders were blindsided by utility poles placed in front of their church. Now National Grid plans to remove them.
City officials reviewed whether National Grid properly placed the utility poles after Central Current posed questions about them and a pastor at Hopps Memorial CME Church sent letters to key stakeholders.
Posted inNews
Syracuse Housing Authority held apartments vacant and lost $1 million. Now SHA wants a HUD waiver.
The Syracuse Housing Authority held apartments vacant to relocate residents who were affected by the redevelopment of public housing.
Posted inNews
Syracuse Housing Authority inches toward progress on public housing redevelopment– one phase at a time
Syracuse Housing Authority’s redevelopment of public housing on the Southside will see over 1,400 new units which will house current residents and attract market-rate renters.
Posted inNews
The DOT is building a roundabout near downtown Syracuse. Here’s how construction could affect travel.
The roundabout will be constructed on Van Buren Street, near the Carrier Dome, and is part of construction that will eventually lead to the teardown of the I-81 viaduct.
Posted inHousing
New York AG appeals ruling that could allow landlords to choose not to rent to Section 8 tenants
Thousands of Syracuse tenants rely on Section 8 vouchers from the Syracuse Housing Authority.
Posted inSyracuse Housing Authority
Feds to send $850K to Syracuse Housing Authority to support redevelopment of public housing
The money was secured by Rep. John Mannion for the Syracuse Housing Authority in a congressional appropriations bill, his office said.
Posted inNews
Landlords could not deny housing to tenants because of their Section 8 voucher. Now they can.
A decision by a panel of judges in New York’s appellate court could affect thousands of Section 8 tenants who depend on federal subsidies to pay for housing.
Posted inSyracuse Housing Authority
Syracuse Housing Authority counsel clears SHA board chair of conflict of interest amid HUD investigation
The city, a co-applicant to a critical funding grant with Syracuse Housing Authority, was not notified in advance before Executive Director Bill Simmons sent the email to HUD.