Congresswoman Barbara Lee secures more than $10M to support health, affordable housing, coastal resiliency & more in East Bay communities
OAKLAND, CA — Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today announced more than $10 million in federal funding to support affordable housing in Emeryville, coastal resiliency in Alameda, mental health and violence prevention programs in Oakland and Berkeley, and other key East Bay organizations and projects. This funding, included in the appropriations government funding package, responds directly to some of the most pressing needs in the East Bay.
Congresswoman Lee, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, secured funding for 10 local projects and initiatives in the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The bill passed by the House tonight includes $10.3 million to fund those projects and support the health, wellbeing, and economic recovery of the East Bay community. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill next week.
Projects funded by the bill include the Youth ALIVE! violence prevention program in Oakland ($500,000); the Oakland Mental Health Resilience Project ($1.23 million); the Veteran’s Court seawall project in Alameda ($1.5 million); and environmental clean-up for a development of 158 units of affordable housing in Emeryville ($2 million). The bill also includes funds for organizations including the Oakland Symphony, Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, and Berkeley’s African American Holistic Resource Center. A full list of community project funding for the East Bay in the FY22 Appropriations Bill is included below.
Congresswoman Lee also successfully fought to include funding in the bill to help working families across the country, including $10 million for diaper distribution in underserved communities. This marks the first time than an appropriations bill has included funding for diapers, which are a significant expense for lower-income families.
“The recipients of this funding are doing critical work to help the East Bay community recover from the pandemic, respond to the climate crisis, increase access to affordable housing, and improve the health, wellbeing, and safety of our residents,” Congresswoman Lee said. “My deepest gratitude goes to everyone involved in these projects and organizations for their incredible work, and to my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their support. I will continue fighting to bring home funding to strengthen resiliency, health, and equity in our community.”
“All Oakland residents benefit from the fierce advocacy of Congresswoman Lee in Washington,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “These critical funds will help us improve the physical, mental, and emotional health of our most vulnerable residents, and support our vital arts and cultural institutions that make Oakland the most diverse, inclusive, and inspiring city in America.”
“The creation of the African American Holistic Resource Center has been a priority for our city as we work to not only preserve, but to advance the vibrant culture of our African American community,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín said. “I want to thank Congresswoman Lee’s efforts to bring our vision for the Center a step closer to reality.”
“The City of Alameda is grateful to Congresswoman Barbara Lee and our Congressional leadership for their dedicated work on the appropriations bill, which includes $1.5 million to develop a long-term solution to coastal flooding in the Veterans Court area of Bay Farm Island,” said Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft. “This project will provide critical relief to address the risk of flooding in adjacent residential neighborhoods, schools, roadways, commercial properties, Corica Park municipal golf course, and the Oakland Airport.”
“Youth ALIVE! is grateful for Congresswoman Lee's unwavering leadership to bring peace to our communities,” said Youth ALIVE! Executive Director Ann Marks. “These funds meet a critical need for Youth ALIVE!'s national Community Violence Intervention (CVI) model program to get to scale in Oakland where it was invented.”
“We are extremely grateful for this funding, said West Oakland Health Council Chief Medical Officer Adrian James. “It will allow us to update and modernize our facilities which will allow us to better serve our patients. We would like to thank Supervisor Carson and Congresswoman Lee for their continued support over the years and their advocacy for West Oakland Health.”
FY22 Community Project Funding – 13th Congressional District of CA
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
- $2 million for Affordable Housing Development/Environmental Clean-Up (City of Emeryville)
ENVIRONMENTAL/RESILIENCY
- $1.5 million for Veteran's Court Seawall (City of Alameda)
- $1 million for Trash Capture Project (City of San Leandro)
- $1.25 million for facilities & equipment at the West Oakland Health Council (Alameda County)
- $1.23 million for the Oakland Mental Health Resilience project (City of Oakland)
- $1 million for the African American Holistic Resource Center (City of Berkeley)
- $350,000 for facilities & equipment at the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center (Oakland LGBTQ Community Center)
- $1 million for the Oakland Cultural and Commercial Corridor Recovery Project (Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation)
- $500,000 for Youth ALIVE! and Community & Youth Outreach (National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform)
- $500,000 for expansion of the Oakland Symphony’s MUSE program (East Bay Performing Arts)
For more information about the Omnibus Appropriations Package, go to: https://appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-government-funding-legislation
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Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.