Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured over $34 million in federal funding for 15 projects across California in the Senate’s Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill. The bill was released by the Senate Appropriations Committee today and will now be reconciled with its House counterpart before final passage.

“I am proud to support funding for key California transportation projects and for community organizations helping our state address homelessness,” Senator Padilla said.“Modernizing our transportation infrastructure will strengthen our economy, improve our environment, and provide more transit options for Californians. And as we continue to grapple with the housing crisis, we need to keep Californians in their homes and provide supportive housing services to people who need it most.”

California projects included in the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill:

• $10 million for the COASTER Commuter Rail Corridor Stabilization Project in San Diego County
  This project would help protect the San Diego portion of the COASTER commuter rail line from erosion of the Del Mar Bluffs. Along a 1.6-mile stretch of the Del Mar Bluffs, the rail line is within feet of the coastline, nested on delicate cliffs that experience annual and episodic erosion.

• $5 million for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Corridor Project
  This project would provide improved transit service along the busy Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road corridors serving the eastern San Fernando Valley by building and connecting Metro and Metrolink stations.

• $5 million for the Inglewood Transit Connector Project
  This project would provide residents and visitors with a state-of-the-art elevated guideway connecting the Crenshaw/LAX Metro Line directly to destinations in the City of Inglewood, including The Forum, SoFi Stadium at Hollywood Park, and the future Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center.

• $3.5 million for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project
  The Sepulveda Transit Corridor project aims to improve speed, frequency, capacity, and reliability of transit service between the heavy concentrations of households in the San Fernando Valley and the major employment and activity centers on the Westside. This is part of a larger, future project to extend the corridor further south to LAX.

• $2 million for the 7^th Street Connection Project in Oakland
  This project aims to improve pedestrian, bicycle, vehicle, and public transit connectivity between West Oakland, Downtown Oakland, and the Oakland waterfront. The project will construct protected bike lanes, widen and provide lighting and accessible ramps to sidewalks, improve crosswalks, and install and modify traffic lights to improve transit and safety.

• $2 million for a Homeless Youth Housing Campus in Monterey County
  This project would fund a homeless youth housing campus that would include emergency shelter and transitional housing for youth between 18 and 24 years old.

• $2 million for the Fresno Yosemite Airport Terminal Expansion and Safety Enhancement Project
  This project would modernize the Fresno Yosemite Airport with two new dual use (domestic and international) elevated arrival and departure gates, a new Federal Inspection Station, new baggage facilities, an expanded and modernized TSA passenger security checkpoint, new and rehabilitated airport and airline support areas, and additional concession spaces. Passenger safety will be enhanced by eliminating ground deplaning activities via new boarding bridges.

• $1 million for Pathway Torrance, a Community Resource and Response Center
  This project would retrofit an unused former community health facility into Pathway Torrance. This dedicated community health facility would provide programmatic and specialized support, City paramedic response, emergency training, and education for area residents, students and persons who are at risk for, or are experiencing, homelessness.

• $1 million to help Long Beach transition to zero-emission buses
  This funding would support the purchase of battery-electric or fuel cell electric buses to help Long Beach transition its aging bus fleet to zero-emission technology.

• $665,000 for the Southwest Fresno Community Food Hub
  This funding would support the City of Fresno’s St. Rest + Food to Share Hub project, which will result in the annual recovery of over 1 million pounds of nutritious food that would otherwise be wasted and redistribute it to underserved and disadvantaged families.
• $500,000 for the SOMOS Mayfair Community Center in San Jose
  This funding would support construction, equipment, and program services for SOMOS Mayfair’s new community center in East San José. This community center will provide housing services, early learning and youth development programs, and programs and access to services for community residents, who include extremely low-income families, at-risk youth and the formerly un-housed.

• $500,000 for a transitional housing project in the City of Alameda
  This funding would be used to establish 24-7, year-round temporary housing for unsheltered individuals or families until they are offered a safe permanent housing option.

• $500,000 for the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust
  This funding would help initiate the construction of critical housing and shelter developments in the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust’s Affordable Housing Project Pipeline.

• $480,000 for Southern California Highways to Boulevards Regional Study
  This would fund a study to identify and evaluate urban highways in Southern California for conversion to city streets or placing a lid over existing rights-of-way, particularly those intersecting with environmental justice areas and disadvantaged communities. These conversions would free up additional land for affordable housing or green spaces.

• $250,000 for the Covenant House California Homeless Youth Services Center in Oakland
  This funding would support the completion of a new youth homeless services center in Oakland, which would provide housing and support services to help youth exit to safe and stable situations.

A full summary of the Senate’s Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bill is available here.

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