LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced nine projects in the Third District that stand to gain from a total of $7,778,838 in federal investments included in government funding legislation under consideration this week in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Whether it’s food pantries, community health initiatives, or economic development projects, organizations and local governments across the Third District are stepping up to make our community and our Commonwealth a better place to call home,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “I’m proud to support these projects by advocating for federal investments that will bolster their efforts. I look forward to casting my vote for these priorities in the House later this week and working with our partners in the Senate to get them across the finish line.”
This week, the House will consider a package of seven appropriations bills that would fund a number of federal departments through fiscal year 2022. During the crafting of the package, Trahan successfully included specific funding for nine projects in the Third District, including:
- The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center: $2,000,000 for renovations to the Lawrence facility to create an additional 4,000 square feet of new space and renovate existing space and equipment, which will greatly expand patient access at one of its busiest clinical locations.
- Middlesex County Restoration Center Commission: $1,650,000 support the establishment of the Middlesex County Restoration Center, which would provide several components of needed crisis and urgent care for individuals with behavioral health conditions that could serve as an alternative and more appropriate treatment destination than being arrested and jailed/hospitalized.
- Entrepreneurship for All: $1,000,000 to support EforAll’s "inclusive entrepreneurship" approach to assisting individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities statewide, which would yield more sources of income and uplift families out of poverty across Massachusetts.
- Making Opportunity Count, Inc.: $750,000 to support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art early education center in Fitchburg that will offer services to as many as 60 children and families, including classrooms, behavioral health services, an outdoor space and playground, and nutritious food.
- Town of Stow: $750,000 to support efforts to extend the Assabet River Rail Trail from its current terminus in Maynard through portions of Stow, providing regional recreation and transportation benefits.
- City of Lowell: $750,000 to help invest in LeLacheur Baseball Park, including roof repairs, bleacher replacement, and upgrades to the concourse and existing visitor amenities, which will have significant positive economic development benefits from baseball fans visiting Lowell's downtown.
- University of Massachusetts, Lowell: $500,000 to support the University’s River Hawk Scholars Academy, which provides important resources to its first-generation, first-year students to help with their retention, sense of belonging, academic success, and career readiness.
- Merrimack River Watershed Council: $352,000 to support efforts to provide clean water in four highly urbanized and contaminated segments of the Merrimack River by employing water quality monitoring, technical watershed modeling, and green stormwater infrastructure design.
- United Way of Tri County, Inc.: $26,838 to purchase and install generators at WHEAT Community Connections in Clinton and Marlborough Community Cupboard in Marlborough to ensure the food pantries’ food is preserved in the event of power outages.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative was permitted to request funding for up to 10 projects for fiscal year 2022. Projects were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.
Trahan also secured $500,000 to support UTEC, Inc.’s violence prevention projects in Haverhill that serve the highest risk youth ages 17-24 through intensive street outreach and gang peacemaking. That funding was included in a separate appropriations bill that will be taken up separately by the House.
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