Massachusetts Delegation Celebrates $42 Million For 34 Communities

In full transparency, the following is a media release from Sen. Ed Markey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who were elected by voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve the state in Washington DC in the US Senate. Both are Democrats. (file photo)

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WASHINGTON DC – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congressman Stephen Lynch (MA-08) on February 3 touted their successful efforts to secure more than $42 million in federal funding in the end-of-year omnibus spending package for 34 community-based projects in Boston and across the Greater Boston region, including Malden, Cambridge, Somerville, and neighboring communities.

“I am proud to have worked with my colleagues to secure federal funding that will empower community-led efforts across the Boston region, train the workforce of Massachusetts’ clean energy future, protect and strengthen public health for our frontline communities, build affordable housing, promote education equity and access for our students, and ensure environmental justice is baked into the restoration and development of public spaces,” said Senator Markey.

“I am excited that Greater Boston will receive more than $42 million in federal funding to support 34 projects that span from bolstering our cultural institutions, to building economic opportunity, powering our clean energy workforce, and expanding access to affordable housing,” said Senator Warren. “I fought hard for funding for projects like these across the Commonwealth, and I’ll make sure that the federal government continues to be a strong partner to our communities here in Massachusetts.”

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“From climate justice to expanding health care, these vital community investments reflect our shared vision for a more equitable, sustainable, and just Massachusetts,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “The COVID-19 pandemic and recent extreme storms have laid bare the inequities many in our community face. Working alongside our local partners, I’m proud to bring home these investments to tackle the climate crisis and help our most vulnerable neighbors access essential health services.”

In Framingham, $2.7 million will go to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to modernize Emergency Operations Center facilities with new technology and equipment as natural and human caused threats and hazards increase.

“The best initiatives are community-driven and government-endorsed, and I am proud to have helped secure this critical funding for across the Massachusetts 7th to support and empower our neighbors – from investments in mental health resources, affordable housing, climate resiliency, workforce and economic development, to so much more,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Thank you to the advocates and my colleagues for your commitment to partnering to address the challenges our communities face together.”

“I am proud to have worked alongside my colleagues in government, Mayor Michelle Wu and City Council President Flynn, to secure the funding for these critical projects across the Greater Boston area,” said Congressman Lynch. “These community projects will create jobs, make residents safer, and with the help of the First Base program support our veterans. This funding will improve access to healthcare and affordable housing for those who need it most. I thank all my local partners that dedicated their time and hard work to advocating for these projects that will help strengthen and empower our communities.”

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Greater Boston is home to 34 projects that have received funding for the 2023 Fiscal Year, including:

• $370,000 for the Boston Medical Center Corporation’s Violence Intervention Advocacy Program to fill vacant staff positions and ensure they can continue their work addressing the needs of victims of community violence and support the families of those impacted by violence and homicide to recover from physical and emotional trauma.
• $1,334,000 for the City of Malden’s Malden River Works project to create a new public and climate resilient park with green stormwater infrastructure to reduce surface flooding, a denser tree canopy to mitigate urban heat island effects, and an elevated greenway path to protect against floods from rising sea levels.
• $1,000,000 for the Cambridge Public Health Commission to support equitable health care access for vulnerable populations, including those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the social determinants of health.
• $2,400,000 for the City of Somerville to add 354 units to the Clarendon Hill Public Housing Complex to expand access to affordable housing for mixed-income neighborhoods.
• $799,000 for the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology to establish new energy efficiency workforce training programs. These programs will train the future of the cleantech, sustainable construction, and energy workforce of Massachusetts, while promoting job growth and security, raising incomes of program participants, and helping achieve key climate goals.
• $1,000,000 for the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts to support their efforts to provide technical assistance and coaching to member businesses.
• $750,000 to the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation to begin the process of constructing 48 new affordable housing units for low-income residents in Dorchester, strengthening the core Codman Square business district in the neighborhood in a bid to encourage housing development along the district.
• $500,000 to the Museum of Science to support a pilot project that empowers community-based organizations to promote STEM education and museum access to underserved communities.
• $2,400,000 for the New England Aquarium to modernize its exhibits so that displays and material can be more interactive, accessible, age-appropriate, and culturally-contextualized for a diverse visiting audience.

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• $800,000 for Driving Equitable Outcomes in Business Growth Program to invest in over 500 startups by historically underrepresented founders to bridge the wealth gap and establish more equitable and inclusive economic approaches.
• $4,943,000 for Nantasket Avenue Seawall Replacement to construct a 1,600-foot seawall that protects coastal lines from waves and storms of open oceans and improves critical roadway resiliency.
• $1,000,000 for Bridging the Gap in Childcare for Homeless Families to provide immediate child care access to unhoused families as they search for longer-term services.
• $3,000,000 for UMass Boston Home Care Digital and Simulation Lab to provide education to nursing students—the next generation of home health care providers—in modern technologies used in home care, especially for people who are aging, have disabilities, and are experiencing health disparities.
• $250,000 for Mentoring for the Mental Health of Greater Boston’s Girls to support one-to-one mentoring programs that connect girls with female mentors who improve their self-confidence, social skills, and emotional wellbeing.
• $450,000 for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program to strengthen infrastructure of critical equipment to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly.
• $1,000,000 for Health and Climate Retrofits to Affordable Housing to improve the air quality, reduce energy cost burden, and increase climate resiliency of Boston Housing Authority’s Ausonia Apartments for all residents, including the elderly and disabled individuals.
• $480,000 for Revolutionary Spaces for Historic Preservation to support conservation efforts that address water infiltration at Old South Meeting House.
• $1,000,000 for the City of Melrose to improve important infrastructure that promotes sustainability and climate resiliency for Ell Pond Park, a treasured community and regional resource with recreational facilities serving Melrose’s high-density downtown area since 1921.
• $1,000,000 for Roxbury A2M Workforce Accelerator to provide scholarships and additional support for students in the program that puts them on fast-track learning to obtain a Master’s degree at Northeastern University.

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• $1,000,000 for Home Base 2-Week Intensive Clinical Program to provide mental health services for veterans and children grieving the death of a parent or primary caregiver who served in the U.S. military.
• $1,000,000 for Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) to replace its arts center and increase capacity for community programs that serve low-income residents and provide Latinx arts access for the City of Boston and New England.
• $2,000,000 for Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter to secure a modern emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence in need of immediate housing in Northfolk County.
• $1,260,000 for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to expand its Digital Growth Accelerator across Massachusetts as the company supports the growth of at least 180 under-resourced small businesses.
• $2,000,000 for Grow in Revere Food Hub Project to modernize the HVAC and electrical systems of the Revere Food Hub and provide ADA accommodations that address the increasing demands of energy capacity, energy use, and food security issues throughout Boston.
• 1,000,000 for Adult Literacy Initiative Digital Literacy Project to strengthen workforce development programs and invest in infrastructure and the necessary educational tools to enhance digital literacy and other skills for adults so that they can thrive in a highly competitive job market amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• $400,000 for PowerUp Latinx Business Initiative to provide bilingual, culturally relevant, and intensive business coaching to 65 Latinx small businesses.
• $1,150,000 for Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Immigrant Health to provide cultural and linguistic training to Community Health Workers to administer mental health support and connect patients with immigrant resource specialists that address statewide shortages of bilingual and culturally diverse mental health providers in immigrant communities with limited English proficiency.
• $643,003 for ACEDONE Small Business Development and Technical Assistance to support small businesses in predominately low-income, Black, Brown, and immigrant communities and to lay the foundation of an equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• $1,000,000 for Neighborhood Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure to support Boston’s transition from fossil-fueled vehicles and to invest in transportation that reduces harmful air pollutants and combats climate change through an investment in a network of publicly-available and accessible electric vehicle charging stations for residents. 
• $2,000,000 for Downtown Broadway Infrastructure Improvement Project to improve the infrastructure of Broadway Corridor—home to minority-owned small businesses, high-frequency public transit routes, and popular housing—to maintain public safety, increase accessibility of public transportation, and strengthen the local economy.

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• $750,000 for Gateway Park Urban Forest/Wetland Restoration to restore a degraded 14-acre waterfront parcel of land and create a public space for low-income residents of color in environmental justice communities.
• $524,000 for Turner Free Library Mobile Services Project to support the purchase of an outreach vehicle to connect more than 2,046 elementary and middle school students, who lack access to school librarians, across Randolph public schools by providing them with specialized library materials that foster childhood literacy, including a mobile STEM lab, Wi-Fi, and other educational services. 
• $400,000 for Cooling Urban Heat Islands through Urban Forestry to implement local urban forestry plans, including planting 750 trees, and to educate youth and others on the importance of protecting urban trees to mitigate extreme weather conditions driven by climate change.