Funding Requests for Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations
For just the third time in a decade, Congress will be providing Member-directed federal funding to a select number of Community Projects through the Appropriations Process. Under the recently adopted process, each House member is allowed to submit 15 project requests on behalf of their Congressional District to the Appropriations Committee.
Below are the projects put forward by Congressman Adam Schiff for the Fiscal Year 2024.
Wildfire Fuel Reduction and Hazardous Brush Abatement
Address of receiving entity: 780 Flower Street, Glendale, CA 91201
Amount requested: $75,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: Through this program, funding would be used for contract services to support regular brush abatement and fuel reduction to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Specific goals of this program are to reduce the risk of structure ignition during a wildfire by removing or reducing hazardous vegetative fuels on City owned properties that are within 100-200 feet of a structure. By performing brush abatement and fuel reduction on a regular basis to maintain a perimeter of defensible space around homes and buildings, the Glendale Fire Department will be able to reduce the risk of future brush fires. This project will directly support communities that are located in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone of Glendale that is adjacent to heavily populated communities.
Gower Street Apartments Improvements
Address of receiving entity: 1140 N Gower St, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Amount requested: $3,000,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund building renovations for the Gower Street Apartments, a supportive housing building for seniors who have previously experienced homelessness. Built in 1930, the building does not conform to contemporary standards of accessibility and the seniors residing in the building. These improvements will make the living arrangements safer, cleaner, and more accessible.
Shelter Expansion and Improvement
Address of receiving entity: 1851 Tyburn Street, Glendale, CA 91204
Amount requested: $1,563,727
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund expanding and improving the 45-bed Ascencia Interim Housing Facility and Access Center that serves over one thousand unhoused individuals and families throughout Los Angeles County.
Access Center and Tiny Home Village for Unsheltered Families
Address of receiving entity: 2321 North Catalina St, Burbank, CA 91504
Amount requested: $500,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund converting the Home Again Los Angeles facility into an Access Center for individuals and families who are experiencing housing insecurity and help finance a housing development of micro community of tiny homes for use as transitional housing for unhoused families with children in need of immediate shelter and wraparound services.
Mountain Oaks Verdugo Wash Rim of the Valley Acquisition
Address of receiving entity: 570 W. Avenue 26, Los Angeles, 90065
Amount requested: $1,800,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund the acquisition of a 240-acre space connected to the Verdugo Wash from Crescenta Valley Community Regional Park, by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation. Acquisition of the 240 acres of open space will provide a broad range of permanent public benefits, including open space, scenic area, recreational opportunities, rich natural resources, and sequestration of greenhouse gasses.
Glendale Community College Student Center
Address of receiving entity: 1500 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91206
Amount requested: $1,542,965
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund renovating 8,000 square feet of unused space into a community center, which would then become one of the largest community centers in the California Community College system. The center would benefit students, faculty and staff, and community members of the Glendale area.
Log Cabin Facility Renovation
Address of receiving entity: 8300 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Amount requested: $1,750,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund rehabilitating the facility, which is used by the West Hollywood Recovery Center for weekly 12 step recovery meetings, to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the California Building Code. As a community place operated and supported by people in recovery, the Log Cabin offers individuals in their early stages of sobriety, a place of containment and peer support. The Log Cabin has helped hundreds of thousands of people from all over Southern California and beyond.
Renewing Griffith Park
Address of receiving entity: 4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Amount requested: $4,522,061
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund repaving pedestrian trails and roadways, adding safety enhancements, and rehabilitating Griffith Park Recreational facilities. Griffith Park is the largest urban park in the United States, comprised of approximately 4511 acres of green space, recreational facilities, trails, and community buildings.
Permanent Supportive Housing Outdoor Recreation and Accessibility Improvements
Address of receiving entity: 2600 Wilshire Blvd., 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Amount requested: $2,760,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund renovating two public supportive housing properties to update them to today’s earthquake standards and add green spaces for tenants to enjoy.
Interim Housing for Unhoused Domestic Violence Survivor Mothers and Children
Address of receiving entity: 221 E. Walnut St., Suite 112, Pasadena, CA 91101
Amount requested: $1,658,710
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund renovating the facility to become ADA compliant, increasing shelter capacity, and general updates for the facility, which is a safe haven and center that provides supportive services.
Los Angeles City College Health Sciences Apprenticeship Program
Address of receiving entity: 855 North Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90029
Amount requested: $654,480
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund a workforce development program to support a cohort of forty Nursing and Radiologic Technology students. Investing in the LACC Health Sciences Apprenticeship program will help the health care sector recover from the worker shortage and learning loss of health care workers.
Architectural Improvement for Accessibility of Elderly
Address of receiving entity: 5170 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029
Amount requested: $2,000,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund renovations to expand the St. Barnabas Senior Center of Los Angeles. The funding would be used to replace the HVAC system, update the tile to safe flooring, and ensure all areas of the center are accessible to the elderly and disabled.
Making it Happen Modular Building for Community Food Pantry
Address of receiving entity: 8100 Foothill Blvd #58, Sunland, CA 91040
Amount requested: $285,867
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This project would fund securing a permanent location for Making it Happen, Inc’s food pantry, which currently serves around 250 individuals and families per week.
City of Burbank Expansion of Mental Health Services
Address of receiving entity: 275 E. Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91510
Amount requested: $200,000
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: The City of Burbank Police Department’s Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) provides a co-response model to calls for service involving individuals experiencing mental illness in need of crisis intervention and linkage to resources and services. The program pairs a licensed clinical social worker and police officer with specialized training to respond to situations that may involve mental health underpinnings. With the identified need for the Department to respond to those experiencing mental illness and to educate community members about mental health topics and resources, the City desires to implement a second full-time MHET team (consisting of a licensed clinical social worker and a police officer). A second MHET team will expand the provision of an appropriate level of response to mental health related situations beyond the capacity of the current program to include additional hours per day and days per week.
Street Outreach to Youth Victims of Crime
Address of receiving entity: 1325 N Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Amount requested: $652,821
Explanation of request and why it is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds: This program through Covenant House California provides street outreach in close partnership with local law enforcement to youth experiencing homelessness who are victims of crime, including sexual and physical assault, violence, human trafficking (sex and/or labor), and identity theft. This project aligns closely with the intent of the Byrne JAG program through its direct service to crime victims – more than 76% of youth experiencing homelessness have been victims of crime. Through communication between two direct service providers (CHC and local law enforcement), this project presents a cost-effective approach to reducing violent crime and promoting public trust between communities and criminal justice agencies; this direct relationship removes intermediaries and allows for both bodies to get right to work.