The House Appropriations Committee announced a new Community Project Funding initiative to allow Members of Congress to target federal funds towards projects and programs that will address the most significant needs facing the communities they represent. More information on the process can be found on the House Appropriations Committee’s page here.
In March, Congress passed the federal omnibus, which included the following Community Project Funding requested by Congressman Trone.
Projects Funded by Omnibus
NOTE: The projects are listed alphabetically by project name.
Agency & Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – Department of Labor — Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Demonstration Program
Project name: 5G Job Training Bootcamp for Communities of Color
Requester: Montgomery County Office of Broadband Programs
Address: 100 Maryland Ave Suite 2600 Rockville, MD 20850.
Amount: $1,000,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used for a comprehensive technology job training pilot program being proposed by Montgomery County, Maryland in partnership with experienced Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Demonstration Program (WIOA) grantees Montgomery College and WorkSource Montgomery, and in coordination with the wireless industry deploying locally in Montgomery County. The funds would be critical in achieving the program’s goals, which are to work with national wireless industry employers deploying 5G and small cells antenna systems in Montgomery County, and the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP), to develop 100 entry level jobs and apprenticeships; design curriculum and base training to support fiber optic and wireless antenna installation field technician workforce requirements and skills; and to recruit and provide job training support to underemployed youth age 16 to 24, African Americans, Latinos, women and veterans.
Agency & Account: Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies – Department of Housing and Urban Development — Economic Development Initiative (EDI)
Project name: Asian American Service Center
Requester: Asian American Center of Frederick
Address: 1306 W. Patrick Street, Suite 5A, Frederick, MD 21703.
Amount: $1,500,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used to improve and enhance the AACF’s programs for the youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, and general social/welfare public service programs for low- and moderate-income persons and households especially those who are ethnic minorities and immigrant populations in a cost effective manner to attain quality of life. With the requested funding, AACF would acquire new commercial space to become their new Asian American Service Center for its programs and services. With the recent rise in anti-Asian sentiment, and Asian Hate Crime phenomenon, this building will provide extra space needed to launch additional programs and services for the Asian American communities, which experience discrimination, implicit bias, structural and systemic racism in the community. The expansion is critical so that the Asian American and other minority communities in Maryland have access to vital services that address their needs.
Agency & Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – Department of Health and Human Services — SAMHSA — Mental Health
Project name: Crisis Stabilization Center
Requester: Frederick County
Address: 12 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701.
Amount: $850,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used to fund the County Crisis Stabilization Center, which will be a 24/7 program that is responsive to local needs, grounded in a public health framework, and integrated into the behavioral health crisis care system in Frederick County. It will divert people who are in crisis and/or under the influence of a substance away from emergency departments and provide stronger links to community-based behavioral health care for individuals who have not been engaged well by the behavioral health system. It will create another non-traditional access point for individuals who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis and may include those with behavioral health disorders who engage in high-risk substance use and related behaviors and who are at risk of overdose or other harmful behaviors. There is a strong belief that funding this new center will save lives in Frederick County and beyond.
Agency & Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – Department of Health and Human Services — SAMHSA — Substance Abuse Treatment
Project name: Crisis Stabilization Unit
Requester: Washington County
Address: 1302 Pennsylvania Avenue, Hagerstown, MD 21742.
Amount: $475,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used to create three crisis stabilization beds at Meritus Medical Center for a maximum length of stay of 48 hours with medically assisted treatment started and a warm handoff to community peer support and providers. Currently, Washington County has no crisis beds or observation level of care for behavioral health (substance use disorder and/or mental health diagnosis). The gap perpetuates the cycle of relapse, emergency department visits, hospitalization and overdose fatalities. The Crisis Stabilization concept has been identified as a community need and has been widely supported by Meritus Medical Center, the Washington County Health Department, Governor Hogan’s Opioid Operational Command Center, and the local City and County government and community organizations.
Agency & Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – Department of Health and Human Services — HRSA — Health Facilities and Construction
Project name: EveryMind Crisis Prevention and Intervention Services Capacity Building
Requester: EveryMind
Address: 1000 Twinbrook Parkway Rockville, MD 20851
Amount: $325,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used over a one-year period to complete building out EveryMind’s virtual capacity and technology infrastructure. While the pandemic still rages, many individuals have experienced heightened anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal ideation due to extended periods of social isolation and unprecedented levels of trauma, grief, and loss. At the onset of the COVID- 19 pandemic, EveryMind invested in the development of its technology infrastructure to enable Hotline Specialists to answer calls, texts, and chats remotely. These funds would allow EveryMind to continue its efforts to meet the needs of the community while investing in technological infrastructure to help assist the most vulnerable and at risk, wherever they are. This will give a catalytic lift to their crisis prevention and intervention measures and support the mental health and wellness of the Montgomery County community.
Agency & Account: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – Department of Agriculture — ReConnect Program
Project name: Garrett County Broadband Expansion
Requester: Garrett County
Address: 203 South Fourth Street, Oakland, MD 21550.
Amount: $883,574
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used to expand broadband access and services to largely underserved areas. Specifically, the Broadband Expansion Project would allow for the installation of a 96-strand fiber from Route 135 at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland to Bloomington, Maryland. This project will allow for the connection of more than 270 households, 24 farms, and 17 businesses to internet services. Currently, these homes, farms, and businesses do not have internet access, and without this project, there are no plans for internet service in this area.
Agency & Account: Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies – Department of Housing and Urban Development — Economic Development Initiative (EDI)
Project name: Initiative to transform and repurpose vacant/blighted properties in the City of Hagerstown
Requester: City of Hagerstown
Address: 1 E. Franklin St. Hagerstown, MD 21740.
Amount: $500,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used for a critical initiative to eliminate blight that exists throughout multiple City neighborhoods. Numerous vacant/blighted/abandoned properties are negatively impacting the Hagerstown community and without intervention, these properties will continue to deteriorate, continue to be major safety concerns for local residents, and continue to be an overall nuisance for the City. A significant focus of this initiative will be carried out through the City’s new Tax Sale Property Repurpose Program. Aligning with recent State of Maryland Legislation from 2018, this new program was created via City Ordinance in 2020 and will be utilized to transition numerous vacant and abandoned properties into productive use. This initiative will positively impact taxpayers by enhancing neighborhoods through revitalization or removal of unsafe structures while also providing new opportunities for quality renter or owner occupied housing.
Agency & Account: Homeland Security – Department of Homeland Security — Pre-Disaster Mitigation Projects
Project name: Motter Avenue Area Community Flood Mitigation Project
Requester: City of Frederick
Address: 101 N Court Street Frederick, MD 21701
Amount: $534,977
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used for the Motter Avenue Area Community Flood Mitigation Project, which will reduce residential property damage and risk of flood-related injury in the YMCA Flooding Area in Frederick, Maryland. The funds would allow the City to implement the US Army Corps of Engineers recommended mitigation for addressing flood risk in this area, including the installation of new pipes and lines that will be able to convey more stormwater from upstream drainage areas to the system outfall without overland flow surcharge. By adding more inlets, surface runoff will discharge into the trunk line more efficiently. The mitigation project will reduce the flood risk in the YMCA Flooding Area by nearly 4 feet of flooding, from 5.6 feet to 1.7 feet for the 10‐year, 24‐hour storm. This measure will also eliminate surface flooding in the YMCA Flooding Area for a 2‐year, 24‐hour storm, and reduce flood depths during a 100‐year, 24‐hour storm, from 7.0 feet to 4.5 feet. Should this funding request be awarded, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency stands ready to administer these funds on behalf of the City of Frederick.
Agency & Account: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – Department of Agriculture — Community Facilities Grants
Project name: Revitalizing a Community Asset: The Allegany College of Maryland Workforce Development and Community Theatre
Requester: Allegany College of Maryland
Address: 12401 Willowbrook Road SE, Cumberland, MD 21502
Amount: $187,500
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used for improvements to the College’s Theatre, which has not had updates to its lighting or rigging since it was established in the early 1970’s. Funds would also be used for staff training, engineering, and permitting for the redesign process. In addition to the improved access and community usage, revitalizing the theatre will directly benefit the College’s Multimedia Technology program. The need for hands-on experience is critical in multimedia technology and the items requested will provide for economic development, community services, and the required hands-on experience for students to be prepared for the changing workplace. A variety of large-scale workforce development, community, economic development, and community events are held at the Allegany College of Maryland theatre on an annual basis. This facility is a critical part of the fabric of Allegany County as well as the Western Maryland region and an important location for workforce development and community productions to meet the needs of the community.
Agency & Account: Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies – Department of Housing and Urban Development — Economic Development Initiative (EDI)
Project name: South Germantown Recreational Park
Requester: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Address: 6611 Kenilworth Avenue, Riverdale, MD 20737.
Amount: $500,000
Project description:
If awarded, the funding will be used to rehabilitate the park access road and trails that have deteriorated and are rated in poor condition. South Germantown Recreational Park is one of Montgomery Parks’ most active parks, offering a variety of activities to choose from, including hiking, biking, archery, miniature golf, swimming, soccer, picnicking, and adventure play, to name just a few. With age and heavy use, many of the paved trails and roadways within the park have deteriorated having reached the end of their useful life and need renovation. However, normal lifecycle asset replacement funding is limited, and as it stands now, this project would not be funded for many years in the future. However, with federal grant assistance, this project could be completed in the near term, rehabilitating approximately 3 miles of trails, 7 miles of walking paths, and 2 miles of roadway, enhancing park user access within this active, heavily used recreation area. Pavement renovations will improve public safety and access to loop trails and trail connections, while providing safe access to athletic fields and other park amenities.
