The funding is part of the Community Project Funding Program, which allows members of Congress to target federal funds toward projects and programs in their districts. Rep. Kim Schrier announced Friday that 10 projects from the district made the cut for the program, including $1.3 million for broadband expansion in Entiat and $940,000 for Leavenworth housing projects.
"I'm thrilled that I could go to bat for the 8th District and make sure all 10 of my requested projects received funding at the levels they asked for or higher," Schrier said in a news release. "Local governments and nonprofits know our communities' needs best, and that is why I went directly to them for recommendations about what our federal budget should prioritize."
The broadband expansion project will bring fiber-based infrastructure to a minimum of 220 homes and will include excess system capacity to meet future growth.
Below is a breakdown of the Leavenworth projects:
* $348,000 for a three-home permanently affordable homeownership pilot project in conjunction with Upper Valley MEND's SHARE Community Land Trust
* $313,200 for community pool upgrades (covering the pool)
* $104,000 toward an ADA playground
* $104,000 toward improving sports fields
* $71,340 toward a youth pilot program for construction apprenticeship
"Although the funding doesn't cover each project fully, it will go a long way to helping the following projects get off the ground," reads a press release from the city of Leavenworth. "While we await specific details on next steps, we're going to celebrate this wonderful example of working together on multiple levels of government and with multiple communities to achieve a common goal."
The Community Project Funding Program was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022, which President Joe Biden signed last month.
© 2022 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
