Rep. Aguilar secures more than $30 million for local projects in 2023 government funding package

Rep. Pete Aguilar voted for $30,152,130 in Community Project Funding for the Inland Empire in the final 2023 government funding package, which now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature. Rep. Aguilar requested these projects in May 2022, advocated for them as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and pushed for their inclusion in the final government funding package.

“I am proud to have secured $30,152,130 in Community Project Funding that I know meets long overdue community needs for the Inland Empire,” Rep. Aguilar said. “These investments create jobs with better pay, promote cleaner air and water, and address homelessness in our community. I have prioritized securing federal dollars to address local issues and I’ll continue to work every day to deliver for our region.”

Rep. Aguilar championed funding for 15 projects that will directly benefit Inland Empire residents. These include:

Project Name: 3^rd Street Corridor Project

Project Requestor: Inland Valley Development Agency Joint Powers Authority

Amount Secured: $3,000,000

Summary: The funding will support a much-needed infrastructure project that will enhance safety, mobility and access to the growing San Bernardino International Airport.

Project Name: Arrowhead Grove Community Resource Center

Project Requestor: Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino

Amount Secured: $3,000,000

Summary: The funding will create a resource center at the Arrowhead Grove housing community. This would provide easy access to services by establishing a multi-faceted health campus open to any San Bernardino resident.

Project Name: Funding for a New Master of Science in Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program

Project Requestor: California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)

Amount Secured: $2,000,000

Summary: The funding will provide medical equipment to CSUSB’s new Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program and assist in the renovation of a facility for teaching and training students.

Project Name: Lake Rialto Habitat Management and Community Open Space Project

Project Requestor: City of Rialto

Amount Secured: $2,000,000

Summary: The funding will promote clean air and a healthier, more sustainable community in the city of Rialto while increasing access to nature for residents.

Project Name: Cucamonga Canyon Trailhead at Morgan Ranch, Rancho Cucamonga

Project Requestor: City of Ranch Cucamonga

Amount Secured: $1,000,000

Summary: The funding will create a trailhead to protect the natural resources of Cucamonga Canyon, enhance public access to the area and protect the safety of visitors and residents.

Project Name: Fontana Homelessness Prevention Resource and Care Center (Phase 1)

Project Requestor: City of Fontana

Amount Secured: $4,000,000

Summary: The funding will provide housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness in San Bernardino County.

Project Name: Little 3rd Street Project

Project Requestor: San Bernardino County

Amount Secured: $2,560,000

Summary: This funding will support an infrastructure project developing the Little 3rd Street area in San Bernardino. The project will expand access to transit, shopping centers and office space while improving safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Project Name: Mental Health Outreach Program for the Sickle Cell Community

Project Requestor: Loma Linda University Medical Center

Amount Secured: $542,597

Summary: The funding will create a regional mental health outreach program, coinciding with a coordinated system of care, for individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) and for their caregivers. This program will connect individuals to wrap around behavioral health resources and services.

Project Name: Sustainable Communities Catalyst Project

Project Requestor: Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services, Inc.

Amount Secured: $1,000,000

Summary: This funding will allow a local non-profit to purchase and preserve affordable housing, while investing in neighborhoods and sustaining local businesses.

Project Name: Reche Canyon Rd. Realignment to Hunts Lane

Project Requestor: City of Colton

Amount Secured: $4,166,000

Summary: The funding will support a much-needed infrastructure project to relieve congestion at the intersection of Hunts Lane and Washington Street and Reche Canyon Road and Washington Street in the City of Colton.

Project Name: Restoration of San Bernardino’s Historic Roosevelt Bowl

Project Requestor: City of San Bernardino

Amount Secured: $1,400,000

Summary: The funding will renovate and re-open the New Deal-era outdoor performance venue. The Roosevelt Bowl is an important economic catalyst for the city of San Bernardino.

Project Name: Clean Energy Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician Program

Project Requestor: San Bernardino Valley College Foundation

Amount Secured: $1,500,000

Summary: This funding will purchase heavy-duty, zero-emission trucks and charging stations that will be used by San Bernardino Valley College students training for careers in the jobs of the future.

Project Name: Santa Ana River Enhanced Stormwater Recharge Project Phase 1B

Project Requestor: San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District

Amount Secured: $2,500,000

Summary: This funding will increase the amount of storm water from the Santa Ana River that can be captured from the Seven Oaks Dam. Roughly 400,000 people throughout the region rely on this groundwater source.

Project Name: University Village Development Project

Project Requestor: University of Redlands

Amount Secured: $750,000

Summary: This funding will support a mixed-use infrastructure project for the University of Redlands, including the construction of a transit plaza. The “University Village” will include affordable housing, creative live/workspaces, green space and public transit access that will spur economic activity within the community.

Project Name: Empowering Youth Resilience and Promoting Social Emotional Healing

Project Requestor: Youth Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy

Amount Secured: $733,533.26

Summary: This funding will provide support services and job training for young people in San Bernardino aimed at reducing recidivism rates of substance abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence.

The government funding package will create good-paying American jobs and promote economic opportunity for middle class families and small businesses. It includes $44.9 billion in continued economic, humanitarian, and military support for the people of Ukraine and $40.6 billion in resources for communities that suffered unprecedented natural disasters. It also includes $5 billion in funding to cover the cost of providing VA health care to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving overseas.

Rep. Aguilar secured additional legislative wins for the Inland Empire, including:

• $5,000,000 for the Cyber Halo Innovation Research Program at Space Systems Command (CHIRP), which supports scholarships for students at Hispanic Serving Institutions and other Minority Serving Institutions, like California State University, San Bernardino, seeking to work in cyber and space systems.
• $2,500,000 for a pilot program to provide residents of affordable housing properties with after-school programs for children and teenagers; education opportunities for youth and adult residents; mental health, alcohol and addiction treatment; self-sufficiency resources; resources on future home ownership; financial literacy training; elderly care; assistance to residents with disabilities; and other community services.
• $2,5000,000 to support the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cyber Workforce Program and the cybersecurity industry in the Inland Empire. 
• Helping Inland Empire homeowners and prospective buyers by encouraging the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use the highest possible median house price to calculate FHA loan limits for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) that experienced a drop in FHA loan limits of 20 percent or more when the Housing Economic Recovery Act went into effect.
• Ensuring that the Seven Oaks Dam is able to more efficiently and effectively conserve water and serve Inland Empire Residents by encouraging the Army Corps of Engineers to apply Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations to evaluate potential water control manual changes.

The text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 is available here. A list of bill highlights is here. A full summary of the appropriations provisions in the bill is here. A summary of the disaster supplemental is here and a one-page fact sheet is here. A summary of the Ukraine supplemental is here.