**For Immediate Release**

Contact: Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov 330.212.2065

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Advisory for Zoom Press Call Tuesday December 19 at 10 am

Summer Lee to Host Panel Discussion on Local Need for Congress to Pass Lee’s $10.7 Million in Community Project Funding to Combat Hunger and Homelessness; Job Training, Infrastructure and Redevelopment in FY2024 budget 

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(Pittsburgh, PA) – This Tuesday, December 19th at 10:00 am, Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) will host a zoom press call with local organizations and agencies for which she is fighting to deliver $10.7 million in community project funding as part of the FY2024 budget. 

Over the course of the past eight months, Congresswoman Summer Lee has worked closely with local community partners and stakeholders to advance $10.7 million in funding for 15 project proposals that support a wide range of initiatives from affordable housing to infrastructure and transportation. As a result of Lee’s tireless advocacy, these projects were included in bills passed by the House Appropriations Committee and have been moved forward where they await a vote by the full House and Senate before heading to the President’s desk and becoming law. House Republican Leadership’s failure to pass a budget on time remains the only barrier to Western Pennsylvania receiving this desperately needed funding. Please find descriptions of each of the projects and quotes from Congresswoman Lee below. 

WHO: 

• Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12)
• Colleen Young, Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank
• Mark Latterner,  Jubilee Soup Kitchen
• Emily Woodward, Tri-COG Land Bank Recovery and Affordable Housing Project in McKeesport
• David Geiger / Susheela Nemani-Stanger – Urban Redevelopment Authority
• Carolyn Grady, YMCA Northside
• Donta Green, Trade Institute of Pittsburgh 
• Jeanne Clark, ALCOSAN for Homestead Project

WHAT: Summer Lee to Host Panel Discussion on Local Need for Congress to Pass Lee’s $10.7 million in Community Project Funding to combat hunger and homelessness; job training, infrastructure and redevelopment in FY2024 budget

WHEN: Tuesday December 19th at 10:00 am 

WHERE: Zoom. RSVP here. 

RSVP: click here to RSVP and we will send you a zoom link to join the press call 

$1,000,000 for – Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Truck Package: to distribute more than 33 million pounds of food annually to 400,000 individuals including low- to moderate-income individuals and others in need of food assistance living in areas of high need in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Somerset and Washington counties in Pennsylvania. The program will purchase and build eight mobile food banks that will regularly recover fresh food from regional Pennsylvania farms and retailers and deliver it to a network of over 1,000 community partners. Disclosure Letter: HERE

• Congresswoman Summer Lee said, “We are so close to delivering $1,000,000 to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to deploy food trucks that will distribute more than 33 million pounds of food annually to 400,000 individuals in need across our communities. As someone who depended on food assistance when times were tough growing up, I know how crucial this funding will be to combat food insecurity and ensure no person in Western PA goes to bed hungry.” 
  
  

$1,000,000 Granted for YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh: The YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh will use this funding for the Northside community to rehabilitate the Allegheny YMCA building to make it ADA accessible, address unworkable infrastructure, and allow the facility to directly address the needs of the surrounding community through upgraded space to provide childcare, before/after school enrichment, senior supports, and community health and wellness in a low-income community. Additionally, to ensure the Allegheny YMCA is truly available to all, it will continue to provide membership and program subsidies to low-income Northside residents. Disclosure letter: HERE

• “Like so much of the Northside, the Allegheny YMCA on North Avenue hasn’t been upgraded for decades and is in desperate need of investment and rehabilitation. I’m honored to be on the verge of delivering $1,000,000 to enhance accessibility, improve infrastructure, and allow them to continue to serve as a vital center for health, wellness, and community services in the Northside–from childcare and teen outreach to senior activities.”

$1,000,000 Granted for Tree of Life Educational Space Rebuild: to create a community gathering and education space to teach about antisemitism and identity-based hate in the new Tree of Life building. This project will be a critical space to educate on antisemitism, revitalize a community hub that has sat empty for 5 years since the antisemitic attack, and will create a positive economic impact in the community by attracting visitors, students, and educators from around the world. Disclosure Letter: HERE

• Lee said, “When I toured the site of the attack in February and met with Foundation leadership and family members of those murdered, I was profoundly moved–both by the unimaginable pain of what I saw and the beautiful conversations I had with family members of those who had their lives senselessly taken. I’m honored to be closer than ever to delivering $1,000,000 in funding for the Tree of Life Educational Space Rebuild project to create a vital community gathering space to educate against antisemitism and white supremacy in all its forms–breathing life back into a community hub that has remained dormant following the tragic antisemitic attack.”

• Maggie Feinstein, Director of 10.27 Healing Partnership said,“Healing is a journey that takes time, and we are committed to support individuals and their loved ones impacted by the October 2018 synagogue shooting as they heal. Federal funding has allowed us to provide counseling and programming, including during the recent trial, and each year at the Commemoration Ceremony. We are grateful. The proposed new appropriation would allow us to continue to serve the victims of the attack and see through the work towards leaving our community more resilient than it was before.” 

$1,050,000 Granted For Homewood Fields and Community Complex in Pittsburgh (City of Pittsburgh) to construct a state-of-the-art sports and community performance space, which will include a field house, amphitheater, and community gathering space. This project will function as a key anti-violence strategy in Homewood, a neighborhood which consistently experiences high levels of youth violence. More importantly, the new park will provide the foundation for intensive collaboration between the city’s anti-violence initiatives and key Homewood community institutions committed to helping young people invest in their own lives and value the lives of others, through violence interruption, job training, coaching, and interventions with spectators and parents. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “I’m so excited to announce that I’m one step closer to securing $1,050,000 funding for the Homewood Fields and Community Complex in Pittsburgh!. The new park will provide a platform for intensive collaboration between the city’s anti-violence initiatives and key Homewood community institutions. Through violence interruption, job training, coaching, and interventions with spectators and parents, we will empower young people to invest in their own lives and value the lives of others and serve as a vital anti-violence strategy to improve safety in the neighborhood.”

$500,000 Granted Urban Redevelopment Authority – Ground Floor Commercial Activation in Affordable Housing: to build affordable ground floor or street-level housing and commercial in mixed-use Low Income Housing Tax Credits-financed projects across the City of Pittsburgh. 
This project will address housing affordability, support entrepreneurship and small business, as well as attract and retain businesses. This project would also provide critical funding towards mixed-use developments with affordable housing and neighborhood-serving commercial components that will otherwise experience significant funding gaps. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said “With gentrification and inflation on the rise, far too many families and small businesses in Pittsburgh are struggling to afford rent. I’m thrilled to be on the verge of delivering $500K funding for Urban Redevelopment in Pittsburgh to boost entrepreneurship, support small businesses, and bridge funding gaps that keep affordable housing out of reach for too many individuals and families, fostering a more inclusive and thriving community.”
  
  

$461,197 Granted for Jubilee Kitchen Facility Expansion and Renovation Project. Jubilee Association, Inc. will renovate a homeless prevention program in a low-income community by expanding and renovating their current facility to address significant safety, accessibility, and space issues. This project will give the facility greater space to meet food, clothing, and counseling needs and improve facility safety to continue providing necessary services preventing homelessness and offering high-quality, affordable childcare for low-income families providing their children pathways to a brighter future. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “With housing and food insecurity still a reality for many in my district, I’ve spent my first term fighting to deliver $461,197 to Jubilee Kitchen’s to fund a renovation project that will expand their incredible work providing nutritious food, clothing, counseling, childcare, and homelessness prevention services to the most vulnerable members of our community–which I had the opportunity to see firsthand during a visit my first month in Congress. By providing folks with access to such services, we are offering them.”
  
  

$450,000 Granted for Trade Institute of Pittsburgh’s Social Enterprise Program: This funding would be used for providing graduates of the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh’s 11-week masonry program for individuals facing barriers to employment with time-limited, paid work experience if they are not yet ready to enter the workforce at the end of the program. This will allow graduates to continue improving their skills to obtain gainful employment. Disclosure Letter: HERE

• Lee said, “At my recent visit to the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh I learned about their social enterprise job training program to provide temporary employment at a living wage. I’m excited to be on the verge of delivering $450,000 in funding to launch this pilot program and ensure graduates are able to keep working and build their skills while pursuing gainful outside employment. By creating opportunities for those who face challenges in finding work and opening doors to a brighter future, we are empowering their contribution to the growth and prosperity of our entire community.”

$500,000 Granted to Tri-COG Land Bank Recovery and Affordable Housing Project in McKeesport: This project will recover plots of abandoned, blighted and demolition land in the McKeesport Area School District and transform them into sustainable and permanently affordable homeownership opportunities. This funding will improve the McKeesport Area School District community, a distressed community, by remediating seven blighted properties, creating permanently affordable homeownership opportunities, help stabilize property values, and help spur neighborhood revitalization. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “We are so close to delivering $500,000 to revitalize disinvested, abandoned land in McKeesport by building sustainable and permanently affordable homeownership opportunities. This project will not only improve the physical landscape but also uplift the spirit of the entire community and make an important step on the path towards righting the wrongs of racial redlining and disinvestment in our Black and and marginalized communities left behind.”
  
  

$963,000 Granted For City of Pittsburgh Criminal Justice Diversion Program: The City of Pittsburgh seeks funding to support its Criminal Justice Diversion Program, also known as Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), which is a program situated within the Office of Community Health and Safety. The LEAD initiative for the City of Pittsburgh will provide people with substance use disorder and mental and behavioral health challenges with person-centered social services and intense case management. This initiative will help relieve police of a role they feel unsuited for and permit them to focus on violent crime, by preventing unnecessary, and harmful criminal-legal system engagement and instead will promote and support individual agency, particularly in communities of color. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “We know the best way to improve community safety is to invest in poverty-prevention, mental health, and wraparound services in communities. The in $963,000 funding I’m fighting to deliver for the City of Pittsburgh Criminal Justice Diversion Program will foster positive change, promote community safety, and empower individuals in need by providing person-centered social services and intense case management to individuals facing substance use disorder and mental and behavioral health challenges. This initiative represents a transformative shift in our approach to public safety and will promote and support individual agency, particularly in communities of color.” 

$959,757 Granted for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority Storm Sewer Project: ALCOSAN and Homestead Borough are addressing several important issues with this project.  First, the local elementary school does not have a standard play area for their young students to enjoy recess.  The current play area is asphalt surrounded by a chain-link fence. This project will renovate the grounds to a landscaped, green space that can be used by the children. Second, the teacher parking lot will be re-configured and built with permeable pavers to capture rainfall.  Third, under the parking lot, a stormwater storage unit will be constructed to capture stormwater and slowly release the water to the combined sewer system thereby reducing combined sewer overflows to the Monongahela River. This project will help Homestead Borough achieve its regulatory compliance related to combined sewer overflow abatement. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “I am delighted to be closer than ever to delivering $959,757 funding for the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority Storm Sewer Project, funding that transforms the local elementary school’s play area into a landscaped, green space, providing a safe and enjoyable recess environment for young students. This renovation will enhance the school experience and promote a healthier, more engaging learning environment so that children in our region can thrive.” 

$850,000 Granted for the McKeesport Duquesne Bridge Preservation: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation wishes will perform bridge preservation and maintenance activities on the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge that will extend service life and maintain a safe and reliable crossing over the Monongahela River and multiple railroads. The McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge connects several low-income and minority environmental justice communities on either side of the Monongahela River. On the Southern side of the bridge, more than 50% of the households are low-income. On both sides of the river are communities that are made up of 75% minority populations. PennDOT will cover the required match, which will be App. 581 State highway funds. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “Just one year after the collapse of Fern Hollow bridge, I am fighting to deliver $850,000 in funding for the preservation of McKeesport Duquesne Bridge, which provides a vital connection linking several low-income and minority environmental justice communities. On the southern side of the bridge, more than 50% of households are low-income, and both sides of the river consist of communities with 75% minority populations. By preserving this bridge, not only will we ensure the safety and reliability of this critical crossing over the Monongahela River, but we will ensure equitable access, mobility, and economic opportunity for these communities.”
  
  

$547,000 Granted Extended Support for 10.27 Healing Partnership to respond to and address the ongoing trauma from the 2018 Synagogue Mass Shooting in the lead-up to and in the aftermath of the trial. The goal of this project is to deepen the effectiveness of community-based work initiated by the initial investment from the federal government after the attack, focused on victim support, healing, and increasing the capacity of community partners to navigate trauma and resiliency following this horrific mass casualty event and the ongoing threat of antisemitism, white supremacy, and gun violence Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “I am fighting to deliver $547,000 in funding to extend support for the 10.27 Healing Partnership, allowing this incredibly important program to expand trauma care, victim support, and mental health services to members of our community impacted by the horrific 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting. In the aftermath of the trial and with the rise of antisemitism, 10/27’s work healing reopened wounds and building resilience in the community is more vital than ever.” 

$500,000 Granted for Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh – Larimer Food Incubator & Community Kitchen. The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh will repurpose the vacant and former Larimer School building to build a full-service community kitchen, event space and small business food incubator. This funding will support commercial development of the neighborhood by transforming 9800 square feet of the former school auditorium. This project will bring the Larimer community up to par with neighboring communities that have seen rapid development in recent years. This will be an economic catalyst for the community through job creation, support for small local businesses, food preparation and safety classes, training programs, and health and wellness programs. Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “I am excited to be so close to delivering $500,000 funding to Larimer Food Incubator & Community Kitchen to repurpose the vacant and former Larimer School building into a vibrant hub with a full-service community kitchen, event space, and a small business food incubator. This project will bring new life into the neighborhood, transforming 9800 square feet of the former school auditorium to spark positive change through economic growth and community development. “

$500,000 Granted to Westmoreland County – 4th Street Bridge Improvement in Irwin: Westmoreland County will replace a roadway bridge that runs over the Norfolk Southern Railway in Irwin. This project will reconnect the town with the main road that has been divided by the railroad for over 100 years and closed to traffic since 2014. Funding through this request will expedited project execution by adding to funds previously secured through the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “Just like the recently collapsed Fern Hollow bridge, the 4th Street bridge in Irwin that’s been closed to traffic for eight years is yet another example of deteriorating infrastructure in desperate need of repair in Western PA. I’m fighting to deliver $500,000 in common-sense funding for Westmoreland County to repair 4th Street Bridge Improvement in Irwin to reconnect the town with the main road after a selfish, profit-hungry railroad company divided the area for over a century. This should have been done years ago but I’m glad to help our friends in Westmoreland get the job done now.”

$500,000 Granted for SR 2046, Streets Run Road Resurfacing in Whitehall: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will rehabilitate the entire length of S.R. 2046 to combat deteriorating, poor pavement quality that is at an increasing risk of landslide. This road connects commercial, industrial, and residential properties in the municipality of Whitehall. The ongoing Curry Hollow Road expansion will put further demand on this crucial corridor that links the Baldwin Borough to the City of Pittsburgh, as well as Jefferson Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Disclosure letter: HERE

• Lee said, “We are so close to delivering $500,000 in funding for the Streets Run Road Resurfacing in Whitehall that will address critical infrastructure needs and ensure safer, smoother transportation. With this funding, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will rehabilitate the entire length of S.R. 2046, combatting deteriorating and poor pavement quality that poses an increasing risk of landslides. This project is vital in enhancing road safety and accessibility for all who use this crucial corridor.”

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Since taking office in January, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $870 million brought back to Western PA, including over $200 million for infrastructure, over $50 million for affordable transit, and over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 1,380 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.

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