Community Project Funding Requests for Inclusion in FY 2024 Appropriations Legislation
Rep. Waters Statement on Community Project Funding Requests
for Inclusion in FY 2024 Appropriations Legislation
April 14, 2023
I am proud to request funding for the following Community Projects – which will benefit the diverse communities in my congressional district – in the FY 2024 appropriations legislation that is currently under consideration in the House Appropriations Committee:
(Projects are listed in alphabetical order based on project name.)
Aaron Community Cultural Center Renovation Project
Intended Recipient: Aaron Community Cultural Center,
1010 A & B West 108th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90044.
Amount: $1,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to renovate and expand Aaron Community Cultural Center. The newly renovated center will include community rooms for youth, family events, classes, tutoring, and computer internet access. The class space will double as a safe socialization space for families and youth. The community center classrooms will provide space for enrichment, engagement, cultural awareness, and education and will display the history of individuals of color for families, youth, and visitors to peruse. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enable Aaron Community Cultural Center to expand its services to the community.
Compton College Vocational Technology Building Renovation Project
Intended Recipient: Compton Community College District,
1111 East Artesia Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221.
Amount: $8,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to renovate the Compton College Vocational Technology Building. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this building supports traditionally marginalized and underserved communities and helps provide economic benefits. Furthermore, the building’s programs support students and the community with vocational training, which leads directly to procuring living-wage jobs.
Compton Street Safety Improvement Project
Intended Recipient: City of Compton,
205 S. Willowbrook Ave, Compton, CA 90220.
Amount: $4,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to improve accessibility and safety for two primary transit corridors within the City of Compton: Compton Boulevard from City Limit West to City Limit East and Wilmington Avenue. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will improve accessibility, safety, and transit ridership along two of Compton’s largest corridors.
Imperial Courts Multi-Sports Field Project
Intended Recipient: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA),
2600 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90808.
Amount: $914,166.
Purpose: The funding would be used to rehabilitate the existing ballfield located at the Imperial Courts public housing development in order to provide residents a high-quality multi-sports field, which will be able to host different youth sports as well as community events. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will revitalize the existing sports field to better serve the community.
LAX Suites Project
Intended Recipient: Venice Community Housing Corporation,
200 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291.
Amount: $620,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to renovate and construct affordable housing at LAX Suites in the Del Aire neighborhood of Los Angeles County for the purposes of offering permanent housing with supportive services to persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enable Venice Community Housing Corporation to increase the supply of affordable housing in the local community, offer permanent housing to persons experiencing homelessness, and provide supportive services that build the foundation for long-term success.
Nickerson Gardens Air Conditioner Project
Intended Recipient: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA),
2600 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90808.
Amount: $3,731,000
Purpose: The funding would be used to install air conditioners for each unit at the Nickerson Gardens public housing development, which serves low-income residents. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because air conditioning would provide much needed relief for the residents during the hot summer months in Los Angeles.
Noel Jones Empowerment Village Project
Intended Recipient: Noel Jones Empowerment Village,
14527 S San Pedro St, Gardena, CA 90248.
Amount: $10,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to enable the Noel Jones Empowerment Village Project to acquire property and renovate purchased buildings to provide shelters for men, women, and children; safe parking sites; food banks; and youth and senior community centers. The renovated buildings would include a gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts for youth and a community center that could offer educational classes, job-training, and other programs. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enhance the ability of Noel Jones Empowerment Village to fulfill its mission, which is to provide quality services that enable people to become self-sufficient and productive members of the community.
Pearl Avenue Sewer Replacement Project
Intended Recipient: City of Compton,
205 S. Willowbrook Ave, Compton, CA 90220.
Amount: $3,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to replace a structurally deficient sewer pipe along Pearl Avenue serving the Compton community. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will protect Compton’s residents from dangerous sewer overflows that are likely to happen if the line is not replaced.
Safe Home Remodel Project
Intended Recipient: A New Way of Life Reentry Project (ANWOL),
9512 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90002.
Amount: $1,250,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to remodel and upgrade properties owned by A New Way of Life Reentry Project (ANWOL), thus enabling ANWOL to serve more vulnerable women returning from incarceration. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enable ANWOL to expand their services to provide safe housing for formerly incarcerated women, offering supportive, individualized resources needed for them to become positive, contributing members of their communities.
A Step to Freedom Permanent Supportive Housing Project
Intended Recipient: A Step to Freedom,
164 W. 80th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90003.
Amount: $4,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to allow A Step to Freedom to purchase and renovate a vacant property in order to increase the affordable housing stock in South Los Angeles and provide residents an array of supportive services to ensure they remain stably housed and consistently employed. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enable A Step to Freedom to reduce the number of homeless individuals in South Los Angeles and provide homeless and justice-impacted individuals with the supportive services they need to successfully transition back into the community.
Thinkwatts HQ Project
Intended Recipient: Thinkwatts Foundation,
1225 E. 100th St., Los Angeles, CA 90002.
Amount: $3,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to renovate the location of and construct the Thinkwatts headquarters, which will be a workforce development tech incubator. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will enable the Thinkwatts Foundation to provide community residents with computer engineering courses, entrepreneurship training, and access to high-paying careers in the sustainability job force and tech field.
Watts/Century Latino Organization Facilities Revamp Project
Intended Recipient: Watts/Century Latino Organization,
10360 Wilmington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90002.
Amount: $100,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to revamp the facilities of the Watts/Century Latino Organization, which is the only Latino-run multicultural services organization in the Watts/Willowbrook area. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will help the Watts/Century Latino Organization continue to serve the Watts/Willowbrook area and the rest of South Los Angeles by providing a wide range of services, including gang violence prevention, housing security, and free food distribution to underprivileged members of the community regardless of race or creed, in the spirit of multi-cultural unity.
Watts Towers Campus Renovation Project
Intended Recipient: Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust,
1689 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026.
Amount: $4,000,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to transform the Watts Towers Campus into a much-needed vibrant community open space and community hub. The proposed improvements – including the addition of new interactive elements, a looped walking path, shade, and seating – will create a more open and inviting campus for residents and visitors and help build the social fabric that defines safe and connected communities. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it provides critical park and culture space within a disadvantaged community, in the vicinity of a National Historic Landmark that draws tens of thousands of visitors from around the world each year.
Member Certification A Member Certification B
Watts-Willowbrook Clubhouse Renovation Project
Intended Recipient: Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles,
5209 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90037.
Amount: $1,383,300.
Purpose: The funding would be used to complete vital safety renovations at the Watts-Willowbrook Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will help make the Clubhouse a top-notch facility for the youth served by the Boys & Girls Clubs, so they can focus on providing high quality programs for their members, confident that they are in a safe, secure environment. Furthermore, it will enhance their ability to serve youth from some of the most marginalized communities in Los Angeles by offering nationally recognized, research-based programs and activities in three core areas: Academic Success, Character & Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.
Westmont and West Athens Mobility and Traffic Safety Improvement Project
Intended Recipient: County of Los Angeles, Department of Public Works,
900 S. Fremont Ave, Alhambra, CA 91803.
Amount: $1,500,000.
Purpose: The funding would be used to implement a suite of four different projects within the Westmont-West Athens community, including a new traffic signal installation, upgraded intersection safety improvements, and replacement of bus shelters. These traffic improvements would provide enhancements to the transportation network, granting residents and visitors to the community greater, more accessible, and safer mobility. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will improve the mobility and accessibility of the disadvantaged community of Westmont-West Athens; create a more complete non-vehicular transportation network; provide comfortable and attractive alternative transportation options to reduce reliance on personal vehicles; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region, helping to improve overall air quality and quality of life for the community.