WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday announced the inclusion of more than $236 million in the fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Senate today. The bill, once passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Biden, will fund 99 congressionally directed spending projects requested by Murphy and Blumenthal.
“This was the year of getting things done for Connecticut, and I’m so proud that we are bringing home $236 million more for community-based projects in our state. This funding will help reduce gun violence in our communities, support small businesses and workforce development, improve water infrastructure, increase access to mental health services, and ensure the resiliency of our coastline communities. These investments are the result of thousands of conversations I’ve had with people across Connecticut, and they’re going to have a real positive impact on our communities,” said Murphy.
“These targeted specific grants are a fantastic new year win for our state. Connecticut can now count on hundreds of millions of dollars for our most urgent needs—from reducing gun violence to increasing affordable housing to providing critical mental health services. This infusion of funds will be transformative for our state’s economic growth and quality of life. Think of them as smart, strategic investments, producing major dividends in health, education, roads, bridges and more. These projects will undoubtedly strengthen our communities and I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Murphy to deliver these invaluable investments to Connecticut,” said Blumenthal.
In the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is more than $102 million for Connecticut projects, including:
- $12 million the Connecticut Department of Transportation to support track speed improvements on the New Haven Line as part of their TIME for CT project
- $7 million to expand and improve the Shoreline Greenway Trail in New Haven
- $5 million for construction to realign Lafayette Circle in Bridgeport
- $1.4 million to replacement of 10 signals at critical locations on state and local routes within Waterbury’s downtown
- $3.4 million for design and construction of a multi-use path, sidewalk, and three pedestrian bridges in Oxford on Route 67
- $2 million for the City of New London to support ongoing construction of a Community & Recreation Center
- $2 million for the Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County to construct affordable housing in Bridgeport
- $420,000 for the Waterbury Housing Authority to complete the demolition of blighted structures in the West Grove St. area as they work towards constructing affordable housing in that area
- $4.5 million for Hall Neighborhood House to construct a new wing at its site in the East Side of Bridgeport
- $98,000 for Community Renewal Team to renovate bathrooms at a family shelter in East Hartford
- $642,000 for Chrysalis Center for renovations at veterans housing facilities in Rockville and Vernon
In the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $48,582 million for Connecticut workforce development, health, and education projects, including:
- $204,000 for 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm for workforce development summer programming for students with disabilities
- $54,000 for CCARC, Inc. for job training programs that serve individuals with disabilities
- $76,000 Youth Business Initiative, Inc. for funding for middle school career and life skills programs
- $200,000 for the City of Bridgeport to support the modernization and transition of the Bridgeport Health Department record management system
- $200,000 for the City of Bridgeport to support the modernization of the IT system in the communicable disease clinic
- $1,500,000 for the City of Hartford for the sexually transmitted infection clinic
- $100,000 for Community Child Guidance Clinic to replace the roof at its mental health center and a therapeutic day school
- $1,800,000 for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for a perinatal care center
- $255,000 for Connecticut Counseling Centers Inc. for a food prescription program in the Danbury area
- $630,000 for Continuum of Care, Inc. for renovations at a veterans residential PTSD treatment program
- $2,000,000 for Cure Rare Disease to support the renovation of laboratory space that is used for research into rare diseases
- $1,800,000 for InterCommunity, Inc. to expand a primary and behavioral health care facility in Hartford
- $500,000 for Keystone House Inc. for renovations at three group homes for adults with a mental health diagnosis
- $350,000 for LifeBridge Community Services, Inc. for an elevator replacement
- $175,000 for MARC of Manchester for facilities and equipment improvements
- $325,000 for McCall Foundation, Inc. for renovations at an intermediate residential treatment program
- $1,000,000 for Optimus Health Care, Inc. for renovations at a federally qualified health center
- $207,000 for Reliance Health, Inc. for renovations at nine mental health facilities in Eastern Connecticut
- $43,000 for The Connection, Inc. to support renovations to a residential substance-use treatment center
- $1,100,000 for The Village for Families and Children for facilities renovations
- $980,000 for Wheeler Clinic, Inc. for a new health care facility in Bristol
- $100,000 for YWCA Greenwich Sexual Assault Services for the design of a new program space
- $1,500,000 for Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery to support five recovery community centers
- $200,000 for The Connection, Inc. for mental health, substance use, and behavioral health services training
- $1,122,000 for The Governor’s Prevention Partnership to train community and youth leaders in substance use prevention
- $25,000 for The Greater Bridgeport Opportunities Industrialization Center, Inc. for youth mental health programming, including equipment
- $100,000 for Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse Inc. for recreational programming and support for low income families
- $216,000 for Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence for a therapy support program for children affected by domestic violence
- $462,000 for Fairfield County’s Community Foundation for economic inequality and mobility research
- $50,000 for Saint Joseph Parenting Center in Stamford for services for families and children at risk of child abuse and neglect
- $1,050,000 for United Way of Western Connecticut for a nutrition services program
- $2,000,000 for the Bridgeport Board of Education for in-person and virtual library programs, including purchase of books, materials and virtual library resources
- $730,000 for East Hartford Public Schools for the Manufacturing Academy and Internship program, including purchase of equipment
- $305,000 for the Hartford Public Library for educational programs for immigrant, refugee and English learner students
- $100,000 for Hartford Stage to expand arts-based summer education programming
- $218,000 for NAFI Connecticut, Inc. for a career readiness initiative
- $150,000 for New Haven Reads Community Book Bank for Structured Literacy programming
- $125,000 for Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership for social-emotional learning initiative within Bridgeport Public Schools
- $361,000 for SoundWaters, Inc. for after-school and extracurricular programming
- $259,000 for Waterbury Public Schools to improve wireless access and connections
- $326,000 for the University of New Haven for the Center for Consumer Protection and Cybersecurity Project
In the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $18,345,000 million for Connecticut projects including:
- $3 million for the City of Bridgeport Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) for design of the West Side Wastewater Treatment Plant Project
- $1.6 million for the Torrington Water Pollution Control Authority for resiliency upgrades at Harris Drive Pump Station
- $2.5 million for the Metropolitan District Commission for to construct of a new water transmission main to supply drinking water to East Hartford, South Windsor, Glastonbury, and Portland
- $500,000 for the City of Bridgeport to restore the Perry Memorial Arch
- $1.2 million for the School Hill Water Association to connect 31 homes and 87 residents to the Connecticut water system
- $280,000 for two awards to Save the Sound to construct green storm water infrastructure in Hamden town center and in Bridgeport
- $200,000 for the Town of Monroe for replacement of Monroe’s Senior Center septic tank
- $1.6 million for two awards to the Norwich Public Utilities that will complete a sewer gravity pipe lining project and an emergency water interconnection between Groton and Norwich water systems
- $300,000 for the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society for Restoration & Interpretation for renovations at Nathan Hale Homestead
- $111,000 for the Mystic Seaport Museum to restore the 1866 National Historic Landmark Vessel Emma C. Berry
- $192,000 for two awards to the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments for a tree canopy assessment and regional open space inventory
- $154,000 for Groundwork Bridgeport to support a urban forestry project
- $3.363 million for two awards to the South Central Regional Water Authority for HVAC and electrical improvements at Lake Gaillard Water Treatment Plan and a generator replacement at a well treatment facility in Seymour
In the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, there is $11.962 million for Connecticut priorities including:
- $656,000 to support improvements at the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection State Interagency Coordination Center
- $1.025 million for the City of Hartford for a flood mitigation project
- $742,000 for the City of Bridgeport for a community flood scoping project
- $708,000 for the Town of Old Lyme for an emergency operations center
In the Agriculture Appropriations bill, there is $6.236 million in funding for Connecticut, including:
- $2.53 million for the Town of Winchester help replace an old public works garage
- $2.75 million for the Town of East Windsor to renovate the East Windsor Scout Hall Youth Center and streamline town services for seniors and low-income residents
- $206,000 for the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station to monitor tick populations and tick-borne pathogens
In the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, there is $6.175 million to support Connecticut small businesses, including:
- $2 million for the Women’s Business Development Council to fund staffing and new offices that allow the organization to expand its programming to more women-owned businesses in Connecticut
- $550,000 for Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area to create a Connecticut Veteran Farmer Educational Resource Hub
- $400,000 for CLiCK Inc. to make infrastructure improvements at their food hub in Willimantic
- $1 million for Connecticut Historical Society to digitize tens of thousands of records from the American revolution
In the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, there is $35.244 million for Connecticut projects, including:
- $2.39 million for Greenwave to launch the Connecticut Kelp Innovation Center
- $650,000 for the Sea Research Foundation to establish the Blue Economy Career Development Center
- $2.218 million for the City of New London to purchase new emergency communications equipment
- $500,000 for the City of Bridgeport to purchase forensic technology
- $930,000 for the City of Waterbury to support its Real-Time Crime and Pandemic Center
- $152,000 for two awards to the Town of Bloomfield to upgrade to police car cruiser cameras and purchase equipment for its police training room
- $250,000 for the City of Stamford to purchase training equipment for a Regional Police Academy
- $850,000 for the Town of Winchester to purchase new radios for police and emergency services
- $237,000 for Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership to support ongoing work to reduce gun violence in Bridgeport
- $67,000 for Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut to support firearm safety and reduce gun violence in New Haven area and across Connecticut
- $1 million for the University of New Haven to support its Community-Based Gun Violence Reduction Project
In the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, there is $8.145 million for Connecticut, including $2.48 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to make water infrastructure improvements across the state:
- $380,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Branford Harbor
- $500,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Guilford Harbor
- $600,000 for USACE operations and maintenance work in Stony Creek Harbor
- $1 million for the Town of Madison to make energy efficiency upgrades at an emergency shelter
- $1.9 million to for the Town of Manchester to support energy efficiency upgrades at two public schools in
- $2 million for the City of Stamford to upgrade the network of inefficient, high-pressure sodium-based streetlights to energy-saving LEDs streetlights
- $165,000 for Children’s Community Development Center to install solar panels that will provide electricity to three childcare centers in Westport