Congresswoman Ramirez Celebrates Appropriations Committee Approval of More Than $13.5 Million in Community Project Funding for IL-03 Housing, Infrastructure, and Climate Priorities

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) announced more than $13.5 million in federal funding for 15 local community projects have successfully advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee in the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bills. Now after being approved out of the House Appropriations Committee, the bills may be called up for a vote on the House Floor. If successfully passed out of both chambers and signed into law by the President, this funding would help expand access to affordable housing, food security, clean water, and street and pedestrian safety, along with funding multiple other local infrastructure projects.

“Despite Republicans' best efforts to slash domestic investments that directly benefit our communities, I am thrilled to have advanced more than $13.5 million across 15 community projects that will serve the people who call IL-03 home. From $3,000,000 that could be dedicated to affordable housing in Belmont Cragin to $1,000,000 that could support critical transportation infrastructure improvement in the Village of Bensenville, communities across the northwest side of Chicago, Cook County, and DuPage County all stand to benefit from these Community Project Funding requests being enacted into law in a final appropriations omnibus,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “I am in deep gratitude to every community leader and organization who worked hand in hand with me and my team to identify these community projects to help address some of the immediate needs in our communities. I will keep advocating for the inclusion of as much funding as possible and bringing home these vital resources.”

“Though the funding advanced out of the Republican-controlled Committee will certainly assist communities in making some progress, I also recognize that it falls short of the full amounts needed. I remain committed to also supporting additional resources to expand the amount of funding available for more priorities in IL-03.”

From the 15 local projects submitted for consideration by the Appropriations Committee by Congresswoman Ramirez, all projects were included in the Committee-advanced legislation, and 9 received the full amount of funding requested. 

BACKGROUND:

The Office of Congresswoman Ramirez submitted to the House Appropriations Committee the maximum number of Community Projects Funding requests allowed for consideration under the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process. The original funding requested amounted to more than $30 million across 15 community projects.

The following 15 projects were submitted for review for the FY24 Appropriations Bills and were included on the funding bills:

Affordable Housing Development Project, Village of Glen Ellyn

Requested Funding Level: $750,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced:  $750,000

If awarded, funding would be used to facilitate demolition and site remediation necessary to create space for an affordable housing development. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Blackwell Forest Preserve Cenacle Bridge Project, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Requested Funding Level: $300,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $300,000

If awarded, funding would be used to support replacing a deteriorating bridge structure in order to improve connection and access to trails within the forest preserve for residents and visitors. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Creating a Welcoming and Healthy Community for Families in Chicago's Belmont Cragin, Onward Neighborhood House

Requested Funding Level: $3,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $3,000,000

If awarded, funding would be used to expand the space needed to scale up the food pantry in response to increased food insecurity. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

 

Elmwood Grand Senior Apartments Project, Village of Elmwood Park

Requested Funding Level: $1,900,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000

If awarded, funding would be used for a new 38-unit affordable senior housing development. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Enhanced Safety Project, Educare West DuPage

Requested Funding Level: $161,250

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $161,250

If awarded, funding would be used for necessary security and safety enhancements where families are entering and exiting the early childhood education program with their young children. Safety improvements include replacing deteriorated pavement, exterior lighting, and gates into the playground. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Here to Stay Community Land Trust Project, Here to Stay Community Land Trust

Requested Funding Level: $1,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000

If awarded, funding would be used to create permanently affordable homes to mitigate the displacement of long-time community members by increasing access to affordable homeownership. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Humboldt Park Accessibility ADA Project, Chicago Park District

Requested Funding Level: $1,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000

If awarded, funding would be used to make accessibility improvements to Humboldt Park by repairing potholes, eliminating water issues that create safety hazards, and ensuring a safe, accessible pathway system throughout Humboldt Park for all residents. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Kingery Highway Accessible Frontage Roads Resurfacing and Manhole Replacement, Addison Township
Requested Funding Level: $1,400,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $500,000

If awarded, funding would be used for resurfacing more than 3,000 feet for two roads, providing ingress and egress accessibility to Kingery Highway. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

LUCHA New Office Phase 1 Project, Latin United Community House Association (LUCHA)
Requested Funding Level: $2,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000
If awarded, funding would be used to revitalize a vacant building to be used by LUCHA to carry out housing services for low- and moderate-income households. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Naperville Road at IL-38 Intersection Improvement Project, DuPage County Board
Requested Funding Level: $1,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000

If awarded, funding would address daily traffic congestion and improve road safety by establishing additional turn lanes, modernizing traffic signals, and improving ADA accessibility of pedestrian facilities. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

North Avenue Streetscape from Central Park Avenue to Cicero Avenue, City of Chicago

Requested Funding Level: $2,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $850,000

If awarded, funding would be used to make safety traffic, bicycle, and pedestrian safety improvements. Improvements include full-width street resurfacing and base repair, drainage improvements, new sidewalks, ADA ramps, crosswalks, new lighting, new curbs and gutters, pavement markings, and traffic signal modernization. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Pace Harlem Avenue Transit Signal Priority Project, Pace Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority

Requested Funding Level: $840,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $840,000

If awarded, funding would be used to implement transit signal improvements on Harlem Avenue between Irving Park Road and North Avenue, a corridor with one of the heaviest bus ridership rates in Cook County, Illinois. These transit signal improvements would facilitate shorter travel times for bus riders. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Tonne Road Reconstruction, Village of Elk Grove

Requested Funding Level: $13,050,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $500,000

If awarded, funding would be used to eliminate conflicting turn movements between trucks and passenger vehicles while increasing the utility of the boulevard to include the multi-use trail, completing a major gap in the Village of Elk Grove's planned bicycle and pedestrian network. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

Washington Street Improvements Plan, Village of Franklin Park

Requested Funding Level: $751,779

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $601,439

If awarded, funding would be used to replace 20 lead service lines for residential drinking water in the Village of Franklin Park. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.

York Road at Canadian Pacific Rail Road Grade Separation Project, Village of Bensenville

Requested Funding Level: $1,000,000

House Appropriations Committee Advanced: $1,000,000

If awarded, funding would be used to grade separate York Road at the Metra/Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks. The Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger will add 300% more trains through the Village and block all of the Village's crossings. The proposed grade separation would help mitigate the merger's impact on the motoring public, small businesses, and emergency responders. A financial disclosure and federal nexus letter can be found here.