City Of Santa Monica: Rep. Lieu Secures $2 Million For Affordable Housing In Santa Monica To Address Homelessness In Appropriations Bill

Santa Monica CA

20 July, 2021

10:40 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Santa Monica: July 19, 2021 4:21 PM Congressman Ted Lieu has announced that he successfully secured the inclusion of $2 million in funding in the 2022 House Appropriations Bill to support an affordable housing project on the current site of Parking Structure 3 in Downtown Santa Monica. This good news comes as the Santa Monica City Council last week approved the demolition of the dated structure, the first step in transitioning the City-owned parcel into affordable housing to directly address homelessness.   In the announcement, Rep. Lieu shared, "The homelessness crisis in America is a national disgrace. We must do more to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness. I'm pleased that these important local projects to help address homelessness in our region have been included in the FY 2022 House appropriations bills. If signed into law, this funding will go directly toward building housing and providing support for those experiencing homelessness in our district. I will continue to advocate for our district in Congress to ensure we receive the federal funding we need to tackle this persistent challenge."   The inclusion of this funding in the Appropriations Committee draft bills is the essential first step in ultimately securing the significant federal support which is expected to be passed by Congress later this fall. The City was invited by Congressman Lieu to submit proposals for Community Project Funding requests in early April as were all local governments and non-profits in his Congressional district. The Council voted on April 13, 2021 to submit four Community Project Funding proposals, of which Congressman Lieu ultimately selected the Parking Structure 3 proposal as one of the ten he could submit to the Appropriations Committee on behalf of his Congressional district.    "We are extremely grateful for Congressman Lieu's advocacy on behalf of Santa Monica. This $2 million will make a material difference in addressing homelessness and producing much-needed affordable housing," said Mayor Sue Himmelrich. "This Council has prioritized affordable housing on City-owned land and the future project on the site of the outmoded Parking Structure 3 is an example of this long-term commitment."  Media Contact Constance FarrellPublic Information Officer [email protected] This press release was produced by the City of Santa Monica. The views expressed here are the author's own.