CONGRESSMAN BOYLE BRINGS MORE THAN $12 MILLION IN COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING TO PHILADELPHIA

WASHINGTON – Congressman Brendan F. Boyle secured $12.2 million through Congressionally-directed spending for Philadelphia Community Project Funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Omnibus appropriations bill. The bill passed the House and Senate and now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The projects span across Congressman Boyle's PA-02 District and will improve local transportation & infrastructure, increase financial literacy, address the growing city gun violence epidemic, and increase delivery of healthcare to underserved populations.

"I'm thrilled that my community project funding requests for these deserving organizations were included in this historic appropriations bill", said Congressman Boyle. "These groups are integral to our community, and I'm honored to be able to support their work through federal funding. It is my honor to fight for our district in Congress, and I am proud to have secured this much-needed funding."

The funding awards include the following Philadelphia priorities secured through Boyle-directed spending requests:

• $2 million for the Black Doctors COVID19 Consortium. The funding will support capital equipment, health information systems and electronic record keeping, workforce development in healthcare and programming costs for children and seniors. Programming will promote health education, safe spaces for childcare and play, and senior wellness at its satellite site at Deliverance Evangelistic Church and a permanent site currently under consideration for purchase at Jones Tabernacle AME Church.
• $100,000 for local gun violence prevention group Mothers In Charge. The funding will bolster the groups PIE Initiative (Prevention, Intervention and Education). The PIE project addresses multiple sources of violence to effectively reduce gun violence. The overall goal is to reduce gun violence and the proliferation of illegal guns in the Philadelphia area. Other goals include increasing community awareness of the importance of addressing gun violence; reduction in the number of women engaging in "Straw Purchases"; and increase in the number of youth, survivors of gun violence, and family members of homicide victims becoming involved with community efforts to reduce gun violence.
• $1,075,000 for Nueva Esperanza, Inc (Esperanza) to address technology and health disparities in their Multi-Service Community Facility. This project funds crucial enhancements to Esperanza's community center in the Hunting Park neighborhood of North Philadelphia. With this funding, Esperanza, a proven community organization devoted to empowering Hispanic and African American communities, will be able to open a health clinic and a community activity and technology facility within their multi-site complex. The project will address health and technology disparities for local residents and ensure the community progresses towards a strong recovery from the health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
• $125,000 for the Lutheran Settlement Home. This funding will be used to hire an additional Spanish-speaking domestic violence counselor and to sustain a Medical Advocacy (MA) program in city hospitals. During COVID-19, Lutheran Settlement Home has seen a 40% increase in the number of people seeking domestic violence support, including an increase in Spanish-speaking clients.
• $350,000 for the Urban League of Philadelphia. The funding will support the Urban League of Philadelphia's HUD-certified Housing Counseling Program, which provides comprehensive support for Philadelphia residents. Predominantly serving Black, Latinx, and underserved Philadelphians, the Urban League's housing counseling helps our city's most vulnerable renters avoid homelessness and displacement. The Program also increases financial education throughout the community and conducts tenant's rights workshops to prevent eviction and foreclosures. Funding for this program will support a crucial service to address our city's housing crisis and bolster our community's response and recovery from COVID-19.
• $150,000 for the North 5th Street Business District Beautification and Branding Improvements.
• The funding will enhance the North 5th Street Revitalization Project's (N5SRP) focus on implementing interrelated programs that prevent crime, improving and maintaining the streetscape, increasing economic activity and building community ties among residents and merchants. N5SRP aspires to reinvent the Olney neighborhood not only by celebrating its past, but by embracing the present cultures residing in Olney through the Upper North Business District Beautification and Branding Improvements project.
• $575,000 for Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) Inc. This funding will serve low income and minority communities by teaching the skills needed to gain employment in healthcare setting.
• $2.5 million for the Delaware River City Corporation, also known as the "Riverfront North Partnership". This funding will support design and construction of the 1.8 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail from Princeton Avenue to the Tacony-Holmesburg Trail in Northeast Philadelphia. This funding will relieve congestion, improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, and provide renewed access to the riverfront.
• $241,000 for the Glen Foerd Conservation Corporation. The funding will support the design and construct a new parking lot on the grounds of Glen Foerd, a public park and museum located in Northeast Philadelphia, with an approximate capacity of 64 vehicles. The construction of a new parking lot at Glen Foerd advances local comprehensive plans by providing greater access to recreational and on-water activities in Philadelphia, including improved access to the Delaware River and the Poquessing Creek.