By Madeleine Benn Friday, December 23rd, 2022

Congressman Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, announced that over $22 million in federal funding will go toward projects that benefit residents all along the Central Coast after passing through both chambers of Congress earlier this week, he said Dec. 23.

Carbajal has been working to obtain these funds since April 2022.

Ultimately, he ensured their inclusion in the omnibus spending packages drafted over the last six months and sent to President Biden’s desk by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 23.

Some of the fourteen projects set to receive funding include $7 million to support the construction of one of the two remaining sections of the carpool lane expansion on U.S. Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Ventura, $1.5 million to support the retrofitting of the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s new south county warehouse in Goleta, $1 million to support construction and equipment needs of Marian Regional Medical Center’s OB/GYN Residency Program Clinic in Santa Maria, $1 million to cover the costs of designing and installing concrete and metal access stairwells to create safe beach access at Mondo’s Cave in Ventura and $750,000 to help fund installation of AC at E.P. Foster Library in downtown Ventura.

“As the Central Coast’s representative, my first and foremost responsibility is to deliver real results for our communities and its residents,” Carbajal said.

“With these funds, we will be able to make critical upgrades that will reduce traffic, upgrade our public spaces, and improve access to food and clean water across the Central Coast.” 

This is the second year that Carbajal and his peers have been allowed to request specific Community Project Funding. In fiscal year 2022, Rep. Carbajal delivered nearly $18 million for nine community projects along the Central Coast.