REP LIEU SECURES $2.5 MILLION FOR LOCAL PROJECTS IN SANTA MONICA
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) announced that he secured $2.5 million in federal funding for two community projects in Santa Monica in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill recently signed into law by President Biden. First, Congressman Lieu secured $1.5 million for the Santa Monica Behavioral Health Center, which provides around-the-clock behavioral health care for the community and for people experiencing homelessness. Second, Rep. Lieu secured $1 million to help increase enrollment for the Ready to Succeed Scholarship program, an innovative college and career accelerator organization with foster youth and first-generation college student participants.
"The two Santa Monica community projects for which I secured funding support vulnerable people in our community. The Santa Monica Behavioral Health Center provides passionate, safe care for those experiencing homelessness, and the Ready to Succeed program lifts up underprivileged youth and empowers them to reach their full potential. I am grateful to both of these organizations for the heroic work they do to make our community a better place."
$1,500,000 for Santa Monica Behavioral Health Center: The Santa Monica Behavioral Health Center will provide compassionate and cost-effective around-the-clock behavioral health care for the community, including access to safe temporary housing and stabilizing care. Santa Monica will convert an existing City-owned facility to accommodate 24/7 intakes from first responders and local emergency rooms. While the long-term behavioral health strategy will serve various vulnerable Santa Monica populations, the first phase of the 24/7 center will focus on people experiencing homelessness. The Center will serve as a safe alternative for first responders to drop off people who will benefit from behavioral health care and do not meet the level of crisis to require emergency rooms, psychiatric urgent cares, or jail.
$1,000,000 for Ready to Succeed: Ready to Succeed is an innovative college and career accelerator organization with 200 foster youth and first-generation college student participants and 100 alumni. Current program participants have achieved the following: 90% graduate college within 4.5 years, 92% secure a job within 6 months of graduation, and 95% say they can envision a bright future for the first time. This new funding will help increase program enrollment by 15% and reach even more foster youth looking to complete college and lead productive and fulfilling lives.
Background:
In the 117th Congress, Rep. Lieu secured a total of $4.5 million for Santa Monica community projects through the FY2022 and FY2023 appropriations processes. In FY2022, Congressman Lieu secured $2 million for the Santa Monica Parking Lot Affordable Housing Conversion.
Last year, in Fiscal Year 2022, Rep. Lieu secured nearly $11 million in federal funding for 10 various projects in LA County. This year, in Fiscal Year 2023, Rep. Lieu secured a total of over $22.6 million for communities in LA County. The projects address homelessness, protect our environment, support our veterans, and more.
The Santa Monica projects are among the 15 community projects for which Congressman Lieu secured funding in Fiscal Year 2023.