March 15, 2022
Dear Friend,
I am proud to announce that I secured $16.2 million in federal funding for nine important local projects that will have a big economic impact in our communities and create jobs by investing in critical areas like transportation, health care, education, affordable housing and much more.
Last year, I put together a committee of bipartisan North Texas leaders representing local government, small businesses, local chambers of commerce and nonprofits to provide recommendations on projects. I took the committee’s feedback and input I’ve gathered from meetings and letters from constituents like you, and I successfully advocated to the House Appropriations Committee to get these local projects included in their government funding package passed last week.
I’m proud that our community-driven process has delivered for North Texans and the following projects were approved for funding:
- Children’s Health System of Texas (CHST) Pediatric Mental Health Innovation Center: CHST was allocated $850,000 for the creation of a Pediatric Mental Health Center to help serve an estimated 600,000 North Texas children who face mental health issues.
- Children’s Health System of Texas (CHST) Pediatric Mental Health Staff: CHST was allocated $900,000 to hire a pediatric psychiatrist and up to eight licensed social workers to expand mental health services for patients in the emergency room.
- Southern Methodist University Human Trafficking Project: The SMU Human Trafficking Project was allocated $1,187,000 to directly address the deficiencies in data collection and analysis to fight human trafficking in Texas.
- Southern Methodist University Learning Loss Program for Underserved Students: SMU was allocated $900,000 to help students who experienced learning loss in Dallas ISD schools through augmented reality and virtual reality and game-based learning.
- Resource Center Senior Housing: To meet the growing demand for care and services for the aging LGBTQ population in the Dallas community, the Resource Center was allocated $1,000,000 for the construction of an LGBTQ-friendly affordable senior housing facility.
- UT Southwestern Center for Implementation Science, School of Public Health: UTSW was allocated $1,000,000 to support the creation of a research-intensive school dedicated to addressing health challenges and improving policymaking around chronic and emerging public health crises.
- University of Texas at Dallas COVID-19 Student Impact Project: UTD was allocated $400,000 to study which college students in Texas have been most affected by COVID-19, where educational inequities have been exacerbated and determine efforts to show promise in retaining, supporting and re-enrolling students.
- DFW Airport Flyover Bridge Replacement and Conversion Project: The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) was allocated $5 million, the maximum amount, to help replace four seriously deficient flyover ramps in Terminals A, B, C and E.
- DFW Airport Brute Force Electric Central Utility Plant: DFW Airport was allocated $5 million, the maximum amount, to help construct a new Brute Force Electric Central Utility Plant and replace its aging steam piping distribution system.
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Rep. Allred joins US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg last year for an assessment of North Texas infrastructure including DFW Airport, which Rep. Allred recently secured funding for. |
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This funding bill passed with strong bipartisan support. The legislation not only invests in North Texas, but it also provides critical funds to aid Ukraine and it takes the long-overdue step of finally reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. I’m proud that Congress came together and took an important step towards building a better America. It’s an honor to deliver for North Texas, where I was born and raised.
Sincerely,
Colin Allred Member of Congress
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