Hi Friends, 

I wanted to share with you some funding and grant opportunities for our community, as well as celebrate some recent awardees. Our community deserves and needs federal investment to help our region grow and prosper. As your Representative in Congress, I promise to keep fighting for you and for a better future. 

Recent Funds Awarded to Our Community:

$138 Million in Title 1 Allocations  
34 school districts in the 15th District of Texas will receive over $138 million dollars to support low-income schools and students with the necessary items to prepare them to meet and surpass academic standards. 

Donna Irrigation District 
The Donna Irrigation District will receive $1,975,000 from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to update and improve water use efficiency, increase renewable energy production, reduce the risk of water conflicts, and provide other benefits that will enhance water supply sustainability. 
Mission Regional Hospital 
The Mission Regional Medical Center took on heavy costs to keep doors open, employees paid, and maintain a high level of patient care during the pandemic. Thankfully, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursed the medical center over $1.5 million for the costs incurred during the pandemic. 

McAllen Business Industrial Park 
The McAllen Business Industrial Park will receive $1.5 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support critical infrastructure investments in the park. This project will improve water, wastewater, drainage system pipelines and road construction. This project, once finished, is expected to create 665 jobs and keep 185 jobs. 

Community Council and South-Central Texas & Hidalgo County Head Start Program 
The Community Council of South-Central Texas, Inc. will receive $1,311,302 and the Hidalgo County Head Start Program will receive $14,797,265 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

This funding helps low-income schools and students obtain the necessary materials to gain a high-quality education. From supporting nutrition, health and safety, mental health, education, special services, and other social services, this funding creates equity in the classroom and at home. 

UTRGV Drug Addiction Research Program 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley received a grant of $31,000 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the treatment and recovery from opioid and alcohol use disorders and related comorbidities. 

Funding for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Neurological Disorders Research 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will receive $349,647 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to support research aimed and identifying interactions between animal toxins and neuron channels that respond to drugs. 

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Library Relief 
Pharr-San Juan Alamo ISD will receive $10,000 from the National Endowment of Humanities to support their library’s recovery through the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding is from the American Rescue Plan, which I voted to pass in March 2021. This funding invests in local communities to help them bounce back after the financial burden COVID-19 had on our schools and educational institutions. 

Funding for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Migrant/Seasonal Worker Program 
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will receive $450,000 from the US. Department of Education to support students from migrant or seasonal farm working backgrounds.  

Grant Opportunities: 
 

White House Technical Assistance Guide 
The White House released a “Technical Assistance Guide” to help states, territories, tribes and local governments navigate, access, and deploy infrastructure resources. 

You can find the assistance guide here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Infrastructure-Technical-Assistance-Guide_FINAL2.pdf 
 
Clean School Bus Program  
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting applications for the Clean School Bus Program through August 19, 2022.   
 
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program will provide $5 billion over the next five years to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models.  
 
Apply here. 

Safer Streets and Roads for All Program Is Now Open  
Established through the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program was set up to prevent roadway deaths.  
 
$5 billion from this program has been appropriated over the next 5 years for regional, local, and tribal communities. The program is open until 4 pm CST/5 pm EST on September 15, 2022.  
 
Apply here. 

• Reduces a borrower’s monthly payment.         
• Provides a $500 appraisal credit to the lender at the time the loan is purchased if an appraisal was obtained for the transaction.         
• Waives the 50-basis point adverse market refinance fee for loans at or below $300,000.          

Sincerely,

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez