Press Releases

On Friday evening, President Joe Biden signed into law $13,446,901 in funding secured by Congressman Salud Carbajal for 14 Central Coast community projects in the 2024 government spending deal passed by Congress last week.

More than $6.2 million of that funding is going to Santa Barbara County projects that Rep. Carbajal championed over the course of the past year’s federal budget negotiations, ranging from affordable housing construction to public safety and water management upgrades for communities across the County.

“I’m proud to be bringing more than $13 million in direct funding for Central Coast projects back to our region – including $6 million for Santa Barbara County communities. I know these funds will have a profound impact on our region and improve the quality of life for our residents,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I have been pushing to see this funding approved for the past year, and although our federal appropriations process has become even more tied up in political games and brinksmanship in recent months, I’m proud to help break this logjam and deliver this key funding for my constituents. These projects will improve public safety, upgrade our water systems, create more housing options, and so much more.”

Details for the 7 Santa Barbara projects funded in the legislation can be found below:

$1,000,000 to fund the County of Santa Barbara and Sanctuary Center’s construction of 34 new studio apartments and a neighborhood clinic at 115 West Anapamu. The project will provide affordable housing and support services for residents who struggle with homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorders – doubling the number of individuals that Sanctuary Centers can support. Additionally, the new building will include 10 supported, independent living units. These specialized units will enable Sanctuary to provide a higher level of around-the-clock care to residents than previously possible.

“Congressman Carbajal's decisive leadership in securing federal funding to support the construction of 34 units of affordable housing is a beacon of hope for Santa Barbara County,” said Sanctuary Centers President and CEO Barry Schoer. “This funding will have a profound impact on residents with mental illness who wish to live independently while receiving supportive behavioral health services.” 

“We are grateful to Representative Carbajal for his support in securing the Community Project Funding grant to create housing units for the chronically mentally ill,” stated Jesús Armas, Director of the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department. “The residents will receive comprehensive services to address their ongoing mental health needs.  We also thank Barry Schoer and the Sanctuary Centers Board for their vision to expand critical housing and services for the County’s most vulnerable population.”

$963,000 for the installation of new infrastructure for the City of Santa Barbara’s radio communications system. Santa Barbara operates a network of 11 sites across the City making up its radio communications system. The current system is over 30 years old, and requires parts that have not been supported by the manufacturer for 15 years. The upgraded system supported by this funding, which will allow each site to operate autonomously without additional equipment, will reduce communication failures resulting from weather events and improve the City’s ability to communicate during natural disasters.

“Congressman Carbajal’s commitment to public safety is evident in helping the City of Santa Barbara obtain this funding towards upgrading our public safety radio network. With this funding support, we can modernize our infrastructure, improving response times and coordination during emergencies,” said Santa Barbara Interim City Administrator Sarah Knecht.

$963,000 to expand the SciTrek program at U.C. Santa Barbara. SciTrek allows Central Coast students from 2^nd to 12th grade to experience the scientific process first hand by partnering with local schools to present practical modules covering topics such as earth science, aeronautics, and space.

“We are honored to be selected for Congressional Community Funding to support SciTrek. Our program provides authentic, hands-on, inquiry-based science experiences in the classroom for K-12 students. We provide students with mentorship from college students to provide voice and choice in their experimentation and exploration of scientific phenomena. Our program has positive effects on student's interest in science, and in their understanding of how science works. This funding is essential to supporting our goal of promoting science literacy and inspiring students to pursue careers in STEM. We extend our sincere gratitude and many thanks to Congressman Carbajal for his support of SciTrek,” said Drs. Darby Feldwinn, Norbert Reich, & Vanessa Woods of the SciTrek Leadership Team.

“We deeply appreciate and thank Rep. Carbajal for his leadership and his support in funding UC Santa Barbara’s SciTrek through the Community Funding Program. This funding will allow UC Santa Barbara to serve hundreds of additional students and teachers by expanding the program to more Central Coast schools. We are committed to supporting our community by bringing economic value, practical education and hands-on support to Californians of all ages,” said John Longbrake, Vice Chancellor, External Relations UC Santa Barbara.

$959,752 for construction of storm drainage improvements in Santa Maria. The upgrades, which will include new stormwater piping installations across the City, are critical to addressing flooding and protect homes, businesses, and neighborhoods as heavy storms become more routine in the region.

$773,870 to support the purchase of a new digester for the Goleta Sanitary District. The new digester will increase the District’s biological treatment capacity, lowering electrical costs for the District and decreasing its greenhouse gas emissions. The energy generated by the new digester may allow the Goleta Sanitary district to sell excess power back to the grid, making it available for public use and easing grid constraints.

“The Goleta Sanitary District is honored to receive $773,870 of Community Project Grant funding for the installation of a new state of the art anaerobic digester.  The new digester will serve the residents Goleta Valley for decades into the future, increasing the production of biogas, a renewable fuel, for onsite power generation which reduces greenhouse gases and promotes long term sustainability,” said Steve Wagner, General Manager of the Goleta Sanitary District.

$728,000 for public safety upgrades at the Lompoc Police Department and the City of Lompoc. Funding will be used to implement a new Records Management System (RMS), allowing the Police Department to improve its service, improve data analysis of crime trends, and create a safer community. The City’s current RMS system was installed more than 20 years ago, in 2002, and is technologically inadequate to meet modern public safety needs and best practices.

“We are immensely grateful to the U.S. Congress for their invaluable support, allocating $728,000 for the enhancement of Lompoc Police Department's Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management System,” said Lompoc City Manager Dean Albro. “This significant investment not only strengthens our law enforcement capabilities but also underscores a shared commitment to public safety. With this funding, we are empowered to better serve and protect our community. Thank you for recognizing the importance of ensuring a secure and technologically advanced future for Lompoc and its citizens."

Other Central Coast projects funded in the deal signed by President Biden are:

·         $2,000,000 to help fund the replacement of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s radio dispatch system

·         $1,666,279 for the Ventura County Family Justice Center to provide additional rooms for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault

·         $1,000,000 for the Oceano Community Services District Water Resources Reliability Program

·         $1,000,000 to complete a new child development center and community spaces in the City of Ventura’s redeveloped Westview Village housing project

·         $850,000 to complete a 1.2 mile bike and pedestrian path adjacent to State Route 227 in San Luis Obispo County

·         $543,000 for public safety upgrades for the City of Grover Beach

·         $500,000 to help replace the Charles Street reservoir in Pismo Beach

Additional Background:

In the spring of 2023, Rep. Carbajal began to push for funding for these projects through formal requests to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2024.

Rep. Carbajal has previously secured funding for 23 different community projects, totaling nearly $40 million over the past two years. 

The funding was secured through the Community Project Funding (CPF) initiative first launched in 2022. Projects must be in the public interest, be good uses of taxpayer dollars, and be certified to not conflict with the representative’s personal financial interests. More information on the rules governing what projects could be requested, can be found here.