WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and its Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (both D-Md.), and Senator Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), announced the inclusion of $34,378,000 in key Senate Committee legislation providing direct federal funding for community-led projects throughout Maryland. These community projects, funded at the Senators’ request, are within the Senate Appropriations THUD Subcommittee’s proposed funding legislation for fiscal year 2025. The projects seek to advance community and economic development as well as improve public transit and trail networks. This subcommittee legislation, released as part of the annual Congressional Appropriations process and approved Thursday in a bipartisan vote by the full Senate Appropriations Committee, will proceed to consideration before the full Senate. Funding is not finalized until the Appropriations bills are passed by the full Senate, reconciled with the House of Representatives, and signed by the President.

“Maryland’s diversity reaches beyond its rich cultural heritage to its communities, economy and infrastructure. Every community, regardless of make-up or zip code, should have access to safe, reliable transportation, economic opportunity and affordable housing. This federal investment will help address the challenges that all Marylanders face while meeting the needs of each unique, individual community,” said Senator Cardin.

“When we invest federal dollars in our communities, we’re able to directly support local priorities. These funds will empower our non-profit partners across our state to better serve Marylanders – providing everything from job training to mental health services to meals. Within this bill, we also secured critical federal dollars to enable state and local governments to move key transportation projects forward to better connect our communities. We’ll keep working to deliver these investments to build an even stronger Maryland for all,” said Senator Van Hollen.

These projects were included in the Senate Appropriations THUD FY2025 funding legislation.

Project Name: AfriThrive Community Food Center Renovation
Applicant: AfriThrive, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to upgrade and renovate a community kitchen, cold storage, and food pantry in Essex, Maryland to support low-income families in the region.
Project Location: Baltimore County
Amount Included: $800,000

Project Name: Area 405 Accessibility Project
Applicant: The Central Baltimore Partnership, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to renovate the Area 405 building, which provides affordable workspace to artists and houses the Station North Tool Library, to make it fully ADA accessible. The building also includes a first floor community event space and will host a YouthWorks summer youth employment program.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $350,000

Project Name: Asian American Center of Frederick – AMENA Campus (Accelerated Maryland Center of Excellence for New Americans)
Applicant: Asian American Center of Frederick (AACF)
Project Purpose: Funds will expand AACF’s campus to create an integrated and cross-sector Economic Development Hub offering training, employment, mentoring, and business development coaching for underserved communities.
Project Location: Frederick County
Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Baltimore Regional Trail Hub
Applicant: South Baltimore Gateway Community Impact District Management Authority
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to create the “missing link” needed to connect existing and planned trails around the Baltimore Region and particularly in South Baltimore. The trails provide access to the newly built Middle Branch Health and Wellness Facility and the MedStar Harbor Hospital.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $3,500,000

Project Name: Home and Building Renovations and Accessible Vehicles for People with Developmental Disabilities

Applicant: The Arc Baltimore
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to acquire new HVAC units for the employment center and to address high-priority repairs and accessibility modifications at several homes. Funds will also support vehicle upgrades for individuals with developmental disabilities of low to moderate income.
Project Location: Baltimore County
Amount Included: $644,000

Project Name: IUL Smithville School Museum and Education Center Property Development
Applicant: IUL Smithville School Museum and Education Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be support preservation of the historic Smithville Colored Schoolhouse, which was built as part of the Rosenwald School program. The site will be used as a museum and meeting space, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter will host STEM programming.
Project Location: Montgomery County
Amount Included: $850,000

Project Name: Latin American Youth Center Prince George’s County Site Renovation
Applicant: Latin American Youth Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to renovate the Latin American Youth Center in Riverdale, which will allow for the expansion of services for youth and their families, including housing counseling, workforce development, mental health services, and education programs.
Project Location: Prince George’s County
Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Lexington Park Community Impact Project
Applicant: Three Oaks Center
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to renovate the Three Oaks Center to include new showers, toilets, laundry facilities, food pantry storage, kitchen upgrades, and office space for outreach and case management services to serve unhoused individuals.
Project Location: St. Mary’s County
Amount included: $309,000

Project Name: Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland Capital Building Request
Applicant: Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to construct a state-of-the-art-kitchen in the new Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland headquarters. The new facility will allow for expansion of program services with a meal production facility, storage space for inventory, and an accessible loading dock.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: Mission of Love Charities: Renovation of Former School Building for New Facility
Applicant: Mission of Love Charities, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to support construction of a facility in Capitol Heights with a food pantry, mini clinic, early childcare center, commercial kitchen, makerspace, and vocational barber programming space to serve local entrepreneurs, families in need, and those experiencing homelessness.
Project Location: Prince George’s County
Amount Included: $4,000,000

Project Name: Penhurst Community Campus
Applicant: Baltimore Safe Haven
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to create an inclusive transitional housing and community center campus in Baltimore to prevent homelessness and provide supportive services, including connections wraparound supports.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Reentry and Training Facility
Applicant: Howard County Department of Corrections
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to construct a facility that will serve low- and moderate-income clients reentering the community, including through classes on parenting, substance use prevention, employment and financial literacy services, and job training.
Project Location: Howard County
Amount Included: $700,000

Project Name: Revitalization of the Robert W. Johnson Community Center
Applicant: Robert W. Johnson Community Center, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to rehabilitate the landmark community center in Hagerstown to address deficiencies in essential building systems – including mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and other structural systems.
Project Location: Washington County
Amount Included: $1,000,000

Project Name: Savage River Lodge – Expanding Access to Outdoor Recreation
Applicant: Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Project Purpose: Funds would support planning and renovation costs to convert the Savage River Lodge property in the mountains of Western Maryland into a public access outdoor recreation resource with a discounted admissions program for underserved communities.
Project Location: Garrett County
Amount Included: $1,455,000

Project Name: Southern Maryland Rapid Transit (SMRT)
Applicant: Charles County Government (on behalf of Charles County, Prince George’s County, and State of Maryland)
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to complete the environmental review process for the development of a transit service from the Branch Avenue Metro Station in Camp Springs to Waldorf/White Plains, which would reduce traffic congestion and improve mobility in Southern Maryland.
Project Location: Charles County
Amount Included: $5,000,000

Project Name: Thompson Creek Connector Road & Trail Extension Engineering and Permitting
Applicant: Queen Anne’s County Commissioners
Project Purpose: Funds will be used for the design, engineering, and permitting of the Thompson Creek Connector Road and Trail Extensions on MD Route 8. The new two-lane roadway in Stevensville will have an adjacent pedestrian and bicycle trail and will reduce congestion around the US50/301 interchange.
Project Location: Queen Anne’s County
Amount Included: $1,770,000

Project Name: Victory Woods II
Applicant: Victory Housing, Inc.
Project Purpose: Funds will support the second phase of the Victory Woods affordable senior housing community in Lexington Park. The community will include ADA-accessible units.
Project Location: St. Mary’s County
Amount Included: $2,000,000

Project Name: West Baltimore MARC Station Replacement
Applicant: Maryland Department of Transportation
Project Purpose: Funds will be used to complete the renovation of the West Baltimore MARC Station, including restrooms, waiting rooms, lighting, and communications systems to improve service and access for travelers on the MARC Penn Line.
Project Location: Baltimore City
Amount Included: $5,000,000

Additional priorities secured by the Senators in the FY25 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill include:

Transportation

Department of Transportation (DOT): The bill provides $110 billion in total funding for the Department of Transportation.

RAISE Grants: The bill provides $550 million for the RAISE Grant program When combined with the $1.5 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) advanced appropriations, the RAISE Grant program will see $2.1 billion in total funding in fiscal year 2025. As the only multimodal DOT program available to local governments, the program allows communities to make transformative investments in their transportation infrastructure that help improve mobility and safety.

FAA Staffing and Modernization: The bill provides $22 billion for the FAA, an increase of $1.931 billion over fiscal year 2024. This includes:

• $13.6 billion for FAA operations, which will allow the FAA to continue its air traffic controller hiring surge by adding 2,000 new controllers, improving training facilities at the air traffic controller academy, and hiring 55 new aviation safety inspectors to strengthen oversight of Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems. In addition, the bill fully funds the FAA’s critical telecommunications and IT systems to prevent flight delays or disruptions.
• $3.6 billion for FAA facilities and equipment, which will help address the backlog of facility, radar, and equipment repair and replacement, as well as accelerate critical next-generation programs.
• $4.5 billion for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants to improve airport infrastructure and safety, while also reducing emissions. Of this amount, $70 million is for a new PFAS Replacement Program for Airports. This also includes $4 billion in AIP from the Trust Fund, consistent with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

Highways and Bridges: The bill provides $63 billion for Federal-aid Highways, which includes $61.3 billion in funding from the Highway Trust Fund, and an additional $1.118 billion for Highway Infrastructure Programs. The bill also provides:

• $25 million for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment program;
• $400 million for the competitive bridge bundling grant program;
• $100 million for the Appalachian Development Highway System; and
• $20 million for Scenic Byways, and other critical investments.

Amtrak and Rail Safety: A total of $3.5 billion is provided for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This includes $2.6 billion for Amtrak to sustain operations, maintain a state of good repair, and safely get passengers to their destinations – an increase of $210 million over fiscal year 2024. Additional highlights:

• $475 million for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant program;
• $100 million for the Fed-State Partnership Program; and
• $15 million for the repair and rehabilitation of Washington Union Station.

The bill increases funding for FRA’s Safety and Operations budget to $292.8 million, which will meet the President’s budget request of increasing rail safety inspectors to a record 400 positions, and increases funding for Research and Development to $54.75 million. To address the NTSB’s investigation of the East Palestine derailment and the subsequent safety recommendations released last month, the report directs FRA to: (1) continue research to inform industry-wide standards for wayside detection technology deployment and rail carrier response protocols; (2) update its 2007 vent and burn guidance and distribute to first responders; and (3) continue to utilize the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee working group to propose new regulations.

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA): The bill provides $401 million for the PHMSA, which includes $235 million for pipeline safety and $87 million for hazardous materials safety, including to address NTSB recommendations related to the East Palestine incident.

WMATA Safety: The bill provides $150 million in capital and safety improvement funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which manages the DMV-area Metro and bus system. It directs WMATA to establish and build a culture of safety throughout the organization, including a culture that fosters rigorous adherence to safety rules and procedures as a matter of routine.

Transit Infrastructure: The bill provides $17 billion for the Federal Transit Administration – including $2.3 billion for Capital Investment Grants, a $57 million increase over fiscal year 2024. When combined with the $1.6 billion in IIJA advanced appropriations, a total of $3.862 billion is available for Capital Investment Grants in fiscal year 2025, which is sufficient to accommodate all projects with full funding grant agreements and those expected to enter into a grant agreement this year. In an effort to improve access to financing for transit-oriented development, the bill establishes an interagency task force between DOT and HUD to leverage the expertise of each agency and accelerate housing development opportunities.

Maritime Administration: The bill provides $1.14 billion for the Maritime Administration. This includes:

• $191 million for the United States Merchant Marine Academy, of which $64 million is for capital improvement projects to fully meet the President’s budget request to modernize the service academy’s facilities and train the next generation of mariners;
• $178 million for State Maritime Academies, of which $132.7 million is for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program;
• $20 million for the Small Shipyard Grant Program to modernization our domestic commercial ship construction capacity;
• $200 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, which when combined with the $450 million in IIJA advanced appropriations makes a total of $650 million available for fiscal year 2025; and
• $448 million to fund the Defense vessel programs, including:

1. $318 million for the Maritime Security Program;
2. $10 million for the Cable Security Fleet program; and
3. $120 million for the Tanker Security Fleet program.

Housing and Urban Development

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): The bill provides $78.2 billion in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development–to maintain all existing rental assistance while increasing efforts to reduce homelessness, connect people to both housing and health care, and remove barriers to housing opportunities and development, including unnecessary administrative burdens.

Invests in Community Development Programs:

• $125 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which leverages public and private investment to support locally driven strategies that address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation.
• $47 million, a $5 million increase over FY24, for the Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program, which enhances the capacity of community development corporations (CDCs) and community housing development organizations (CHDOs) to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income communities.

Reduces Homelessness and Improves Connections to Health Care: The bill provides $4.3 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, $268 million above FY24. This includes $3.8 billion for Continuum of Care grants to support interventions to immediately serve those experiencing homelessness. The bill also provides:

• $20 million for the Eviction Protection Program, the grant program created in 2021 to provide legal services to help low-income tenants at risk of eviction;

• $15 million for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers (VASH), a program that combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
• $170 million for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, an initiative designed to reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness, along with $107 million for supportive housing for homeless youth;
• $30 million for one-time capacity-building grants and direct technical assistance to communities that are leveraging other funds, like Medicaid, to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to housing-related services and behavioral healthcare.; and
• $52 million for supportive housing for victims of domestic violence.

Additionally, the bill also directs HUD to include data collection on the number of elderly individuals experiencing homelessness, and to work with housing authorities to ensure that homeless youth are better able to access services without being obstructed by burdensome documentation requirements and red tape. 

Increases the Supply of Affordable Housing: As communities across the nation continue to face a shortage of affordable homes, the bill makes critical investments to increase the supply of housing so that Americans can keep a roof over their head. The bill includes:

• $1.4 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program – a $175 million increase over FY24. This program is the primary federal tool of state and local governments that produces affordable rental and owner-occupied housing. This funding level will allow for construction of more than 8,400 new affordable homebuyer and rental units.
• $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant formula program, in order to continue supporting economic development in low to moderate income communities. $1.046 billion for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, including $115 million for new construction for affordable rental housing.
• $1 billion for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, including $115 million for new construction for affordable rental housing.
• $256.7 million for Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
• $100 million for the third year ofthe “Yes In My Back Yard” grant program. State and local zoning and land use laws and regulations that limit the number of units that can be built are a significant contributor to the lack of housing supply and production. These restrictions on development are driving up housing costs. While some communities have made progress in removing barriers to affordable housing production to keep up with market demand, the federal government must play a supporting role to strengthen these efforts and help jurisdictions increase their housing stock and lower housing costs.

Preserves and Strengthens Investments in Rental Assistance Programs: The bill maintains critical support for HUD rental assistance programs, which assist nearly 5 million vulnerable households—more than half of whom are elderly or people with disabilities. This includes:

• $35.3 billion for tenant-based Section 8 vouchers, a $2.9 billion increase above fiscal year 2024, which includes funding to make 3,000 new incremental vouchers available to youth aging out of foster care and veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
• $16.7 billion for the project-based rental assistance program to renew housing contracts.
• $8.8 billion to operate and address the capital needs of public housing.
• $200.5 million for the Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which enables HUD-assisted families to increase their earned income and reduce their dependency on welfare assistance and rental subsidies.  

Increases Alignment and Flexibilities for Affordable Housing Programs: The thicket of statutory, regulatory, and procedural requirements for federal housing programs can undermine program results, lead to wasteful duplication, and require excessive time and resources from grantees. 

To more effectively use available housing choice vouchers in difficult rental markets, the bill authorizes a new pilot to allow up to 8 public housing authorities to use housing assistance payments for leasing-related expenses, like security and utility deposits. 

To improve the speed and effectiveness of vouchers serving youth aging out of foster care, the bill streamlines the award process and authorizes the Secretary to waive certain requirements that are consistent obstacles to successful leasing.

The bill also includes provisions for HUD to work with FEMA and the Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office to study the impact of rising natural disasters on the cost of property insurance, the role that will play on rising rent costs, and the need for additional economic development plans in the event of natural disasters. 

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