• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced Dec. 15 that the first installments of federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are heading to the Central Coast soon. The Federal Aviation Administration allocation includes more than $7.3 million to local airports like the SLO County Regional Airport and the Santa Maria Airport. California as a whole will receive more than $4.8 billion in Federal Highway Administration funds to improve roads and bridges in the state. This first round is 20 percent more funding for highways compared to last year, according to a statement from Carbajal’s office. “This new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will go a long way to improve quality of life on the Central Coast,” Carbajal said in the statement. “These federal dollars will put people to work improving our travel infrastructure, which will make our roads safer, cut down on commute times, and help small businesses get their goods to people’s doorsteps. I was proud to vote for the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I look forward to seeing more federal resources flow to our communities.” The announcement of funding allocations comes exactly a month after the bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden, which Carbajal got to witness. “It was an honor to stand beside my colleagues and the president as he signed the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law,” Carbajal said in a statement. “This bill is a once-in-a-generation investment that will propel our economy forward and improve quality of life for every American.” In addition to fixing roads and bridges, and funding local airports, the bill will allow the Central Coast to expand internet connectivity, improve public transportation, and bolster clean water infrastructure. “We are thrilled for the continued investment in our region’s multimodal transportation system,” said Peter Rodgers, executive director of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, in the statement. “We expect this infrastructure reauthorization to deliver much-needed increases to our existing funding programs, so that our communities can pave more roads, fix more bridges, improve and electrify transit, and advance safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. This legislation also offers the single biggest investment in rail in over 50 years, and we want to see some of that invested in Central Coast passenger rail.”
• On Dec. 20, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California’s mortgage relief grant program, which will provide $1 billion to tens of thousands of homeowners who are struggling due to the pandemic, was approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This will allow the program to fully launch in the coming weeks, a statement from Newsom’s office said. The California Mortgage Relief Program will help an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 struggling homeowners, according to the statement, with funds reserved for homeowners in socially disadvantaged and underserved communities often hit hardest by the pandemic. “We are committed to supporting those hit hardest by the pandemic, and that includes homeowners who have fallen behind on their housing payments,” Newsom said in the statement. “No one should have to live in fear of losing the roof over their head, so we’re stepping up to support struggling homeowners to get them the resources they need to cover past due mortgage payments. Our Housing is Key program has already provided renters and landlords with the assistance and resources they need to stay afloat. Now, with our California Mortgage Relief Program, we are extending that relief to homeowners.” The program will provide up to $80,000 maximum per household recipient, with a direct payment to qualified homeowners’ mortgage servicers. “The financial support is provided as a one-time grant that qualified homeowners will not have to repay, so that they can get caught up and have a fresh start,” according to Newsom’s office. Funding for the program is allocated through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowner Assistance Fund.
This article appears in Dec 23-30, 2021.
