U.S. Rep. Underwood eyes 3 projects in La Salle County for Community Project Funding

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced the 15 projects in the 14th District selected to be submitted for consideration for Community Project Funding in the upcoming 2025 budget, including projects in La Salle, Ottawa and Oglesby.

If funded, the will ensure access to safe and reliable drinking water, strengthen rural access to health care, prevent workplace exploitation, help residents get jobs, provide vulnerable populations access to necessities like shelter and food, and support parent-students by providing affordable child care options in northern Illinois, Underwood said in a news release.

Under the representative’s plan, the city of Oglesby is proposed to receive $928,000 for its clean water project. This funding will help replace 2,100 feet of water main lines affected by lead and/or asbestos-cement within Oglesby. The pipes pose significant risks to the public and their replacement will ensure clean drinking water, protect public health and safety and generate long-term cost savings for the community.

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry would receive $750,000 under her plan. This funding will help the food pantry expand its refrigeration and storage capacity, allowing it to serve more families in the community. The pantry is serving about 500 families monthly, and the pantry is at capacity.

Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter, homeless shelter in Ottawa, would receive $1,250,000 to construct a new, 11,264-square-foot shelter. This new facility will feature a kitchen, expanded dormitories for men and women, individual rooms with private bathrooms, six family rooms, increased office and storage space, a designated children’s area, two larger bathrooms with showers and a spacious multi-purpose classroom. With more than double the space and beds, this new facility will help Giving Hope A Home serve more people in our community and deliver essential services.

“Making sure that our community’s needs are reflected in federal funding has always been a top priority of mine in Washington,” said Underwood in a news release. “Our families will feel the enormous impact of these 15 projects every day. We’re making sure our drinking water is clean and safe across northern Illinois; strengthening access to quality health care in rural communities, providing parents with affordable child care options, helping residents get good jobs, and so much more. I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring these federal dollars home.”

Community Project Funding is an initiative that allows Congress members to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent, coupled with strict transparency and ethics requirements. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Underwood has certified that she and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects selected.