FY26 Community Project Funding Requests

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), in May, submitted 15 funding requests for important community projects in New York's 14th Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2026.

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request up to 15 projects in their community to be considered for fiscal year 2026 funding. Funding is restricted to a limited number of project categories, and only public and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the guidelines governing Community Project Funding can be found here.

If your project was not selected, or you missed the deadline to apply, there may be an opportunity for funding next year - though Congressional leaders have not yet confirmed that this process will repeat for fiscal year 2027. Some of the considerations for strong proposals include depth of project planning, clear objectives and scope of work, demonstration of community support, and ability to manage federal grants.

The fifteen selected projects are outlined below, along with an explanation of the Office's selection process and criteria.

Outreach: To inform our funding requests, our office shared the opportunity with eligible entities and scheduled conversations with potential applicants to discuss possible projects and field questions. Several of this year's requests were previously submitted for Fiscal Year 2025, but did not receive funding due to no appropriations bill passing for FY25.

Evaluation process: After our submission deadline, our office screened applications according to 1) non-profit status 2) service to NY14, and 3) eligibility according to committee guidance. We then had a short list of applications that team members scored against the following criteria: service to historically underserved communities, project justification, project feasibility, project sustainability, and alignment with the office's priorities. Project justification criteria included rationale, the significance of the proposed work, and whether it addresses the community's specific need(s). Multiple considerations went into determining feasibility criteria, such as an organization's ability to manage federal funding, project detail and scope. Sustainability considerations included whether the project or its impact can be sustained locally beyond the funds period, if results warrant.

With input from the Congresswoman and subcommittee staff, we arrived at the fifteen projects listed below.

Compliance:

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has certified that she, her partner, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the requested projects.

The following 15 projects were submitted:

NYC Department of Small Business Services - Food Bank Warehouse Upgrades
$2,998,000
355 Food Center Drive Bronx, NY 10474
NYC Department of Small Business Services requests $2,998,000 to address safety issues in the warehouse, which serves as a food bank, by resurfacing the 90,000 square foot concrete floor and installing a 5,000 CFM Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) unit to address dust, fresh air, and humidity control concerns, and updating egress doors with necessary life safety hardware, closers, and panic bars.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NYC Department of Education - School Food Forest at Adlai Stevenson High School
$850,000
1980 Lafayette Ave, Bronx, NY 10473
NYC Department of Education requests $850,000 to build a school food forest at Adlai Stevenson High School that would provide green infrastructure to produce food, mitigate flooding, and serve as a living educational hub. Federal funding would support city-based agriculture, increasing access to local food and fostering economic development, while mitigating soil pollution and flooding.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NYS Metropolitan Transit Authority - Broadway Station ADA Upgrades
$3,000,0000
Broadway Station, Queens, NY 11106
New York State Metropolitan Transit Authority (NYSMTA) requests $3,000,000 to make the station ADA-accessible by installing elevators and other accessibility elements. Station work also includes modification of platforms, mezzanine areas, and stairs to provide accessible paths of travel to both platforms.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NYC Department of Education - Literacy Hub at C.S. 150
$720,000
920 East 167 Street, Bronx, NY 10459
The New York City Department of Education requests $720,000 to revitalize an underutilized library space, transforming it into a vibrant literacy hub that catalyzes academic achievement and community engagement.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NYC Department of Transportation - Southern Boulevard Bus Stops Under the El
$5,000,000
Southern Boulevard, The Bronx, NY 10459
The New York City Department of Transportation requests $5,000,000 to construct bus bulbs, pedestrian safety improvements, and accessibility upgrades at six intersections on Southern Boulevard under the elevated 2/5 between 167th and 174th Streets. Bus stops located beneath elevated subway structures present a unique set of design challenges. Because subway columns at many locations prevent buses from reaching the curb, riders are forced to wait for the bus on the street, resulting in inaccessible and unsafe boarding conditions.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NYC Department of Small Business Services - East 132nd Street Pier Project
$10,725,555
One Liberty Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, New York, 10006
NYC Department of Small Business Services requests $10,725,555 to build coastal resilience and restore waterfront access to an economically distressed community in a federally recognized Opportunity Zone in the South Bronx by using nature-based strategies. The project will create oyster reefs and stabilize and restore the shoreline to allow for construction of a pier. These activities will strengthen resilience against flooding and heat hazards, create a safer, cleaner community, and ultimately expand access to public green space.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
Thrive For Life Prison Project, Inc. - Bronx First Chance for Reentry Success
$1,000,000
30 W 16th Street, New York, New York, 10011
Thrive For Life, Inc., requests $1,000,000 for expansion of vocational education and workforce training program at Abraham House in the South Bronx, designed to reduce recidivism by equipping justice-impacted individuals with in-demand, job-ready skills and certifications. The program offers a broad range of credential-bearing courses, including OSHA, GED, ESL, Financial Literacy, Nutrition, Parenting, Scaffolding, Flagging, HVAC, and Electrical Training, delivered through a trauma-informed and workforce-aligned model.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation - Marine Debris Removal in The Bronx and College Point
$1,246,000
830 5th Avenue, New York, New York, 10065
NYC Parks is requesting $1,246,000 to address the presence of large debris and abandoned and derelict vessels in Westchester Creek in the Bronx and around College Point in Queens. The debris to be removed include large man-made materials such as treated lumber and wreckage of floating docks, large foam blocks, and an abandoned vehicle. Abandoned and derelict vessels to be removed vary from 20 to 45 feet in length. This project aims to remove 2,891 cubic yards of debris and 11 abandoned and derelict vessels from Westchester Creek and College Point.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai - Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI)
$500,000
1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, New York, 10029
The SAVI Program requests $500,000 to address gaps in services to victims of sexual and intimate partner violence in NY-14 by enhancing the Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Program in Queens; replicating their Advocate Program in Emergency Departments in the South Bronx; and increasing their professional training and community outreach efforts.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
City Island Oyster Reef, Inc. - Oyster Reef Capacitation
$403,491
88 Horton St, Bronx, NY 10464
City Island Oyster Reef (CIOR) requests $403,491 to reestablish a resilient ecosystem in western Long Island Sound by creating two oyster reef habitats and thereby increasing oyster populations in the waters surrounding City Island in the Bronx. City Island's location for these oyster reefs makes it a critical hub and essential connection between reef restoration sites to the west in the East River, at Soundview, and SUNY Maritime College, as well as to existing oyster populations in Long Island Sound east of City Island.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
NY Sun Works, Inc. - STEM through Hydroponic Farming Program
$525,000
157 Columbus Avenue, Suite 432, New York, New York, 10023
New York Sun Works requests $525,000 through to support their STEM through Hydroponic Farming program in 25 NY-14 public schools (including 20 current partner schools and expansion to 5 new schools), enabling them to reach approximately 7,500 K-12 students with hands-on, high-quality STEM education and train 25 teachers to support long-term program sustainability. The funding will also support development of curriculum modules exploring the connection between in-school STEM and NASA research and projects.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
Bronx River Alliance - Soundview Coastal Resiliency and Community Development
$750,000
One Bronx River Parkway, Bronx, NY 10462
Bronx River Alliance requests $750,000 for the Soundview Coastal Resiliency and Community Development project to coordinate for maximum impact the leading groups working on coastal resiliency in Soundview. The project will involve gathering information on all current and recent projects with the goal of compiling and sharing lessons learned. The various initiatives that will be studied will benefit from increased community engagement efforts with an emphasis on youth involvement. This gathering of information and coordination of community engagement for various initiatives will result in enhanced stewardship and restoration efforts led by the Bronx River Alliance that are implemented in strategic and targeted ways. The funding would be used to coordinate community and youth engagement on activities including siting, design, implementation, maintenance and monitoring of coastal adaptation projects underway in the Soundview community.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
Queens Borough Public Library - Design Your Habitat
$252,500
89-11 Merrick Boulevard, Jamaica, New York, 11432
Design Your Habitat requests $252,500 to engage up to 200 teenagers in Queens in learning about space habitat design, life support systems, and living and working in space including the International Space Station (ISS) and other future Low Earth Orbit (LEO) stations. This project blends space science with artistic creativity and storytelling through the design of new habitats and space stations, across 7 libraries serving New York's 14th Congressional District.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, Inc. - B.R.A.V.E. - Response to Recent Youth Violence in Queens
$100,000
107-20 Northern Blvd, Corona, New York, 11368
Elmcor is seeking $100,000 to support its violence prevention program, B.R.A.V.E (Building Resilience and Alternative to Violence Everyday), that addresses youth violence through strategic violence-interruption plans designed to authentically engage vulnerable populations previously involved in or impacted by violent activity. This initiative offers youth positive alternatives through a comprehensive drug-prevention curriculum, counseling, youth-relevant workshops and resources for participants and their families in response to increasing youth violence in Queens. This model helps at-risk youth develop authentic relationships in the community by having assigned mentors and a progress checklist of activities to be followed that develop healthy and sustainable habits.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.
New York City Department of Sanitation - Bronx Wetland Mitigation
$3,918,981
530 Zerega Ave, Bronx, New York, 10013
The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is seeking $3,918,981 in funding to help rehabilitate a wetland area adjacent to its fueling operations for the Bronx 9/10/11 garage. After an initial review with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, DSNY has planned two phases of wetland mitigation. Phase 1 is wetland habitat reconstruction to offset the wetland disturbance to be caused by the nearby garage activities, including bulkhead wall construction, and construction of a South Lot structure partially over the wetland boundary. The main lot is to be constructed with parking and site fill (due to flood plain) up to the bulkhead line. Phase 2 wetlands mitigation will demolish all structures on the South Lot (except for the existing DSNY fueling station), demolish and excavate all concrete pads, footings, and paving, and then tilling at least 8 inches deep and seeding the area to make a wetland adjacent meadow.
Member certification of no financial interest and Federal Nexus can be found here.