Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted a Community Project Funding request of $350,000 for the Family First Community Center – Health Clinic, HealthPoint in Renton, Wash. to the House Appropriations Committee.

"When former Seattle Seahawk Doug Baldwin approached HealthPoint with his vision for a community health and wellness center in the historically underserved Cascade/Benson neighborhood, we eagerly agreed to form a partnership,” said Lisa Yohalem, HealthPoint President and CEO. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission of strengthening communities by breaking down barriers to care. We are grateful for the support from Congressman Smith for the new Family First Community Center that will serve thousands of low-income families with quality health care services along with recreational and educational opportunities."

HealthPoint will bring quality health clinic and wellness programs to the new Family First Community Center (FFCC) in Renton. The full-service primary care clinic will include medical, behavioral health, and dental care. This funding will support capital equipment purchases for the health clinic, expected to open in 2022.

With HealthPoint’s onsite full-service primary care clinic, participants in FFCC programming will benefit from seamless access to health care services whether their point of entry is through sports, recreation, STEM, or other programs taking place at the FFCC. The co-location of the clinic with the FFCC will eliminate many of the transportation and financial barriers to accessing health care currently experienced by low-income families in the Cascade/Benson Hill community.

Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted Community Project Funding requests to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the FY 2022 appropriations bill. Each Representative may request funding for up to ten projects in their community for fiscal year 2022.

“I am proud to submit requests for these ten critical projects in Washington’s Ninth District that will help address growing inequities in our communities,” said Rep. Smith. “As Congress works to pass appropriations bills, it is vital that we direct more federal dollars to underserved communities and marginalized populations. The proposed projects will help address challenges facing communities across the region in affordable housing, health care, education, youth development and services, small businesses and economic opportunity, senior services, and mental health. I am deeply appreciative of all of the organizations, local governments, and community leaders who submitted excellent projects for consideration that would make our communities more equitable and prosperous.”

You can learn more about the projects listed in alphabetical order by project name here:

Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted a Community Project Funding request of $1,000,000 for the MLK Mixed Use Affordable Housing and Early Learning Center, Low Income Housing Institute in Rainier Valley, Seattle, Wash. to the House Appropriations Committee.

"We greatly appreciate Representative Adam Smith's inclusion of our project, it demonstrates a real commitment to addressing the displacement of communities of color and expanding child care resources for immigrants and refugees in our community," said Sharon Lee, Executive Director of Low Income Housing Institute.

The MLK Mixed Use Affordable Housing and Early Learning Center (MLK Mixed Use) located just south of the Othello Light Rail Station will provide 152 apartment units for low-income and homeless families and individuals and an early learning center and play area operated by the Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA). As a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) project, MLK Mixed Use will lead to better mobility, reduced car traffic, reduced household spending on transportation, healthier lifestyles, less pollution, higher foot traffic for commercial businesses, and decreased suburban sprawl.

This project will provide much needed affordable housing for low-income and homeless families and individuals in a neighborhood that is experiencing massive displacement and gentrification. The requested funding will help advance the development of MLK Mixed Use to immediately bring people off the streets and into stable housing, prevent many from becoming homeless, and help reduce displacement and gentrification.

Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted a Community Project Funding request of $600,000 for the African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village (ADCAV), African Community Housing & Development in Tukwila, Wash. to the House Appropriations Committee.

“The African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village (ADCAV) project is one of the first community development projects led by the broader African immigrant and refugee community in Washington state,” said Hamdi Abdulle, African Community Housing & Development Executive Director. “Centered on community and economic advancement, the ADCAV will provide state-of-the-art facilities and programs in support of education, workforce and small business development, and homeownership opportunities. The time for bold, community-led projects like the ADCAV is now. This critical legacy project will leave an impact on African immigrants and refugees in South King County, as well as the larger Puget Sound region, for generations to come. ADCAV is just the beginning for our community, and we appreciate the support of Congressman Adam Smith and other community leaders."

The African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village (ADCAV) will be a mixed-use development to support the African immigrant and refugee community in South King County and the Puget Sound region. The ADCAV will include a learning center for youth and young adults, workforce development center, senior and community gathering space, and outdoor areas with urban gardens and a playground. The second phase of this work will result in desperately needed affordable homeownership units and a small business incubator with ground floor retail.

This request will support African Community Housing & Development in further advancing the ADCAV project, helping address inequities in education, economic development, and social services, and provide long-term affordable housing opportunities to immigrant and refugee communities.

Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) submitted a Community Project Funding request of $850,000 for the Maritime High School (MHS), Highline Public Schools in South King County, Wash. to the House Appropriations Committee.

“I am thrilled that Congressman Smith thought highly enough of Maritime High School to include it in his set of requests for Community Project Funding,” said Dr. Susan Enfield, Superintendent of Highline Public Schools. “Maritime High School will be a unique, project-based school focused on the maritime industry and marine sciences, a major industry in the Puget Sound region and Washington State.  Serving our diverse students in South King County and introducing them to the wide variety of high wage, high demand jobs that are in the maritime and marine sciences industry can do nothing but benefit our state and the industry.”

The Highline School District, the Port of Seattle, Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition DRCC, and the Northwest Maritime Center have collaborated to design and launch a stand-alone Maritime High School (MHS) in South King County. The vision for MHS is to provide a world-class education, within a historically impacted community, that advances the next generation of leaders, innovators, and professionals across maritime related fields.

The maritime industry is a pillar of the state’s economy, yet workforce gaps threaten the sector and the current education and workforce system is woefully underprepared to support a diverse and inclusive workforce. At a time when our region has created more new wealth than many other metropolitan areas in the country, area schools offer few educational career pathways into maritime careers and marginalized communities have limited access to waterfront jobs. This funding will help MHS in its first academic year beginning in the fall of 2021 to establish inclusive programs, policies, and practices to ensure that maritime career opportunities are accessible to all students, focusing on the school’s capacity to recruit, prepare, and empower students who are under-represented in maritime and ocean science careers.

Click here for information about other Community Project Funding requests submitted by Congressman Smith.

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