FY27 Community Project Funding Requests

Representative Adam Smith submitted 20 funding requests for community projects in Washington's 9th Congressional District to the House Committee on Appropriations for fiscal year 2027, across the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) subcommittees.

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request a limited number of projects in their community for fiscal year 2027 funding. Funding is restricted to a limited number of project categories, and only public and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.

The 20 selected projects are outlined below by subcommittee. Submitting a project to the Committee is the first step in the process and does not guarantee funding; Rep. Smith will continue to advocate for these requests to be passed by Congress and signed into law.

Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS)

8 projects · $9,643,988 requested

1. Little Saigon Street Safety Team
   Seattle (Little Saigon)
   The Little Saigon Street Safety Team would deploy a coordinated, multi-disciplinary response to persistent crime, open drug use, and disorder in the Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon, where prior law enforcement and outreach efforts have produced only temporary improvements due to lack of coordination and follow-through on connecting people to services. Funding would support increased police presence with warm handoff referrals to LEAD teams for low-level offenses, CARE Crisis Responders providing direct connections to mental health care and substance use treatment including transport to ORCA, the nation's first walk-in Overdose Recovery Center, community ambassadors building neighborhood connections, and a case conferencing network identifying individuals most in need of targeted health or public safety intervention. The approach also builds on the Phố Đẹp Beautiful Neighborhood initiative, a community-driven crime prevention effort incorporating environmental design improvements, public art, cultural placemaking, and storefront activation to increase neighborhood vibrancy and deter crime. City of Seattle, Police Department requests $802,396 to fund a dedicated street safety team for the Little Saigon neighborhood.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
2. Mobile Command Police Vehicle
   Kent
   Highline College is requesting funding to establish a Center for Global Business Education Innovation, which would serve as the third component of its Business Development Center alongside StartZone and the Small Business Development Center. The Center would serve students in Business Management and Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics degree programs across three functions: building student career pathways through mentorship, internships, case competitions, speaker series, and job fairs; deepening industry partnerships through Port of Seattle liaison work, advisory committees, faculty professional development, and international delegation training; and maintaining curriculum relevance through quarterly labor market intelligence reports and industry-informed curriculum reviews. The initiative is prompted by the ending of state Center of Excellence funding and is aimed at positioning Highline as the primary provider of job-ready business, supply chain, and cybersecurity talent in South King County. City of Kent requests $2,250,000 for a mobile command police vehicle.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
3. Comprehensive Airspace Security Initiative (CASI)
   Renton
   The City of Renton is requesting funding to build a city-wide Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) detection, identification, and mitigation network called the Comprehensive Airspace Security Initiative (CASI). Currently neither the city nor King County has any system to monitor unauthorized drone activity. Renton faces a heightened version of this challenge due to the concentration of high-value assets within its boundaries, including Renton Municipal Airport, the headquarters and training facilities of the Seattle Seahawks, Sounders, and Reign, and the largest Drone as a First Responder program in the Pacific Northwest. Unauthorized drones near these sites create risks to manned aviation, large public gatherings, and active public safety drone operations. FAA data shows airport drone incursions increased 25% in 2025, with over 700 flight disruptions nationwide. CASI would give law enforcement real-time detection tools to support a tiered response including deconfliction, public education, and enforcement, shifting the city from a reactive to a proactive airspace management model. City of Renton Police Department requests $2,550,000 for a comprehensive airspace security initiative.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
4. Funding America's Automotive Future: Multi-Powertrain Automotive Center (MPAC)
   District Wide
   Green River College is proposing to establish the Multi-Powertrain Automotive Center (MPAC) at the Pacific Innovation Center in Pacific Motorsports Park, creating a regional hub for electric and advanced vehicle technology education and workforce training. As the automotive industry shifts toward electric, hybrid, and alternative-fuel systems, there is a growing need for technicians trained on high-voltage components, advanced diagnostics, and standards-compliant testing protocols. MPAC would expand Green River's nationally-certified Automotive Technology department to serve both new students and incumbent workers, offering professional certification aligned with NIST standards and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence requirements. The location within Pacific Motorsports Park is intended to foster direct collaboration with industry employers, researchers, and innovation partners to keep curriculum current and distribute new practices regionally and nationally. Green River College requests $900,000 to establish a next-generation multi-powertrain automotive center.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
5. Youth Group Gang Gun Violence Desistance Program (LINC)
   South King County — Kent, Renton, Federal Way, Burien & surrounding areas
   The Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ) runs the LINC program, a regional adaptation of the federal Comprehensive Gang Model designed to reduce youth gun violence and gang involvement in King County. LINC serves up to 200 young people annually across Seattle, Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Tukwila, and unincorporated King County, focusing on communities that have historically accounted for over 90% of firearm violence in the county. Youth shooting victims in King County have doubled over the past five years. The program coordinates street outreach workers, case managers, school representatives, probation counselors, behavioral health specialists, and law enforcement through Multi-Disciplinary Intervention Teams that provide wraparound, trauma-informed services. A Steering Committee of government agencies, school districts, courts, faith leaders, and community groups shapes strategy and evaluates progress. Funding would sustain LINC staffing, training, and team services at a time when Washington State has the lowest law enforcement to civilian ratio in the nation and the Seattle Police Department is short 375 officers. Center for Children Youth & Justice requests $1,500,000 for a youth gang and gun violence desistance program serving South King County.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
6. CARE Transportation and Technology Upgrade
   Seattle
   Seattle's Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department operates the city's primary 911 Emergency Communications Center and the Community Crisis Responder program, which dispatches mental health responders as an alternative to police for people in crisis. Funding would modernize outdated ECC technology infrastructure to reduce system downtime and improve reliability of critical communications systems, including addressing FBI CJIS-compliant Multi-Factor Authentication requirements for Computer Aided Dispatch devices, where current low-cost solutions create login delays that slow emergency response. The request also includes two vehicles: a commercial van to support ECC logistics and equipment transport, and an administrative vehicle to address a current shortage that limits staff ability to coordinate across departments, attend trainings, and conduct community outreach. CARE currently has only one administrative vehicle for the entire department. City of Seattle requests $586,700 to upgrade transportation and technology for its Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
7. Access to Dental Care for Youth Detained at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center
   Seattle
   The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center currently lacks on-site dental care, requiring youth to be transported to community clinics. King County DAJD is seeking one-time startup funding to renovate and equip a dental care suite within the facility's existing secure health clinic, to be operated with Public Health in Seattle & King County and serve up to 300 patients annually. This on-site care will improve access to routine, preventive, and emergency dental services while enhancing safety by reducing the need to transport youth outside the secure facility. King County Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention requests $304,892 to provide dental care for youth detained at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
8. Toxicology Laboratory Enhancements Project for Accelerated Testing
   Seattle (varies in application/usage)
   The Seattle City Attorney's Office is requesting funding to contract with an accredited private toxicology laboratory to accelerate DUI blood sample testing. Washington State Patrol's toxicology lab is currently the sole provider of DUI blood analysis in the state, resulting in average turnaround times of 22 months for drug impairment cases and 10 months for alcohol-only cases. Because toxicology results are typically required to file charges, individuals arrested for DUI can continue driving without court supervision or ignition interlock requirements during the delay. The City currently has approximately 900 samples in the backlog, and has documented cases where individuals were arrested for second and third DUI offenses while their initial case remained uncharged. Washington SB 5880, passed in 2026, authorizes use of private accredited labs that can return results in 45 to 60 days, but provided no funding. Byrne JAG funds would cover contracted testing services, secure sample transport, and expert witness costs, reducing turnaround times by over 90 percent and enabling significantly earlier judicial oversight of impaired drivers. City of Seattle City Attorney's Office requests $750,000 to enhance toxicology laboratory testing capacity.
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD)

12 projects · $30,206,813 requested

9. 42nd Avenue Bridge Replacement
   Tukwila
   The 42nd Avenue South Bridge, built in 1949, spans the Green/Duwamish River in Tukwila and serves as a key connector for industrial, commercial, and residential traffic with access to I-5, I-405, Sea-Tac Airport, and the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. The corridor supports an estimated $32 billion in annual economic activity. The bridge has exceeded its service life and no longer meets modern structural or seismic standards. A 2021 freight truck strike caused structural damage that forced the bridge into one-way, weight-restricted operation, creating ongoing congestion and constraints on freight movement and emergency response. Funding would support construction of a new, seismically resilient bridge built to current standards with a 75-year service life, restoring full two-way traffic. The project also includes ADA-compliant pedestrian infrastructure, stormwater upgrades to improve water quality over the river, riverbank and salmon habitat restoration, utility replacement serving the Allentown community, and upgraded lighting. City of Tukwila requests $3,600,000 to replace the 42nd Avenue bridge. 
   Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
10. Rainier Valley Safety Corridor
    Rainier Valley — Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, between Rainier Ave S and Boeing Access Rd
    The Rainier Valley Safety Corridor project would fund Phase 2 safety and operational improvements along a 4-mile stretch of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Seattle, one of the city's highest-priority Vision Zero corridors. The corridor serves as the only at-grade segment of Sound Transit's 1 Line, meaning safety incidents cause cascading delays across the entire regional transit system. In 2025, the corridor recorded 98 collisions, including 5 serious injuries and 2 fatalities. Funding would replace outdated traffic signal controllers with a smart signal system featuring battery backup, and install an AI-powered continuous data analytics system enabling vehicle-to-roadside communication and real-time safety responses. The project builds on a completed USDOT SMART Grant Phase 1 investment and is a joint effort between the City of Seattle and Sound Transit. The corridor runs through a dense, low-income, and highly diverse community where reliable transit and pedestrian safety are critical to daily mobility for residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. City of Seattle (DOT) requests $4,500,000 for safety improvements along a four-mile corridor of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
11. Morgan Street Affordable Homes
    Rainier Valley, Seattle
    Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County is developing 16 permanently affordable townhomes in the Othello neighborhood of Rainier Valley, available for purchase to first-time homebuyers at or below 80% of Area Median Income. The unit mix includes one 1-bedroom, fourteen 2-bedroom, and one 3-bedroom home, each with assigned parking. The building permit is expected in April 2026 and construction is ready to begin once the final $3.2 million is secured. The project is designed to counter displacement in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood where light rail access has accelerated market-rate development and rising costs threaten the diverse communities that define Othello. The 16 homes would provide stable, permanent homeownership to an estimated 48 residents who would otherwise be priced out of the area. City of Seattle requests $3,200,000 for affordable housing development on Morgan Street in the Rainier Valley.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
12. Rainier Valley At-Grade Safety Enhancements
    South Seattle (Columbia City Station)
    Sound Transit is requesting funding to install automatic pedestrian gates and additional safety enhancements at the Columbia City and Othello light rail stations along Martin Luther King Jr. Way as part of its broader At-Grade Crossing Program. Since light rail service began in 2009, the Rainier Valley segment has recorded at least 136 collisions and eight of the eleven system-wide fatalities. Sound Transit and SDOT have completed 10 safety projects in the corridor since 2021, with early results showing a 33% reduction in pedestrian crossing incidents. This request builds on that progress as part of Sound Transit's 2025 to 2029 At-Grade Crossing Program Master Plan, which prioritizes continuous safety improvements at designated at-grade crossings where trains share the surface with pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. Sound Transit requests $3,000,000 for at-grade safety enhancements near the Columbia City light rail station.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
13. City Center Access Project Phase 1
    Federal Way
    The City of Federal Way is requesting funding for Phase 1 of the City Center Access Project, which would reconstruct and modernize two I-5 interchanges at South 320th Street and South 324th Street serving Federal Way's downtown core. The project includes interchange reconstruction and expansion, a new collector-distributor roadway to organize freeway traffic flow, and upgrades to local streets, bridges, and intersections. The project has completed NEPA environmental review with FHWA approval received in September 2025, secured a WSDOT access agreement, reached 20 percent design, and begun right-of-way acquisition. City of Federal Way requests $5,000,000 for the first phase of its City Center Access project.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
14. Steel Lake Affordable Housing
    Federal Way
    Mental Health Housing Foundation (MHHF) is requesting funding for the first phase of a two-phase affordable housing development on Military Road South in Federal Way. Phase one would construct a 20-unit, two-story apartment building exclusively serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness at or below 30 and 50 percent AMI. The unit mix includes one-bedroom apartments and shared two-bedroom units where residents have private bedrooms and bathrooms with shared kitchen and common areas, providing choice between independent and partially communal living arrangements. One unit would be reserved for a resident manager. MHHF's model favors small-scale buildings, which the organization has found better support community-building and stability for people with mental illness. The project is consistent with Federal Way's Comprehensive Plan and Housing Action Plan. Mental Health Housing Foundation requests $1,700,000 for affordable housing at Steel Lake in Federal Way.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
15. SeaTac International Village Dining District
    SeaTac
    The City of SeaTac is seeking funding to remediate a contaminated former dry-cleaning site at 20011 International Boulevard, adjacent to the Angle Lake light rail station. The property contains documented soil and groundwater contamination from historic dry-cleaning operations, including perchloroethylene (PCE) and related carcinogens. It sits within a designated groundwater wellhead protection area, creating an ongoing pathway for contaminants to impact local drinking water. Environmental liability has prevented private redevelopment for nearly a decade, leaving the site blighted despite its prime transit-oriented location. Funding would cover environmental investigation, remediation planning, contaminated soil excavation and treatment, and groundwater mitigation. Remediation is scheduled to begin in 2027 and take 12 to 36 months. Completion would remove the final barrier to redevelopment and activate the site for the SeaTac International Village Dining District, supporting immigrant and minority-owned small businesses in a predominantly BIPOC community with strong ties to the airport and service sectors. City of SeaTac requests $1,936,000 to develop an international village dining district.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
16. Center for Global Business Education
    South King County
    Highline College is requesting funding to establish a Center for Global Business Education Innovation, which would serve as the third component of its Business Development Center alongside StartZone and the Small Business Development Center. The Center would serve students in Business Management and Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics degree programs across three functions: building student career pathways through mentorship, internships, case competitions, speaker series, and job fairs; deepening industry partnerships through Port of Seattle liaison work, advisory committees, faculty professional development, and international delegation training; and maintaining curriculum relevance through quarterly labor market intelligence reports and industry-informed curriculum reviews. The initiative is prompted by the ending of state Center of Excellence funding and is aimed at positioning Highline as the primary provider of job-ready business, supply chain, and cybersecurity talent in South King County. Highline College requests $200,813 for a Center for Global Business Education.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
17. Airport Central Mechanical Plant Modernization Plan: Geothermal Assessment
    SeaTac Airport (SEA)
    Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is preparing to modernize its Central Mechanical Plant with a hybrid geothermal system to address aging infrastructure, support growth, and meet Port of Seattle sustainability targets. A feasibility study completed in December 2025, funded by a 2023 FAA grant, recommended a solution integrating closed-loop geothermal, heat recovery chillers, thermal energy storage, and natural gas boilers limited to 10 percent of annual heating load, with provisions for future full electrification. Before full transition can proceed, two preliminary steps are required: geotechnical drilling and soil analysis at the proposed site to assess thermal conductivity and support system design, and an engineering evaluation of the airport's pumping and piping infrastructure to determine feasibility of converting from steam to hot water distribution in space-constrained areas. Funding would support these two assessment steps. Port of Seattle requests $1,250,000 for a geothermal assessment as part of the Sea-Tac Airport central mechanical plant modernization plan.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
18. Safer Signals Program: Real-Time Traffic Signal Safety Interventions
    Bellevue
    Bellevue's Safer Signals Program modernizes existing traffic signal infrastructure with intelligent detection technology that identifies pedestrians and cyclists in real time and automatically adjusts signal timing to prevent conflicts before they result in crashes. Building on a USDOT SMART grant pilot phase, the program demonstrated a 45 percent reduction in pedestrian near-miss events at participating intersections. Funding would expand the program to high-risk intersections in the Crossroads and Factoria neighborhoods, two of Bellevue's most active mixed-use districts with high volumes of pedestrians, transit riders, and vehicles. Crossroads was prioritized due to its documented vulnerable road user collision history, location on the city's High Injury Network, and role as a diverse, transit-dependent community. Factoria was prioritized due to high pedestrian volumes near Newport High School, retail destinations, and emergency services. The system extends pedestrian crossing phases and delays conflicting vehicle movements when pedestrians are detected, addressing safety risks that traditional static signal timing cannot respond to. City of Bellevue requests $1,000,000 for real-time traffic signal safety interventions.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
19. The Horn at SeaTac
    SeaTac
    East African Community Services is requesting funding for the construction of a community learning and workforce development facility co-located within the Horn at SeaTac, a mixed-use development that will also include 150 permanently affordable family-sized housing units serving households at 50 to 80 percent of Area Median Income. The community facility would be owned and operated by East African Community Services and is projected to serve over 700 residents annually, including 300 youth in academic enrichment and leadership programs and 200 adults in workforce training and digital literacy instruction. The development is a formal partnership with Bellwether Housing, Washington's largest local nonprofit affordable housing provider, and $10 million in institutional capital is already deployed against the site. SeaTac has a poverty rate exceeding 18 percent and is home to one of the highest concentrations of East African families in the Pacific Northwest, many spending over half their income on rent in a near-zero vacancy market for family-sized units. East African Community Services has served this population for 24 years, reaching over 5,000 individuals annually across South King County. East African Community Services requests $2,000,000 for The Horn at SeaTac project.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.
20. Valley Commons, Beach Court, Starliter
    Mount Baker/Rainier Valley neighborhood, SE Seattle
    Mt. Baker Housing is requesting funding to rehabilitate three affordable multifamily properties totaling 80 units in Southeast Seattle's Rainier Beach neighborhood. All three properties have deferred capital needs that exceed their replacement reserves, and without investment will face rising operating costs, emergency repairs, and deteriorating habitability. Planned improvements across all three properties include drainage and water intrusion mitigation, roof repair and replacement, exterior building repairs, electrical and plumbing upgrades, HVAC replacement, elevator repair, security system updates, unit renovations, and accessibility improvements. The project is designed to extend the useful life of the properties, stabilize operations, and keep units affordable for low and moderate income residents in a neighborhood experiencing significant displacement pressure. Capital needs assessments were completed in Q4 2025. Mt. Baker Housing Association requests $2,820,000 for affordable housing at Valley Commons, Beach Court, and Starliter.
    Member certification of no financial interest and federal nexus can be found here.