Merkley, Wyden Announce More Than $92 million in Additional Funding for Critical Community Projects Across Oregon

Projects Dedicated to Improving Housing, Health Care, and Transportation & Infrastructure Improvements

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced they secured more than $92 million in federal investments for essential community-initiated projects in nearly every Oregon county in the final funding package that recently cleared Congress.

Both Merkley and Wyden hold a town hall in each Oregon county every year and work hard to ensure that local feedback informs every aspect of their work in Washington, D.C. This local feedback is directly reflected in the projects that were chosen for federal funding in this year’s final spending bill to help meet critical needs in Oregon communities.

“Community-initiated projects are rooted in the fact that no one knows the unique needs of communities across Oregon like the folks living and working in them. The communities identified top projects, and we fought for them,” Merkley said. “Together with Senator Wyden and members of Oregon’s House delegation, we secured funding for another 68 important homegrown projects that will benefit Oregonians in every corner of the state for years to come.”

“These key federal investments throughout our state are the result of Oregonians sharing local priorities directly with me and Senator Merkley,” Wyden said. “I’m glad this teamwork has generated each of these wins that will make Oregonians’ communities large and small even better places to live and work.”

Merkley is the only Oregon member of Congress from either chamber since Senator Mark Hatfield to serve on the Appropriations Committee, which wrote the funding bills and is one of the most powerful committees on Capitol Hill. He joined the committee in 2013 so that Oregon would have a strong voice in decisions about the investments our nation should be making. Merkley’s position on the committee—including his key role as the top Democrat on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee—is vital to lock in the state’s priorities in the drafting of the bills, and Merkley and Wyden are highly-effective at working together to deliver projects for Oregon.

Earlier this year, Merkley and Wyden announced over $100 million for 54 community-initiated projects.

Merkley and Wyden secured 68 Oregon community-initiated projects, combined totaling $92,303,000, in the FY26 funding bills for Financial Services and General Government; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. The projects broken down by region, are as follows:

MID-WILLAMETTE VALLEY & NORTH COAST (Marion, Polk, Yamhill, Tillamook, Clatsop, and Columbia Counties)

$2 million for the Marion Polk Food Share for their Food Bank Warehouse Relocation and Expansion project. The funding will help purchase property as part of a multi-phase project to construct a new, highly efficient building, to be the hub of Food Share’s food banking and Meals on Wheels program.
$1.023 million to the Amani Center to construct a permanent facility for child abuse intervention and assessments in Columbia County. This will enable the Amani Center to better serve victims of child abuse and their families by doubling the center’s forensic medical service capacity, ensuring quality evidence collection for legal proceedings, and increasing privacy and safety at the Center.
$1 million for the Yamhill County Affordable Housing Corporation for their McMinnville Housing Rehabilitation Project to support necessary and urgently needed safety and accessibility repairs to low- and moderate-income homes, ensuring that occupants can remain in their homes and not be displaced by uninhabitable housing conditions.
$850,000 for the Oregon Department of Transportation to make critically needed safety enhancements along the McDougall Rd/OR-99W corridor in Yamhill County. This project is a critical component to securing the safety of commuters of Oregon’s HWY-99 and will provide a safe connection at a highly congested and uncontrolled intersection.
$610,000 to North Coast Food Web to purchase equipment to improve their food hub facility in Clatsop County. Their facility will continue to support small and start-up food business incubation and year-round market opportunities for locally-sourced farm, fishery and value-added products on the North Coast.

Click HERE for quotes from Mid-Willamette and North Coast community-initiated project recipients.

METRO (Multnomah and Washington Counties)

$3.2 million to the Port of Portland for the Mass Timber and Housing Innovation Campus at Terminal 2. The funding will support electrical and utility improvements needed to accommodate the existing and future tenants at this regional center for mass timber manufacturing.
$3 million to Meals on Wheels People to build and remodel its new Southeast Portland facility, which will improve access to services and nutrition for a growing population of seniors and marginalized communities.
$3 million to Oregon Metro for a depackaging machine to remove plastic packaging from commercial food waste. Metro will utilize a food waste depackaging machine, enabling diversion to sustainable end-uses such as animal feed, composting, or anaerobic digestion. This machine will reduce landfill dependency, mitigate climate impacts, and support a circular, low-carbon economy.
$2.98 million for the University of Oregon’s Ballmer Institute to create a bachelor’s level program intended to address critical shortages in the pediatric behavioral health workforce. Students in this innovative training program at the UO Portland Campus will be integrated into pediatric primary care settings to deliver services known to prevent youth mental health problems.
$2.2 million for Community Warehouse to acquire a new facility and expand the distribution of essential resources to families in need. Community Warehouse provides essential furnishings to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness and other crises. Service demand has increased by 245% since 2020, and funding will support expanding facilities so as to meet the growing community needs.
$2 million to the City of Portland to improve an existing affordable housing campus in order to increase capacity and improve overall accessibility. The City will redevelop the site to create 400-450 new units of affordable housing.
$1.5 million to the City of Portland to expand Portland Fire & Rescue’s successful Mobile Medication for Opioid Use Disorder overdose rapid response pilot program. This program enables Portland Fire & Rescue to immediately respond to and treat opioid overdose in the community setting, and provide follow-up recovery services, saving hundreds of lives.
$1.5 million to Albina Vision Trust for the acquisition of a 10.5-acre site for the future redevelopment of affordable housing. This site is part of Albina Vision Trust’s larger comprehensive strategy to redevelop and revitalize this historic community and will add over 1,000 units of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families in the historically Black Albina neighborhood.
$1 million to Habitat for Humanity Portland Region to build townhomes for affordable homeownership opportunities. The Carey Boulevard site will consist of a clustered arrangement of 50 townhomes, most of which will have 3 or 4 bedrooms. There will be priority for households with generational ties to the community – people who were displaced or are at risk of displacement due to urban renewal and gentrification.
$1 million to the City of Portland to redevelop the Clara Vista – an important affordable housing complex in Portland’s highly diverse, low-income Cully Neighborhood. Funds will go toward replacing 108 aging housing units with affordable, energy-efficient rental units that include outdoor amenities and community spaces.
$850,000 to Multnomah County to construct improvements that ensure efficient and safe transportation for residents and businesses on NE Sandy Blvd. This project expects to significantly improve safety conditions for all users, including trucks commuting from recently built industrial parks.
$850,000 to the City of Gresham to revitalize Gresham’s flagship community park. This project expects to attract visitors from around the region while providing more equitable access to parks for an increasingly diverse, young, and economically challenged population.
$750,000 to Mental Health and Addiction Association of Oregon to complete the renovation of their Recovery Campus – the first peer-run, no-barrier behavioral health center in East Portland. The Campus will provide mental health and addiction recovery services throughout the Portland Metro region.
$551,000 to the Native American Youth Alliance (NAYA) to support entrepreneurship and small business development in Indigenous communities. This project expects to support more Indigenous small business owners to participate in NAYA’s Native Business Accelerator program.
$250,000 to the City of Tualatin to improve traffic safety at a busy intersection near a hospital and alleviating congestion. This project expects to improve traffic flow in the area while enhancing safety and walkability.

Click HERE for quotes from the metro area community-initiated project recipients.

MID-COLUMBIA (Clackamas, Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam Counties)

$2.5 million to Clackamas County for the construction of the Center for Treatment and Recovery, a substance abuse recovery center. The center will provide timely person-centered support, treatment, and resources to individuals struggling with substance use disorder.
$2 million to Wasco County for the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center, a comprehensive behavioral health campus in Wasco County. This project will help address mental health service gaps in rural communities.
$2 million for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for the second phase of their tumwata village Project, a long-term effort to bring cultural, ecological, and economic restoration to Willamette Falls.
$2 million to Big River Community Land Trust for the first phase of construction of a permanently affordable homeownership neighborhood in the City of Hood River. This project will use the community land trust model to address the housing affordability gap in Hood River, while fostering long-term community investment.
$1.5 million for the Columbia Gorge Education Service District to renovate a former middle school into The Dalles Early Learning Center and a teaching facility for child care professionals studying at Columbia Gorge Community College.
$1 million for the Northwest Community Housing Foundation to help construct workforce housing in Zig Zag, Oregon. This project will increase available housing for Mt. Hood National Forest employees and seasonal workers and ensure the continued viability of businesses in the region.
$850,000 for the City of Milwaukie to replace transportation infrastructure over Kellogg Creek. This replacement will address flood risk, seismic vulnerability, long-term maintenance and liability concerns, soil contamination, and public safety.
$500,000 for Clackamas County for transit hub and rest stop relocation projects on Mt. Hood to reduce traffic and provide accessible transportation options for recreation, employment, and reaching public lands.

Click HERE for quotes from Mid-Columbia community-initiated project recipients.

EASTERN OREGON (Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Baker, Harney, and Malheur Counties)

$2 million to the City of Pendleton for the Oregon Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Accelerator. The World War II era B-17 Hangar at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport which houses this project needs considerable renovation to create a world class tech accelerator. Federal funds will be used to renovate and install equipment in the hangar, which will help small startups commercialize autonomous systems and robotics.
$1,500,000 for Valley Family Health Care, Inc. to construct a modern facility in Nyssa that will integrate medical, behavioral, and dental care. This will replace the current facilities in Nyssa which are aging and spread out. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, this new facility will serve medically underserved people living in rural Eastern Oregon.
$1,450,000 to John Day School District #3 for the Grant Early Learning Center. Funds will be used to renovate an existing building that will be used for classrooms, professional training, and parent engagement, helping children with a smooth transition to kindergarten in this rural community.
$1,356,000 to Grand Ronde Hospital to purchase a new nuclear medicine machine. The nuclear medicine machine is used every day at the hospital to diagnose and treat disease, and the current machine is operating past its intended lifespan. A new machine would give Grande Ronde Hospital the capability to reduce treatment time by half and serve more patients.
$1,250,000 for Harney District Hospital for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment. This project will ensure that the frontier Critical Access Hospital has a reliable heating and cooling system for local residents and people traveling through this extremely rural area.
$652,000 to Morrow County Health District to purchase a new Computed Tomography (CT) machine for Pioneer Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital in rural Heppner. The hospital’s current CT equipment is nearing the end of its life and can no longer be upgraded. The new machine will significantly reduce waiting time for results on critically ill and trauma patients.
$500,000 to Wallowa Resources to renovate an apartment building in the rural community of Enterprise to ensure that these rental units remain affordable. Wallowa County has a shortage of affordable workforce housing, and this project will help employers attract permanent and seasonal workers to the County.
$400,000 for Eastern Oregon University to support its Early College Initiatives program. This program works with students in grades 6–11 in rural areas to transition to higher education and into the workforce through hands-on learning, personalized guidance, and partnerships.
$173,000 to the City of Sumpter to renovate its Community Center. Surrounded by forests on all sides, upgrades to this central building are needed to keep the community safe and healthy in light of increased wildfire and smoke threats.
$163,000 for the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC) to purchase an Advanced Maternal and Neonatal Simulation System. Much of this project will allow NEOAHEC to provide obstetric and maternal health training for healthcare professionals in rural Eastern Oregon.

Click HERE for quotes from Eastern Oregon community-initiated project recipients.

SOUTH-WILLAMETTE VALLEY & CENTRAL COAST (Lane, Linn, Lincoln, and Benton Counties)

$2,465,000 for Everyone Village to fill a critical gap in affordable housing in the City of Eugene. Funds will be used to develop 100 units of affordable single room occupancy transitional housing. This creative housing solution combines a scalable, cost-effective model with community support.
$2 million for Corvallis Daytime Dropoff Center to construct a Homeless Services Navigation Center in Benton County. This new Navigation Center will provide critical emergency shelter services to low-income residents who are experiencing homelessness, and will connect residents with health services, permanent housing, and public benefits.
$1.7 million for the McKenzie Community Land Trust to build 6 affordable, fire-safe, multi-family Community Land Trust homes. These homes will help to rebuild and revitalize the community of Blue River which was devastated during the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire.
$1.6 million for Lane Community College to purchase equipment for its new Industry and Trades Education Center. This project addresses a critical workforce gap in skilled labor by establishing a center that focuses on apprenticeship training, construction technology, manufacturing technology, and other skilled labor sectors.
$1.03 million for the renovation and expansion of an existing building owned by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) to provide behavioral health services for the local Florence community and CTCLUSI Tribal members. This project aims to increase access to behavioral health services in the community for local residents and Tribal members and to reduce waitlists for patient care in Lane County.
$752,000 for DevNW to build 14 Community Land Trust homes in rural Linn County. This project would address the critical shortage of affordable housing in Linn County by constructing fourteen 2- and 3-bedroom homes for low to moderate income families that will remain permanently affordable under the Community Land Trust model.
$750,000 for Bridge Meadows to continue predevelopment on a new affordable, intergenerational housing community in Eugene. The project will build affordable housing, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children in foster care, families, and low-income seniors.
$536,000 for Farmworker Housing Development Corporation to conduct the first phase of their multi-family affordable housing project in Albany. This funding will go toward the first phase of construction for 150 units of multifamily farmworker housing.
$105,000 to Linn-Benton Community College for critical upgrades to the Periwinkle Child Development Center. Improvements to this child development center will include a new roof and upgrades to security. This project benefits the local community, which is in urgent need of Early Childcare Teachers to staff the many childcare facilities in the area.

Click HERE for quotes from South-Willamette Valley and Central Coast community-initiated project recipients.

CENTRAL OREGON (Klamath, Lake, Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, and Wheeler Counties)

$2.82 million to the Klamath Tribes for their Tribal Housing project, which will build six affordable homes for tribal elders and members experiencing homelessness.
$2 million to the City of Redmond for their Cinder Hollow Affordable Housing Project which will support the development of five acres of land on which the City will build 30 affordable housing units. Funds will be used for pre-development infrastructure, including sewer collection, water service, fire hydrants, and sidewalks.
$1.787 million to Jefferson County for their Feather Drive Bridge Replacement project. The Feather Drive Bridge serves as a critical access point for residents and emergency services. The current bridge is weight-limited with structural deficiencies. Funding will go toward demolition of the existing bridge and the construction of a new structurally sound bridge.
$1.7 million to the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) for its Mobile Dental Clinic project. Funds will allow OIT to purchase two mobile dental clinics to provide dental care to underserved and at-risk residents in rural Southern Oregon.
$1.304 million to Deschutes County to equip a 15 bed sub-acute child psychiatric facility in Central Oregon. This investment will provide critical funding for furniture, fixtures, and equipment for this much needed facility, the first of its kind east of the I-5 corridor.
$1.3 million to the Lomakatsi Restoration Project for their Inter-Tribal Ecological Forestry Training Program. Funds will be used to employ young, inter-tribal adults in a year-long training program, where they will gain training in forest health and fuels reduction while performing critical wildfire prevention work in high wildfire risk areas.
$1 million for Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity to develop sixty units of affordable housing in the City of Redmond. This project will include a diverse mix of cottages and duplex townhomes for families of all sizes, creating affordable home ownership opportunities for Central Oregon families.
$800,000 to Central Oregon Community College (COCC) for its Fire Science program to expand and improve workforce training programs for structural and wildland firefighters. The funding requested will be used on equipment required to continue expanding and enhancing the Fire Science program, including a new fire engine and a carport to store the engine when not in use.
$250,000 to the City of Redmond for its Redmond Signal and Pedestrian Safety Improvements project. Funds will be used to construct a new signal, pedestrian and bicycle crossings and ADA features at the intersection of OR 126 and 35th Street in Redmond, a busy intersection in Redmond, Oregon.

Click HERE for quotes from Central Oregon community-initiated project recipients.

SOUTHERN OREGON (Curry, Coos, Jackson, Josephine, and Douglas Counties)

$3,150,000 for Umpqua Community College’s (UCC) efforts to boost affordable housing for students. The funding will go toward redeveloping a UCC-owned building into affordable housing in downtown Roseburg for 60 students pursuing workforce training at the rural community college.
$2 million for Rogue Valley Transit District to replace six gasoline-powered paratransit vehicles that are past their useful-lives with electric paratransit vehicles, and update charging infrastructure.
$1.914 million for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) to construct 15 affordable apartment units for Tribal and low-income members of the Tribe and greater Coos Bay community. The 2-bedroom apartments will help address a significant need for low-income housing on Oregon’s South Coast.
$1.4 million for the Addictions Recovery Center to complete the final phase of construction for a 24-bed treatment facility for addiction recovery in Jackson County. This project will allow for an increase of at least 100 individuals to its treatment program annually and allow for greater access and significantly reduced wait times for patients in Southern Oregon.
$1.2 million for the Oregon Center for Creative Learning to construct an Early Childhood and Interactive Learning Center in the heart of downtown Grants Pass. This project seeks to address critical gaps in early educational access, childcare, family support, and community engagement, which is essential to boost workforce development and support economic revitalization of the region.
$500,000 for the Santos Center Discovery Preschool Expansion to convert existing classrooms to full-time childcare use and make necessary safety and security improvements. This project would expand the existing program’s capacity to meet the community’s growing demand for childcare, especially for children under age three.

Click HERE for quotes from Southern Oregon community-initiated project recipients.

STATEWIDE

$1.611 million to Lines for Life to hire additional staff and conduct youth workforce and volunteer training to expand the reach of YouthLine, their statewide youth suicide prevention program. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death of youth in Oregon, and 2022 data shows that Oregon had the 12th highest youth suicide rate in the country.
$1.5 million to Network for Oregon Affordable Housing to provide low-cost mortgages to first-time homeowners across the State using innovative ownership models such as community land trusts. The goal of the fund is to create affordable homeownership and wealth creation opportunities for lower-income and traditionally underserved households throughout Oregon.
$652,000 to REAP Inc.’s Young Entrepreneurs Program. Funds will be used to expand mentorship and internship opportunities that empower and equip underserved Portland-area youth with entrepreneurial skills and experiences including leadership and employment skills, networking, and mentorship.
$200,000 to Built Oregon to expand their Farmers’ Market Booth program into multiple Oregon counties and create access to farmers’ markets for small, underserved producers and manufacturers – a critical launching point for many Oregon small-businesses.
$1.369 million to Vision to Learn to purchase and equip a mobile vision clinic van to expand their free, exam-to-glasses services to students in rural Western and Central Oregon public schools.

Click HERE for quotes from statewide community-initiated project recipients.

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