Federal funding for ten community projects in Central Florida has now been signed into law. Over $6 million is coming to Central Florida for Orlando police body cameras, youth homelessness prevention, clean water infrastructure, emergency power generators for senior housing, and more. These projects were specifically designated by Representative Val Demings for federal funding.
“I am excited to announce that we have successfully secured funding for major investments to fund important police programs, combat homelessness, ensure clean and safe drinking water, and protect seniors during disasters,” Rep. Demings said.
The projects requested by Rep. Demings and included in the legislation total $6,379,575 and are:
- $1,500,000 for a new Water Storage Tank at the Northwest Water Production Plant in Apopka. Currently, the City of Apopka has only a single water storage tank, with the city expected to soon outgrow its capacity leading to water shortage issues, especially during potential fire emergencies.
- $1,200,000 for the City of Orlando Police Department’s (OPD) “Next Generation Enhanced Body Worn Cameras Project.” OPD’s body camera program has been a major success to reduce complaints against officers as well as use of force events. This funding will support a new generation of cameras which include auto-activation technology to ensure that incidents are automatically captured when an officer’s firearm or taser are unholstered, as well as supporting live streams, extended battery life, unlimited cloud storage, and other features. This funding request was made in partnership with Rep. Stephanie Murphy.
- $775,000 for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida’s Culinary Workforce Training Program. This program transforms lives by providing eligible, at-risk, and economically disadvantaged adults with the culinary and life skills training—including life skills, work readiness, communications skills, financial literacy, time management, resume-writing, and interviewing skills—that will provide the foundation for a sustainable and successful career. To date, More than 350 students have so far been able to find meaningful employment after participating in the Culinary Workforce training program. One past graduate shared her story: “In the past four years I have experienced illness, homelessness, and unemployment. While staying at the Orlando Rescue Mission, I entered the training program. After graduating, I was able to secure full-time employment at a major restaurant chain. Now my life has done a 180. I now have a job, a car, an apartment, and a new outlook on my future.”
- $760,000 for the Town of Windermere’s Safe Route to School Project, Phase One. This funding will support projects that support multimodal transportation, including walking, cycling, and golf cart travel, within Windermere. The focus of Phase One is to ensure that Windermere Elementary Students can directly and safely access the school, as well as allowing residents to safely use the pathways to get to civic, recreations, commercial, and educational facilities.
- $665,000 for the Town of Eatonville’s Vereen Lift Station and Quadrant Rehab. These repairs to Eatonville’s sewer and wastewater project will stabilize the wastewater infrastructure of America’s oldest black incorporated town and allow the community to continue to grow in a sustainable, safe and sanitary manner.
- $500,000 for the Wayne Densch Center Community Center in Orlando to support programs to address Central Florida’s acute affordable housing crisis, in partnership with the City of Orlando, Orange County, The Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, the Homeless Services Network, and others.
- $361,075 for the City of Ocoee’s Lakefront Park Restroom/Concession Building. Ocoee’s Lakefront Park was a crucial step to renovate and revitalize the city’s downtown neighborhood, and this funding will help ensure that the park’s public services can fully support special events, as well as day traffic, ensuring maximum support for the neighborhood’s quality of life and small businesses.
- $300,000 for the Orange County Community of Schools and Services’ Youth and Family Homeless Diversion, which will help fund a pilot program for the “Upstream Model” to ensure support for K-12 students in need of counseling and extra support. This model, which has been used successfully in other communities, helps to identify youth and families in need quickly and directs school personnel in providing targeted recommendations to community providers and services. Youth in Orange County experience high rates of poverty, homelessness and related challenges, and this targeted support can be critical to overcome these challenges and provide them with a bright future.
- $250,000 for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Inc. Arts for Every Life Arts Education Programs in Orlando. This funding will allow the Dr. Phillips Center to fully operate their arts education programs without having to make budget cuts, allowing them to continue programming which supports over 100,000 individuals annually across our region, including Disney Musicals in Schools, Applause Awards, 6th & Jazz, Project WoW, Summer Camps (3), Youth Theater Productions (2), Four Counts, Quarter Notes, and Teen Ambassadors. The Dr. Phillips Center provides over $130 million in annual economic impact to the Central Florida economy.
- $68,500 for the City of Orlando Housing Authority to install emergency standby generators at two assisted housing sites: The Villas at Carver Park and Meadow Lake Apartments. These two sites currently do not have permanent backup generators to ensure the safety and health of seniors and persons with disabilities who live in these public housing units. The loss of power is a frequent by-product of heavy storms/hurricanes and can be immediately life-threatening to individuals with specialized medical needs.
“As Orlando’s former Chief of Police, I saw that our community was safer and better when we stood for accountability and opportunity for all,” added Rep. Demings, who is also currently running for U.S. Senate. “I brought this same attitude to these community project designations, which will fund next-generation body cameras for the Orlando Police Department and help give youth in our region new educational and career opportunities. Safe housing, drinking water, and streets should be a right for every Floridian, and I was proud to work with mayors and local partners to address these needs and deliver the highest quality of life for each member of our community.”
