Community Project Funding Requests for Massachusetts’ First Congressional District
Congressman Richard E. Neal has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Massachusetts’ First Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2026 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available HERE.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Neal has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Projects Requested:
Reducing Violence Through Intensive Interventions with High-Risk Young People and Effective Partnerships with Law Enforcement
Roca, Inc.
29 School Street, Springfield, MA 01105
This project will sustain and expand programming that has demonstrated a proven, life-saving impact. With a waitlist for services, Roca will utilize this funding to expand capacity amidst a landscape of violence in which guns are increasingly easy to obtain, and community-based violence is exacerbated by complex and chronic trauma. Through this project, Roca would serve 150 of the highest-risk young people with its intensive intervention proven to reduce recidivism and provide young people with the skills needed to achieve long-term behavior change. This project would also allow Roca to leverage its strong partnerships with police and law enforcement—which Roca views as essential to its success in helping young people turn away from violence—to continue to reduce violent crime and homicides in urban communities.
Signed disclosure HERE.
City of Chicopee of Wastewater Treatment Plant Nitrogen Reduction Improvements Project
City of Chicopee
17 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA 01013
The City of Chicopee owns and operates a Water Pollution Control Facility that discharges to the Connecticut River which is tributary to the impaired Long Island Sound National Estuary. As one of the largest sources of Nitrogen on the Connecticut River, the facility continues to work to bring the discharge under the permit limits. To meet this limit, the city has engaged with an engineering consultant to design a multi-phased project. Phase 1 of the upgrade is to begin construction in 2026 with Phase 2 currently under design. Funding for Phase 2 will be used to construct several new tanks and facility buildings at the treatment plant, advancing the City’s efforts to meet environmental standards and improve regional water quality.
Signed disclosure HERE.
City of Holyoke for Downtown Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Stormwater Improvements
City of Holyoke
536 Dwight Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
Modernizing downtown Holyoke’s infrastructure is a vital investment in the city’s core. This project replaces aging sewer and drainage systems across key corridors, including Chestnut, Suffolk, Elm, Walnut, and Pine Streets, to ensure the reliability of municipal utilities. The funding will be used to restore the structural integrity and operational reliability of essential underground systems while upgrading drainage capacity in a highly urbanized environment. Stormwater improvements will also support the City’s long-term efforts to reduce combined sewer system impacts by facilitating future combined sewer overflow (CSO) separation initiatives. Collectively, these enhancements provide the advanced infrastructure needed to support downtown’s increased activity, redevelopment, and economic growth.
Signed disclosure HERE.