After months of budget negotiations, Senator Becker successfully secured millions in state funds to support local projects in Senate District 13

SACRAMENTO, CA— The Legislature this week approved the 2023-24 state budget that continues funding the state’s operations and invests in core California values. This $311.7 billion budget is the product of over 120 hearings and builds on the progress that has been made in recent years to stabilize the state’s budget. In addition to working to close the budget deficit of $30.7 billion without raising taxes on the middle class or divesting in crucial programs, Senator Josh Becker (D – Menlo Park), who is Chair of the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection and Energy, secured $10 million in state funding for several key initiatives to support important community initiatives within Senate District 13.

The funding for the initiatives are as follows:

Affordable Housing

• $2 million to plan and produce affordable housing in the City of Half Moon Bay that directly supports current and future generations of Half Moon Bay and Coastside farmworkers. This is in addition to $1.25 million that was also secured by State Assemblymember Marc Berman. 
  
• $1 million for the Alta Housing North Fair Oaks Senior Housing Project developed by Alta Housing. This project will be built on land they already own for senior affordable housing. This money will support project pre-development costs.
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• This builds on the significant affordable housing dollars Senator Becker previously obtained directly for the district including $8 million for the affordable housing being built in downtown Mountain View.

Parks and Recreation

• $2 million for a permanent location for the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum on land owned by the Ravenswood School District. This is a revered ‘pop-up’ museum and institution in San Mateo County which is visited by countless schools, educators and the general public every year. This museum, led by Mrs. Carolyn Hoskins and partners, has been searching for a permanent home for almost a decade.
  
• $300,000 to the City of Millbrae to support the Bayside Manor and Marina Vista Park projects. This funding was achieved in collaboration with State Assemblymember Diane Papan. 
  
• $500,000 to San Mateo County toward creation of the 90 Mile Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail Project. This work will include telling the history of the Ohlone people who lived in the area and who were instrumental in supporting the Portolá Expedition in 1769. This builds on the $4.4 million Senator Becker previously secured for parks in Redwood City last year.

Community Services and Leadership

• $1.5 million to the Community Services Agency (CSA) of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills to repair and repurpose an existing building at 204 Sterling Road and pursue a secondary site for a Food and Nutrition Center in order for it to continue to provide basic services to those three communities.
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• $300,000 for the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, which will support the PREP Fellowship Program–a pioneering pilot project that will prepare teens to combat antisemitism and for the transition to college. This was secured in collaboration with Assemblymember Marc Berman.
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• $200,000 to Redwood City and Redwood City Together for its Purposeful, Action, Creation and Engagement (PACE) program. PACE provides comprehensive programming and support to 14 opportunity youth and, by extension, reaches 70 additional youth in community and capacity building activities.
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• This builds on the funding Senator Becker has previously secured for the JobTrain economic mobility center in East Palo Alto, for collaboration between JobTrain and Renaissance Entrepreneur Center in South San Francisco and for the Trades Introduction Program led by the San Mateo Labor Council.

 

Environment and Infrastructure:

• $1 million to Redwood City and OneShoreline to repair and reinforce protections for mobile home parks, which have faced constant flooding over the past several years because of dilapidated and undersized pumps.
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• $1 million to the City of Burlingame to improve the environment by reclaiming wastewater and reducing demand for potable water in the city thus shoring up water supplies in anticipation of future droughts.
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• $200,000 to the City of Los Altos, in partnership with GreenTown Los Altos, to transition into a greener infrastructure, reduce the city’s use of gas, and move streetlights—one of their largest sources of energy consumption—to solar. 
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• This builds on the $2 million Senator Becker previously secured to replace the Newell Road Bridge, and funding last year to electrify homes and buildings in Menlo Park.

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Senator Becker represents the 13th Senate District covering portions of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties and includes the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mountain View, Pacifica, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, and Woodside.