Appropriations
Congresswoman Dexter has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Oregon’s Third Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.
Under guidelines issued by the House Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2026 (FY26), although only a small number may receive funding. Requests are limited to specific accounts determined by the Appropriations Committee. Only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are eligible to receive funding.
Listed below are the projects Congresswoman Dexter requested for FY26:
Project Name: Close Street Behavioral Health Expansion Pilot Project
Project Recipient and Address: Multnomah County, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214
Project Location: Multnomah County
Amount Requested: $800,000
Investing in the Close Street Behavioral Health Expansion Pilot it addresses a critical gap in the support system for individuals released pending trial. By providing prompt and comprehensive behavioral health services, the project aims to improve outcomes for participants, reduce recidivism rates, and promote public safety. Additionally, by piloting a validated model, the project has the potential to inform long-term planning and contribute to the development of sustainable solutions for addressing behavioral health needs within the criminal justice system.
Project Name: Design and Engineering for Wastewater Station Pipeline Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Sandy, 39250 Pioneer Boulevard Sandy, OR 97055
Project location: Sandy, Oregon
Amount Requested: $6,800,0000
Sandy faces permanent limits in its ability to discharge wastewater at its current site due to clean water regulations that apply to the Clackamas River and its tributaries. Rather than attempt to secure a new discharge permit on the Sandy River, the city is building a pipeline to convey its wastewater to Gresham's much larger state of the art facility for treatment and discharge under their NPDES permit. This regional solution will take advantage of economies of scale and put Sandy on a more sustainable footing in the long term. Moving Sandy’s wastewater discharge out of the Clackamas River basin will also protect a drinking water source for 300,000 people in the Portland metro area. Upon completion of the pipeline Sandy’s moratorium can be lifted and housing growth and economic development can resume.
Project Name: Enhancing Youth Violence Prevention Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Gresham, 1333 NW Eastman Pkwy, Gresham, OR 97030
Project location: City of Gresham Police Department
Amount Requested: $1,005,000
The funding will pilot an expansion of the East Multnomah Outreach Prevention and Intervention (EMOPI) program, a recognized initiative that's significantly reduced violent crime in one of Oregon's most at-risk communities. The expansion of the EMOPI program will significantly benefit Oregon's 3rd District by prioritizing youth success and promoting long-term community resilience.
Project Name: Follow the Water – Protecting Healthy Watersheds Project
Project Recipient and Address: Multnomah County, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214
Project location: Oregon's Columbia River watershed
Amount Requested: $360,000
Pesticide pollution poses a grave threat to the delicate balance of ecosystems, endangering species such as salmon, orcas, and ultimately, human populations. Addressing this challenge necessitates concerted statewide efforts grounded in scientific research and community engagement. This project addresses this challenge, using strategies informed by national research, to reduce pesticide use in residential and commercial areas across Oregon. This request addresses a pressing environmental concern with far-reaching implications for both ecological integrity and public health.
Project Name: Real-Time Information Center Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Gresham, 1333 NW Eastman Pkwy, Gresham, OR 97030.
Project location: City of Gresham Police Department
Amount Requested: $907,100
The Real-Time Information Center (RTIC) in Gresham will significantly enhance public safety by leveraging advanced technology to improve police and emergency response efficiency. The RTIC will use real-time data to anticipate and prevent crime, streamline investigations, and enable proactive policing. This innovative approach will save lives, reduce crime rates, and restore public confidence in safety. The RTIC will ensure seamless information-sharing and strategic crime prevention efforts, establishing Gresham as a national model for modern policing.
Project Name: Wastewater Treatment Nitrification Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Gresham, 1333 NE Eastman Pkwy Gresham, OR 97030
Project location: City of Gresham Wastewater Treatment Plant
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
The City of Gresham is poised for significant growth in the semiconductor industry, with Microchip Corporation and ONSEMI already established in the area. Potential expansions may bring numerous family-wage jobs and substantial investments in construction and new equipment, benefiting the entire region. The city will need to make costly improvements to its Wastewater Treatment Plant to allow for the removal of ammonia. The timeframe for those improvements is accelerated by the growth of the semiconductor industry as ammonia is a byproduct of semiconductor manufacturing.
Project Name: Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pump Reliability Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Portland, 1221 SW 4th Ave., Ste. 410, Portland, OR 97204
Project location: Columbia Blvd Wastewater Treatment Plant
Amount Requested: $3,591,200
The current equipment is at, or approaching, the end of its useful life expectancy. These funds will allow BES to replace more components prior to catastrophic failure to ensure continuity of operations and resiliency during emergencies. Mixers are beneficial to the solids treatment process by increasing gas generation and solids destruction to ensure the City of Portland meets water quality requirements. The portable generators allow for flexibility and can be used at pump stations and at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant for continuity of operations during weather events and other outages, to prevent sewage overflow into Waters of the State.
Project Name: Centennial Transition Center Permanent Location
Project Recipient and Address: Centennial School District, 18135 SE Brooklyn St Portland, OR 97236
Project Location: 2601 SE 160th Ave Portland, OR 97236
Amount Requested: $500,000
Serving students aged 18-21 with disabilities who have graduated with modified or alternative diplomas, the Centennial Transition Center has been a vital resource in Southeast Portland for 25 years. This project would facilitate the completion of essential features such as ADA-compliant bathrooms, an accessible elevator/lift, versatile classroom/job skill spaces, and practical instructional living amenities. Students at the Centennial Transition Center, deeply rooted within the community, focus on honing skills to broaden their prospects in the workforce. A permanent site, with access to public transportation and local businesses, promotes community integration and fuels economic growth by enhancing engagement with local enterprises.
Project Name: Ellington Apartments Redevelopment
Project Recipient and Address: City of Portland, 1221 SW Fourth Ave. Ste 410 Portland OR 97204
Project Location: The Ellington Apartments
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Redevelopment of Ellington Apartments will provide dedicated affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. Building upon earlier work to develop a conceptual master plan, the Portland Housing Bureau is working with the local Housing Authority (Home Forward) on a four-phase plan to redevelop the site as 400-450 new units offering improved accessibility, energy efficiency, and site amenities. Funds will be used for site readiness work such as replating the property, planning community engagement, investing in solar and geothermal feasibility studies, and testing soils for contamination.
Project Name: Lower Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard Safety and Resilience Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Portland, 1221 SW Fourth Ave. Ste 410 Portland OR 97204
Project Location: SE Cesar Chavez Blvd. from Lafayette Ct. to Schiller St.
Amount Requested: $2,400,000
This project will improve transportation safety and make the neighborhood more user-friendly for all transportation modes, including pedestrians. This segment connects several densely populated neighborhoods, and a frequent-service bus line serves numerous stops along the corridor. The boulevard is lined with multi-family housing including hundreds of subsidized units and a community for people with disabilities. Two large grocery stores at either end of the corridor attract people from across the neighborhood. Pavement is in poor condition, leading to potholes, standing water, and a limited ability to modify lane striping for safer conditions. This segment is designated as a High Crash Corridor, seeing a disproportionate number of serious and fatal crashes. This project will address all those concerns. Safety upgrades may include lane restriping, additional street lighting, traffic signal rebuilds (including protected turn phases), upgraded crossings and ADA ramps, additional pedestrian crossings, targeted sidewalk widening and stormwater or tree planters.
Project Name: Main City Park Revitalization Project
Project Recipient and Address: City of Gresham, 219 S Main Ave, Gresham, OR 97080
Project Location: Main City Park
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Located on Main Avenue between the Springwater Trail and the historic downtown business district, Main City Park is considered the "flagship" of Gresham's parks system. As Gresham's oldest park, the facility is outdated and in need of replacement. In 2007, the Parks & Recreation Department led a 10-month planning effort for future park improvements, which identified a variety of needs including a "destination playground" that would serve Gresham residents while attracting visitors from around the region. Over the last 15 years, the City of Gresham has addressed several needs identified in that community planning process including the addition of an off-leash dog area, construction of a skate park, and improvements to the Springwater Trail Park entrance. However, due to inadequate funding, this revitalization project has remained out of reach. These improvements of the park will foster economic growth, enhance community amenities, and support the well-being not only of Gresham's residents, but of the greater region.
Project Name: Mt. Hood Access to Transit
Project Recipient and Address: Clackamas County, 2051 Kaen Road, Oregon City, OR 97045
Project Location: Welches, OR
Amount Requested: $2,668,974
Mt. Hood is an economic driver for Clackamas County and the State of Oregon. Mountain traffic, however, becomes heavily congested during peak times, particularly winter and summer weekends. Congestion is made worse by poor weather conditions and crashes. To alleviate mountain traffic and improve the functionality of Hwy 26 as a state freight route, Clackamas County seeks to construct a public transit transfer facility near the rural community of Welches. Project planning and development efforts are underway, but federal funding is needed to complete the acquisition and construction of the identified site.
Project Name: Peaceful Villa
Project Recipient and Address: Home Forward, 135 SE Ash Street, Portland, OR 97204
Project Location: 2835 SE 47th Ave, Portland, OR 97206
Amount Requested: $1,975,000
Portland is experiencing an affordable housing crisis, and the Peaceful Villa 4-acre development will create 166 new critically needed affordable apartments. Construction began in late February 2025. Home Forward will redevelop the existing 1947, 70-unit complex, now beyond its useful life, into a new modern and energy efficient development, consisting of three apartment buildings, landscaped courtyards, play areas, parking, community spaces and gardens. The new Peaceful Villa will include 166 units, including a mix of studios, one, two, three, and four-bedroom units. All units will serve low-income households earning at or below 50% of the area median income.
Project Name: Safer Sandy: Safety Improvements to Sandy Boulevard
Project Recipient and Address: Multnomah County, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.,
Portland, OR 97214
Project Location: Cities of Gresham and Fairview
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Over the past 10 years, significant economic development has occurred on this portion of NE Sandy Blvd, contributing to new land uses and conflicting needs for roadway usage. Land use changes in the project area include a significant senior housing complex, residential housing developments, a church and private school, and logistically important warehouses. Between 2015 to 2023, the average daily trips on NE Sandy Blvd increased from 9,902 to 11,789 - by 19%. Additional residential and industrial developments planned in the near future, will only exacerbate these concerns. Residents and local businesses have advocated for safety and infrastructure upgrades, such as lighting, sidewalks and mode separation, resulting in the Safer Sandy Project to address gaps in the transportation network, and improve safety and accessibility for businesses, residents and families accessing jobs, services, and goods.
Project Name: Traffic Signal Efficiency Improvements
Project Recipient and Address: Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, 101 SW Main St., Suite 700, Portland, OR 97204
Project Location: NE Martin Luther King Blvd from NE Columbia Blvd to Killingsworth St, SE 49th and Hawthorne Blvd to SE 82nd and Foster Rd.
Amount Requested: $931,200
These signal upgrades, known as Next Gen Transit Signal Priority (TSP), are a proven system used worldwide to make buses move faster and reduce vehicle idling. TSP updates traffic signal hardware giving green lights to transit vehicles (e.g. buses, light rail, etc.) -– factoring in on-time performance, bus schedule, GPS data, and ridership patterns for how and when to provide green lights to prevent buses from getting stuck in traffic. It assures transit riders experience a faster and more dependable ride for a fraction of the cost of other transit improvement solutions. Improving transit speed and reliability has multiple documented co-benefits, including improved air quality along high-frequency transit routes, increased public health and safety (since shifting trips from driving to transit increases physical activity and lowers the risk of collisions), and increased economic development (since transit riders and pedestrians are more likely to frequent local businesses). In addition, these investments help people who rely on transit reach a greater number of jobs, educational opportunities, healthcare options, and other destinations within a reasonable time.