President Biden’s New Budget Bill Sends Nearly $14 Million to Central Florida for Needed Community Projects

Championed by outgoing Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the projects will help improve public safety, transportation, housing, public health, and the environment. 

It promises to be a great start to the new year for Central Floridians. President Joe Biden has just signed the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill into law, which includes a historic $13,887,522 in federal funding for Community Projects for Central Florida that were championed by outgoing US Rep. Stephanie Murphy, who has represented Florida’s 7th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives.

“For the past few years in Congress, I have spoken to people across Central Florida who are facing difficult challenges in their communities and feel ignored by their government. Now, I can proudly say to those people that help is on the way,” said Murphy, an ex-national security specialist whose district includes all of Seminole County and much of northern Orange County, including downtown Orlando, Maitland, Winter Park, and the University of Central Florida. 

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The 15 projects secured by Murphy in the final bill include:

• Funding for the City of Orlando to complete safety improvements to Corrine Drive by installing ADA-compliant sidewalks, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure, and other safety upgrades.
• Funding for Orange County to provide a mobile van, staffed by health professionals, to provide routine medical services to high-risk and historically underserved areas.

• $1.1 million in funding for Habitat for Humanity of Seminole County and Greater Apopka to complete an infrastructure project for the development of a transit-oriented, affordable housing subdivision in Sanford, Florida.
• Funding for the City of Sanford to manage and reduce stormwater floods in the historically underserved Georgetown Community in Sanford, Florida, a project that will improve the water quality that discharges into nearby impaired Lake Monroe and prevent damage to critical infrastructure in the area.

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Life Changers

The bill also includes Murphy-led projects to provide safety equipment to the Sanford Police Department that will help protect officers, event participants, and bystanders of community events from oncoming vehicles; remodel an existing medical unit into a crisis stabilization unit for children under 18 on the AdventHealth for Children Orlando campus, and purchase equipment for NextStep Orlando, a paralysis recovery center, to allow the non-profit to improve efficiency and quality of care for survivors of spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.

“We are sending millions in federal funding directly to Central Florida to tackle a myriad of challenges, ranging from our environment and public safety to job-training and addiction services,” said Murphy. “I can’t wait to watch how it will change lives.”