In two social media video posts, Arizona Congressional District Three Representative Yassamin Ansari discussed vital infrastructure, sustainability, public safety, and housing affordability measures that are making their way through the appropriations and legislative process.
In the first video, Representative Ansari discussed the prospects of securing over $16 million in 14 funding priorities through the appropriations process.
In her remarks, Representative Ansari said:
“I have some great news to share for folks in Arizona’s Third Congressional District and beyond. As a member of Congress, I get to work directly with local organizations and partners to request funding for projects right here in our communities that support Public Safety, protect the environment, build new infrastructure, and more. I’m so excited to share that the house committee that oversees decisions on federal spending is moving forward with 14 of our funding requests and that they were included in the draft bills that we hope will eventually be considered by the Full House of Representatives. Together, these projects would bring over 16 million dollars back to our district if they make it through the last Republican-controlled appropriations process.”
Included in these 14 projects are:
- $800,000 for fire mitigation in Phoenix and purchasing new equipment to protect firefighters.
- $4,000,000 for ASU to establish a center for heat preparedness to mitigate extreme heat, and another two million dollars to develop technologies to improve domestic chip production.
- $1,000,000 to “fund opioid use disorder and overdose prevention, helping enhance Public Safety.”
- $2,000,000 two million dollars for the town of Guadalupe’s Biehn Colony Park reconstruction to rebuild the park for all of Guadalupe’s residents.
- $850 000 for transportation Improvement in Glendale that will adjust sidewalks, improve intersection crossbox, and address ADA compliance concerns.
- $1,000,000 to Phoenix’s real-time crime Center to buy new radio dispatches and for the city of Tollison.
- $2.7 million dollars for conservation efforts to make it easier for the Phoenix fire department to respond quickly to brush fires.
- $1,000,000 for Valley Metro’s Community Safety project to make sure Transportation is safe for and more accessible for everyone.
The Representative ended this presentation stating:
“So, in total, we have requested a little over 16.175 million dollars for projects in Arizona to promote economic and Community Development, prioritize infrastructure, public Safety, and our workforce and transform our communities. We’re going to keep fighting to make sure that we get the funding for these projects through the house and will keep you posted.”
In her second video, Ms. Ansari boasted about the possibilities in her proposed Haven Act, a measure designed to help residents better afford housing and rental costs.
At least she and other Democrats are talking about helping people afford housing. The other side of the political spectrum is not saying much.
In her remarks, Representative Ansari offered:
“In the midst of a national Housing shortage, housing affordability is a massive issue all across the country. I represent Phoenix, Arizona, and in my district. It now takes an average income of $66,000 to be able to afford the median rent of 1600 per month for a two-bedroom apartment, that’s crazy. That’s why so many working families are struggling to pay the rent or even consider buying a home. That’s why one of my first bills in Congress was the Haven Act. The Haven Act is a sweeping piece of legislation when it comes to housing affordability, and there’s a couple really important provisions that I want to point out. First of all, it would change the definition of affordability. Right now, according to a definition from the 70s, being affordable means that you’re paying about 30 percent of your income on rent. Now, we know that since then, the price of child care, the price of transportation, and so many of our basic costs have gone up, and so what this bill would do is decrease that definition to 20 percent. Second of all, we would actually expand the number of vouchers available so that everyone who needs a housing voucher can get one right now. The wait list and times on these waitlists can take up to years, and that’s crazy. But also provide up to 20 million dollars in grants to public housing programs so that there are more options for good quality places to live. And finally building off of the work I did on the Phoenix City Council, where we banned source of income discrimination from landlords. We would be doing this at the national level. So I’m really excited to keep pushing this bill forward. It’s part of my broader affordability agenda to make life more affordable for everyone. And I know from talking to my constituents day in and day out, that housing is absolutely where we need to focus on.”
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