Community Project Funding
We have seen great benefits across the country and here in the 9th Congressional District since the introduction of the CPF program in 2022, and it has been a pleasure learning about the work of the numerous organizations who have applied over the prior funding cycles. I am excited to once again engage in this process to benefit the people of Southeastern Massachusetts.
The CPF Program is a competitive process – each Member of Congress is given the opportunity to submit a finite number of requests, also known as earmarks, to the Committee for consideration. Final project selections and funding amounts are at the discretion of the Committee chair, and submission of a project to Committee does not guarantee funding. For these reasons, it is imperative that you submit the most complete and robust application possible for review by my office and by committee staff.
Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding Submissions
Thank you for your interest in the Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding program! The application window for FY26 closed at 5pm on Friday, April 18, 2025 and Congressman Keating selected the following fifteen projects for submission to the House Committee on Appropriations:
Project: Engine Room Full Mission Simulator
Amount of Request: $919,709
Project Sponsor: Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Address: 101 Academy Drive, Buzzards Bay, Mass.
Project Description: This project will enable the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to acquire an Engine Full Mission & Desktop Simulator to enhance workforce development and training in support of the U.S. maritime industry and domestic shipbuilding revitalization. This request directly supports the Presidential initiative to “Make Shipbuilding Great Again” by strengthening the pipeline of highly trained marine engineers who will serve aboard U.S. built vessels. The simulator replicates the full engine room environment of modern commercial and military ships, providing students with immersive, real-time training on critical ship systems, emergency protocols, and sustainable propulsion technologies. The investment addresses federal priorities including workforce development, maritime infrastructure, and national security through the advancement of maritime education and readiness. The project would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it supports U.S. maritime leadership, shipbuilding capacity, and economic competitiveness. By enhancing domestic training capabilities, this project reduces reliance on foreign labor and supports the readiness of a qualified U.S. maritime workforce as Massachusetts Maritime Academy trains the and prepares the next generation of U.S. Coast Guard-licensed officers for service in the U.S. Merchant Marine, Military Sealift Command, and related federal maritime agencies.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Bridgewater MBTA Platform Relocation Project
Amount of Request: $1,000,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Bridgewater
Address: 66 Central Square, Bridgewater, Mass.
Project Description: This project will cover the pre-construction engineering and design of a planned and approved relocation of the Bridgewater Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Commuter Rail station to a new location in the Central Business District that will support transit-orientated development. The combination of new zoning and the relocation of the MBTA platform are critical to the economic revitalization of Bridgewater and will benefit, residents, students, visitors and businesses. Additionally, with the opening of the Cyber Security Range at Bridgewater State University which the Town also views as a catalyst for economic development, access to public transportation is benefit to employers and employees. The Town anticipates that new businesses will emerge as a result of the cyber security program at the University. The new location in the Central Business District will be acquired, owned, and operated by the MBTA but the cost of relocating the platform, including engineering signal changes and constructing the platform, is the responsibility of the Town. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Bridgewater’s proposal to relocate the existing MBTA Platform to a location within the Central Business District will benefit existing residents, as well as new residents that can occupy newly constructed housing units, as well as businesses that will be created or expanded by the increase of population in the Central Business District. Some of the new businesses created likely will be associated with the newly launched cyber security program at Bridgewater State University. The Town for sees that program to be an economic catalyst both for the Town and the region resulting in job creation, new business opportunities and an expanded tax base.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Children's Cove Child Advocacy Center Project
Amount of Request: $7,932,357
Project Sponsor: Barnstable County
Address: 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, Mass.
Project Description: This project will allow Children's Cove, a department of Barnstable County and the only Child Advocacy Center serving Barnstable, Nantucket and Dukes Counties, to renovate and expand their current space into a 10,000 square foot modern advocacy center that is safe, welcoming, accessible, and confidential. The current facility, a single family home, has served more than 7,000 children and families impacted by abuse and trauma since opening in 1997. This project will also allow Children’s Cove to provide medical services on-site in an accessible, modern space where medical and health services can be provided in a dignified manner to safeguard the health and well-being of children following incidents of sexual abuse, assault, and exploitation. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because this new building will support the only Child Advocacy Center providing unique services to child victims of abuse and their non-offending family members in Barnstable, Nantucket and Dukes Counties in Massachusetts. The expanded facility will allow the CAC to provide more expansive services as well as professional training and education to partner agencies and the community.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Civic Heritage and Community Training Hub
Amount of Request: $3,000,000
Project Sponsor: Hyannis Public Library Association
Address: 401 Main Street, Hyannis, Mass.
Project Description: This project will assist in the development of essential community facilities in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts. Funding will be used for the construction, rehabilitation, and improvements of public facilities to enhance the Library's central purpose as a neighborhood center and hub for community activities. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because This project will provide a benefit for low- and moderate-income persons in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts. Federal funding will markedly improve library service to residents and visitors to Hyannis, create more accessible and engaging public spaces and strengthen educational initiatives that promote civic engagement and historical awareness.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Steamship Authority Shuttle Bus Replacement
Amount of Request: $2,000,000
Project Sponsor: Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
Address: 228 Palmer Avenue, Falmouth, Mass.
Project Description: Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority is seeking $2,000,000 in funding for the replacement of diesel shuttle buses with 40-foot battery electric buses as part of the agency’s phased conversion from diesel diesel-powered to battery electric in accordance with the agency’s Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan and the Authority’s goal to transition to an all-electric shuttle bus fleet by 2040. In replacing these vehicles, the agency, and the community can expect to see a reduction in energy consumption, harmful emissions, and direct carbon emissions from the Authority. The agency anticipates utilizing an existing contract (such as the State of Virginia) to place the order which will expedite the obligation process. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority is a public authority that serves as a lifeline to residents of Dukes and Nantucket counties. This project will lessen the environmental impact on the mainland communities of Barnstable and Falmouth that serve as points of disembarkation for residents, workers, and tourists traveling to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, both of which contain Environmental Justice census tracts.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Transit Infrastructure Grants (TIG)
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Plaza Del Sol Transitional Housing Project
Amount of Request: $1,151,900
Project Sponsor: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Address: 483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee, Mass.
Project Description: The purpose of this project is to renovate a former motel property known as the Plaza Del Sol which was purchased by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to provide transitional housing and supportive services for homeless Tribal members. The property is dilapidated and in dire need of repair and renovation. The Massachusetts emergency shelter system is over capacity, and this project provides a step towards addressing this crisis, helping to alleviate some of the resource strain on other area facilities, and supporting Tribal efforts to keep their community together. Estimated start and end dates will change depending on when the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills are passed and when HUD actually distributes awarded funds, however the project will take six months to complete once funding is received. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it deals with the severe shortage of affordable housing units which impacts families throughout the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts emergency shelter system is over capacity, and this project provides a step towards addressing this crisis, helping to alleviate some of the resource strain on other area facilities, and supporting Tribal efforts to keep their community together.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Northeast Coastal Ocean Forecast System Computer Upgrade Project
Amount of Request: $1,493,000
Project Sponsor: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Address: 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth, Mass.
Project Description: The proposed project aims to construct a high-performance computer system to enhance the Northeast Coastal Ocean Forecast System (NECOFS), a computational framework developed at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. This system will improve coastal inundation predictions, support fisheries forecasts, provide offshore wind impact assessments, and offer student training opportunities. With this new equipment, the project intends to deliver a next-generation NECOFS to aid coastal managers and community leaders in making informed decisions about resilience and development.The advanced NECOFS will offer real-time inundation forecasts, allowing coastal regions to prepare for and mitigate risks. It will also assess future inundation to support coastal resilience planning. Furthermore, ocean chemistry and acidification predictions can be integrated, benefiting fisheries management, especially for key species like scallops. This enhanced system will also be able to analyze the environmental impact of offshore wind development, providing critical insights for sustainable industry growth. The project is based at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, located in the South Coast region adjacent to New Bedford, the most valuable fishing port in the nation. The advanced NECOFS will offer a robust framework to help manage the challenges facing the fishing community, ensuring the sustainability and economic vitality of the region's fisheries. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the work undertaken at NECOFS will support federal, state, and local decision making around coastal inundation as well as supporting the most valuable fishing port in the nation. This project also supports the greater diverse blue economy sector which contributes $8.5billion annually to the Commonwealth’s GDP and also benefits surrounding New England states.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: THUD - Economic Development Initiatives
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Rockland Wastewater Treatment Plant and Collection System Upgrades
Amount of Request: $35,000,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Rockland
Address: 242 Union Street, Rockland, Mass.
Project Description: This project would fund the first phase of the Town of Rockland’s comprehensive upgrade to the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and will include secondary treatment system improvements and major electrical system upgrades. In addition to comprehensive equipment replacement needs, the WWTP is also facing capacity issues. Historically, the WWTP experiences sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). On January 26, 2023, the WWTP experienced an SSO that caused the Division of Marine Fisheries to close the North and South Rivers shellfish beds located in Scituate and Marshfield. Since March of 2015, the WWTP has experienced 20 SSOs. On January 29, 2024, the WWTP experienced an SSO that lasted for 26 hours and discharged an estimated 1.08 million gallons of partially treated effluent into French’s Stream. As recently as March 29, 2024, the WWTP experienced an SSO that lasted more than 122 hours and discharged an estimated 4.88 million gallons of partially treated effluent into French’s Stream. This project is critical to improving water quality in French’s Stream, and the surrounding waterbodies within the South Coastal Watershed and Boston Harbor Watershed as described above. Additionally, this project will reduce public health risks associated with SSOs such as exposure via ingestion and contact with recreational waters. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will positively impact public health of the approximately 95% of Rockland’s population of 17,803 who are serviced by the Waste Water Treatment Plant and will directly benefit from this project. Rockland is home to four census block groups with 2020 Environmental Justice (EJ) populations that will positively benefit from the WWTP Upgrades project. Approximately 36.7% of the population in Rockland is in an EJ Block Group.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Interior & Environment - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF)
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Town of Wareham Sewer Improvements Phase 2
Amount of Request: $3,000,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Wareham
Address: 54 Marion Road, Wareham, Mass.
Project Description: This project involves improvements to the existing 1.56 mgd Water Pollution Control Facility including upgrades to the Headworks Facilities and additional Secondary Treatment Facilities. The Headworks Facilities is the most heavily used portion of the facility and significant rehabilitation is necessary, including replacement of the influent screen, grit system, and septage receiving system. The secondary treatment facility upgrades include two new final clarifiers and supporting equipment such as sludge and scum pumping and removal. The equipment is beyond its useful life and in need of upgrading. Upgrading these processes is critical to the continued functioning of the facility at its current treatment goals and will allow for further expansion of the collection system throughout Wareham and potentially bringing many failing septic systems into the centralized wastewater treatment system (as will be further defined through the finalization of the Town’s New Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. This proposed project is the first necessary phase in upgrading the facility to be able to renew existing infrastructure, expand potential future capacity, and potentially remove additional nitrogen loadings that are currently impacting the coastal environment. The project will upgrade the existing processes to properly treat the facility’s permitted flows and act as an intermediate step toward ultimately increasing treatment capacity. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because without this project there is a strong likelihood of a catastrophic failure which would impact approximately 60% of the Town's residential units, sole hospital, and the Town's industrial parks.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Interior & Environment - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF)
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Westport Trunk Water and Sewer - Sections 2 and 3
Amount of Request: $5,000,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Westport
Address: 856 Main Road, Westport, Mass.
Project Description: The funding would be used to construct trunk sewer phases in Westport, the largest community in eastern Massachusetts reliant solely on private septic systems. These phases of the project will be used to complete the remaining second and third sections of the Route 6 trunkline water and sewer project in Westport, MA, from Route 88 to the Town of Dartmouth. This is the critical linkage to provide sewer service and clean water to adjacent residential neighborhoods. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it removes major sources of nitrogen contamination (septic and cesspools) in the Westport River, an EPA- designated watershed of the United States. Improved water quality in the Westport River, which flows to Buzzards Bay, creates a healthier and more sustainable Buzzards Bay, a critical South Coast natural resource. This would also provide clean water to North Westport, containing an environmental justice census block, where wells are demonstrating bacterial contaminations due to proximity to on-site wastewater facilities and are showing emerging evidence of PFAS contamination.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Interior & Environment - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF)
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Nantucket Police Department Vessel
Amount of Request: $350,000
Project Sponsor: Nantucket Police Department
Address: 4 Fairgrounds Road, Nantucket, Mass.
Project Description: This project will allow the Town of Nantucket to purchase a police and port safety vessel for the Nantucket Police Department's Marine Division to better patrol and enforce the law in Nantucket Harbor and in surrounding waters. This vessel will be for law enforcement purposes but will include gear that will allow the NPD Marine Division to assist in search and rescue and other safety missions. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds as it will allow the Nantucket Police Department to better patrol and enforce laws in Nantucket Harbor and the waters surrounding Nantucket. Nantucket Harbor is an economic engine of the island and has significant vessel activity year round with publicly-owned commercial passenger and freight traffic as well as significant recreational and transient boat traffic during the warmer months.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Commerce, Justice, Science - State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance - Byrne Justice Grants
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: New Bedford Police Department Vessel
Amount of Request: $1,800,000
Project Sponsor: New Bedford Police Department
Address: 871 Rockdale Avenue, New Bedford, Mass.
Project Description: The New Bedford Police Department, in conjunction with the New Bedford Port Authority proposal, is for a new Harbor Safety Police Vessel for the Port of New Bedford. This vessel will perform the primary function of port safety and security in the nation’s most valuable commercial fishing port and the first port supporting the installation of large-scale offshore commercial wind. The vessel will replace the existing aging vessel that was put in service in 2001. The proposed vessel will have the latest technology and safety equipment to address any safety or security issues that could arise with the multiple fishing, commercial, and recreational users of the Port. The vessel will also use a jet drive system that is much safer in a rescue situation than propeller drives. More importantly, the vessel will use a state-of-the-art diesel-electric hybrid drive system that will allow the vessel to operate on all electric power, diesel power, or both. The ability to run on battery power also serves as an enhanced safety feature when conducting search and rescue operations. It enables the vessel to run quietly and listen for people in distress. Such a drive system is completely in keeping with the direction the country is heading as far as more economical vehicles go and is also appropriate for the Port that is home to the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind facility. This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it supports the law enforcement efforts of the New Bedford Police Department and will assist in protecting the largest fishing port by dollar value in the United States along with other commercial and recreational interests within the Port of New Bedford.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Commerce, Justice, Science - State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance - Byrne Justice Grants
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Provincetown Central Vacuum Station Upgrade Phase II
Amount of Request: $1,500,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Provincetown
Address: 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Mass.
Project Description: The Town of Provincetown is seeking support for the construction of resiliency measures for Phase II of the Central Vacuum Station (CVS) that serves the downtown Municipal Wastewater System. The community relies upon the continual operation of its sewer system and the CVS is a critical piece of the sewer infrastructure. The primary function of this facility is to collect wastewater from the Town’s downtown vacuum sewer collection system and then convey it to the wastewater treatment plant for treatment and disposal. This facility is critical to the operation of the vacuum sewer collection system and currently serves more than 650 properties in the downtown area. Approximately 2/3rd of these properties are commercial and 1/3rd are residential. In August of 2022, a sewer disruption event caused an extended outage of the system over a three-day period. This emergency required businesses to close and residents to restrict water usage during the peak summer tourist season. Future incidents of failure would cause an array of negative consequences such as public health impacts, disruption to commercial businesses and the local economy, and harm to coastal marine life. Such events can be mitigated or entirely prevented by the proposed resiliency measures. The resiliency upgrades at the CVS will include the construction of a second floor to house the critical electrical and control equipment and protect it from coastal flooding, as well as protect the grade level equipment, including the addition of flood protection barriers, waterproofing of the concrete masonry unit structure. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because Provincetown, a rural community of 3,664, has invested heavily in their wastewater systems with assistance from the USDA rural development fund. This funding would protect USDA’s prior investments elsewhere in the wastewater system while also improving reliability for local homes and businesses.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Agriculture - Rural Utilities Service - Rural Water and Waste Disposal Program Account
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Scituate Cedar Point Seawall
Amount of Request: $10,000,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Scituate
Address: 600 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Scituate, Mass.
Project Description: This project will assist the Town of Scituate in removing and replacing approximately 1,400 linear feet of seawall first built in the early 1900's that protects residential homes (many of which are repetitive loss properties) as well as the entire Scituate Harbor Business District from the impact of ocean storms. This project is supported by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. This project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it protects NFIP-insured repetitive loss properties, the local business district, and tens of millions of dollars of municipal infrastructure from wave action, flood damage, and water intrusion. This project was originally to be undertaken in partnership between the Town, as owner of the seawall, and the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 103, but as construction costs increased the project no longer qualified for USACE assistance as the total project costs under Section 103 were exceeded. The Town has already allocated funds in excess of the non-federal 25% cost share requirement for this project.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Homeland Security - Federal Assistance - Pre-Disaster Mitigation
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
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Project: Crab Creek Culvert Replacement/Wetlands Restoration
Amount of Request: $3,750,000
Project Sponsor: Town of Yarmouth
Address: 1146 Route 28, Yarmouth, Mass.
Project Description: The funding would be used to replace a culvert that is currently restricting water flow in an important wetlands resource area. The project entails the replacement of the existing 6 foot wide culvert with a new approximately 60 foot wide bridge over Crab Creek. The NRCS Massachusetts office has already reviewed the project and it is consistent with the regional watershed restoration plan for Cape Cod. The project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will allow the Town of Yarmouth to make progress toward restoring the saltmarsh and wetlands in the Bass River Watershed in accordance with the NCRS watershed restoration plan for Cape Cod.
Funding Subcommittee and Account: Agriculture - Natural Resource Conservation Service - Conservation Operations
Member Certification Letter with Federal Nexus:
Congressman Keating's Prior Year Community Project Funding Submissions