Stansbury requests $100 million in funding for New Mexico

As communities across New Mexico face interconnected challenges in addressing public safety, housing and homelessness, water security and economic development, Rep. Melanie Stansbury selected 15 congressionally funded community projects, totaling $104,253,714 million, to submit for consideration in the upcoming 2025 budget process.

“I came to Congress to support the needs of New Mexico by using every tool available,” Stansbury said. “Community-funded projects, leveraging federal funding, is one of the most powerful tools we have to make investments necessary to support lasting and generational change for communities in our state. These 15 projects will create stable modern housing and help families experiencing homelessness, deliver increased protection for public safety, and revitalize critical infrastructure in New Mexico.”

The 15 projects have been submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration, pending approval through the congressional budget and appropriations process. Projects this year were restricted to a limited number of federal programs, and only state, local and tribal governments and eligible nonprofit entities are permitted to receive funding. The House Appropriations Committee will weigh these requests alongside other submissions as part of the FY 2025 appropriations process, currently underway.

Among the 15 projects Stansbury submitted are several in Sandoval County.

Bernalillo fire station — $1,500,000: Funding will support the construction of a new fire station to serve the town of Bernalillo and growing surrounding communities.

City of Rio Rancho housing repair grants — $1,500,000: Funding will support the city of Rio Rancho in providing home repair support to low-income families with aging homes.

Middle Rio Grande Pueblo irrigation and acequia improvements — $72,260,166: Funding will provide support for the six Middle Rio Grande Coalition of Pueblos, including the pueblos of Sandia, Santa Ana, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Cochiti and Isleta Pueblos to improve acequia and irrigation infrastructure.

Rio Rancho Aquifer storage expansion — $3,536,000: Funding will support planning and construction to expand the Rio Rancho Aquifer Reinjection System to help secure the city’s long-term water supply.

Due to restrictions imposed in the House, Stansbury referred additional projects to the offices of Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján. Once projects are approved by appropriations committees, they will be subject to passage in both chambers of Congress before being signed into law. This process will likely take months, with the earliest final consideration of bills taking place in the fall.