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Today, U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-08), a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, announced he has submitted 15 Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee for funding consideration ahead of the fiscal year 2025 congressional appropriations process.

All five counties in Pennsylvania’s 8^th Congressional District are represented in Cartwright’s selections.

“As a Member of Congress, one of my top priorities is to deliver federal tax dollars back to the people I serve. In the three years since Community Project Funding was reintroduced, I’ve successfully brought home more than $87 million in Community Project Funding dollars for Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Cartwright said. "These projects will make a real difference in our district by strengthening infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs, supporting public safety, and boosting economic development.”

In 2021, the House adopted a submissions process for Community Project Funding (CPF) requests by individual Members for specific projects that will benefit the communities they represent. Since then, Cartwright has secured funding for every single project he has submitted to Appropriations. In Fiscal Year 2022, he successfully secured $19.6 million for his district; in Fiscal Year 2023, he brought home another $52.7 million; and in Fiscal Year 2024, he procured $15.35 million.

Below are the 15 Community Project Funding Requests Congressman Matt Cartwright  submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration for FY2025:

Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike and Monroe counties

 Pocono Mountains United Way STEM Enrichment Program - $2,382,154  

The funding would be used for teaching and engaging students with an age-appropriate curriculum – consistent with NASA’s academic level programming – for hands-on and inquiry-based experiences to develop Science, Technology, Engineering and Math skills throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike and Monroe counties.

Lackawanna and Luzerne counties

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport - $1 million

The funding will be used for the construction phase of the long-term project to expand the terminal space by approximately 10,000 square feet and improve the overall passenger experience and flow of the Avoca Airport to increase public safety and security at the Airport.

Monroe, Pike and Carbon counties

 Monroe County Office of the District Attorney, Opioid Crimes Section - $2,040,758

This funding will be used for expanded programming in Monroe, Pike and Carbon  counties aimed at reducing drug use, drug-related crime and drug-related deaths. It also aims to alleviate current burdens on local law enforcement, healthcare systems and social services, while helping individuals recover from opioid addiction and return to the workforce, generating additional tax revenue.

Additional Luzerne County

Kingston Police Department Equipment and Technology Upgrades - $1,909,837
The funding would be used for upgrading equipment and technology to increase officer safety and effectiveness of law enforcement operations in the borough of Kingston.

Hazleton Police Department Equipment and Technology Upgrades - $2,384,064
This funding will be used for upgrading the Department’s technology, vehicles and other equipment in order to improve response times, enhancing officer safety and promote accountability.

Wilkes-Barre Township Safe Streets & Sidewalks Project - $1 million
The funding would be used for building out and deploying a municipal-wide public safety surveillance network with integrated license plate reader technology to improve the provision of public safety and security.

Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority - $2,480,000
This funding will be used to update 1,147 linear feet of interceptor line running under the City of Wilkes-Barre, ensuring reliable wastewater service, eliminating the risk of raw sewage release and pipe collapse, while protecting public health and the environment.

Redevelopment Authority of Luzerne County - $1 million 
The funding will be used to improve traffic signals at six crossroads within the public rights-of-way on PA Route 309, a two-lane road without traffic signals, in Plains Twp. The outdated existing infrastructure is not sufficient to manage current traffic volume in the area.

Early Childhood Care Learning Center, Jewish Community Alliance of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Kingston - $1 million
The funding is to expand the Illumination Early Learning Center into a new building to accommodate more children while fostering partnerships with local educational institutions to train new childcare instructors.

 Additional Lackawanna County

Lackawanna County Veterans Permanent Supportive Housing - $1.75 million

The funding will be used to renovate a condemned property in South Scranton into an eight-unit, affordable housing for low-income, at-risk veterans.

City of Scranton Emergency Operations Center (EOC) - $1,706,555

The funding is to construct and equip a mixed-use facility that will serve as a central coordination hub for disaster response. The EOC’s primary functions will include situational awareness, resource management, operational planning and public information management. The proposed project will support incident management operations across multiple functional disciplines for the benefit of Lackawanna County and surrounding municipalities.

Additional Monroe County

Monroe County Wastewater Treatment Project - $3,867,360 

This infrastructure funding will be used for wastewater treatment upgrades to keep the community’s water quality safe without adding financial burden to a 4th class county.

West End Fire Company, Chestnuthill Township - $1,169,297

The funding is for the acquisition of two crucial firefighting vehicles, a rescue truck and an engine truck, for the West End Fire Company in Brodheadsville. These vehicles are essential to bolstering the capabilities of the area’s volunteer fire service, significantly enhancing its ability to respond promptly and effectively to emergencies across Chestnuthill Township and the broader West End of Monroe County.

Additional Wayne and Pike counties

Wayne County Workforce Housing Initiative - $2 million

This funding will be used to acquire and renovate blighted properties to construct a 15-unit, multi-family apartment building with common areas to address the lack of workforce housing where major hospitality markets and employers operate in Wayne County, addressing the community’s extremely low affordable housing stock, providing attainable housing for the local, full-time workforce, and strengthening the local economy.

Wallenpaupack Creek Bridge - $2 million

This funding will be used to rehabilitate the bridge on State Route 6 (G.A.R. Highway) that spans over Wallenpaupack Creek in Pike and Wayne counties. Specifically, the funding would allow for the deck rehabilitation of two structures on SR 6 over Wallenpaupack Creek, including substructure repairs, deck preservation, abutment repairs and expansion joint replacements.