HASLO, Cambria CSD in line to receive federal funds

August 30, 2021

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Central Coast Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced appropriations bills passed by the House of Representatives contain nearly $12 million in federal funds for community projects in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The federal funding, which has yet to be approved by the Senate, would go toward a total of eight local projects. Two of the 12 projects are in SLO County, while the other six are in Santa Barbara County.

House representatives approved $2 million for the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo to maintain affordable housing at the Anderson Hotel building in downtown SLO. The Anderson Hotel has contained affordable housing for very low-income seniors and disabled people for more than 40 years.

The federal funds would allow HASLO to control and operate the Anderson Hotel through a lease with the owners of the building. Additionally, HASLO would be able to provide 68 vouchers to current and future residents in order to ensure affordable housing remains at the property permanently.

SLO County’s other project slated to receive federal funding is the refurbishment of existing 125,000 and 212,000-gallon water tanks in Cambria. The tanks, located on Stuart Street, account for about 20 percent of the storage capacity available within the Cambria Community Services District’s potable water distribution system.

Cambria is slated to receive $375,000 in federal funds, which would cover about 80 percent of the total project cost, according to the CSD.

In all, the House approved $11.9 million in spending for 24th Congressional District projects, Carbajal said. The House rejected two project funding requests Carbajal submitted, one of which was a proposed $5.6 million toward upgrading SLO County’s safety communications system.