***PHOTOS OF THE ROUNDTABLE HERE***
Murray secured $4 million for the Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub
Senator Murray: “This is going to make a world of difference for Somalis building a new life for themselves and will help set them up for success—and I am so glad I was able to have a part in making this center a reality through Congressionally-Directed Spending.”
(Tukwila, WA) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, hosted a roundtable with the Somali Health Board at their main office in Tukwila to hear directly from the organization’s leaders about how the $4 million in funding she secured for the Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub will serve families.
The Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub currently being built will serve as a multigenerational health hub, senior housing community, cultural anchor, early learning and child care space, and community center for Somalis in the face of gentrification and displacement. These properties are also already home to many Somali businesses and establishing this hub will help prevent potential future displacement. The Somali Cultural Innovation Hub will also significantly increase access to services for low-income people throughout Southeast Seattle and be co-located near the future Graham light rail station.
“Somali immigrants have overcome countless barriers to get to where they are today—and so much of the progress we’ve seen is thanks to the critical work the Somali Health Board does to help families transition to life in America,” said Senator Murray. “This center is going to help the Somali community in King County to come together, to hold English classes, offer mental health services, help families find housing, and more. This will make a world of difference for Somalis building a new life for themselves and help set them up for success—and I am so glad I was able to have a part in making this center a reality through Congressionally-Directed Spending.”
Senator Murray secured $4 million dollars for the Somali Health Board to build the Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub through Congressionally-Directed Spending as a part of the spending bill Murray helped author and pass in December—Murray delivered $284 million in Congressionally-Directed Spending for local projects across Washington state in the December spending package alone.
During the roundtable, Senator Murray discussed expanding access to health care, mental health services, and affordable housing opportunities in particular. Senator Murray has helped lead the fight in Congress to make health care more accessible and affordable, most recently by passing the Inflation Reduction Act to cap the cost of insulin for seniors and empower Medicare to negotiate lower drug costs, among other provisions. As both former HELP Chair and a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Murray also shepherded critical legislation just last year to strengthen federal investments in mental health. And in the December spending package, Senator Murray helped deliver key investments to tackle the housing and homelessness crises—while still fighting for a truly landmark federal investment in housing.
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