Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez has secured more than $11 million in federal community project funding for Bronx initiatives, part of a $14.2 million package headed to New York’s 14th Congressional District. The awards span food access, education, transit and coastal resiliency, including upgrades at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, oyster reef restoration, wetland mitigation and bus safety work. House language places the projects in the FY26 appropriations bills H.R. 6938 and H.R. 7148.
In a Feb. 12 press release, Ocasio‑Cortez’s office said the House Appropriations Committee included 15 community projects in the FY26 bills and listed each recipient and award amount. “I am proud to have secured $14.2 million in federal funding for projects that will better the lives of working people in The Bronx and Queens,” the congresswoman said. The full release is posted by Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez.
Where The Bronx Cash Is Headed
House appropriations community project funding tables list roughly 11 Bronx specific awards totaling about $11.34 million, with the largest single community project allocation, $2,998,000, going to warehouse upgrades at the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center. Other Bronx line items include $1,031,000 each for wetland mitigation near Westchester Creek and for marine debris removal, $1,031,000 for the East 132nd Street pier resilience project, $1,000,000 for Southern Boulevard bus safety and accessibility upgrades, and grants for school food forests, oyster habitat work and STEM farm programs. A detailed funding table is available from the House Appropriations Committee.
Hunts Point Scores The Biggest Slice
The Food Bank For New York City said the package will deliver nearly $9 million to modernize the Hunts Point logistics hub, combining $2,998,000 in community project funding supported by Ocasio‑Cortez with $6,000,000 in congressionally directed spending secured by Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. Food Bank officials said the funding will help resurface floors, install energy recovery ventilation and update life safety egress at the facility, bolstering both daily operations and emergency response. More detail is available from Food Bank For NYC.
Coastal Fix-Up And Waterways Cleanups
Smaller environmental awards target shoreline stabilization and habitat restoration. City Island Oyster Reef received $403,000 to reestablish two oyster habitats, and the Bronx River Alliance was awarded $750,000 to coordinate Soundview coastal resiliency and youth engagement. New York City Parks is eligible for $1,031,000 to remove 2,891 cubic yards of debris and 11 abandoned or derelict vessels from Westchester Creek and waters near College Point. These project descriptions and amounts are listed on Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez.
What Happens To The Money Next
The funding items were inserted into House appropriations language for FY26, with those committee tables recorded in the Congressional Record and in the House CPF documents, a procedural step that places items in H.R. 6938 and related bill text. Inclusion in committee tables is critical, but city agencies and nonprofit grantees still must complete federal grant steps, permitting and project planning before construction or new programs can begin. The congressional listing and procedural record are available via the Congressional Record.
Local leaders and neighborhood organizations welcomed the focus on food access, resiliency and transit safety, saying the injections of federal cash could translate to jobs and new services as projects move toward implementation. The Bronx centric totals and project descriptions were summarized by Bronx Times, and nonprofit leaders at the Food Bank have underscored the upgrades’ role in shoring up the city’s hunger relief network. City agencies named as recipients will be responsible for administering funds and contracting work.
