BELLEFONTE — Five projects in Centre County are set to receive a combined $7,773,716 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) under the 11 FY26 appropriations bills recently signed into law, U.S. Senator John Fetterman announced this week.

The funded projects support EMS and addiction research, as well as affordable housing and transportation infrastructure.

Overall, the legislation includes $289,366,974 in CDS funding for Pennsylvania communities, spread across 121 projects.

According to a press release from Fetterman’s office, the CDS funding package will support affordable housing development, water infrastructure upgrades, equipment for police departments and other critical initiatives across Pennsylvania.

“Bringing money back to Pa. is one of my core responsibilities as the senior senator. I’m proud of the work our community is doing and believe this funding will continue to show why Pennsylvania is a leader on all fronts,” said Fetterman.

His office reiterated that these projects are crucial for Pennsylvania’s economic development, communities across the commonwealth and future generations.

EMS

— $2,074,716 to construct a new EMS facility and training center for EMS personnel was awarded to the Moshannon Valley EMS and Training Facility. Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA-15) supported this request.

— $1 million to Centre County to replace emergency radio equipment for its first responders. The funding will support a multi-million-dollar replacement effort for their aging portable radios.

“The Centre County commissioners and our first responder community are very appreciative of the $1 million awarded toward the $4.5 million project to replace and upgrade first responders’ radios. Generating funds to cover a project such as this one can be difficult, especially for smaller municipalities, so these funds create a pathway for first responders throughout the County to see upgrades, making our community safer as a whole,” a representative for the county commissioners said.

Substance use response

— $750,000 to the Pennsylvania State University for establishing the Pennsylvania Addiction Action Network. That includes a system of substance use interventions and data coordination to establish a statewide network convening local stakeholders to share data, knowledge and effective practices for informed decision making in allocating the $1.7B opioid settlement being directed to Pennsylvania over the next two decades.

“Penn State is grateful to Senator Fetterman for his support of this investment and the trust it shows in Penn State’s ability to support communities across the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Addiction Network will bring together stakeholders across the Commonwealth to ensure that the opioid settlement funding can be guided by data, evidence and community expertise. As Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, we are uniquely qualified to meet this moment,” said SVP for Research at The Pennsylvania State University Dr. Andrew Read.

Affordable housing

— $1.5 million to the State College Community Land Trust, Inc. for the expansion of forever affordable homes in State College. The funds will support affordable housing for low to moderate income residents, half of which would be available for ownership.

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Fetterman for securing $1.5 million to build new housing. This investment recognizes the severity of the housing crisis and Pennsylvania’s urgent need for affordable housing. With Senator Fetterman’s support, the State College Community Land Trust will create four permanently affordable homes for sale to income-qualified buyers and four permanently affordable rental units, in collaboration with The Home Foundation, expanding long-term housing stability in State College,” said Colleen Ritter, executive director of the State College Community Land Trust.

Infrastructure

— $2,449,000 for Calder Way Transportation Improvements to enable construction of a curb-less, multi-modal corridor that prioritizes accessibility and safety in the heart of downtown State College. Rep. GT Thompson (R-PA-15) also supported this request.

Outside of Centre County, projects supported by Senator Fetterman included a $183,829,000 award for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project to modernize the Montgomery Locks and Dam in Beaver County, the largest single CDS award included in an FY26 Appropriations bill.