ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — Every year, Orange County congress members lobby for chunks of money to start new projects, complete old ones or beef up plans already in progress. The pandemic boosted some of those federal infusions with huge spending packages like the $2.2 trillion CARES Act in 2020 or the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Those packages sent money to all corners of the country, funding everything from COVID-19 testing, low-income housing to education.

While many of the dollars committed to local development have come from federal block grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, other money is fought for by local representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives.

American Rescue Plan money is still on the board, but for cities like Costa Mesa, the millions in relief are set to expire in 2023. That has required quick decision-making and a change in the conversation about how that money could be used. While some cities thought it could go towards affordable housing, those projects can take years to get approved. 

Many cities also took the opportunity to invest in local projects, which visitors might overlook, but residents are keenly aware of, including roads, parks and sidewalks.

Here are some key local financial commitments of federal dollars in 2022.

Sand replenishment

The Orange County coast will receive $15.5 million to ship sand to its eroding shorelines.

Sand replenishment was supposed to have been delivered to the coast for decades but was suspended shortly after it began in the 1960s. The new plan calls for sand replenishment every five years, an interval built around the ocean currents and method of distribution.

The plan calls for 1.7 million cubic yards of sand to be piled up off Sunset Beach, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to erode over the course of five years, depositing the sand along the shores of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach.

Costa Mesa neighborhoods

The city is beefing up and replacing infrastructure on Westside and Wilson streets, with an expected cost of $600,000 to revamp the roads. 

More money is heading to the Mercy House Bridge Shelter, a key feature of the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach homelessness response. The shelter is expected to receive $100,000. Both cities have expressed an interest in having more beds.

HUD money

The county and its cities receive millions from the Department of Housing and Urban Development each year. The money can go toward new affordable housing projects each year but ultimately requires the addition of millions more from numerous other sources before a housing project can be completed. Orange County received about $1.5 million, Santa Ana received $1.7 million, Anaheim received $1.6 million, with Costa Mesa, Fullerton and Orange all receiving roughly $500,000. While some other cities receive money, the total county allocation is $8.6 million.

Santa Ana

Santa Ana expects about $5.6 million in the next fiscal year and hopes to get $2.1 million in other grants. Road improvements at Heninger Park are slated at a price tag of $1.9 million. Santa Anita Park gets an asphalt makeover, too, with $800,000 heading to that project. The Newhope Library also needs a new roof for an expected cost of about $500,000.