Congresswoman Nikema Williams Secures $13.1 Million in Community Project Funding for Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) announced she secured $13,164,000 in funding for 14 Community Projects across Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District. The funding, which will be awarded to municipalities, universities, and community organizations, was requested and secured during the annual appropriations process.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) said: 

“This $5.1 million investment is about protecting people and expanding opportunity across the Fighting Fifth. It will strengthen local infrastructure, create pathways to good-paying jobs through workforce development, and support community safety—including essential security measures for HBCUs in our district as targeted threats continue to rise. These are real investments that respond to real community needs. I’ll continue fighting to bring federal resources home and deliver for the communities I am proud to represent.”

The funds secured by Congresswoman Williams will support the following projects across the Fifth District:

• $850,000 for City of Atlanta’s Food Ecosystem: Farms and Gardens Development and Expansion. This project will increase technical assistance and business support to local private sector and non-profit businesses in Atlanta’s Food Ecosystem to work towards the City of Atlanta Food Access Goal that all residents will live within an accessible ½ mile of fresh, affordable, healthy and nutritious food.
• $1,092,000 for City of East Point’s Norman Berry Drive Stormwater Repairs. This project will replace aging and failing stormwater infrastructure to eliminate life safety hazards, stop the nuisance of street flooding, and reduce the chances of upstream property damage associated with flooding along Norman Berry Drive.
• $1,092,000 for City of College Park’s Lead/Galvanized Water Pipeline Replacement. This project is intended to replace lead/galvanized water service pipelines throughout the city of College Park to ensure safe drinking water for residents and visitors. The locations for the replacement of water pipelines serve approximately 450 single-family homes within established, older neighborhoods, areas where senior citizens reside, the Main Street Business District, and community parks.
• $700,000 for Atlanta Public Schools’ Atlanta Community Schoolyards. This project will be used for design and construction of outdoor learning spaces and neighborhood parks on the campuses of Finch Elementary School and Long Middle School, available to students during school hours and to the community outside of school hours. Creating and using these spaces can address urgent community needs by supporting physical and mental health, improving educational outcomes, and strengthening neighborhood cohesion and equity.
• $300,000 for the Center for Employment Opportunities’ Job Training and Career Pathways for Georgia’s Returning Citizens. This project will fund tuition and vocational services for training pathways to serve 60 additional justice-impacted individuals, for example for IT training programs or Commercial Driver’s License training programs. Additionally, this funding will support the salaries of the vocational staff who help to provide CEO’s vocational and supportive services to help address barriers and the operational needs of CEO’s programs such as providing transportation to participants, IT equipment, and other supplies needed to successfully support participants in the program.
• $250,000 for Clark Atlanta University for Clark Atlanta University Security Project. A secure campus environment allows students and the surrounding community to live in a safe environment without fear of crime or violence  Strong security measures can prevent incidents that might otherwise require costly emergency responses or legal proceedings.  It also protects public property and infrastructure, reducing the risk of vandalism or theft.  This all contributes to a positive learning environment, which can lead to better academic outcomes and a stronger workforce in the long run. 
• $1,200,000 for Clayton County Government’s Small Business Incubator Facility. This project will enhance local supply chains, create new employment opportunities, and generate economic mobility, benefiting historically underserved communities. The incubator will generate income through rental fees from office and co-working spaces, training program fees, and event hosting. These strategies will ensure that the incubator remains a self-sustaining and long-lasting resource for Clayton County and the surrounding region.
• $401,000 for Communities in Schools of Atlanta, Inc’s Violence Prevention and Mental Health Programming in Metro Atlanta Schools. This project will allow Communities in Schools of Atlanta (CIS) to expand its violence prevention and mental health programming in Atlanta schools. CIS site coordinators will work to ensure that students can participate in mental health programming and access additional services and opportunities to help them address and overcome violence in their schools and communities.
• $850,000 for Georgia Center for Child Advocacy’s Justice and Healing for the Fighting Fifth. This project would support the Fifth District’s local child advocacy center and its trauma-focused programming to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families. Funding will help the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy (GCCA) respond to the immediate and prolonged needs of child victims through the following actions: conducting forensic interviews; coordinating bi-weekly Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings; delivering advocacy services to stabilize the family and keep the child safe; provide free therapy; training MDT partners and mandated reporters so that more adults react responsibility to concerns and disclosures of abuse.
• $2,000,000 for Georgia Institute of Technology’s Georgia Battery Manufacturing Facility Battery Testing Equipment. This project will help purchase the necessary battery testing equipment and further support the build out of the Georgia Battery Manufacturing Facility at Georgia Tech. This facility is being developed to support the emerging battery and electric vehicle industry in Georgia and the southeast, and to educate the advanced workforce that will ultimately contribute to this industry.
• $2,000,000 for Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta’s Thomasville Heights Apartments Green Infrastructure. This project will support the green infrastructure installation on the Thomasville Heights Apartments site to prepare for the Phase 1 housing development. Once redeveloped, the Apartments site will include over 700 rental and for-sale homes (40% of which will be available for affordable residents), retail and commercial uses, and greenspace as part of a broader green stormwater management plan.
• $250,000 for MARTA’s Securing Rail and Bus Facilities. This project will enhance safety and security by installing specialized fencing around MARTA’s bus and rail facilities. The new fencing will limit access to hazardous locations, bolster anti-terrorism measures and safeguard federal investments. As MARTA continues to upgrade its transit infrastructure, preventing terrorism and ensuring public safety are our top priorities. The MARTA Police Department has identified security vulnerabilities and proposed this project to address potential threats and mitigate risks.
• $700,000 for Scaling Security and Safety at Morris Brown College. This project will support Morris Brown’s efforts to enhance security on its campus. Requested funding will provide support in the following ways: Creating coordination and emergency response plans, increasing safety awareness through media and public relations, improving safety personnel communications, upgrading public safety technology, conducting potential risk and threat assessments, and training and hiring additional public safety personnel.
• $437,000 for Spelman College Public Safety Department’s Advanced Framework for Ensuring Safety and Security on Campus. This project would improve various aspects of security, including community notification upgrades, perimeter security, campus access control, and community education initiatives around Spelman College’s campus.