Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $5,467,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for Maine community centers in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill. The bill, which passed the Senate last week and was approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon, has been signed into law.

"From health and wellness to workforce development, community centers provide important services across Maine," said Senator Collins. "These targeted investments will help these organizations to further assist and strengthen the Maine communities they serve for years to come. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this important funding."

Funding secured by Senator Collins is as follows:

Harmony Historical Facility

Recipient: Harmony Patriarchs Club

Project Location: Harmony, ME

Amount Requested: $230,000

Project Purpose: To construct a facility on the Harmony Fairgrounds.

Town of Kittery Community Center Renovation

Recipient: Town of Kittery

Project Location: Kittery, ME

Amount Requested: $1,500,000

Project Purpose: To support renovations to the community center.

Mars Hill Community Center Renovation

Recipient: Town of Mars Hill

Project Location: Mars Hill, ME

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Project Purpose: To renovate the community center.

Van Buren Small Business Incubator and Community Hub

Recipient: Town of Van Buren

Project Location: Van Buren, ME

Amount Requested: $1,737,000

Project Purpose: To develop a small business incubator and community connectivity hub.

This funding builds on the nearly $9 million Senator Collins secured for community centers and municipal buildings throughout Maine in the FY 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations bill.

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured nearly $1.5 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2026. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.

###

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet