The city of Guadalupe has secured $280,182 from Caltrans through the Clean California grant program. The funds will go toward the Guadalupe Beautification Project, which has a total cost of $325, 273.
The grant is part of $25 million in awards to 90 local projects designed to improve lives and communities by supporting litter and graffiti removal efforts across California, Caltrans said.
The projects are funded through the Community Cleanup and Employment Pathway (CCEP) grant program through Clean California, a signature initiative under Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The Clean California program is demonstrating how these investments can strengthen communities,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin.
“Gov. Newsom’s vision for more vibrant public spaces is being realized by linking community improvements with paid job training to create opportunity, stability and long-term success for Californians,” Omishakin said.
“These grants do more than fund cleanups, they’re investments in people and provide hope and opportunity,” said Caltrans Director Dina El-Tawansy.
“By partnering with local agencies and workforce development organizations, we’re investing in our under-resourced communities by creating jobs, restoring pride and proving that when we care for our neighborhoods, we care for each other,” El-Tawansy said.
Through the competitive grants, CCEP supports litter abatement and public space beautification efforts on locally owned public rights-of-way.
Another core component of the program is to create pathways to employment through partnerships with workforce development organizations, according to Caltrans.
Such pathways are designed to connect justice-impacted individuals, people experiencing homelessness, at-risk youth and others with job training and paid transitional employment opportunities.
The grants will provide funding to promote public education and anti-littering campaigns across the state to be recognized as a Clean California Community. All of this year’s funding ($25 million) will benefit underserved communities.
A complete list of grant recipients can be found here.
Since starting Clean California in July 2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up 3.5 million cubic yards of litter from highways and public spaces — the equivalent of filling more than 150,000 residential garbage trucks with debris and trash.
Caltrans has hosted more than 650 free dump days in communities statewide resulting in the collection of 15,500-plus mattresses and 57,000 tires.
The initiative has drawn more than 10,000 community clean-up volunteers, and created 18,267 jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.
For more about transportation and other infrastructure projects funded with state and federal investments, visit build.ca.gov.