State grants $22 million for southeast Bakersfield programs

Bakersfield has been awarded $22.1 million in state funding through the Transformative Climate Communities Program. 

The city announced the funding in a press conference on Monday outside the Bakersfield Senior Center.  

The big picture: California is giving 11 cities funding through the program, dishing out a total of $98 million. 

• Bakersfield’s share is part of the implementation grant for projects such as affordable housing, a mixed-use senior center, a low-income energy efficiency program, a garden collaborative and other projects, such as safe routes to schools. 
• Those projects will be implemented in southeast Bakersfield and were reviewed by the California Strategic Growth Council. 

What they’re saying: “Today we celebrate a long-awaited investment in Bakersfield’s southeast community,” said Mayor Karen Goh. “It’s going to bring the much needed infrastructure improvements, affordable housing and healthy greenery.”