White House Senior Advisor, Rep. Raul Ruiz tour troubled Oasis Mobile Home Park

A Senior Advisor to President Biden made a stop at Oasis Mobile Home Park on Tuesday, as part of a nationwide infrastructure tour.

White House Senior Advisor Mitch Landrieu was alongside Congressman Raul Ruiz touring a place where residents have been plagued with contaminated water for years.

“This is an area of the country that has obviously tremendous challenges, but really spectacular opportunity," Landrieu said.

The park was one of the first stops for Landrieu and Ruiz, as part of President Biden’s 'Investing in America’ tour.

“The first part of the job that was showing up and actually getting here and listening to people to make sure that they know that the President sees them. This President sees everybody in the country," Landrieu said.

An underserved community for many years, most Oasis residents have had no access to clean water while living in unsanitary conditions.

“Due to the lack of infrastructure we have, like arsenic and water, dilapidated roads, with dust with improper sewage, or trash collection in areas that pose an immediate and long term harm to a person's health," said Dr. Ruiz.

With the help of the President’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill, Ruiz hopes to tackle these issues head on.

Equity being a main focus in attaining the funding needed for communities like Oasis Mobile Home Park.

“The Justice 40 initiative that will make sure that 40% of the resources go to disadvantaged and historically underrepresented under-resourced communities that have been left out and left without for so long," Ruiz explained.

The need for better infrastructure not only applies to the park, but several other areas surrounding it.

Congressman Ruiz told us there are multiple projects, in and around the valley, that he wants to see receive proper funding.

“We need infrastructure. We need housing, we need workforce development. And we need good strong labor in this area. And that's all of those issues are tied into the bipartisan infrastructure law that we have here.” 

This week, Landrieu and Ruiz have conducted infrastructure roundtables in the region to highlight the different grant opportunities to bring resources to areas in need.