Nearly $36 Million Approved for Community Revitalization Projects

Governor Tom Wolf announced the approval of nearly $36 million to 220 community revitalization projects across the commonwealth. The funding through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) supports nonprofits, businesses, and resident projects in distressed areas or low-income neighborhoods.

“Communities from every corner of Pennsylvania will benefit from this funding – the result of public-private partnerships and cooperation,” said Gov. Wolf. “We are pleased to continue supporting NAP applicants who are committed to advancing and improving communities by making thoughtful plans to address the issues impacting their neighborhoods. These projects make the state stronger as a whole and keep it the best place to live, work, and play.”

The program has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), CFP, and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). A description of each of these components is available within the NAP fact sheet, which can be found on https://dced.pa.gov/.

The program also provides for COVID-19 and social justice related assistance. In recognition of the unprecedented level of challenges these events posed for residents of the commonwealth, a special emphasis was placed upon, and priority was given, to projects that sought to address critical issues related to the pandemic, its aftermath and recovery, social justice and support for policy changing movements, and improving opportunities for marginalized populations.

NAP encourages private sector investment into projects that will help improve distressed communities by providing tax credits to businesses that donate capital to support projects that address neighborhood and community problems. NAP can be used for projects in categories including affordable housing, community services, crime prevention, education, job training, charitable food, blight, special population issues, veteran’s initiatives, and long-term community revitalization.

The approved funding will support:

• Nineteen community investments in the central region. This includes $2,483,661 for the Central PA Food Bank for Blair, Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntington, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Tioga, & York counties.

• Seventy-seven community investments in the southwest region. This includes $63,750 to Family Services Inc. - Altoona, Blair County.

• Sixty community investments in the southeast region.

• Nineteen community investments in the northeast region.

• Twenty-nine community investments in the northwest region.

• Sixteen community investments in the Lehigh Valley region.

The new approvals raise the total amount of tax credits provided under the Wolf Administration to nearly $174 million in NAP funding supporting 1,128 projects statewide. The investment will result in more than $225 million in additional funds leveraged through corporate contributions.

Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB) provides food to individuals living at or below 150 percent of the poverty level. In previous years, approximately 10 percent of the central Pennsylvania population lived with food insecurity and qualified for our services. Due to the economic consequences of the pandemic, Feeding America (the nationwide hunger fighting organization) estimates that this number has grown to as much as 16.2 percent in some of the counties.

The signs of recovery in the communities are encouraging; but it is known from past economic downturns that it takes time for levels of food insecurity to decrease in alignment with improved economic indicators. As CPFB shifts from an urgent crisis response to a sustained recovery, a significant number of people will still need a helping hand for months, even years to come.

In 2021-2022, with support from the Neighborhood Assistance Program, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank will feed local families recovering from the pandemic. Together with partners (food and financial donors, 1000+ partner agencies, volunteers, and more), Central Pennsylvania Food Bank will source and distribute food to our food insecure neighbors. In the next year, we anticipate providing more than 70 million pounds of food to more than 450,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Contributors to the food bank include Ateeco, BJ’s Wholesale Club, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Conewago, Dairy Farmers of America, Giant, Kunzler, Lady Moon Farms, M&T Bank, Muncy Bank, S&T Bank, Sauder’s Eggs, Weis Markets, Woodlands Bank, Centric Bank, DHL Supply Chain, F&M Trust, First Citizens Community Bank, Hess Brothers, Penn National Insurance, RGS Associates, Starbucks, Hershey, and Tops Markets.

Family Services Inc. will focus on the paramount problem facing the homeless in Blair County: the lack of shelter beds. The current Family Shelter (FS) offers 16 beds and serves approximately 180 individuals per year. With a turn away rate of 2,107 individuals for the previous year, Family Services forecasts the need for an additional 12 individuals to be served per month; an approximate 300 individuals provided with shelter services per year.

The FS project will provide 35 shelter beds and will create six double occupancy affordable housing units that will accommodate income qualified individuals.

Contributors to this project include UPMC, KIZ Resources, M&T Bank.