Pittsburgh, Pa. − May 25, 2021 − Senator Lindsey M. Williams announced today that the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) has issued $200,000 in Blight Remediation Program grants to projects across Senate District 38. 

Recipients of funding are:

• City of Bridges CLT in Pittsburgh received $106,519 for a remediation project. This project includes the acquisition of a blighted property that has been vacant for 10 years, rehabilitation of the property (including installation of a new roof, rear porch, windows, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, and exterior landscaping), and sale. The property will remain a 2-unit home and each unit will be sold to a household between 60%-80% of area median income (AMI).
• FCP Services in Tarentum received $75,000 for an ongoing remediation project that will result in The Depot, a financially self-sustaining community resources center that will house a laundromat, Wi-fi café, high tech meeting room, and co-working space in a formerly blighted building. This funding will used for structural support in the cafe area, installation of a concrete slab and mechanical rough-in in the laundromat area, and façade work.
• West Deer Township received $18,481 to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent, mitigate and redevelop blighted properties with a primary focus on the urban centers within the Township, including Curtisville, Russelton, and Bairdford. 

Senator Williams co-hosted a Democratic Policy Hearing on abandoned and blighted properties in March to hear how legislators can remove barriers and lower costs for municipalities to remediate blighted properties while balancing the rights of existing property owners. “Our municipalities and community organizations are doing amazing work to replace blight with affordable housing and needed services,” said Senator Williams. “Blight is one of the larger problems facing our municipalities across the state. I’m thrilled to have advocated for these projects that will make our communities safer and return delinquent properties back to the tax rolls.

Additional information about the Blight Remediation Program grants can be found at Commonwealth Financing Authority – PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development.

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