Governor Tom Wolf announced nearly $14.2 million in Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV) funding to support communities and their residents on a path to success.

“Pennsylvania is making a comeback following the pandemic,” said Gov. Wolf. “These funds ensure that every Pennsylvanian has the opportunity to get back on their feet and succeed without roadblocks.”

The following projects were included in the most recent block of CDBG-CV funding approvals:

• $250,000 to Cameron County for a housing rehabilitation program that will make improvements to existing structures and help the elderly and individuals with disabilities remain in their homes rather than move into assisted living facilities. The program plans to use these funds to rehabilitate homes across the county, serving only low to moderate income households.

• $1,000,000 to the City of Pittston to address housing rehabilitation needs of the elderly and individuals with disabilities that will allow them to remain in their homes rather than move into assisted living facilities. The project will also serve individuals and families with health-related issues that make them susceptible to COVID-19 by providing at-home consultations on COVID mitigation strategies. The program will serve 12 total municipalities in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.

• $500,000 to Lawrence County for a housing rehabilitation program to help address the needs of individuals who are most vulnerable during the pandemic. The program, in partnership with the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, will serve the elderly, individuals with disabilities, or those with health concerns that make them more susceptible to COVID-19.

• $265,000 to Wayne County to help address food insecurity and increase food distribution to additional households. The funds will help purchase fresh, healthy food as well as a box truck that will be used to increase the distribution of food to individuals in Wayne and Pike counties.

• $1,100,000 to Fayette County in support of their broadband initiative to provide free high-speed broadband access to extremely underserved areas of the county. To assist individuals with participation in telework, telemedicine, and virtual learning, the county plans to use the funds to install/expand broadband coverage in the western half of the county. The initiative will target areas with the highest population of low-to-moderate income with the greatest need for improved internet. Funds will be used to extend high-speed broadband lines to create hotspots to provide free broadband access in communities throughout the service area.

• $2,000,000 to Indiana County to expand broadband capabilities through partnership opportunities to extend/expand reliable and affordable rural broadband, high-speed internet, and cellular service to unserved and underserved northern areas of the county.

• $510,962 to Clinton County to improve emergency services radio communication between their 911 center in the Borough of Flemington and the western portion of the county. The existing system has many coverage gaps (dead zones) where responders in western Clinton County cannot communicate with the 911 center, receiving hospitals, or with one another. Funds will be used to purchase and install equipment on three towers, replacing existing obsolete bases and connection equipment with state of the art, digital compatible, base radios and connection equipment.

• $4,000,000 to the NEPA Alliance through the Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne counties) to provide grants of up to $50,000 for small businesses and up to $15,000 for microenterprises (small businesses that employ few people) that have been severely impacted due to COVID-19. NEPA Alliance anticipates approximately 150 jobs will be retained or created.

• $1,562,500 to Lehigh University Small Business Development Center through the Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (Lehigh and Northampton counties) to provide grants of up to $100,000 for businesses in the Lehigh Valley region that have experienced an interruption in their operations, supply chain, and workforce. The program will focus on businesses created in the early months of the pandemic and historically disadvantaged business owners with restricted access to capital. Lehigh University Small Business Development Center anticipates five jobs will be created and 12 jobs will be retained.

• $1,942,000 to the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission through the Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties) to create jobs in up to ten existing childcare centers, which will help families returning to work overcome the lack of available childcare. The project expects to create 20 jobs in existing childcare centers that have the physical capacity to expand and serve additional children.

• $1,040,000 to the Covation Center Inc. through the Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties) to provide grants of up to $85,000 to small businesses throughout Central Pennsylvania. The project will focus on supporting businesses located in low/moderate income areas. The counties expect up to 11 jobs will be created or retained.

CDBG-CV funds are made available through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and enable communities to effectively prepare for, prevent the spread of, and respond to the impacts of coronavirus in their communities.

For more information about CDBG-CV and other economic development programs, visit the DCED website.