ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Twenty nonprofits are in line for sizable contributions from Allentown’s federal housing funds.
An Allentown City Council committee on Wednesday recommended the full body approve the administration’s plan to divvy up $3.6 million in funding from three programs run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Nonprofits stand to get about two-fifths of that money — just under $1.5 million — while the city would keep slightly more to fund several of its own programs and cover administrative costs, according to the plan.
That spending plan soon must be ratified by council or the city could miss out on the federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships and Emergency Solutions Grant programs.
An administrative memo urged council members to approve it by July 31; the measure could be up for a final vote at council’s next meeting Aug. 6.
'Worthy recipients'
Mark Hartney, deputy director for community and economic development, said officials prioritized funding for projects that would help address housing needs.
“Unfortunately, that [led] to some tough decisions with some other nonprofits,” he told a three-member council committee.
About a third of the federal funding earmarked for nonprofits would go to the Alliance for Building Communities, a HUD-recognized community housing development organization.
The nonprofit partnered with HDC MidAtlantic to build a 49-unit affordable housing complex at 1528 W. Hamilton St.
“I think they're all worthy recipients."Daryl Hendricks, Allentown City Council
The city plans to give $200,000 to Habitat for Humanity’s home repair program.
Valley Housing Development Corporation and Phoebe-Devitt Homes are due to get grants of $100,000, if council approves the plan as proposed.
Smaller grants are set to support more than a dozen local nonprofits, including the Lehigh Conference of Churches and its Daybreak shelter, Casa Gaudalupe, the Black Heritage Association of the Lehigh Valley and Valley Youth House.
“I think they're all worthy recipients,” Councilman Daryl Hendricks said Wednesday.
Allentown’s parks and recreation department will get a $278,000 grant from the city’s federal neighborhood-revitalization funds. Officials plan to spend an equal amount on projects to make sidewalks ADA-compliant.
Administration costs account for $593,000 — almost a sixth of the total funding the city stands to receive.
And Allentown’s Redevelopment Authority is in line for $600,000. That’s the biggest grant any organization is due to receive from the city’s HUD funds.
