Community groups submit CDBG requests in Easton, but officials are worried the money may not come

EASTON, Pa. — Easton City Council was happy to hear local community groups petitioning for Community Development Block Grants this week.

But funding, the future of the program in Easton — and across the rest of the Lehigh Valley, as well as the country — remains uncertain.

The city is currently operating under the expectation that the normal $1 million CDBG grant will come through, officials said.

But they warned that nothing is definite until it does.

And even if those funds make it to Easton, there is no guarantee the federal government may not claw them back, Mayor Sal Panto Jr., council members and others have said.

Easton organizations seek $240,000

Nonprofits tend to secure funding from multiple sources, but community development programs such as those found in Easton are often dependent upon CDBG funds.

Community Action Lehigh Valley asked for $15,000 to fund the Generation Next program.

The program supports self-assessment tools for students to determine career interests and leadership skills, as well as financial literacy, college applications, retirement planning and more.

Community Bike Works sought $20,000 for its Earn a Bike initiative, which Executive Director Kim Schaffer described as the group’s flagship program.

“Students come in and they spend a month picking out a bike that's been donated from members of the community," Schaffer said.

"And then learning the parts of a bike, the tools you use to work on a bike, how to ride a bike safely on city streets, and then how to fix every component of that bicycle.”

Schaffer said the program also promotes science and technology, positive relationships with mentors and improved physical and mental health.

About 100 children in Easton have earned a bike through the program, Schaffer said, and many of them come back to help Community Bike Works continue the mission.

Social services, toys and books

Easton Neighborhood Center asked for $30,000 to provide social services aimed at low- to moderate-income individuals.

Executive Director Allison Czapp said the center has seen an 185% increase in food pantry traffic since the coronavirus pandemic, which requires more staff, volunteer management and, of course, food.

Czapp said its UGI assistance program has seen an uptick in requests, as well, in addition to it Easton Urban Farm initiative, which produces about 10,000 pounds of locally grown organic food each year that is distributed via the pantry, the Harlan House and the community center.

Family Connections requested $20,000 to support a program that offers toys and books to ages 18 months to 5 years.

The program also helps parents get more information about free or low-cost clinics, food pantries and other resources.

Greater Easton Development Partnership sought out $50,000, with Executive Director Jared Mast stating, “CDBG funding has been a core aspect of the program from the jump.”

With GEDP recently shifting to in-house staffing, the funding could provide better coverage for its programming, Mast said.

“The timing was right to bring it in house, and we have a new manager starting on Friday.

"And we’ll get back to the full deployment both in the downtown and the West Ward with the Safe Routes to Schools program attached to the West Ward core territory."

Area jobs, women and children

Rising Tide Community Loan Fund’s Colton Krial requested $10,000 which would provide accessible financing to business owners who find it difficult to obtain cash from traditional lenders.

The organization has provided 335 loans to 274 businesses totaling $12.7 million, leading to creation of at least 423 jobs and the retention of 909 jobs across the Lehigh Valley.

“In the city of Easton, specifically, Rising Tide has provided 27 loans, 13 of which has been dispersed since 2020," Krial said.

"Of those 27 loans, eight have been awarded to [low- to moderate-income] entrepreneurs, and 17 have been awarded to businesses operating in low to moderate income census tracts.

“We have loaned nearly $800,000 to businesses based within City of Easton city limits; $434,000 of those dollars have been loaned since 2020.

"In the past five years, we have seen a significant increase in demand for our services coming from the City of Easton, and for this reason, we believe it appropriate to seek Easton CDBG funds to allow us to expand our capacity and further serve Easton residents.”

Organizations also can request funding for capital improvement projects for their facilities.

Third Street Alliance, for example, sought $35,000 to replace 36 windows and frames at the Bixler Building, which serves as a shelter and childcare center for women and children.

Council is responsible for reviewing applications and submitting recommendations by June 6, with the intent to approve the budget that month.

Zeroing out CDBG

While the total of $1 million in CDBG funding from the federal government appears paltry compared with other expenses, Redevelopment Authority Deputy Director Michael Brett warned council and community groups that nothing is set in stone.

“The current [federal] budget at the Senate now is zeroing out this entire program," Brett said. "So we started this process, obviously in the beginning of the year, well before anything was announced.

"And we're crossing our fingers that this gets amended before the end of the year. But to our applicants and the council, this could potentially be a million dollars that just does not come into the city."

The Trump administration’s proposed discretionary budget blueprint calls for $163 billion in domestic nondefense spending cuts.

That includes elimination of the CDBG program, which provides $3.3 billion to more than 1,200 state and local governments across the country.

The administration has justified that by stating CDBG would be better funded and administered strictly at the state and local level, an untenable option for many communities in need.

'Job going to get harder and harder'

Panto cited threats from Trump directed at California Gov. Gavin Newsom to cut federal funding for the state over a dispute concerning transgender athletes.

That could impact states and cities in need if they do not fall in line with the administration’s philosophy.

“And that's scary," Panto said. "I'm not talking politics; it has nothing to do with ‘D’ or ‘R.’ It has to do with the way the federal government has supported the nation's people, the most needy.

"What you all do, we appreciate all your efforts. Your job is going to get harder and harder.”

Councilman Frank Pintabone said that while city officials still hope “there’s some common sense in Congress,” it may be time to prepare for the worst.

“What we heard tonight is request for $240,000 for programs that service the most vulnerable people in our city," Pintabone said.

"I hope, and I hate to put this on our directors and our staff, but I hope we're looking at alternate ways of funding, because, as the mayor said, this is going to be devastating to not only our city, but every city that's going to lose CDBG.”