EASTON, Pa. — After months of evaluations and looming doubts over whether the cash will come through, Easton City Council on Wednesday approved $1 million in Community Development Block Grants.
Meeting at the Easton Area Neighborhood Center, council quickly approved grant allotments for community organizations and the city.
The ever-present concern that CDBG funds may not come through remained.
Council heard public presentations from grant applicants at its May 28 meeting and, along with the Department of Public Works and other administration members awarded money for just about all those who applied.
“We ultimately did tell them also that if for some reason this funding does not come through, we will help them identify alternative resources, whether it's state, local or other federal resources that we can bring into play to help with their projects."Easton Department of Public Works Director John Kingsley
City Public Works Director John Kingsley said the process takes months of work, starting with a meeting among previous recipients of CDBG grants.
An online meeting also is held for those considering applying for the grants.
“Often we do make allocations for almost all of the applicants," KIngsley said. "A lot of them are repeats, but they're all very important projects.
"Our nonprofit community supports the City of Easton. It really supports this community, and we want to support them.”
Grant recipients
Grants were allocated to:
- Community Action Committee Lehigh Valley (Generation Next): $8,000
- Community Bike Works (Easton Earn a Bike): $9,000
- Family Connections of Easton (Parent-Child Home Program): $9,000
- Greater Easton Development Partnership (Ambassador Program): $47,000
- ProJeCt of Easton (Student Success): $8,000
- Rising Tide (Community Loan Fund): $7,000
- The Neighborhood Center (Case Management Services): $9,000
- Third Street Alliance (36 single-paned windows): $30,000
The city also allocated CDBG funding to:
- Police (Community Crime Prevention): $37,000
- Department of Public Works (Road Reconstruction): $85,000
- Code Enforcement (Blight and property maintenance inspections): $85,307
- Program Administration: $180,047
- Property Acquisition and Rehabilitation: $222,916
- Blight Demolition: $213,000
- Disposition: $50,000.
'We will help them'
Councilman Frank Pintabone said the organizations assisting the most vulnerable residents are always a priority.
But Pintabone said their ability to continue is up in the air with potential elimination of the CDBG program.
President Donald Trump’s 2026 “skinny budget” calls for the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant program, along with the HOME Investment Partnerships program, both of which have been deemed critical resources to communities across the nation.
"If, for some reason, this funding does not come through, we will help them identify alternative resources, whether it's state, local or other federal resources that we can bring into play to help with their projects."Easton Public Works Director John Kingsley
“We know for the ‘26 budget, it's on the chopping block," PIntabone said. "We saw the documentation was proposed. The funds are on the chopping block. The program’s on the block to go.
"I'm praying that it doesn't happen, because our nonprofits service, again, the most vulnerable people, and we need these funds, so we're operating with the hope that it doesn't get done."
Kingsley also recognized the potential for program cuts. He said the city would work with organizations to help ensure they can locate at least some funding if federal money falls through.
“We made it clear during the application process the potential that this funding may not ever be released, so they want to manage their expectations early," Kingsley said.
"So that they understood the circumstances that they were dealing with.
“We ultimately did tell them also that if, for some reason, this funding does not come through, we will help them identify alternative resources, whether it's state, local or other federal resources that we can bring into play to help with their projects.
"We will use our grant writing activities or resource development activities to try to help.”
