BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded local municipalities and counties nearly $12 million in grants for the upcoming fiscal year.
- Allentown, Bethlehem, and Lehigh and Northampton counties received $11.7 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- The grants include Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships Program grants and Emergency Solutions grants
- The funds are designed to help build "decent housing, suitable living environments, and expand economic opportunities to the most vulnerable."
“Viable communities must promote integrated approaches to develop decent housing, suitable living environments, and expand economic opportunities to the most vulnerable,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in a release.
“These funds allow communities to address their unique needs by prioritizing what matters most to their residents and letting them own their investments in community development through these important federal resources.”
CDBG 2022 by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
The annual grants are determined by complex formulas that account for things such as population size and housing needs in the area.
Four Lehigh Valley grantees include the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem and Lehigh and Northampton counties.
The largest grant across the board was the Community Development Block Grants, used to “develop stronger, more resilient communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income people,” according to the release.
Awards include:
- Allentown, $2,302,461
- Bethlehem, $1,416,201
- Lehigh County, $1,247,023
- Northampton County, $2,145,924
Up to 20% of the CDBG funds can be used for administrative purposes, with up to 15% of the remainder used for public services. The rest is used for construction and infrastructure.
Lehigh County provided a list of what projects were funded using CDBG grants in 2022.
2022 CDBG Awards Lehigh County by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
All four communities also received HOME Investment Partnerships Program, or HOME, grants.
HOME is the primary Federal tool of States and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low-income families.
HOME funds a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people.
“HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing."<br/>U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development release
“HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing,” according to the release.
HOME funds distributions include:
- Allentown, $1,176,545
- Bethlehem, $455,213
- Lehigh County, $574,620
- Northampton County, $726,227
Bethlehem combined its document listing projects funded by CDBG and HOME grants.
2022 Projects City of Bethlehem by LVNewsdotcom on Scribd
Allentown and Northampton County also received $197,386 and $190,766, respectively, in Emergency Solutions Grants, which the release says “provides funds for homeless shelters, assists in the operation of local shelters, and funds related social service and homeless prevention programs."
Allentown was the only Lehigh Valley recipient of Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS funds, receiving $629,087. The HOPWA program “provides stable and permanent housing assistance and supportive services to low-income people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus .”
For more information about the grants, go to hud.gov.
