BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Lehigh Valley organizations will receive more than $2 million in the first round of Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) funding from the state.
The program seeks to "assist low-income individuals and improve distressed areas in Pennsylvania communities," a release from the Department of Community and Economic Development said.
It also provides tax credits to businesses that contribute to nonprofits that aim to "revitalize communities."
"The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing to strengthen Pennsylvania’s communities. These projects, along with this year’s doubling of the Neighborhood Assistance Program, will have a tremendous positive impact on individuals and neighborhoods across our Commonwealth,” DCED Secretary Rick Siger said in a news release. "When local communities are healthy and vibrant, Pennsylvania thrives."
"When local communities are healthy and vibrant, Pennsylvania thrives."Secretary Rick Siger
Initially, funding to 185 projects throughout the state would amount to $36 million, but the 2024-25 state budget upped that total to $72 million.
Of those 185 projects, 20 are in the greater Lehigh Valley region — which includes Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties. Half of those are in the heart of Lehigh and Northampton counties.
The 20 projects amount to a regional total of $4,981,915.
Projects are broken up into several categories: Charitable Food Program (CFP), Enterprise Zone Program (EZP), Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) and Special Priorities Program (SPP).
In Northampton County:
- $435,500 will go toward Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast PA. The CFP project description says the funds will "support our goal of sourcing and distributing enough food to provide 15 million nourishing meals to our community."
- ArtsQuest received $150,000 to go toward its "state-of-the-art Cultural Center" at the site of the Banana Factory Arts Center. The NPP project will expand outreach, the local economy, encourage tourism, and serve underrepresented communities, according to its description.
- The Southside Tomorrow, under the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem, also received funding for an NPP project. The project was awarded $308,750 to address "housing affordability, community engagement and representation, and access to green space and recreational outlets."
- Also in Bethlehem, Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley received $99,000. Funding for the SPP program will benefit over 3,000 residents and provide 10,000 meals to low-income individuals.
- $95,000 will help fund the West Ward Community Initiative in Easton. Another NNP project seeks to "revitalize the West Ward," by contracting Easton Ambassadors for litter removal, graffiti cleanup, safety patrols and environmental promotion to improve the quality of life throughout the area.
- Community Action Lehigh Valley will use $152,000 "to address the distress situation in the Slate Belt region in Northampton," specifically in Bangor, Pen Argyl, Portland and Wind Gap.
In Lehigh County:
- Fourteenth Ave. Holdings received $172,990 for its EZP project to renovate the vacant industrial building at 861 14th Ave. in Bethlehem. It will lease the renovated building to Bethlehem Business Forms which will relocate there.
- The Community Action Development Corporation of Allentown will use $617,500 to offer a range of youth development and community engagement activities in the city. This is an NPP project.
- Also in Allentown, $142,500 will help Ripple Community Inc. to expand housing options, support "community ownership in housing," and foster "community connectedness and pathways to economic mobility." This is also an NPP project.
- Da Vinci Science Center's SPP project will put $306,000 toward staffing for Fab Lab and Mobile Fab Lab programs, with professional development from the Carnegie Science Center.
These 10 local projects amount to $2,519,240 — over half of the $4,981,915 awarded to the greater Lehigh Valley region.
A second round of applications for the funding opens from Sept. 9 through Oct. 25.
