Penn Hills officials approve Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships

Penn Hills will spend $839,599 in federal grants to fund community groups, pave roads and provide programs for seniors and homeowners, among other initiatives.

On April 17, council approved the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2023.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development awards these funds to entitlement communities, such as Penn Hills, to benefit low- and moderate-income residents and address urgent community development needs. Municipalities that benefit from these programs must outline their spending plans in an annual report to the agency.

Penn Hills received $674,064 in CDBG funds and $35,000 from homeowners repaying loans as part of its CDBG-funded housing rehabilitation program. The municipality gained another $130,495 through the HOME program — about $20,000 more than anticipated.

“We’ve been getting around the same allocation maybe for the last 10 years,” planning director Chris Blackwell said. “We’re satisfied, and we look forward to these projects and the things that we’re doing this year.”

Approximately 15% of the CDBG money will go towards public services, the maximum allowed by HUD. The following organizations received funding:

Lincoln Park Community Center Food Pantry, $10,000

Jefferson Manor Food Pantry, $10,000

Penn Hills Services Association, $30,000

Western Penn Hills Community Action, $20,000

Ruth’s Way, $5,000

Housing Counseling Services, $30,000

These allocations remain largely the same from previous years, despite more organizations seeking funding than usual, according to Blackwell.

“Everyone is looking to find some sort of funding, but CDBG has so many strings that it’s not appropriate for those projects,” Blackwell said.

Of the remaining funds, $220,000 will go towards street reconstruction, a process that Blackwell said results in a longer lasting surface than a standard street paving.

Another $114,064 will pay for the demolition of unsafe and deteriorated structures through the municipality.

In response to a previous HUD assessment that found several barriers to access, $50,000 will fund accessibility improvements at the William McKinley Center, Senior Service Center and other public facilities.

Penn Hills will use another $40,000 for its home rehabilitation program, which provides low-interest loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners for improvements to their property.

An additional $10,000 will go towards a similar program for low-income seniors, plus $10,000 for the installation of handrails.

The Senior Service Center, William McKinely Center and the Multi-Purpose Center were each allocated $20,000 for improvements. The remaining $100,000 is set aside for program administration expenses, such as consulting costs, salaries and office supplies.

Council also approved an amendment to the 2019 CDBG action plan, allocating $40,000 in pandemic-related funds for ventilation improvements to the senior center’s kitchen, though Blackwell said he expects the project to clock in around $26,000.

For the preparation of future HUD documents, council voted to retain the consulting services of Urban Design Ventures.