Smith-Wade-El, Rivera announce over $4.7 million to support community projects in Lancaster County
Central PA Delegation December 16, 2025 | 11:27 AM
LANCASTER, Dec. 16 – State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both D-Lancaster, today announced the approval of over $4.7 million from the Neighborhood Assistance Program to help low-income people and communities and improve distressed areas in Lancaster County. The funding was approved this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Through NAP, businesses can receive tax credits of up to 95 percent on contributions they make to a qualifying community project.
“Thanks to NAP’s tax credits, our local businesses are investing in projects that will empower residents and energize our communities,” Smith-Wade-El said. “These public-private partnerships will go a long way to helping to address persistent socio-economic problems like the lack of affordable housing, food insecurity, workforce development, blight and public safety in Lancaster.”
“NAP’s tax credits are a game changer for Lancaster County’s businesses and communities,” Rivera said. “They will help build up our communities, which in turn will drive our local economy. I am grateful to the Shapiro administration for its financial support of Lancaster County, and its faith in our future. I will continue to advocate for more dollars to be allocated for Lancaster-based projects.”
The following programs received Charitable Food Program funding:
- $1,864,200 to Blessings of Hope to support its work as a logistics hub serving food-insecure individuals in Lancaster City.
- $13,000 to Power Packs Project to increase its distribution of fresh produce to the 40,000 food-insecure children it serves in Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
- $22,750 to support Water Street Mission’s Outreach Ministries by covering staff salaries, allowing them to serve new visitors and connect families to additional services like food co-ops and financial assistance.
The following programs received Neighborhood Assistance Program funding:
- $6,500 to Bright Side Opportunities Corp.’s SisMantle Tech Program, a six-week paid coding internship for underrepresented high school girls, to provide digital skills, meals and laptops to 30 girls.
- $26,000 to Commission Lancaster to expand staffing to ensure a safe, enriching environment, and combat food insecurity for children.
- $6,500 to Lancaster Redevelopment Fund Inc.’s Clay Street Low-Barrier Emergency Shelter to help it serve 500 clients and help 10% find permanent housing.
The following programs received Neighborhood Partnership Program funding:
- $270,000 to the Spanish American Civic Association to renovate five vacant homes for sale and expand its Tec Centro workforce development program to serve 1,600 individuals and help 300 find employment.
- $209,000 to Tenfold to support its revitalization of Southwest Lancaster by providing a range of affordable housing options. The initiative will create units, offer homebuyer education and financial counseling, and provide eviction prevention support.
- $27,000 to Arch Street Center’s Empowering Lives project to provide vulnerable individuals with mental health and substance use issues with meals, hygiene services, and social support to achieve community reintegration and improve their well-being.
- $180,000 to ASSETS to enhance accessibility for visitors and residents to foster inclusivity, increase visibility of entrepreneurs and city attributes, and boost local economic opportunities across all neighborhoods in Lancaster.
- $90,000 to Bench Mark Program for the launch of its evidence-based drug prevention program for high-risk youth in Lancaster.
- $85,500 to Chestnut Housing Corp. to construct 11 affordable apartments for housing insecure families and a community office to address the Lancaster’s housing shortage.
- $150,750 to Community Basics Inc. to renovate Oyster Point Apartments to create permanent supportive housing for homeless adults with disabilities, offering services like case management and financial literacy to help them achieve stability.
- $251,550 to Hope Served Incorporated to transform a historic church in Manheim into a Workforce Development Hub.
- $40,500 to the Housing Development Corp. MidAtlantic to convert a former pavilion into 49 affordable apartments, with 13 reserved for homeless households.
- $479,250 to Lancaster Area Habitat for Humanity to build an eight-unit affordable housing structure on Wheatland Avenue for low- to moderate-income families, promoting homeownership, financial literacy and neighborhood revitalization.
- $13,500 to Mental Health America of Lancaster County to expand its School-Based Mental Health Education and Support program. The project will provide education to 300 students and 35 staff, aiming to reduce stigma and improve mental health literacy.
- $22,500 to Reach Out and Read Inc. to distribute 3,800 new books to 1,900 children and train clinicians to help close the literacy gap and support school readiness.
- $526,500 to Spanish American Civic Association Lancaster to renovate five vacant homes for low-income, first-time homebuyers and provide workforce development, adult education and job placement for 1,500 residents.
- $148,500 to Tenfold to provide financial and housing counseling to 680 low-income residents in Lancaster. The program will help households prevent eviction and foreclosure, increase financial literacy, and achieve long-term goals like homeownership.
- $183,597 to Tenfold to renovate its 115-year-old shelter in Lancaster to prevent the loss of services for 200 homeless people annually. The project will replace all plumbing systems and use trauma-informed painting to create a more healing environment for residents.
- $9,000 Water Street Mission’s Health Services to provide free healthcare to uninsured and homeless individuals in Lancaster County. The project will expand dental and behavioral health services, aiming for 100 dental visits per month and more new behavioral health patients.
- $122,625 to YWCA Lancaster to help build two of 16 residential units at Kepler Hall, part of its YForward Affordable Housing Initiative. The project will expand low-income housing and help combat rising poverty and housing shortages for underserved community members.
The NAP has five main components: Neighborhood Assistance Program, Special Program Priorities, the Neighborhood Partnership Program, Charitable Food Program, and the Enterprise Zone Program. More information is available on the NAP impact brochure.