Hill-Evans announces over $4.5M in state and federal funding for low-income housing initiatives and domestic violence shelters
Rep. Carol Hill-Evans August 17, 2020 | 9:39 AM
HARRISBURG, Aug. 17 – State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York, announced $4,553,479 in total funding initiatives through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency that would go towards local homeless prevention, low incoming housing, and domestic violence shelters.
Funding was awarded through the PHFA board in cooperation with Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement.
“This amount of money will lead to a huge development project that will ultimately create low-income housing that our homeless population has a better chance of affording when they do start to get back on their feet,” Hill-Evans said. “We have seen during this pandemic just how critical these resources are, and I’m happy to see such an investment to improve the lives of some of the less fortunate in our district. In addition to this, funding will go to services to help our seniors stay in their homes, as well funding for the YWCA of York, which is the only provider of free services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in York County. These funds are crucial to keep these nonprofit services running and to keep up with demand during these difficult times.”
The funding is awarded as follows:
- Homes at Thackston Park II: $1.25M in tax credits, $1.7M awarded from PennHOMES, and $1.1M in PHARE/HTF funding. This would go towards the new construction of 17 buildings consisting of four one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, 26 three-bedroom, four four-bedroom, and two five-bedroom units for general occupancy. Thirty units will have Section 8 housing, and there will be six accessible units. This development is estimated to be a total of 75,961 square feet.
- Community Progress Council: $31,710 in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. This is a continuation of a previous award to help prevent foreclosure on seniors 62 or older who are delinquent on taxes. These seniors are assisted financially and with certified HUD counseling to resolve the delinquency and develop a sustainable budget to support property taxes in the future. This includes creating an action plan with regular counseling appointments.
- CIS of PA York City Community of Hope: $75,000 in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. These funds will be used to provide financial support and stabilize families in order to provide well-being for the children, their families and even individuals in the Hannah Penn neighborhood.
- The Young Women’s Christian Association of York: $100,000 in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. This grant will fund renovations to the 24-hour emergency shelter, including updates to the first-floor bathroom to increase privacy and accessibility. Major renovations will also be made to the kitchen and dining area to allow for a space to promote healing as a family.
- Bell Socialization Services: $100,000 in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. The Next Door Program is a hub of York County’s Coordinated Assessment process. The program acts as a direct service agency for 80% of the rapid re-housing rental assistance and eviction prevention funds that come into the community through HUD’s Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grant funding streams. This Next Door Program is also the recipient of the Homeless Assistance Program funding through the state.
- Valley Youth House: $21,000 in PHARE/Realty Transfer Tax funds. York County Rapid Re-Housing for Adults provides emergency transitional housing, rental assistance, life skills instruction, counseling, and other services to homeless youth. The goal is to achieve long-term stability and housing. These funds will help prepare this population deal with their histories of trauma and abuse, as well as lack of family resources that have led them to homelessness.
- York Habitat for Humanity: $150,000 in PHARE/Marcellus Shale funds. These funds will be used to construct six new, affordable and safe homes for low- and moderate-income families in York County. These families will partner with York Habitat by taking financial and budgeting classes. Each Habitat family will have a mortgage which will include no fees, no interest, and will never be more than 30% of that family’s income. Ten homes in the area will also receive critical home repairs.
For more information, contact Hill-Evans office at (717) 848-9595.
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