Harrisburg, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced today a series of upcoming public engagement activities to support the development of the agency’s 2024-2028 Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development (Consolidated Plan). The Consolidated Plan will help DCED assess its affordable housing and community development needs, market conditions, and make data-driven investment decisions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires a new state Consolidated Plan every five years.

“Public feedback on the plan is crucial in helping DCED better allocate funds to address the most critical needs within Pennsylvania’s communities,” said Secretary Siger. “This valuable input will help DCED outline its funding strategy for housing and community development for the next five years.”

Community engagement activities will include:

• Public Meetings — Beginning July 11, 2023, public meetings will be held throughout the state to gather input from local government officials, grant administrators, and interested members of the public.
• Stakeholder Survey — Individuals who are unable to attend the public meetings are encouraged to use the stakeholder survey to share feedback regarding how DCED should prioritize the focus of the federal community development and housing programs.

The Consolidated Plan identifies the housing, community development, homelessness, public service, and economic development needs of the non-entitled municipalities of the Commonwealth. It establishes goals and objectives in addressing those needs and charts the course for expenditure of housing and community development funds over a period of five years in resolving the needs.

The Consolidated Plan is required by HUD for the Commonwealth to receive federal funding for the following programs:

• CDBG-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program
  Supplemental funding resulting from Presidentially declared disasters made available to assist recovery in the areas determined to be most impacted and distressed.
• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program — Grants for affordable housing, community facilities, infrastructure improvements, public services and planning studies.
• Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) Program — Grants to provide emergency assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and help them quickly regain stability in permanent housing.
• HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program — Grants to implement local housing strategies to increase affordable housing opportunities for low- and very low-income families.
• Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA) Program — Provides funds for housing assistance and supportive services to meet the needs of low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
• National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) — Provides funds for the construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of rental homes and for homeownership for extremely low- and very low-income families, including homeless families.

For more information about the Consolidated Plan and the upcoming community engagement activities or DCED, visit the the DCED Housing and Development Consolidated Plan or DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes

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