Governor Josh Shapiro recently approved $36 million through the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) to improve distressed areas and revitalize communities.

The Dauphin County project is one of 261 NAP awards across the Commonwealth, reinforcing the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to improve quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Deputy Secretary of Community Affairs and Development Rick Vilello announced the Shapiro Administration’s $11,000 investment in Harrisburg during a recent tour of Wildheart Ministries, which will use a recently announced Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) award to help revitalize the Allison Hill area of Harrisburg.

The $11,000 NAP award will be used by Wildheart Ministries to assist with its “Love the Hill” project, which aims to remove an estimated 250,000 pounds of trash in a 23-block area, secure and install crime prevention measures at abandoned buildings, repair five residential porches, and more. Slated to begin in June 2024, the project will serve approximately 626 families in the Allison Hill district of Harrisburg.

“The Shapiro Administration is working to strengthen our neighborhoods because we know that vibrant communities are essential to our growth as a Commonwealth,” said Deputy Secretary Vilello. “The Neighborhood Assistance Program is one of the important tools we use to strengthen communities across Pennsylvania. This award will help Wildheart Ministries clean up and revitalize Allison Hill, and make the area a better place to live, work and play for the citizens of Harrisburg.”

The award to Wildheart Ministries is being made through the Neighborhood Assistance Program category of the NAP, which targets distressed areas or support neighborhood conservation. Projects must fall under one of the following categories: affordable housing programs, community services, crime prevention, education, job training or neighborhood assistance. A tax credit of up to 55% can be awarded.

“We’ve spent the last ten years advocating for a better future for our neighbors, and we’d like to thank the Shapiro Administration and the Neighborhood Assistance Program for their help in fulfilling that vision,” said Tannon Herman, Director of Wildheart Ministries. “We are eager to continue to prove the tangible difference investments like this can make within Allison Hill, and the ‘Love the Hill’ project has been such a key demonstration of those results. We look forward to improving the quality of life for all the residents of this incredible community by continuing to promote a safe, clean and beautiful neighborhood.”

Of the 261 organizations and developers receiving awards through NAP, 34 community investments are being made in the Central Pennsylvania region.

The NAP has five main components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), Special Program Priorities (SPP), the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP), Charitable Food Program (CFP), and the Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). More information is available on the NAP Fact Sheet.

For more information about the Neighborhood Assistance Program or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov, 717.783.1116

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