State Rep. Bob Freeman

Freeman has introduced legislation aimed at addressing the findings from a Joint State Government Commission study on homelessness in Pennsylvania, while also providing a pathway for communities across the commonwealth to turn blighted properties into affordable housing options - impacting an estimated 15,000 Pennsylvanians experiencing homelessness (either being on the streets, doubled up with family or friends, or in shelters) on any given day. H.B. 960 would expand the powers of land banks to enter into partnerships with organizations in the private sector to create local solutions to address the lack of housing for the homeless population within their community and exempt all land bank transactions from both state and local realty transfer taxes. House Bill 961 would expand the eligibility criteria of the Neighborhood Assistance Program to include homeless housing assistance programs or projects among the eligible activities and uses of contributions under the program.

State Rep. Steve Samuelson

Samuelson has announced the recent award of $312,567 in state funding for local EMS, law enforcement and recreation projects and $300,000 for blight remediation in the 135th Legislative District. The following local projects are receiving state funding through grants approved by the Commonwealth Finance Authority: $300,000 – City of Bethlehem - The Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority was awarded Blight Remediation Program funds for three blight remediation projects located in the city. Funds will be used for renovations, demolition, environmental cleanup, permitting, acquisition, site preparation and administrative costs.

$160,000 – City of Bethlehem to purchase maintenance equipment for the Bethlehem municipal golf course. The funding will pay for lawn maintenance and upkeep.

$85,120 – Bethlehem Township – The Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Co. Emergency Medical Services to purchase a replacement AED defibrillator and stretcher.

$67,447 – Bethlehem Township to purchase a 2020 F-150 Police Responder with K-9 upgrades and equipment for the Bethlehem Township Police Department.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority was established in 2004 as an independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development and holds fiduciary responsibility over the funding of programs and investments made through several state grant programs. The grants awarded were funded through the Blight Remediation Program and the Local Share Account (Northampton and Lehigh counties) authorized under the Gaming Act. Samuelson worked with state Sen. Lisa Boscola on the grants for Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township.

State Rep. Susan Wild

More than $1 million for a local Head Start and Early Head Start program grants has been secured as part of the American Rescue Plan. The additional funding will provide essential support for the Community Services for Children (CSC) program of the Lehigh Valley – which provides safe, high-quality services for families and children aged 5 and under. CSC says it will use the grant funding to improve safety measures, install essential updates, purchase early education online materials and increase mental health services for children and adults experiencing stress and trauma. The addition of hardware and software for online learning will provide programming for about 200 at-risk preschoolers this summer.

Rep. Wild has co-sponsored the Small Business Child Care Investment Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would make nonprofit child care providers that are small businesses eligible to participate in all loan programs available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) – the same opportunity currently provided to for-profit providers –thereby supporting these small businesses in expanding the availability of affordable, high-quality child care to more working families. The Small Business Child Care Investment Act would:

• Ensure that qualified nonprofit providers have equal access to SBA loans that allow providers to invest in and expand their operations, which creates local jobs and gives working families more options for affordable and quality child care;

• Ensure nonprofit providers can access the larger and more flexible loan programs that can be used for real estate, construction, remodeling, and other expenses critical to maintaining and expanding high-quality child care operations.

Wild announced $86 million in emergency funding for colleges, universities and students in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District under the American Rescue Plan. The funding will help local institutions cope with the severe financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue serving their students safely. At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness, and other hardships. The colleges and universities in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District receiving funding under the American Rescue Plan include: Cedar Crest College: $4,004,246; DeSales University: $5,375,059; East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania: $17,986,414; Lafayette College: $3,539,175; Lehigh Carbon Community College: $13,961,295; Lehigh University: $9,244,359; Moravian College: $5,407,348; Muhlenberg College: $4,130,892; Northampton Community College: $22,546,003; Pennsylvania State University: $150,013,876

Wild introduced the Regional Innovation Act of 2021 July 21, bipartisan legislation to bolster American technology leadership by creating new regional hubs of innovation. The bill would incentivize collaborative partnerships between local governments, colleges and universities, private industry, nonprofits, and community organizations to promote and support regional technology hubs in places like the Greater Lehigh Valley. This legislation will promote regional innovation hubs by directing the Secretary of Commerce to support eligible consortia in the development and implementation of regional innovation strategies with grants and awards.