Category: COVID-19

Homelessness prevention grants open to Kelly Township residents

Homelessness prevention grants open to Kelly Township residents

Posted on by DNS Admin

Residents at risk of losing their housing in Kelly Township may be eligible to receive assistance to prevent homelessness.

The Resident Subsistence Program is being offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support hard-hit residents. The grants can be used to pay rent or mortgage payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure and utility payments to prevent cutoff.

Each eligible family may receive funding for up to three consecutive months of assistance, paid directly to the mortgage holder, landlord, or utility company on their behalf. Funds will not be given directly to families. Assistance is available for up to 100 days per family.

Applicants must be at risk of losing their housing and must provide documentation of it. Assistance can be made to families whose income is at or below the HOME/PART 5 income limits for Union County at the time of application. Applicants must complete an income verification interview to qualify for this program.

While there is no deadline to apply, the program is on a first-come, first-serve basis and ends when the funds are spent.

The program is funded with a total of $25,000 available from Union County on-behalf-of Kelly Township entitlement Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV).

Kelly Township residents may contact the Union-Snyder Community Action Agency (USCAA) or the Salvation Army to apply. Each organization is managing an assistance program on behalf of Kelly Township. Assistance can only be given by one organization or the other.

For more information or to set up an appointment to apply, Kelly Township residents may contact one of the following organizations:

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is administering the CDBG funds and ensuring compliance.

SEDA-COG’s Community Development program administers 14 CDBG contracts for 28 communities. Over 35 years, the program has secured $120 billion for over 1,000 projects with its 12 dedicated staff.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

Übersetzer sind für die öffentliche Sitzung auf Anfrage erhältlich

Traductores estarán disponibles en las reunions públicas por petición.

Homelessness prevention grant open to Union County

Homelessness prevention grant open to Union County

Posted on by DNS Admin

Residents at risk of losing their housing in Union County municipalities, excluding Lewisburg Borough and Kelly Township, may be eligible to receive assistance to prevent homelessness.

The Resident Subsistence Program is being offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support hard-hit residents and is funded with a Union County entitlement Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV).

The grants can be used to pay rent or mortgage payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure and utility payments to prevent cutoff.

Applications are now being accepted. While there is no deadline to apply, the program is on a first-come, first-serve basis and ends when the funds are spent.

Each eligible family may receive funding for up to three consecutive months of assistance, paid directly to the mortgage holder, landlord, or utility company on their behalf. Funds will not be given directly to families. Assistance is available for up to 100 days per family.

Applicants must be at risk of losing their housing and must provide documentation of it. Assistance can be made to families whose income is at or below the HOME/PART 5 income limits for Union County at the time of application. Applicants must complete an income verification interview to qualify for this program.

The Union-Snyder Community Action Agency will provide the grants to Union County- residents, as allocated by Union County. The agency is managing the program on behalf of the county. SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is administering the CDBG funds and ensuring compliance.

For more information or to set up an appointment to apply, Union County residents may contact the Union-Snyder Community Action Agency by visiting union-snydercaa.org/housing-assistance  to download and print an application or call 570-374-0181 option 3.

While this grant is not available to Kelly Township residents, there are separate grants available for Kelly Township residents. Kelly Township residents may contact one of the following organizations:

SEDA-COG’s Community Development program administers 14 CDBG contracts for 28 communities. Over 35 years, the program has secured $120 billion for over 1,000 projects with its 12 dedicated staff.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

Traductores estarán disponibles en las reunions públicas por petición.

Übersetzer sind für die öffentliche Sitzung auf Anfrage erhältlich

COVID relief grant for hospitality businesses opens March 15

COVID relief grant for hospitality businesses opens March 15

Posted on by DNS Admin

A new COVID relief grant for eligible for-profit hospitality industry businesses opens for applications today, March 15.

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is urging businesses to apply as soon as possible for the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) grants since funds may be quickly exhausted.

For-profit hospitality businesses can apply at the Community Giving Foundation’s website at https://csgiving.org/chirp/ from March 15, 2021 until the funds are exhausted or June 15, 2021.

Grants will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and the funds will alleviate revenue losses and pay eligible operating expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEDA-COG has contracted with 10 of its member counties to manage a total of $7.3 million in grants on their behalf. SEDA-COG will receive the applications and determine eligibility and grant amounts. SEDA-COG also will disburse the funds to awarded businesses.

Mike Fisher, SEDA-COG assistant executive director, said SEDA-COG is honored to partner with its counties on this effort to help the local hospitality industry.

“We are honored to be able to further assist our counties in this way. We know that the economic effects of the pandemic have crippled our local hospitality industry, so we trust this will alleviate some of that pain. This pandemic has left gaping holes of need and we are here to help our communities and businesses meet those needs,” Fisher said.

Eligible hospitality industry businesses must be for-profit businesses which include hotels, restaurants, bars, and taverns. These businesses must fall within eligible industry codes which include the Accommodations subsector NAICS code (721) or Food Services and Drinking Places subsector (722) found here: https://www.naics.com/search/

Eligibility includes, but is not limited to, having fewer than 300 full-time employees; a net worth that does not exceed $15 million; a 25% reduction in gross receipts in 2020 compared to 2019; and be located within Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, or Union counties.

Priority will be given to businesses that did not already receive COVID relief funds; that were subject to closure following the disaster emergency declared by Gov. Tom Wolf on March 6, 2020; or had more than a 50% reduction in gross receipts from March 31, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019. For a full listing of eligibility requirements and prioritization guidelines, visit www.csgiving.org/chirp.

The grant program was created from Act 1 of 2021, which was passed Feb. 5. Statewide, it provides $145 million in funding assistance to the hospitality industry businesses adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). 

For more information, contact SEDA-COG Grants Manager Betsy Lockwood at 570-522-7265 or elockwood@seda-cog.org.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

Small business assistance grant open to Centre County businesses

Small business assistance grant open to Centre County businesses

Posted on by DNS Admin

Small businesses with five or less employees, including owners, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in Centre County may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 to assist in economic recovery.

The Small Business Assistance Grant Program is being offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support hard-hit businesses and is funded with a $43,300 entitlement Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act (CDBG-CV).

Eligible businesses must be located within the physical boundaries of Centre County, excluding State College and Bellefonte Borough, and be able to document negative impacts of the COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

The grants can be used to pay utility payments, rent/mortgage payments, payroll, inventory and supplies, and marketing/advertising costs as relief for the negative impacts COVID-19 has had on the business. Applicants are required to declare all other programs and awards they have received in response to the coronavirus to ensure there will be no duplication of benefits.

Applications can be found on the CBICC website, at http://bit.ly/3cjBqW3.

Applications will be accepted from March 15 through March 24. Awards will be made between May 3 and May 5.

Vern Squier, president and CEO, Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC), said the CBICC will provide oversight for application review and financial underwriting of the grant project, to Centre County businesses, as allocated by the Centre County commissioners.

“On behalf of the small businesses in Centre County, we want to thank the county commissioners for providing needed resources,” Squier said.
SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is administering the CDBG funds and ensuring grant compliance.

For more information, Centre County businesses may contact the CBICC at 814-234-1829 or grants@cbicc.org.

SEDA-COG’s Community Development program administers 14 CDBG contracts for 28 communities. Over 35 years, the program has secured $120 billion for over 1,000 projects with its 12 dedicated staff.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.