Federal funding will be used to support people with disabilities, seniors and children
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is announcing the inclusion of community project funding for six projects around the Lehigh Valley in the Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Appropriations bills. Senator Casey advocated for each of the projects to be included in the appropriations subcommittee bills. FY2022 marked the first time in a decade that Congress sent federal dollars directly to community projects across the Nation.
“I am proud to advance this vital funding for projects that will invest programs supporting people with disabilities and nursing home residents, as well as a historical preservation program in Bethlehem. Communities across the Lehigh Valley will benefit from these investments, from supporting economic development in Bethlehem to ensuring first responders have the training they need to support people with disabilities in crisis situations,” said Senator Casey. “As the Senate advances these spending bills, I will fight to ensure the federal government invests in our Commonwealth.”
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee released the 12 subcommittee bills today. The bills will have to be passed in the Senate and then will enter a period of review with appropriations bills from the House of Representatives. Once both the Senate and House agree to legislative text, they will be sent to the President for his signature and enactment into law.
| Recipient | Funding Amount | Project | County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilities in Motion | $20,000 | This funding will support disability/sensitivity training for all first responders in Berks County. This training will provide local first responders with first-hand appropriate education with regards to what it means to be a person with a disability, how first responders can become more adept at the appropriate language with regards to speaking with individuals with many different disabilities ranging from autism, behavioral health, intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities. | Berks |
| Allentown Housing Authority | $2,000,000 | The project will provide 50 new high-quality affordable housing units to the local community in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This will be part of the 100-unit redevelopment of the existing Little Lehigh public housing complex. | Lehigh |
| Jewish Family Services of the Lehigh Valley | $115,000 | The project will address barriers of systemic social exclusion of adults with disabilities through a program focused on in-person and weekly events to enhance participants quality of life. | Lehigh |
| County of Lehigh | $525,000 | This project will support the construction of a new wing of the Cedarbrook Senior Care & Rehab in Allentown, a county-run nursing home that primarily serves seniors on Medicaid. This new wing will enable the facility to reduce room occupancy and add private bathrooms to each room. This project will allow low-income seniors to age in dignity and greater comfort. | Lehigh |
| Historic Bethlehem Museum | $500,000 | This project will support the restoration of the Colonial Industrial Quarter, part of Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District and home to the 1762 Waterworks, an individually listed National Historic Landmark. | Northampton |
| Ashland Area Municipal Authority | $416,000 | This project will replace a vulnerable waterline prone to leaks and breaks that runs beneath a critical roadway that serves as an access point to local public schools. It will also prevent water loss and lower the currently significant costs of frequent repairs. | Schuylkill |
