Samuelson announces awards totaling $850,000 in Statewide LSA funding for Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, ArtsQuest
Rep. Steve Samuelson September 15, 2026 | 3:33 PM
HARRISBURG, Sept. 15 – State Rep. Steve Samuelson, D-Northampton, today announced that two Bethlehem nonprofits will be beneficiaries of $850,000 in state funding through the Statewide Local Share Account grant program.
“I am thrilled to announce an additional $500,000 in funding for Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering (BES). This is in addition to the $313,608 grant awarded in May, and the additional $1.75 million they were awarded through the governor’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program in July. All of these dollars will be utilized to provide a year-round sheltering option for our most vulnerable citizens.”
The total project cost for renovations is nearly $6 million; this latest award brings BES very close to their overall funding goal, complete with matching funds they have secured, and will allow them to move forward with engineering and construction. The shelter, located at Christ Church UCC on Market Street, currently operates from November through April; clients of the program are unable to utilize assistance for more than half the year.
“Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is grateful to Rep. Samuelson for obtaining this additional funding, which will further BES' efforts to expand emergency sheltering operations. The city of Bethlehem will be managing the funding and the project, making this a unique partnership between the city, Christ Church UCC and BES. Fulfillment of this needed project will offer hope to our most vulnerable neighbors with emergency sheltering and working with our street neighbors over the entire year to secure permanent housing,” remarked the Rev. Canon Rodney Conn, BES board chair.
A second $350,000 Statewide LSA grant was approved for ArtsQuest to purchase and install commercial kitchen equipment as part of their conversion of the former Bethlehem Steel Turn & Grind Shop space. The 14,000 square foot venue will be a multipurpose space for the performing arts, presenting both programming and rental space for community members and entrepreneurs.
The grants were approved today by the Commonwealth Financing Authority. The Local Share Account Programs were created through the Pennsylvania Racehorse Development and Gaming Act (Act 71 of 2004), which provides for the distribution of gaming revenue through the CFA to support projects in the public interest within the state.