Sainato: $850,000 awarded to fund veteran housing, fight blight

Rep. Christopher Sainato    June 10, 2021 | 5:01 PM

NEW CASTLE, June 10 – State grants totaling $850,000 will support veterans facing mental health issues and help Lawrence County fight blight, state Rep. Chris Sainato, D-Lawrence, announced today.

Sainato said the funding – administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency through the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund – will go in part to help those who have sacrificed the most for the community.

“Veterans have paid some heavy prices for their service, and some continue to live with post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues,” said Sainato, Democratic chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. “Part of the funding awarded today will be used to help renovate a former Red Cross Building into a Fairweather Lodge for veterans with mental health needs. It’s hard to imagine a better investment than one that promises to bring hope to those who have sacrificed so much for the rest of us.”

Sainato said additional funding will support community revitalization by allowing the county to continue with successful efforts to clear localized blight.

The grants include:

  • $250,000 to Human Service Center for the Veterans Fairweather Lodge Program.
  • $400,000 to the Lawrence County Department of Planning and Community Development for its blight removal program.
  • $200,000 to the Redevelopment Authority of Lawrence County for its blight removal program.

Funding for all three grants comes from the Realty Transfer Tax. More information on the grants is available here.
 

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