Food Security $50 million The Senate Democrats’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic remains focused on helping working people, families and Pennsylvania’s small businesses. Housing Assistance $100 million ... $150 million for rent relief and $ ... Pennsylvania could have to return the disputed funds,” he told Spotlight PA. If the areas we’ve identified end up with sufficient federal funds to complete the task, we may re-consider our priorities and re-direct funds to areas that have additional need. Mental Health Programs $15 million. Pittsburgh, PA - September 15, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today announced the award of $1,654,233 in cultural grants for the 43rd senatorial district. 123 Wyoming Ave. 4th Floor Scranton, PA 18503. CAADC can be reached at (610) 874-8451. Ed Mahon of Spotlight PA contributed to this report. Pennsylvania barely spent one-third of $175 million rent and mortgage relief funds through CARES Act money, despite applications from hundreds of thousands of tenants and landlords to use it. : 570-963-6790 email: lackawannaDHS@gmail.com. The devastation this virus is having on Pennsylvania is unimaginable. “I am happy to... Philadelphia PA – May 29, 2020 – On Thursday, Senator Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) and Senator Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) successfully secured $175 million in rental and mortgage assistance, a measure included in the temporary 5 month budget featuring... Allegheny County, PA – May 28, 2020 – Pennsylvania State Senator Pam Iovino (D – Allegheny & Washington), released the following statement today after voting to support the passage of a $26 billion interim budget for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including... Harrisburg – May 28, 2020 – Sen. Anthony Williams (D- Philadelphia/Delaware) announced that the Pennsylvania Senate has passed Senate Bill 1108 which allocates $2.602 billion of federal CARES Act for Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, Pa. − October 27, 2020 − Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, Jr. today announced the award of $1,152,408 in funding for local school districts to deal with COVID-related needs. The Pennsylvania House Finance Agency has released its final summary on its administration of CARES financial assistance for renters. Child Care $75 million Sign up for our free newsletters. The IFO has projected that the permanent revenue loss in tax revenue for the commonwealth to be approximately $2.7 billion for FY 20-21 and 21-22. The funding available for rent assistance is $369,000 and $1.16 million is … Though the new initiative still faces a host of challenges, it appears better positioned to succeed. Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the nonprofit Tax Foundation, said Pennsylvania’s use of CARES Act funding appears similar to the approach taken by other states. Get all of the news and accountability journalism you need from Spotlight PA. Daily: Top news every weekday morning, plus a daily puzzle. But they should know that for the people of Pennsylvania doing nothing is not an option and they will not accept their old, tired political mantra of “borrowing is bad” as an excuse to not act. In October, we released our priorities for spending the remaining $1.3 billion in CARES funds to provide a second round of stimulus funding. School Districts/Local Government: Funding for school district costs, including special education, and county and municipal government costs related to COVID-19. As a result, many refused to participate. While the incoming Biden/Harris Administration has committed to enacting a stimulus plan, Pennsylvanians cannot wait until the Biden/Harris Administration takes office in January 2021. Some requirements were eventually relaxed by Gov. Second, the Trump Administration and Mitch McConnell have failed Pennsylvania and Pennsylvanians.  Today marks 155 days since House Democrats passed the HEROES Act, which provides close to $1 trillion to assist state and local governments.  Trump and McConnell have done nothing but offer inadequate half-measures that effectively punish state and local governments for the Trump Administration’s inept response to the pandemic.Â, Third, some Republicans in Washington oppose more federal funding because they claim state and local governments have not spent their CARES funding.  Refusing to support more federal funding for Pennsylvania because we used a bipartisan approach and were cautious in spending our CARES funds is both ridiculous and disgraceful.Â, However, if that argument continues to hold sway and we are being punished for being both bipartisan and prudent, then Pennsylvania needs to spend the remaining funds now so Washington has no excuse for not doing its job.   Â, First, the financial pain people are suffering was crystallized.  We see this from the sheer volume of requests received in programs created with CARES dollars:Â, Second, more pain is on the horizon.  Thousands of Pennsylvanians currently protected by moratoriums on evictions, foreclosures, and utility shutoffs due to loss of work face dire consequences when the moratoriums are lifted if there is no safety net in place.Â, Third, Act 2A and Act 24 left out many in need.  Our small, historically disadvantaged businesses and the restaurant, tavern and hospitality industry have been devastated.  Barbers, hair salons, personal care businesses, nonprofits and arts and culture organizations have closed or are on the verge of shutting their doors for good.  Childcare providers and our emergency medical services community are suffering.  The list is large; the need is great.Â. State government must step in and provide relief to do those who need it most. Sign up for our free newsletters. ... PA live! PA CARES 21 would assist families, workers, businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, first responders, local governments, and other entities that have been devastated financially by the pandemic. Hazard Pay $135 million Become a member today at spotlightpa.org/donate. An estimated 240,000 Pennsylvania families could face eviction in January, unless a federal ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent is extended. CARES Rental Relief Information. PPE/Vaccine Issues: Funds to create a commonwealth PPE stockpile and to cover costs associated with uninsured individuals receiving the vaccine. Food Security:  Additional funding for food banks and anti-hunger programs. Over the summer, Pennsylvania created two new housing programs to spend money it received under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act: $150 million for rent relief and $25 million for mortgage help. Furthermore, tenants had to prove that they had become unemployed, or lost at least 30% of their income, since March 1. We are about to enter what some experts are calling “COVID hell,” the “dark winter,” and the “darkest days of the pandemic.” (Coronavirus: U.S. prepares for worst four months of the pandemic (cnbc.com). The toll-free number is 1-855-U-Are-Home (827-3466). That was the route taken coming out of the Great Recession in 2011 and the impacts were devastating on the commonwealth and its residents. 855.827.3466 facebook: @phfa.org www.phfa.org twitter: @phfatweets reminder: all cares rent relief program application and supporting documents must be submitted directly to their county’s designated cares rrp organization. Weekly: Best accountability journalism every Thursday, plus a weekly riddle. By Marilyn Le Lodico, Esquire. In some cases, yes. Even the $150 million allocated for rent relief falls well short of the estimated $958 million in back rent that Pennsylvania tenants will owe come January, according to a study commissioned by the National Council of State Housing Agencies. The following schools in the 43rd Senatorial District will receive funds: Penn... Harrisburg − October 16, 2020 − Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus today outlined a plan to spend the remaining $1.331 billion in CARES money that Pennsylvania received as part of a federal assistance package earlier this year. Still, the state only managed to give out $54 million of the $150 million set aside for rent relief, he said. The $150 million rent relief program was meant to help both landlords and tenants, ... Pennsylvania could have to return the disputed funds,” he told Spotlight PA. Housing: New funds for housing and rental assistance Utility Assistance: Funds to help individuals in arrears on utility payments. It may mean that we repurpose some of the funding laid out here or take some other action. It would be great if the federal government struck a deal, but we don’t believe we can wait any longer for it to happen. If a federal stimulus plan passes, we’ll evaluate it to determine whether it meets the needs of the commonwealth. Pennsylvanians are hurting, both physically and financially. The Pennsylvania Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act of 2021 (PA CARES 21) Plan would fund previously existing aid programs and establish new programs to help struggling Pennsylvanians and struggling areas of the commonwealth’s economy. However, where budgeted costs have been used to respond to the pandemic, those funds may be replaced with CARES Act funds. CARES Rental Relief. Other aspects of the proposal include allocating additional assistance to frontline workers, funding for the health care industry and its workers, small business grants, and much-needed support communities disparately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as of now, the federal government prohibits their use to replace state and local tax revenue lost due to the pandemic. The pandemic is not going away. Annual debt service can be paid from any of the following sources: No. Tom Wolf announced a transfer of $145 million from the commonwealth’s Workers’ Compensation Fund Security Fund at the... Philadelphia, PA – State Senator Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) applauded today’s announcement by Governor Tom Wolf of his intent to transfer $145 million from the state’s Workers’ Compensation Security Fund into the General Fund so that they may be reallocated for pandemic-related small business relief. That plan was largely included in the first round of funding passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Wolf in May. Hospital Assistance: Funding for hospitals that serve our Medicaid population. The money must be spent by December 31st on COVID-19 related needs or the state loses the authority to use it at all. If you are a Cambria County resident who lost income due to the pandemic-related economic slowdown, you may be eligible for rental assistance through the CARES Rent Relief Program. At that time, we also made the collective decision to retain some of the CARES funds (approximately $1.3 billion) to address unanticipated costs that could arise through the summer and fall. Besides the federal government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the only entity that has the capacity to provide substantial resources to help our citizens. Agriculture:  Grants to ensure that our food supply chain can continue to function. We also should not repeat the mistakes of the past by relying on massive budget cuts to fix our problems. Amount:                                  $4,000,000,000Issuer:                                     Commonwealth Financing AuthorityProposed Term:                      25 yearsEstimated Debt Service:         $190,000,000/yr. Business Assistance $800 million Will cover rent and/or utilities that the tenant(s) are unable to pay due to a covid-19 hardship; Family income is 80% of the Area Median Income or Less ; City and County residents can apply; Payments will be made directly to the Landlord or Utility Company; PHFA Rent Relief Program recipients are eligible for additional months; How to Apply: Pa. misses deadline to spend $108M in rent, mortgage relief from CARES Act Pennsylvania tenants and homeowners missed out on roughly $108 million of $175 million in federal coronavirus relief because state programs distributing the funding made it … The remaining money from the mortgage and rent relief programs was originally supposed to go to the 60 counties that didn’t receive direct federal funding as the pandemic struck. Sign the petition for the Pennsylvania CARES 21 plan proposed by the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats. Landlords, Lenders May Receive Direct Payments from CARES Act Relief Programs. Our proposal allocates $4 billion In the following areas: Today, Senate Democrats are announcing our caucus priorities for spending the remaining $1.3 billion of Pennsylvania’s federal CARES funding. If a plan comes together quickly, we would be open to the Governor convening a special session of the General Assembly in December to speed up the process. Pennsylvania renters and homeowners struggling because of the pandemic just got an extra month to apply for relief. No decisions have been made or timelines for action set. Unemployment Compensation Protection: Covers 509,000 individuals currently collecting federal PEUC and PUA benefits that are set to expire on December 26 unless extended by Congress. 1/3 of Landlords Who Applied Got Help from PA’s CARES Rent Relief Program Of the 28,687 landlords who applied for assistance, 10,020 received it. Then there was a late surge in applications, but not enough time to process them all before Nov. 30, said Bryce Maretzki, director of policy and planning at the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. This funding was authorized by the recently enacted COVID-19... HARRISBURG — June 5, 2020 — State Senators Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery), John Blake (D-Lackawanna), and Art Haywood (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia touted the $30 million in funding the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus was... Harrisburg – May 29, 2020 – State Senator Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) announced that the Pennsylvania House and Senate passed his housing relief plan with $193 million on May 28. We are in a crisis. This announcement follows the release of our original PA CARES plan in April of this year. Wolf initiating $145M transfer of funds to support PA small businesses, Senator Tartaglione Applauds Wolf’s Proposal to Make $145 Million Available for Small Business Relief, Tartaglione, PA Senate Democrats Unveil $4 Billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Plan, Comitta, State Senators Call for State Pandemic Relief Plan, Pa Senate Dems Unveil Innovative $4 Billion Pandemic Relief Plan to Help Front-Line Workers, Vulnerable Residents, Small Businesses and More, Senators Costa & Hughes Slam Republican Inaction on Federal CARES Funds, Senator Costa Announces More Than $1 Million in Funding for COVID Related Needs in Local Schools, PA Senate Democrats Unveil Plan to Spend $1.3 Billion in Remaining Cares Funds, Senator Costa Announces $1.6 Million In Cultural Grants For The Region, Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Tartaglione-Costa Legislation to Fund PA Higher Education Institutions, Sen. Muth Supports Ensuring Mortgage Servicers’ Compliance with Federal Cares Act to Protect Homeowners, Sen. Hughes touts $50 million in hazard pay grants awarded to PA’s front-line businesses, Senators Jim Brewster & Pam Iovino Propose $100 Million COVID-19 Grant Program & Financial Relief Package for PA Restaurants & Taverns Â, Sens.