Seniors raised their hands tonight at the Harrisburg City Council meeting to show their support for funding the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center.
The annual tug of war over federal housing dollars began tonight in Harrisburg, as City Council introduced an ordinance to fund a handful of social service groups.
Immediately, several residents criticized the administration’s proposed allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, as it does not include any money for the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center in Midtown.
“We went over this same ground last year and the year before that and the year before that,” center Director Les Ford told council, referencing past heated battles to help fund the center through CDBG, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant program.
Senior citizens packed the meeting in a show of force to demonstrate support for the center. They’ll have at least two more opportunities to make their case. A committee hearing on the proposal is slated for June 20, and a final vote will follow at a subsequent legislative session.
“I’m asking council to look at this proposal,” Ford said. “We will be back. We are vigilant.”
Following the meeting, Mayor Eric Papenfuse explained that his administration made its recommendations based upon a scoring system that ranked funding applications. Heinz-Menaker’s application, he said, did not make the cut.
“Heinz-Menaker was not funded because its ranking is lower than the ones that were funded,” he said.
The agencies that made the funding cut include:
- Green Space Clean Up: $53,110
- Christian Aftercare Recovery Ministries: $25,000
- A Miracle 4 Sure: $25,000
- Latino Hispanic American Community Center: $25,000
- Fair Housing Council: $25,000
- Mid Penn Legal Services: $15,000
- Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $3,900
Like last year, the largest sum is earmarked for debt service to repay a federal loan that the city backed during the tenure of former Mayor Steve Reed for the failed Capitol View Commerce Center, as well to repay another community development loan. These obligations, which total $562,248 this year, prevent the city from offering more money to social service groups, Papenfuse said.
Last year, the administration proposed eliminating funding entirely for service groups due to these debt obligations and to fund the city’s own needs. This year, however, the city refinanced its debt service, saving $80,000, which is helping to fund the groups, Papenfuse said.
In addition to funding these nonprofits, the administration is proposing $381,504 for CDBG administration and $105,000 for the city’s Police Bureau for a police cadet program and a community policing van. Other proposed funding includes:
- City Housing Rehabilitation Programs: $330,000
- Tri-County HDC: $150,000
- City Emergency Demolition: $120,000
- City Bureau of Fire: $51,686
- Habitat for Humanity Greater Harrisburg Area: $30,000
- Rebuilding Together: $15,000
Papenfuse added that he expects HUD to fund the CDBG program for the federal fiscal year that starts in October. However, the Trump administration has proposed eliminating the program after that.
“All of our CDBG funding is in jeopardy for next year,” he said.
Author: Lawrance Binda
