PA DCED Secretary Davin Announces Matching Funds Secured for Harrisburg Sinkhole Mitigation Project

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin today announced that the department has received approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the matching funding necessary to complete the sinkhole mitigation project on South 14th Street in the City of Harrisburg.

"We are pleased that we were able to advocate and secure approval for this project on behalf of the City of Harrisburg," said Davin. "This funding serves as the local match requirement necessary to obtain federal approval for the project and we are thrilled that so many federal, state, and local officials have worked together to ensure that this project moves forward."

The project approval will cover the local match needed for the first phase of the project on behalf of the City of Harrisburg, as well as all costs accompanying phase two of the project.

Phase one will cover the voluntary acquisition and demolition of the first 25 homes on the 1400 block of South 14th Street between Cloverly Terrace and Magnolia Street. Phase two will cover the remainder of the block. Following demolition, the site will be excavated to a depth of 10 feet and backfilled. The site will be zoned as greenspace without the possibility for future development.

"On behalf of Harrisburg City Council, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all those involved in securing additional funding for the residents of South 14 Street," said Harrisburg City Council President Wanda Williams. "These funds will help the homeowners who have been displaced and suffered great agony over having to leave their homes. We look forward to giving them some peace of mind after all they have been through."

"The sinkholes have caused numerous problems for families living along 14th Street, so this is good news for the neighbors who have been suffering while waiting for a solution," said state Sen. Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin/Perry). "This funding will allow the residents and the city to move forward, and I'm grateful for the coordinated effort among federal, state, and local officials to make it possible."

This announcement comes one month after Governor Wolf announced that Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency received approval for $1,650,000 in federal funding through Federal Emergency Management Agency. Earlier this year, DCED identified the sinkhole area as a priority for disaster relief federal funding and submitted an amended plan to HUD for approval. This approval marks the first time the commonwealth has received approval to use the funding in this manner.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

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http://www.state.pa.us