Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3rd) has managed to snag over $13.3 million in federal funding for 15 community projects around Philadelphia, ensuring a significant cash injection for the area's ongoing development and housing challenges. According to a press release on Evans' official site, the House of Representatives recently passed an appropriations bill facilitating this financial boon, with the Senate's nod and President Biden's signature soon to follow.
Championing the quest for affordable housing, Evans has earmarked almost two-thirds of this funding, a staggering $8.2 million, for housing projects across the city. As reported on his website, Evans said, "Philadelphia’s great need for affordable housing continues to be a top priority for me, and nearly two-thirds of this project funding will go toward that need. Seven affordable-housing projects will receive a total of over $8.2 million!" The rest of the budget package was also necessary, for Evans, to keep the government running smoothly, providing crucial services to the residents.
Outlining the beneficiaries, notable funding recipients include $500,000 intended to bolster the safety and beautification of the city's 52nd Street Streetscape and $1,666,279 destined for Beech Senior Apartments, addressing the growing difficulty of low-income elderly residents to age in place. A considerable $2,000,000 has been allotted to the Compassion Senior Living project, spotlighting energy efficiency and climate change mitigation through innovative construction methods.
In what represents the third wave of Community Project Funding Evans has secured for the district, his efforts have now totaled more than $36 million over three years. In his words, investing in the community and its infrastructure is not just about beautification, but about "providing services to the people." Fiscal savvy appears not to have been enough, with the congressman having previously returned or saved more than $41 million for Philadelphians from various federal agencies, as per his website.
Evans' office remains a relentless advocate for his constituents' well-being, addressing both immediate and systemic challenges through strategic investment in affordable housing, business development, and environmental initiatives. The overall impact of these projects is expected to span a wide range of benefits, from reducing wait times for veterans in need of housing to enabling Philadelphians to own houses that would otherwise be priced out of the market. It seems, for Philadelphia's communities, the future looks a bit more funded and a little brighter.
