WEST CHESTER (August 3, 2021) – Chester County will receive $300,000 in state grant funding to support a program that provides important home accessibility improvements and upgrades for residents with disabilities.
The Home Modification Program, administered by the Housing Partnership of Chester County, was awarded the funding through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Keystone Communities Grant program.
The program provides vital assistance to low and moderate-income residents with permanent disabilities to make their current residences more accessible. It allows for a wide range of adaptive modifications which include, but are not limited to, ramps, lifts, door and hallway widening, kitchen and bathroom modifications, visual doorbells, audio phones and visual phone signalers.
“This Keystone grant is a significant boost to Chester County’s Home Modification Program, and is especially welcome for our lower income residents with disabilities, who have been greatly impacted by the pandemic, and who want to remain safe and independent in their homes,” said Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline. “The funds will provide kitchen, bathroom, stairway, doorway and hallway alterations, and just as importantly, the grant will help us to leverage more funding to serve more people through the home modification program.”
State Senator Carolyn Comitta, who serves on the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, said she hopes the funding continues to help people of all ages live healthy, productive, and independent lives in their own homes.
“This grant funding will help ensure that more of our friends and neighbors with disabilities have the opportunity to function effectively, safely, and independently at home,” she said. “I appreciate the efforts of the Chester County Commissioners and the Housing Partnership of Chester County to make these important home modifications available and accessible to those in need.”
The grant funding for Chester County’s Home Modification Program comes as part of $5 million in total Keystone Communities Program funding awarded to 41 revitalization projects in 21 Pennsylvania counties.
“The Keystone Communities Program helps Pennsylvania’s towns and cities enhance their quality of life to the benefit of residents, visitors, and businesses alike,” said Gov. Wolf. “The program is flexible enough to serve the needs of any municipality—whether they’re aiming to improve their downtown, rehabilitate buildings, or create new housing or community gathering spaces.”
In addition to home modifications, other projects supported façade improvements, blight reduction, building renovations, mixed-use facility and accessible housing construction, downtown and storefront enhancements, and playground construction.
“At DCED, we often say that Pennsylvania is the best place to live, work, and play, and the Keystone Communities funding approved today will help ensure that adage holds true for years to come,” said Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin. “Continued investment in our communities is so critical to the health and vibrancy of our commonwealth, and we look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
According to DCED, the Keystone Communities program is designed to encourage the creation of partnerships between the public and private sectors that jointly support local initiatives such as the growth and stability of neighborhoods and communities; social and economic diversity; and a strong and secure quality of life. The program allows communities to tailor assistance to meet the needs of specific revitalization efforts.