SUNBURY - The Housing Authority of Northumberland County will host a meeting with local business representatives to garner financial support for the continuing effort to remediate blighted properties in the county. The meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Hotel Edison in Sunbury.
Businesses will learn more about a state program that provides tax credits leveraged by contributions to programs that address community development needs. The program, known as the Neighborhood Assistance Program, offers a 75 percent credit against a number of state taxes, including, but not limited to, the state corporate net income tax, bank and trust company shares tax and the capital stock franchise tax. Contributions will be solicited through Sept. 30.
Any contributions received will be used to address blighted properties in the county. Earlier this year, UNB Bank contributed $50,000 under this program. The funds were used to demolish six properties in Mount Carmel Borough by the Housing Development Corporation of Northumberland County. The impact of this contribution will be discussed at the meeting.
The effort to secure additional private contributions is part of a continuing effort to prevent and remediate blighted properties. A 2012 Task Force on Blighted Properties report detailed a number of strategies for addressing the problem, including the demolition of blighted properties. An application for $500,000 in state funds through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is pending.
If approved, these funds would be provided to municipalities to address the problem of blighted properties. Also, the county recently indicated its willingness to provide $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and County Housing Trust funds to municipalities that do not receive Community Development Block Grant funds directly from DCED for the demolition or rehabilitation of blighted properties.
