TheBurg

06.20 | THEBURGNEWS.COM | 7 NEWS All stories by eBurg staff | More than 300 Harrisburg-licensed businesses last month received $5,000 grants to help them survive the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. e city and Impact Harrisburg announced the awards from a pool of money funded by both entities. "We wanted to fund as many businesses as we possibly could across the broad spectrum," said Sheila Dow-Ford, executive director of Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up following the city's financial crisis to help spur economic development. "So we are hoping we hit the mark in that regard." e program allowed businesses to request up to $10,000, but, given the large number of applicants, Impact Harrisburg decided to give $5,000 grants to all qualified applicants. Initially, both the city and Impact Harrisburg were to contribute $500,000 to a $1 million fund, with the city's portion originating from its dormant "revolving loan fund." However, qualified applications exceeded the initial funding, so Impact Harrisburg kicked in another $750,000. e city now is considering adding money for a second round of funding. "Our goal is to keep these businesses afloat so, when it is time to reopen, they have a fighting chance of surviving and bouncing back, hopefully stronger than ever," said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Recipient Angel Fox of Fox's Wash and Go said that the grant will allow her to repair washing machines in her Allison Hill laundromat, as customers have been "over-stuffing" the machines to try to stretch their own limited financial resources. Elementary Coffee Co.'s Andrea Grove said that, beyond the money, she appreciated that care was taken to distribute the grants to all deserving, qualified applicants. "We desperately need this money, but so many other people need it as well," she said. "at is a beautiful testament to the care that this community has for each individual business and the position that they are in." For recipient Lori Reese, the money will help her sustain her personal organizing business, Consider It Done LLC, and it will help offset additional costs brought on by the crisis. Like many companies, she's been forced to do more business online, which has meant extra, unanticipated costs to expand her virtual presence, capabilities and security. Reese also mentioned a non-financial benefit of the program. Much like Grove, she said that she appreciates the effort, caring and the creativity that her city and Impact Harrisburg showed for the small business community here. "I feel valued as a city business and a city resident," she said. "Because it's local, it means more to me." ALLISON HILL PROJECT GETS GO-AHEAD One of the largest housing developments on Allison Hill in recent years is slated to move forward, as Harrisburg City Council last month approved a plan for a multi-building project just off of Market Street. Council unanimously approved the land use plan by TLC Cornerstone Renewal to construct 26 townhouses, a 24- unit apartment building and a community center in a five- block area bounded by N. 15th Street, Walnut Street and Crabapple Street. "is is such a blighted area," council President Wanda Williams said during a council work session. "It certainly will enhance this area." At that work session, developer Tarik Casteel, president of TLC, told council members that he hopes to break ground in the early fall on the $14.7 million affordable housing project on the 2.1-acre site. "is project will be big in this community," he said. "It's definitely needed, not just in this community but in several areas of the city of Harrisburg." Nearly two years ago, TLC cut the ribbon on its first big project, the 20-unit Harrisburg Uptown Building (HUB) and the HUB Veteran Housing Campus. Casteel told council that the new Allison Hill project would be just the first phase of a three-phase project for the area. He expects a 16-month construction period for the first phase. "In Allison Hill, there is definitely a need," he said. "is was one of the worst areas of the city. at's why we wanted to come into this area, because it is the worst." Come fall, Harrisburg school district students will have another way to learn, as district officials have announced a new, full-time cyber school. Last month, officials unveiled the Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy, which is meant to broaden educational options and offer an alternative to cyber charter schools. "Early on, we asked our teachers to make calls to get feedback from our families. is was way back in March," said Susan Sneath, chief academic officer for the district. "ey were already telling us there was no way they were going to send their children back to [the brick-and-mortar] school." Sneath knew the district needed to have another option for students. us, the Harrisburg Virtual Learning Academy (HVLA) was established. According to the district, the HVLA will be full-time and free to Harrisburg students. e program offers K-to- 12th grade enrollment, in which each student is provided a Chromebook. is differs from the district's existing Cougar Academy, which is a "blended" cyber program that requires that students also spend time inside the classroom. In contrast, HVLA is fully remote. Students will receive recorded instruction from teachers with additional meetings as needed. While the school is primarily online, there are face-to-face tutoring options, including English language arts and math. Special education teachers, English as a second language teachers and reading specialists will be available to provide support. COUNCIL APPROVES CDBG DISBURSEMENT Harrisburg City Council last month approved the disbursement of annual federal housing funds. e city set aside money from its share of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for use by nonprofit "sub-recipients." ese included: • A Miracle for Sure: $13,810 • Center for Employment Opportunities: $13,810 • Communities in Schools: $13,810 • Heinz Menaker Senior Center: $14,000 • Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC): $13,810 • Neighborhood Dispute Settlement: $13,810 • Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women's Network: $13,810 • e Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region: $25,000 e city also distributed federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to the following organizations: • Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness: $24,000 • Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area: $63,000 • Shalom House: $43,100 • YWCA Greater Harrisburg: $50,000 ese funds originate from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and, every year, the city sets aside some of the money for use by community nonprofits. BUSINESSES RECEIVE STABILIZATION GRANTS HARRISBURG PLANS CYBER SCHOOL Sneath explained that students will continue to receive academic advising through an assigned counselor and can expect outreach from a social worker to aid with social and emotional needs. Technology support will be readily available, as well, during school hours. e school district plans to use trained educators from the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, an entity that supports local school districts. Additional faculty, such as counselors and academic advisors, will come from Harrisburg staff. Students in HVLA can participate in academic advancement such as Advanced Placement courses and "gifted" programs. ey will also be tied to their neighborhood's school, which will allow access to all special events and extracurricular activities such as picture day, athletics and prom. All HVLA students are considered Harrisburg Cougars, and they will receive a diploma from the Harrisburg school district. In the past, students in the district seeking online education have often looked to cyber charter schools, but Sneath hopes that this option curbs that. "We want to keep our kids, and we want to provide the very best for our kids," she said. "We developed HVLA with that in mind." HVLA will not take the place of the district's remote learning plan for students in the case that students can't return to school buildings in the fall. e cyber-school is only for those who enroll. "e intent for the people who enroll in HVLA is that they are going to stay in HVLA," Sneath said. HOME SALES DOWN, PRICES UP Sales dropped but prices rose in the Harrisburg area, as the realtor's association released its first report during a full month of COVID-19 restrictions. In April, 455 homes sold in the three-county area, compared to 619 in April 2019, but the median price increased to $200,000 compared to $180,000 a year ago, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). In Dauphin County, 212 houses sold at a median price of $173,000, versus 294 houses at a median price of $167,000 in the year-ago period, GHAR said. Cumberland County saw 222 houses change hands compared to 296 a year ago, while the median price rose to $235,000 from $202,500. Perry County bucked the trend, with 21 houses selling for a median price of $173,000 compared to 29 houses for $200,000 a year ago. For the three-county region, days on the market dropped to an average of 50 days versus 53 days the previous April, according to GHAR.

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