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Phase 2 applications due by end of May.
EASTON, PA – May 11, 2023 – Mayor Sal Panto and the City of Easton Department of Community & Economic Development today provided an update on its Residential Façade Improvement Program. Phase 1 of the program was launched in September 2022, and construction on its projects will begin this spring. Applications for Phase 2 of the program, which launched in March 2023, are currently being accepted, and its projects will be under construction next year. The Phase 2 application round will end on May 31.
The grant program was created by Mayor Panto using ARPA funds, and are under the administration of the Redevelopment Authority of Easton. In addition to providing direct support to the residents of the city with the ARPA funds, the goal of the program is to offset the high-cost burden of renovation work that city residents are facing due to supply chain issues and other impacts of the pandemic and post-pandemic economy. Applications from the West Ward and South Side neighborhoods are a priority focus.
The RDA assists in developing a scope of work for each project from its application and in selecting a contractor. The homeowner, RDA, and the chosen contractor sign a contract for the project’s anticipated scope of work. Eligible residential properties may be owner or tenant occupied; however, a landlord may not displace a current tenant or raise rents as a direct result of the home’s improvements through this program.
Funding is available to city property owners for up to $10,000 for approved façade work and is according to a sliding scale based on household income and type of occupancy with low to moderate income beneficiaries being prioritized. Façade work can include:
- Masonry repairs
- New windows and doors
- Restoration or preservation of historical architecture
- Painting
- Porch, steps, and/or railing repair
- Entry lighting
- Siding
- Professional design services, such as by an architectural designer, up to $1,000
During the program’s first phase, 106 applications were reviewed: 21 from College Hill, 7 from downtown, 19 from South Side, and 59 from West Ward. As a result of the initial review sessions, 82 applications were approved with a total authorized amount of $796,000, pending final scope review. Many of the approved projects require a match from the homeowner. Thirty approved façade projects are expected to begin construction throughout the remainder of 2023.
So far, the city has received 29 applications for Phase 2 of the program – 2 from College Hill, 2 from Downtown, 13 from South Side, and 12 from West Ward.
West Ward homeowner Teresa Arana applied and was approved for eligible façade improvements to her West Ward home on Ferry Street. She purchased the historic home in 2018 and spent her first few years of homeownership making improvements and renovations to the property. The work on her home’s façade will include the removal of existing vinyl siding and replacement with a durable fiber cement siding that can be painted; a replacement of the mansard roof with historically appropriate window and door eyebrows; and the removal of stucco along the stone foundation wall and repointing.
Her neighbor had already applied for the program for his own home and recommended she do the same. She says the grant funds are a big help to support her ongoing work in restoring her home’s historical elements. An architectural designer, Arana and her fiancée moved to Easton from Queens, NY and chose the West Ward for her home because she wanted a location that was easily walkable to restaurants, as well as to the Downtown business district. She loves her home’s historical character and large rear patio and yard where she and her fiancée Matt plant gardens.
Information provided to TVL by:
Tracey Werner
City of Easton Marketing Consultant
