NeighborWorks Accepting Applications for Grants

Applications are now being accepted for the fifth cycle of Beautiful Blocks, a home improvement program jointly sponsored by NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania and the City of Scranton. Beautiful Blocks provides matching grants of up to $1,000 per property to groups of five or more Scranton residents to help them make exterior improvements to their homes. The Beautiful Blocks program seeks to make neighborhoods throughout Scranton more attractive places to live.

Eligible exterior improvements include everything from landscaping and painting to larger projects like sidewalks and lamp posts. Grants will be awarded through a competitive application process. Applications will be judged on the number of participating residents, project impact and coordination, and the likelihood of neighbors continuing to work together in the future.

Pre-applications are being accepted until March 27. Awards will be announced in May, with work taking place throughout the summer. According to NeighborWorks President & CEO Jesse Ergott, “We look forward to neighbors coming together and taking collective steps to improve their neighborhoods throughout the City of Scranton in our fifth Beautiful Blocks program cycle.

Our first four years in Scranton were a great success in seeing residents work together in making their neighborhood a better place through their involvement with Beautiful Blocks.” Over the first four cycles of Beautiful Blocks in the City of Scranton, more than 340 individual projects have been completed by Scranton residents, grouped into 45 block groups.

More than $287,000 in grant funding has been distributed to as part of these projects, with participating residents contributing more than $735,000 in matching funds to improving their neighborhoods.

Scranton residents interested in participating in the Beautiful Blocks program can download pre-application instructions and access the pre-application document by visiting the program homepage at https://www.nwnepa.org/programs/neighborhood-revitalization/beautiful-blocks.html.

More information is also available by contacting Gerard Hetman, NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania Community Development Specialist, at (570) 558-2490 or ghetman@nwnepa.org.