Latest news with #InfiniteErie
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grow Erie hosts open house to show off years of work at Savocchio Park
An advanced agricultural commercial facility is helping to revitalize an east Erie community, opening its doors for people to learn all about the Grow Erie project. It's a two-pronged initiative with goals of spurring economic impact and investment in the area while providing employment opportunities and locally-grown food in what's considered a food desert. Erie families plant their own veggies at new community garden The 17,000 square foot facility shows progress after 25 years of being vacant. 'This is really the first example of a project in Erie's investment playbook that has gone from the idea stage all the way to securing investment and now to implementation,' said Kim Thomas, executive director of Infinite Erie. Next on the agenda for the MCIC is to build a nearly 3,000 square foot greenhouse for the community to use right across the road. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It's a crisis' Erie County refugees in crisis due to federal funding freeze
Response to a federal funding freeze that they say is impacting Erie County communities and agencies. What's being called a rapid response team was established to develop strategies to combat the lack of funding which is expected to rock the refugee community to its core. Rescued pup Bernard finds loving home after recovering from abuse Members of this team said the federal funding freezes have forced a budget crisis at the local level, potentially impacting Erie's workforce and local economy. Infinite Erie is spearheading an initiative to construct a team to brainstorm action in response to the federal funding freeze. Some members of the team include the likes of the Erie Community Foundation, the United Way, Erie Insurance, and ECGRA just to name a few. And they said Erie's refugee community is in dire straights. 'It's a crisis. It's right here, right now,' said Kim Thomas, executive director of Infinite Erie. 'Our entire economy and community relies on this population.' AHN St. Vincent honors two physicians for National Doctors' Day Since October of 2024, Erie's resettlement agencies have had no federal funding reimbursements. That's led to more than 20 layoffs in the department with more on the way. It's impacted thousands of refugees who have been legally resettled here by the government to escape crisis, war, and persecution. Without these services, Thomas said immigrants are more likely to leave Erie, resulting in a loss of $253 million to the local economy annually. 'About 47% of them own a home in our community so they're paying mortgages and they're providing that economic stimulus into our community. They are part of our workforce. There have been about 500 jobs over the past however many years that have really resulted from refugees entering into the workforce. They're an incredible participant in our entrepreneurial and business communities,' Thomas explained. That's why the Erie Community Foundation is opening an emergency fund. They created rapid response funds both when covid-19 broke out as well as during the war in Ukraine. She said this funding freeze has risen to the level of a humanitarian crisis locally. 'We connect donors to causes that they care about and so our role is to inspire, engage and empower donors. That's what this is doing, the rapid response fund. By creating this fund to support nonprofits, they're helping refugees resettle, we're making our community stronger, more culturally rich, and then that results in new stores and restaurants,' said Erin Fessler, vice president of marketing and community relations for the Erie Community Foundation. Despite being just 4.1% of Erie County's population, refugees own 5% of businesses in Erie County and this fund should act as a lifeline to resettlement agencies hoping to continue welcoming refugees into our region. City of Erie, ErieBank partner up to boost home ownership 'There's a much larger conversation that certainly needs to happen around long-term solutions for specifically the refugee resettlement agencies and this population but we recognized right away that this is a crisis right here and right now. The federal funding has been shut off,' Thomas went on to say. To learn more about the Rapid Response Fund Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Infinite Erie leaders optimistic about Shapiro budget, proposed investment in housing
Erie's community and economic development leaders gathered Wednesday morning to discuss Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget and the implications it will have on the region, including the efforts of Infinite Erie and its plans to implement Erie's "Investment Playbook," a series of 35 transformational initiatives and projects. Shapiro's proposed spending plan, Executive Director Kim Thomas said, could help Infinite Erie meet more of its goals. "We remain committed to catalyzing economic growth, turning community aspirations into actionable outcomes," Thomas told the audience that met Wednesday for the "post-budget breakfast" at the Erie Insurance Events Center at the Firehouse. "And Gov. Shapiro's proposed budget offers significant opportunities to advance our very own investment playbook, fostering inclusive growth, workforce readiness, and overall sustained prosperity." That's especially true when it comes to addressing the city and county's housing needs, she added. There's not enough housing stock, much of what does exist is aging and antiquated, and blight runs rampant in areas across the state, county and city. Last fall, Shapiro signed an executive order calling for a Housing Action Plan to address high housing costs and homelessness, among other things. The state's Department of Community and Economic Development held a roundtable in Erie recently to learn more about the housing issues facing the area. Thomas expected an investment after the Housing Action Plan is released later this year, so she was surprised Tuesday when Shapiro proposed millions to meet the state's housing demands. "Truly we weren't really expecting much by way of additional investment in the housing realm until perhaps next year's budget proposal, once that action plan has the recommendations come out of it a few months from now," said Thomas, who attended and was recognized by House Speaker Joanna McClinton on the House floor ahead of the governor's presentation Tuesday. "However, the governor has proposed to add $50 million, recognizing that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has significantly aging, antiquated housing stock. I think we all recognize the level of that here in Erie." The $50 million will specifically be used to help struggling homeowners make repairs to their properties. Shapiro is also proposing $10 million to help first-time homebuyers cover closing costs, an idea that state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-3rd Dist., had been advocating for in Harrisburg. He's also proposing an additional $10 million for the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE), in an effort to bring the tax credit program up to $110 million by 2028. The program led to the construction of 2,000 new homes and repairs to 3,200 others the last two years, according to Shapiro's office. Shapiro is also expanding the homestead and farmstead exemptions on property taxes to $1 billion for the first time, creating an Interagency Council on Homelessness, and sealing eviction records for people who were never actually evicted. "There were a number of opportunities to be addressed around housing, mass transit, infrastructure, workforce development, early education, childcare and the like," Thomas said in an interview after Wednesday's presentation. "I think what we most heard based on the work that we've been doing with our partners in neighborhoods and main street's portfolio is that there truly is going to be an opportunity around housing efforts. We're really focused on working throughout Erie's housing continuum and what that means for permanent, supportive housing, what that means for affordable, attainable workforce housing, and what resources are there that we can leverage." Shapiro's Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Director Mike Ferritto, an ex-officio member of the Infinite Erie board, reminded the group that the governor's proposal is just the start of lengthy negotiations between a Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate. "The budget address that the governor delivered (Tuesday) is really the high-water mark," he said. "This is where we start. And so everyone in this room — as we move forward through this process and work out where we fit into those budget priorities — we need to figure out what we lean into and then advocate on behalf of the priorities that mean the most to us." Thomas said she was proud of Erie's delegation in both Harrisburg and Washington D.C. for their work on behalf of Northwest Pennsylvania. "It's just really critical that Erie is in the room for the conversations," Thomas said. Infinite Erie's projects will have an economic impact of $500 million, create 3,500 jobs and add $21 million to the state and local tax base, if fully funded. It has secured nearly $45.5 million so far, including $25.8 million from the state, $10.7 million from the federal government and nearly $8 million locally. In 2024, Thomas said Infinite Erie "significantly moved the needle." "We were created to build these coalitions," Thomas added, "to truly reverse Erie County's economic decline by activating large-scale, high-impact projects that are outlined in Erie's Investment Playbook." While there was optimism about both the progress made by Infinite Erie, the direction it's heading and how the state budget might help those efforts, several people expressed concern about potential loss of federal funding under President Donald Trump, who is making deep, across-the-board cuts to the federal workforce and department budgets. Last week, the Office of Management and Budget sent out a memo notifying department heads that it was temporarily freezing grant and loan funding to review those expenditures and ensure they are in line with Trump's executive orders, only to rescind the memo days later amid nationwide panic and confusion. Tina Mengine, the executive director of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority, said in her remarks to attendees that "the scare last week on the federal side really impacted us." Mengine fears that federal funds could be in jeopardy for, among others, its Ironworks Square project, which would create a new business park at the former Erie Malleable Iron site and could cost $25 million. More than half of the project relies on federal funding, she said. Ironworks Square is among the 35 projects in Infinite Erie's Investment Playbook. More: EMI demolition project in Erie is a rumbling, crumbling sight for West 12th Street drivers "That project, which we hope to see substantial completion on in 2025 and full completion in 2026, will be directly impacted by federal funding and whether we can get that done," Mengine said. "So to my state rep. friends, we may be coming back for more money." Matthew Rink can be reached at mrink@ or on X at @ETNRink. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: State budget offers 'significant opportunities' for Infinite Erie work
USA Today
07-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Infinite Erie leaders optimistic about Shapiro budget, proposed investment in housing
AI-assisted summary Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget could benefit Erie's economic development plans, particularly in addressing housing needs. Shapiro's budget proposes $50 million for home repairs, $10 million for first-time homebuyer closing costs, and increased funding for affordable housing programs. While the state budget offers promise, there are concerns about potential cuts to federal funding under the Trump administration, which could impact projects like Erie's Ironworks Square development. Erie's community and economic development leaders gathered Wednesday morning to discuss Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget and the implications it will have on the region, including the efforts of Infinite Erie and its plans to implement Erie's "Investment Playbook," a series of 35 transformational initiatives and projects. Shapiro's proposed spending plan, Executive Director Kim Thomas said, could help Infinite Erie meet more of its goals. "We remain committed to catalyzing economic growth, turning community aspirations into actionable outcomes," Thomas told the audience that met Wednesday for the "post-budget breakfast" at the Erie Insurance Events Center at the Firehouse. "And Gov. Shapiro's proposed budget offers significant opportunities to advance our very own investment playbook, fostering inclusive growth, workforce readiness, and overall sustained prosperity." That's especially true when it comes to addressing the city and county's housing needs, she added. There's not enough housing stock, much of what does exist is aging and antiquated, and blight runs rampant in areas across the state, county and city. Housing needs Last fall, Shapiro signed an executive order calling for a Housing Action Plan to address high housing costs and homelessness, among other things. The state's Department of Community and Economic Development held a roundtable in Erie recently to learn more about the housing issues facing the area. Thomas expected an investment after the Housing Action Plan is released later this year, so she was surprised Tuesday when Shapiro proposed millions to meet the state's housing demands. "Truly we weren't really expecting much by way of additional investment in the housing realm until perhaps next year's budget proposal, once that action plan has the recommendations come out of it a few months from now," said Thomas, who attended and was recognized by House Speaker Joanna McClinton on the House floor ahead of the governor's presentation Tuesday. "However, the governor has proposed to add $50 million, recognizing that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has significantly aging, antiquated housing stock. I think we all recognize the level of that here in Erie." The $50 million will specifically be used to help struggling homeowners make repairs to their properties. Shapiro is also proposing $10 million to help first-time homebuyers cover closing costs, an idea that state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, D-3rd Dist., had been advocating for in Harrisburg. He's also proposing an additional $10 million for the Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund (PHARE), in an effort to bring the tax credit program up to $110 million by 2028. The program led to the construction of 2,000 new homes and repairs to 3,200 others the last two years, according to Shapiro's office. Shapiro is also expanding the homestead and farmstead exemptions on property taxes to $1 billion for the first time, creating an Interagency Council on Homelessness, and sealing eviction records for people who were never actually evicted. "There were a number of opportunities to be addressed around housing, mass transit, infrastructure, workforce development, early education, childcare and the like," Thomas said in an interview after Wednesday's presentation. "I think what we most heard based on the work that we've been doing with our partners in neighborhoods and main street's portfolio is that there truly is going to be an opportunity around housing efforts. We're really focused on working throughout Erie's housing continuum and what that means for permanent, supportive housing, what that means for affordable, attainable workforce housing, and what resources are there that we can leverage." 'This is where we start' Shapiro's Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Director Mike Ferritto, an ex-officio member of the Infinite Erie board, reminded the group that the governor's proposal is just the start of lengthy negotiations between a Democratic-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate. "The budget address that the governor delivered (Tuesday) is really the high-water mark," he said. "This is where we start. And so everyone in this room — as we move forward through this process and work out where we fit into those budget priorities — we need to figure out what we lean into and then advocate on behalf of the priorities that mean the most to us." Thomas said she was proud of Erie's delegation in both Harrisburg and Washington D.C. for their work on behalf of Northwest Pennsylvania. "It's just really critical that Erie is in the room for the conversations," Thomas said. Infinite Erie's projects will have an economic impact of $500 million, create 3,500 jobs and add $21 million to the state and local tax base, if fully funded. It has secured nearly $45.5 million so far, including $25.8 million from the state, $10.7 million from the federal government and nearly $8 million locally. In 2024, Thomas said Infinite Erie "significantly moved the needle." "We were created to build these coalitions," Thomas added, "to truly reverse Erie County's economic decline by activating large-scale, high-impact projects that are outlined in Erie's Investment Playbook." Potential federal funding cuts While there was optimism about both the progress made by Infinite Erie, the direction it's heading and how the state budget might help those efforts, several people expressed concern about potential loss of federal funding under President Donald Trump, who is making deep, across-the-board cuts to the federal workforce and department budgets. Last week, the Office of Management and Budget sent out a memo notifying department heads that it was temporarily freezing grant and loan funding to review those expenditures and ensure they are in line with Trump's executive orders, only to rescind the memo days later amid nationwide panic and confusion. Tina Mengine, the executive director of the Erie County Redevelopment Authority, said in her remarks to attendees that "the scare last week on the federal side really impacted us." Mengine fears that federal funds could be in jeopardy for, among others, its Ironworks Square project, which would create a new business park at the former Erie Malleable Iron site and could cost $25 million. More than half of the project relies on federal funding, she said. Ironworks Square is among the 35 projects in Infinite Erie's Investment Playbook. More:EMI demolition project in Erie is a rumbling, crumbling sight for West 12th Street drivers "That project, which we hope to see substantial completion on in 2025 and full completion in 2026, will be directly impacted by federal funding and whether we can get that done," Mengine said. "So to my state rep. friends, we may be coming back for more money." Matthew Rink can be reached at mrink@ or on X at @ETNRink.
