- Bethlehem has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to help revitalize the Stefko-Pembroke Neighborhood
- City officials said earlier the goal would be to demolish the 196 homes of Pembroke Village and create a neighborhood of mixed incomes
- The official awarding of the grant now starts a two-year planning process of what the future of Pembroke Village could look like
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The city and its housing authority have been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to help revitalize the Stefko-Pembroke Neighborhood, including Pembroke Village.
In a joint statement Wednesday, Pennsylvania U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, announced the federal funding through the Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Program.
“We need more safe and affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley,” Wild said in a news release. “I’m thrilled that Bethlehem is receiving this funding to revitalize already existing affordable housing in Pembroke Village, and I’ll continue working to bring home federal investments to build safe, welcoming neighborhoods for everyone across our community.”
With the grant, the goal would be to demolish the 196 homes of Pembroke Village in Northeast Bethlehem, city officials said back in the spring.
The public housing development off Pembroke Road was built in the 1940s.
Laura Collins, the city’s director of community and economic development, told LehighValleyNews.com then that the idea would be to build on a larger footprint, with a larger number of units that also include homes not subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“You create a neighborhood that has a mix of incomes, making it more sustainable and diverse,” Collins said.
Bethlehem City Council kicked off the process May 17 when it approved a memorandum of understanding for the Bethlehem Housing Authority to assist the city in applying for the grant.
The official awarding of the grant now starts a two-year planning process on what the future of Pembroke Village could look like.
Casey said the money can accelerate plans to reimagine Pembroke Village, “breathing new life into the affordable housing in the city and creating the potential to attract residential businesses like grocery stores and child care centers.”
Bethlehem’s Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant follows Easton’s, where plans are in the works to remake several developments in the West Ward.
A response to Bethlehem’s application came early. Officials initially did not expect an answer from HUD until the fall.
