$161 Million Set For Employee COVID Pay, Housing Projects And More In Montco

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — The county plans to pour more than $32 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds into housing projects, and another $28 million into community services around Montgomery County.

The Board of Commissioners approved a final Recovery Plan for how the county will spend $161.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. The biggest chunk of the money will go to government services and infrastructure, the plan shows.

Click here to read the full plan, which the county finalized on Aug. 18. It includes funding for 122 projects around the county, with the largest chunk set aside for government and infrastructure projects.

Some major projects include a $7 million community center for Norristown residents, a $2.65 million small business investment grant program, a $5 million child and adolescent behavioral health program and another $5 million behavioral health crisis response service expansion.

The funding breakdown is as follows, the county said:

• Government services and infrastructure: $33.7 million (21 percent of funding)
• Housing: $32.4 million (20 percent)
• Community services and facilities: $28 million (17 percent)
• Behavioral health: $18.1 million (11 percent)
• Economic and workforce development: $14.4 million (9 percent)
• Public health and safety: $11.9 million (8 percent)
• Child care services: $9.6 million (6 percent)
• Food security: $8.4 million (5 percent)
• Non-profit and community support: $2.5 million (2 percent)

Government services and infrastructure

Pottstown is looking to replace existing lead service lines in the borough. $2.27 million is earmarked to support a portion of the work in the north section of the borough.

These funds will also allow the Wissahickon Watershed to fund a water quality program to improve stormwater management for residents in the watershed's service area; this includes Abington Township, North Wales Borough, and Upper Gwynedd Township.

There is also $10 million earmarked to replace revenue the county lost in the COVID-19 pandemic, $6.25 million set to support recruitment and retention initiatives for county government employees, and $8.1 million in premium pay for essential county workers on the payroll during COVID-19.

The county said roles receiving premium pay include public health and public safety staff, coroner staff, and correctional officers.

"County employees eligible for this program will receive an additional hourly rate for actual hours worked, not to exceed a total amount of $25,000," the county said.

Housing

The county will buy and renovate a new facility in Lower Providence to support adults experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County after the close of the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center, the plan shows. This short-term housing project is expected to cost $5.5 million.

Another $5.5 million is set aside to buy and renovate vacant properties into affordable housing units around Montco; in addition to that, the county set aside $5 million for "preservation, expansion and transformation of the public housing inventory across (the county) to support affordable housing efforts for populations including the elderly, disabled, veterans, victims of domestic violence, and families."

A $4 million investment will expand the county Eviction Prevention and Intervention coalition, and $3 million is set aside to expand senior housing at the Ardmore House in Lower Merion Township.

Bridging the GAP, which serves Upper Moreland Township, Hatboro, and Horsham, will get $1.88 million to purchase four additional affordable housing properties and help first-time homebuyers.

A year-round emergency transitional shelter is planned in Pottstown, at the cost of $1.3 million. This will also include "a drug and alcohol inpatient and outpatient location and intake coordination, job readiness programs, faith based counseling, and behavioral counseling."

More than 400 applicants sent in project submissions to the county and 150 other people sent in idea submissions, the county said.

Community services and facilities

The county said Norristown residents "consistently and repeatedly" asked officials to invest in community services and recreation, and thus have set aside $7 million for the community facility.

"Staff will work directly with the Norristown community to coordinate planning, design, and implementation of a shared project that responds to the needs expressed by the community," the county said, adding it "will have no ongoing role in operating any program or facility and is serving in a project facilitation and planning role for these initial phases only.

Money is also planned to fund construction of an Asian-American community center and Wellness Plaza estimated at $5.25 million; $4.27 million for ACLAMO Family Centers, which serve Latin American residents; and $2.25 million to construct a South Asian cultural and learning center in Montgomeryville.

Funds will also go to renovate the George Washington Carver Community Center in Norristown, and a historic church property renovation in North Wales Borough.

Click here to read the full county recovery plan.