Dec 17, 2025 By Paul Paterra 4 min read

The latest round of state Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) grants include efforts to continue the revitalization of the city of Washington, a program to address workforce shortages in agriculture and aid for further projects in the revitalization initiative in Charleroi.

The state NAP initiative offers significant tax credits of up to 95% to businesses for investing in community-based projects, helping ensure long-term, locally driven success.

The grants were approved by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), as part of NAP, which encourages partnerships among nonprofit organizations, businesses and local communities to strengthen distressed areas and support individuals and families most in need.

The Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment was awarded $90,000 to continue revitalization efforts in Washington. Building on six years of Main Street growth, the project will renovate three blighted buildings and assist five property owners with facade improvements.

“This will help to continue the efforts of the (Citywide Development Corp.),” explained Bradley Martin, CDC director. “Most of the proposal is for the business development side of things. This is incredibly helpful because it allows the CDC to continue to operate to provide some of that technical assistance to hopefully grow back into providing some of the home rehab projects we have done in the past. It also helps us continue what we were doing with blight remediation CDC has done in the past.”

The money will also help fund the continuation of a survey to determine what it would take to fix vacant upper floors in downtown buildings.

“That will be part of what we continue to push through in the next year,” he said.

Mon Valley Alliance Foundation will receive $237,500 for the fourth of a six-year revitalization in Charleroi. The effort will be carried out in collaboration with the nonprofit Blueprints.

“We’re looking forward to getting on the last three years of that program and working with the borough to do some Main Street improvements and with the Charleroi Park trustees to improve the former Charleroi Stadium lot plus improvements to Meadow Park,” said Jamie Colecchi, Mon Valley Alliance CEO. “This wouldn’t happen without (the funding).”

Through the six-year Neighborhood Partnership Program, $1.5 million is being invested into Charleroi for community improvement projects, Main Street development and social services.

The project includes pre-home buying counseling, riverfront park development, Main Street improvements and workforce training.

The Literacy Council of Southwestern Pennsylvania was awarded $135,000 to acquire a former school building in Charleroi. The move will address a critical shortage of classroom space and a waiting list of more than 150 students. The expanded facility will allow the organization to serve more than 800 students.

The Literacy Council has been addressing the need for English as a Second Language classes in Charleroi, a community which is home to immigrants from numerous countries.

Little A Town Arena in Avella will receive $89,100 to address workforce shortages in agriculture by establishing scholastic rodeo teams in area school districts. The program will educate students on farming and animal sciences and encourage careers in agriculture.

“This money will help us to be able to facilitate the Little A Town Arena to better support the youth in high school rodeo activities that we are trying to develop,” explained Tim Paris, arena director. “Right now, kids in this area travel over an hour every which way to compete and be involved in those programs. We have a big enough arena to do it. We don’t have the equipment that we need. We’re trying to bring the sport of rodeo, which is very popular out west, back into this area. We’re trying to get this agricultural mentality back into our youth in this area.”

Growing Up Greene will receive $45,000 to provide winter clothing essentials to 750 at-risk youth in rural Greene County. Access will be expanded to adaptive and age-appropriate clothing, tracking and storage systems will be improved and partnerships will be formalized to reach more families.

“Each of these projects represents a meaningful investment in our communities – whether it’s revitalizing Main Streets, expanding access to education, supporting workforce development or meeting basic needs for families,” said state Sen. Camera Bartolotta. “The Neighborhood Assistance Program empowers nonprofits and private partners to work together in ways that deliver lasting benefits to the people we serve.”