So, you’re ready to enter the job market and are deciding which career path to take. Maybe, you’re already in the job market but you’d just like to make a career change. You realize a college degree isn’t right for you, and you definitely don’t want to be stuck behind a desk! You like working […]
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
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PA Department of Community and Economic Development
The mission of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) is to foster opportunities for businesses to grow and for communities to succeed and thrive in a global economy. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania citizens while assuring transparency and accountability in the expenditure of public funds.
400 North Street
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
17120
United States
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
17120
United States
#PAProud Blog: Community
Every year, Pennsylvania celebrates National Weatherization Day on Oct. 30 and the accomplishments of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). Over the last 47 years Pennsylvania’s program has helped to weatherize more than 546,900 homes and resolved over 167,200 heating crisis emergencies. WAP services focus on finding and fixing air leaks, making health and safety repairs, […]
Oct. 30 marks National Weatherization Day, a day focusing local, state, and national attention on the Weatherization Assistance Program and the work being performed by dedicated members of the weatherization assistance network. In honor of this national day, we spoke to a longtime partner of the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Larry Swanson, […]
Pennsylvania small businesses contribute to the culture and fabric of the communities in which they reside. They provide a sense of place and local identity while helping grow the local economy. In Reading, Berks County, the city’s many successful bodegas have helped lift the city out of financial distress – and some of them, like […]
Scranton, PA Through major challenges like pandemics, recessions, or natural disasters, we power through and come out stronger on the other side. That spirit and resiliency is embodied by cities like Scranton, the seat of Lackawanna County. In January 2022, Scranton exited distressed status, and is now on track for a bright future. We spoke […]
ACHIEVEability, Philadelphia Across Pennsylvania, communities are teaming up with businesses through DCED’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) to invest in community development projects that are improving residents’ quality of life. One of those businesses is Truist Financial Corporation, a bank with around 150 locations in Pennsylvania. Truist contributes to NAP projects in several communities, so we […]
Oct. 30 marks National Weatherization Day, a day focusing local, state, and national attention on the Weatherization Assistance Program and the work being performed by dedicated members of the weatherization assistance network. In honor of this national day, we spoke to Richard Wagner, a weatherization specialist at the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) who has […]
A lot has changed in the past few years, but the spirit of giving has not. Generosity is alive and well in Pennsylvania and some of our state-based companies are proving just that. Whether they are just getting started, or have decades of experience behind them, we’re seeing a variety of businesses across industries pave […]
Erie, PA The federal Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program spurs economic development and job creation in low-income communities by offering tax incentives for investment into designated distressed census tracts. In 2018, Pennsylvania nominated 300 census tracts for QOZ designation based on their distressed economic status, recommendations from local partners, and the likelihood of private-sector investment […]
For more than 30 years, the city of Aliquippa has been designated as financially distressed under the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, more commonly known as Act 47. Administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), Act 47 assists Pennsylvania municipalities experiencing severe financial difficulties to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their […]
Lansdowne Borough is a success story in the making: a small town that has completed several community revitalization projects with support from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Keystone Communities Program. For part two of this story, we followed up with Deborah Brodeur, Executive Director of the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), to […]
On a mission to improve quality of life and provide economic opportunity for residents, the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) has been an active neighbor to the citizens of the Lehigh Valley since December 1965. We caught up with Lynette Praster, director of the Center for Community Services at the PA Department […]
Lansdowne Borough is a success story in the making, a small town that has completed several community revitalization projects with support from DCED’s Keystone Communities program as part of the Elm Street designation. We spoke with Deborah Brodeur, Executive Director of the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation, to learn how DCED’s programs and resources have helped […]
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) administers the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program for community-based organizations. The CSBG program aims to revitalize low-income communities across the state by funding various initiatives, including job training, housing, drug counseling, education, and more. We spoke to Jim Stark, CEO of Fayette County Community Action Agency, […]
The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) administers the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, Act of 1987, P.L. 246, No. 47. Under Act 47, DCED has a responsibility to assist Pennsylvania municipalities that are experiencing severe financial difficulties in order to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their citizens. Altoona was designated as financially […]
In 2014, Strausstown Borough in Berks County was facing several major issues. In order to eliminate budget deficits, it was forced to raise real estate taxes and sewer fees by more than 30 percent. Additionally, Borough Council’s part-time staff was struggling to manage many full-time services, including street lights, trash collection, municipal issues, and the […]
The Keystone Communities Program’s Elm Street division works to address issues of blight and crime in borderline residential neighborhoods that surround Main Street business districts. To learn more about the program and the change it helps create in communities, we talked to Dean L. Rohrbach, Program Manager of the West Reading Community Revitalization Foundation (WRCRF), […]
In January 2017, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) signed agreements with three Bucks County technical high schools, as well as Bloomsburg University, to collaborate on a new Technical Entrepreneurship Degree Program, designed for job preparedness and to provide a pathway for career and technical high school students to earn a bachelor’s degree. We spoke to […]
As part of the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED)’s efforts to provide opportunities to all Pennsylvanians and revitalize communities across the state, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) seeks to expand the supply of decent and affordable housing for low- and very low-income Pennsylvanians. A federally funded program administered by DCED that provides […]
In March, my colleague Kim Thomas wrote about Erie’s remarkable revitalization efforts and its long-term vision. And seemingly every day, we hear great news coming out of Erie — thanks to its passionate, loyal residents and advocates. It is beyond inspiring to see a community rally so readily in response to negative press and widespread […]
On May 1, 2017 the Borough of West Chester was recognized as a 2017 Great American Main Street Award winner, as a result of its successful revitalization movement that began in 2000. This is the final post of a three-part series dedicated to West Chester, its growing prosperity, and the key players involved in its […]
Last March I stood with my tourism colleagues to unveil the new tourism slogan, “Pennsylvania: Pursue your Happiness.” As we near the brand’s one-year anniversary, I am more convinced than ever that this bold declaration — a throwback to the famous demand for “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration of Independence […]
On May 1, 2017 the Borough of West Chester was recognized as a 2017 Great American Main Street Award winner, as a result of its successful revitalization movement that began in 2000. West Chester’s revitalization effort has been spearheaded by Malcolm Johnstone, Executive Director of the West Chester Business Improvement District (BID). This is the […]
This month, what’s old is new again in Pennsylvania. Keystone Edge — an online magazine covering what’s next and best in the state — is back with a peek at our latest edition. From an innovative land bank to an old building coming back to life, this month’s issue of Keystone Edge brings the past […]
On May 1, 2017 the Borough of West Chester was recognized as a 2017 Great American Main Street Award winner, as a result of its successful revitalization movement that began in 2000. West Chester is a designated community through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)’s Keystone Communities Program, and is a positive example […]
This September marks National Preparedness month, which serves as a reminder for individuals, businesses, and communities that we all must take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for the types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and we visit. In Pennsylvania, September is the beginning of hurricane season, and […]