District 19 News: State Rep. Abney

Hello, Northsiders! I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s. I’m eager to share with you some of the important work I’ve been doing in Harrisburg and back here at home.

With the joint House Appropriations and Education committees’ tour at an end, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all the testifiers and facility guides throughout the entire state. Your contributions to bettering our educational systems and informing us on how we can promote legislation that supports your efforts are invaluable! The conclusion of the tour does not mean the conversation and work stops.

I’m excited to announce that more than $2.84 million in tax credits, through the state’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP), has been awarded to several community organizations. My legislation that I recently introduced, House Bill 1429, would raise the cap on tax credits available through the NAP from $36 million to $72 million, and businesses would also see an increase on the tax credits they could claim. The latter would depend on the kind of project they bring to a community.

Northside Leadership Conference received a $400,000 Neighborhood Partnership Program tax credit for a project to support affordable housing development, commercial real estate, small business support, parks and greenspace planning and restoration, infrastructure investments, and public health initiatives. Urban Impact was the beneficiary of a $243,750 Special Program Priorities tax credit for a project to renovate previously unused commercial space on the Northside, which will be occupied by youth services. I applaud all the great work these tax credits will do by encouraging private investment.

Be safe, stay warm, and I’ll talk to all of you again next month!