On Monday, the City of Allentown announced that it had received $20 million in grant funding through the Recompete Program. The competitive program seeks to remove barriers to employment.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representative Susan Wild played key roles in securing the funding. Casey urged the Biden Administration to consider the city for this phase, and Wild sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Economic Development Agency Alejandra Castillo.
In December, Allentown received $500,000 from Phase I of the Recompete Program. The current phase focuses on connecting residents to fast-growing industries like manufacturing and health care.
Senator Casey called the funding a “game-changing opportunity” that will provide Allentown residents with a “fair shot at getting and keeping family sustaining jobs.”
Established through the CHIPS and Science Act, the Recompete Program targets communities struggling with employment gaps that have historically been left behind. Allentown’s Recompete plan involves increasing access to affordable child care, transportation, and educational opportunities. Representative Wild called the plan “impressive and comprehensive.”
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk highlighted the city’s experience with reacting to crisis, but said this is their chance to react instead to opportunity. Through existing and new partnerships, he plans to make investments that will put residents in a position to succeed.
