Pittsburgh, Pensilvania - 14 de diciembre de 2018 - Hoy, los senadores Jay Costa, Wayne D. Fontana y la senadora electa Lindsey Williams anunciaron 2,2 millones de dólares en fondos de subvenciones estatales para promover viviendas asequibles en el oeste de Pensilvania.
"Aunque la ciudad ha experimentado una oleada de desarrollo y crecimiento, algunas zonas han quedado rezagadas", dijo el senador Costa. "Esta subvención va a ayudar a algunas de las personas más necesitadas de Pittsburgh a encontrar viviendas asequibles y atractivas".
"Las propiedades abandonadas y el deterioro están asolando algunos barrios de esta gran ciudad, y estoy orgulloso de haber contribuido a garantizar la financiación para luchar contra ello", ha declarado el senador Fontana.
"Todo el mundo merece un lugar para vivir, pero las opciones asequibles pueden ser limitadas en Pittsburgh", dijo el senador electo Williams. "No puedo esperar a ver cómo estos dólares crean viviendas asequibles en las comunidades que más lo necesitan".
El dinero se asignará a través de varias subvenciones; la primera de 2 millones de dólares se destinará a la ciudad de Pittsburgh y a la Autoridad de Reurbanización Urbana de Pittsburgh para adquirir y rehabilitar 35 viviendas en zonas muy necesitadas; 238.000 dólares se destinarán a la compra y reconstrucción de tres viviendas en el condado de Washington.
La financiación de estas subvenciones procede del Programa de Estabilización de Barrios.
El NSP concede subvenciones a las comunidades para hacer frente a la crisis de ejecución hipotecaria de viviendas creada por los préstamos de alto riesgo y otros préstamos hipotecarios problemáticos. Este programa está autorizado por el Programa federal de Subvenciones en Bloque para el Desarrollo de la Comunidad (CDBG). Además de promover la vivienda asequible, las subvenciones también ayudan a abordar los problemas de deterioro resultantes de estas viviendas abandonadas o embargadas.
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HARRISBURG, Octubre 17, 2018 – State Senators Wayne D. Fontana (D-Allegheny), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Randy Vulakovich (R-Allegheny) today announced $49 million in state funds to replace 28,000 residential lead lateral connections in Pittsburgh.
“I am pleased that state dollars will be used to fund and expedite this important lead lateral and service line replacement work,” Fontana said. “This is a public health issue and needs dealt with as quickly as possible.”
“Access to clean water should be guaranteed to every citizen of the Commonwealth,” Costa said. “This grant will go a long way in fulfilling that need in the City of Pittsburgh.”
“This is an important project for our area,” said Sen. Vulakovich. “By replacing these lead service lines, it will substantially increase the reliability of safe drinking water for our residents.”
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) will receive $13.6 million in grant dollars and the other $35.4 million through a 1 percent low-interest loan. The funds were awarded today at the PENNVEST (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority) board meeting in Harrisburg.
The line replacement work will take part in various parts of Pittsburgh based on density of young children, documented higher blood-lead levels and concentration of antiquated lead water lines. Anticipated replacements are slated for Morningside, Homewood, Perry, Mt. Washington, Southside and Greenfield neighborhoods. The project is expected to impact 7,000 people.
In recent years, Pittsburgh has struggled to replace old and decaying lead water lines, which have exceeded maximum health contaminant standards. The state Department of Environmental Protection issued a consent order last Noviembre calling for the laterals and service line replacement.
PWSA estimates that about 25 percent of the city’s water lines are made of lead. By 2022, it plans to inspect all 81,000 water lines and compile a database that identifies where the lead lines are.
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Pittsburgh, Pa. − Agosto 27, 2018 − Senators Jay Costa, Jr. and Wayne D. Fontana jointly congratulated the Pittsburgh School District on the award of $1.6 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to support school improvement.
“I want to not only congratulate but also thank the Pittsburgh School District for continuing to innovate the way they teach our students,” said Senator Costa. “A high-quality education that prepares students for a 21st century world is one of the most critical responsibilities of the state, and our local districts. Pittsburgh has risen to that challenge time and again, and our entire region is better for it.”
Thirteen schools in the Pittsburgh School District will receive funding in this round of grants. The grants are part of the second year of the System for District and School Improvement project at PDE, and the Pittsburgh School District was also included in the pilot program in its first year.
“This grant award is a testament to the improvements the Pittsburgh School District have implemented and to the ongoing effort to enhance the quality of education for our students and upgrades to school facilities,” said Senator Fontana. “I am proud of the commitment that has been made to further enrich the education of the students and am certain this success will continue.”
In this school year, grant recipients include 101 schools in 16 school districts and four charter schools.
For more information about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, please visit the Department of Education’s website at www.education.pa.gov.
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Pittsburgh, Diciembre 8, 2017 − At the request of state Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, the state Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on Costa’s legislation that would enable families to seek court-ordered addiction treatment for their loved ones.
“As this opioid addiction epidemic worsens, it is imperative that we empower families to help loved ones in the throes of drug addiction to get the treatment they desperately need,” Costa said. “In many cases, this is a matter of life or death.”
The Allegheny County lawmaker has introduced Senate Bill 391, which would enable family members to petition the court to commit for drug addiction treatment someone who is an imminent danger to themselves or others. The proposed court-ordered treatment could only be considered if the addict has overdosed, is a suicide threat, has been unable to adequately care for themselves or is a threat to others.
Under the bill, families would petition the county authority for drug and alcohol programs. If the judge agrees to file a warrant, the person would be examined within two hours to determine what type of treatment is recommended. If medical experts believe treatment should be extended, the person being treated would be entitled to a hearing.
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh), who chairs the committee, said, “court-approved treatment provides an additional resource for families that have been trying to tackle a very complex situation. We are committed to working with stakeholders to add this tool to the proverbial toolbox without unintended negative consequences, and I commend Senator Costa for the due process legal safeguards in this bill.”
According to a joint University of Pittsburgh/DEA Philadelphia Division analysis, 4,642 Pennsylvanians died from drug abuse in 2016 – a 37 percent increase over the previous year. There were 648 overdose deaths in Allegheny County, 102 in Beaver County, 74 in Butler County, 106 in Washington County, and 174 in Westmoreland County.
Statewide, opioids were identified in 85 percent of drug-related overdose deaths last year.
Tina Flowers and Don Holman provided powerful accounts of how their sons became addicts and died. In describing their frustration with the system and how it thwarted their attempts to get their boys the treatment they needed, both endorsed the Costa legislation and requested that such a court-ordered treatment process have no unnecessary delays.
Speaking to concerns about infringement on civil liberties, both parents noted that the alternative is too often death.
“My son died without his civil liberties being violated,” Holman said.
Dr. Dennis Daley, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry, said, “While addiction is promoted as a ‘family disease,’ family members are seldom asked for their input or engaged in treatment. Promoting awareness of this often-forgotten population, and finding long-term solutions to help support vulnerable families, needs to occur at all levels; individual, societal and in the political spheres.”
Marc Cherna, who serves as deputy director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, called for additional state funding and other resources to help combat the drug epidemic.
Boscola said, “In my view, if we can’t make the tough choices to combat drug addiction, then we are simply resigning ourselves to more of the same – more crime, more addiction, and more loss of life.”.
Joining Boscola and Costa at the Duquesne University hearing were Senators Jim Brewster (D-McKeesport) and Wayne Fontana (D-Brookline).
In addition to Senate committee members, the following took part in the discussion
- Jen Smith, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs;
- Briana Mihok, Senior Policy Strategist, University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics;
- Dennis Daley, PhD, Professor, University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry;
- Tina Flowers and Don Holman, parent advocates;
- Marc Cherna, director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services;
- Mark Sarneso, MS, Director of Central and Western Region, Gaudenzia Inc.
- Stuart Fisk, CRNP, and Dr. Mitchell West, DO, MHA, Allegheny Health Network
- Michael Consuelos, Senior Vice President for Clinical Integration, Hospital & Healthsystem Assoc. of PA;
- Dr. Michael Lynch, Professor of Emergency Medicine, UPMC, and director, Pittsburgh Poison Center;
- Attorney Sara Rose, staff attorney, ACLU of PA; and
- Rosa Davis, executive director, Pennsylvania Organization for Women in Early Recovery.
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Senate Democrats have been in the forefront of efforts to address exposure to lead
Harrisburg – Sept. 1, 2017 – State Sen. Vincent J. Hughes and Senate Democrats applauded Gov. Tom Wolf’s support of universal testing of children under the age of 2 to determine their risk of lead poisoning.
The governor has urged the state Department of Health to work collaboratively with the General Assembly and community partners on crafting legislation to compel testing of children under the age of 2 for lead exposure.
Hughes (D-Philadelphia), along with several Senate Democrats, including Sens. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) Judy Schwank (D-Berks), John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia) and Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia) have been leaders in the effort to combat lead poisoning.
Senate Democrats have offered a comprehensive legislative package to help children, day care centers and home buyers deal with the threat of lead poisoning. Senate Resolution 33, which called for a task force to study lead exposure, was approved by the Senate in early Junio.
“The governor’s call for universal lead testing of children under the age of 2 is a huge step forward,” Hughes said. “Finding out the depth of the problem will enable us to better design a more effective strategy to deal with lead and help prevent problems associated with lead.”
According to the Department of Health, 28 percent of children in Pennsylvania under 2 years of age were tested for lead in 2015. Several years ago, lead seeping into Flint, Michigan’s public water system caused a devastating health crisis and spurred governments to examine the levels of lead exposure. Eighteen Pennsylvania cities tested higher than Flint for elevated blood lead levels.
Senate Democrats first introduced a comprehensive package of measures dealing with lead in 2016 following the Flint crisis. The legislative package included five bills that would establish a task force to study the issue and account for the age of the state’s housing stock, pipelines and school buildings; require school buildings to be tested for lead; require the licensing of lead testing centers; require property sales agreements to include an option for water testing for lead; and create a “Superfund for Lead Abatement” that would help pay lead remediation costs.
“We can do better and protect children and families from lead poisoning,” Hughes said. “The governor’s support is key to our success in addressing lead in our communities, homes and schools.
“My Senate Democratic colleagues and I are ready to move aggressively on legislation that gets to the root cause of the problem.”
Information about the incidence of lead exposure would enable families to access available services, Hughes said.
In Diciembre 2016, Hughes announced that $125,000 in state grant dollars were available to help Philadelphia deal with lead issues.
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