Johnstown Housing Program Gets Grant

Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley (GICV) has been awarded over $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor for a program that gives high school dropouts and “at risk” young people another chance to work and to learn. An additional $288,000 is expected through June 2012.

GICV is the lead agency in a collaboration of 13 organizations from the Johnstown area that comprise YouthBuild Johnstown. The program gives people ages 16 to 24 a chance to earn their GED while earning paid construction experience. The Greater Johnstown Housing Authority and the Urban Redevelopment Authority supply the materials and GICV organizes the instruction. Students get $7.25 per hour for skills training and onsite construction. The houses are made for local low-income families.

The federal grant will go towards payment of instructors and students, says GICV President and CEO Phyllis Bandstra. She says the 11-month program is part of the YouthBuild USA program, which has received $114 million in grants to 183 different outlets. Bandstra says the last grant they received was in October 2007, for about the same amount.