B.E.S.T. is thrilled to announce a new Aging in Place project for residents of the Historic East Bayfront that will begin in 2026 and is sponsored by UPMC Health Plan, Marquette Savings Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, and KnoxLaw!
After a successful AARP mini-grant project in 2024 where we were able to provide minor home modifications to five older adult residents in the neighborhood, we decided to think bigger and work on reaching out to even more residents in our neighborhood by offering free minor home modifications that can make a big difference in terms of accessibility, mobility, and safety, which is why our 2026 Special Priorities Project approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development is a neighborhood-wide Aging in Place initiative.
We all know that the homes in the Historic East Bayfront are older with most having been built prior to 1969. This means that many of them do not have the most up-to-date features that will allow people to remain safely in their homes as long as they may wish. With more Americans wanting to stay in their homes and in their communities longer, B.E.S.T. has been examining Design for All concepts and projects related to Aging in Place as a way to prevent blight before it happens. What we learned is that sometimes the smallest changes--a raised toilet seat, D-style cabinet pulls, improved exterior and hallway lighting, grab bars--can profoundly impact safety and security. And, after the positive feedback we received from those we were able to assist in 2024 through the AARP mini grant, we knew we wanted to build on the Governor's priority to support older Pennsylvanians by offering a more robust grant program for our neighbors.
Through this program, we will be offering mini-grants for free home modifications (up to $1000 in value) for residents of the Historic East Bayfront (E. Front Street to the north side of E. 6th Street, the west side of Holland Street to the east side of the Bayfront Parkway) aged 50 and above. This way we are able to improve safety and accessibility for our neighbors and keep our community stable while making improvements that will carry on and assist future residents.
While we have some work to do on our end first (finalizing the application form, and additional staff trainings), we will roll out the program in early 2026, so keep an eye out for updates! We will offer both online and paper applications when the time comes, and priority will be given to lower-income residents.
