Two Valley communities are finally being awarded federal grant dollars to help support community services. 

According to a press release from Valley Congressman Tim Ryan, Youngstown and Warren will bring home a combined $5,600,000 in Community Development Block Grants, Emergency Services Grants, and HOME grants. 

For the 2017-2018 Fiscal year, Youngstown is receiving more than 3.2 million dollars in CDBG money. 

Mayor John McNally says several community organizations have already applied and been given contracts for that money. McNally said the money goes towards community organizations that provide social services, such as ACTION, OCCHA, Taft Neighborhood Promise, and YNDC. 

In addition, CDBG grants go toward funding portions the city's litter program, park development program, and certain street improvement projects. 

Youngstown will also be receiving more than $400,000 in Emergency Services Grant money, which goes toward services that treat and combat homelessness in the Valley. 

According to Mayor McNally, there are nearly 30 organizations involved in the Mahoning County Homelessness Continuum of Care. The ESG grants will be doled out to some of those organizations in order to help with programs that assist homeless persons or help to curb the problem. 

HOME grants, of which the city will be receiving more than $400,000, McNally says will go toward groups like Habitat for Humanity and YNDC. Those funds are designed to help groups provide housing to low-income families. 

Meanwhile, Warren City will be receiving $1,544,407, in a combination of Community Development Block Grants as well as HOME grants. In Warren, those funds go toward a variety of organizations, like the Second Harvest Food Bank and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership. 

Mayor John McNally says the announcement of the grant money tells cities like Youngstown and Warren that they are receiving the federal funding that they were estimating they would receive. 

McNally said that in early summer, Youngstown City Council signed contracts with community organizations promising them the money, now the city knows that their budgeting was correct, and they can continue to disburse the grant money. 

In addition to Youngstown and Warren, $34,744 in grant funding is coming to the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments provided through the Economic Development Administration. 

This EDA planning investment supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for the region served by the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, which comprises the counties of Ashtabula, Mahoning, and Trumbull.  

The CEDS process is designed to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.