HAP RECEIVES $800,000 COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Saint Paul, MN – Hmong American Partnership (HAP) has been selected to receive $800,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Community Services for their Fueling the Economy Project which will create 40 permanent jobs within the transportation industry for low-income residents of the East Side and Frogtown neighborhoods of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The East Side and Frogtown neighborhoods are home to a large and rapidly expanding Southeast Asian community. Due to language and educational barriers, unemployment and poverty rates in these neighborhoods are extremely high. The Hmong community, in particular, has the lowest per capita income in the state. Minnesota faces significant workforce shortages within the next decade and the immigrant and refugee community will be critical to not only fueling business growth, but also to maintaining the economic stability of the region.
“I have long supported comprehensive social services for immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities, – remarked Rep. Rena Moran (DFL-Saint Paul. “That’s why I’m so pleased that HAP has received federal funds for their Fueling the Economy project.”
The Community Economic Development (CED) grant is a federal grant program funding Community Development Corporations that address the economic needs of low-income individuals and families through the creation of sustainable business development and employment opportunities. The CED grant comes from the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
CONTACT: Steve Thao
Director of Communications
(651) 495-1582
stevet@hmong.org