Enero 17, 2025 − Philadelphia, PA – Today, Senator Vincent Hughes, Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair, announced over $24M in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grants for Philadelphia and Montgomery County. The grant funds will go to 35 local organizations who are proactively working to stop gun violence and make communities safer.
“Investments from the VIP program have been making a difference at the local level since we introduced this initiative in 2018,” said Senator Hughes. “In Philadelphia, we’ve seen a 40% reduction in homicides, which is very much due to the work of community organizations these grants fund. These people, these organizations, are the boots on the ground who know what needs to be done to stop the violence. It’s critical we continue to invest in the VIP program and prioritize their prevention work.”
The VIP grants were awarded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In total, $45M was awarded to 67 projects across Pennsylvania. In this round of funding, the VIP program received a total of 189 applications requesting more than $111 million in funds.
In addition to the VIP grant funding, Senator Hughes announced $2.3M in BOOST grant funds for Philadelphia and Montgomery County. In total PCCD awarded $56.5M in BOOST and VIP grants to stop gun violence, support at-risk youth, and make neighborhoods safer across Pennsylvania.
More information about the grant program can be found on PCCD’s website.